Using an 83 XC250 as a dual sport

Hi Everyone,

I love my 83 XC250 and would like to register it to go more places. Do you think it can sustain 60ish MPH for 10-15 miles? I doubt I would ever really go that far or fast but I am thinking just in case. Also what do you think the mileage would be out of a tank of gas, not at race pace.

Thanks!
Dan

gear it up a few teeth and go for it that speed shouldn't be a problem you might want to fatten up the main jet a bit and im sayin the stock tank should go at least 70 miles

Massachusetts is an inspection required state isn't it. I kind of did that a while ago with an 83xc500. Basically gear it so even a modest incline on the interstate calls for a downshift. I had some bothersome chain oscillation. Probably not for most folks but on back roads just run it up to about 50mph then coast for a while. I am not sure about this section, vintage Swedish but the Italian two cycle manuals pretty much say not to use for what you are asking about. How does it run at slight throttle in high gear? I wasn't involved back in the late 60's but I hear of trips to the beach in Rhode Island.

I have driven my CR500 to work. 100 kilometer highway.
Works great but you have to get your jetting changed.

Thanks!

Sustaining 60-70mph for an hour or so is not good on these unless you maintain lower rpm or install a handlebar mounted choke lever to fatten up the mixture like the desert racers did in Baja. If you geared it up to make it effective on the road, it will be harder to ride offroad with it. I used to ride in Western MA when I lived there and offroad was fun and challenging in the early to mid 70's.

I have a 1981 Wr430 and have done a few highway trips. It got exactly 88 miles per small aluminum mx tank a couple times. I think it does highway no problem at all if you can deal with a few issues. (Even Occasionally up to 85 miles per hour).
- vibration numbs my hands
- mixing gas and oil at a gas station
- small front sprocket creates rapid wear of chain and sprockets. I have read in a few places that the very minimum number of teeth for a front sprocket should be 15. Any less than that creates more stress and more rapid wear.
I also have a 1977 canam 250 with lots of highway use. It has a 15 tooth front sprocket and also oil injection. Its only issue is vibration. I have held it wide open at about 85 mph chasing a sport bike for about 10 miles and no I could not catch him.

I think we have missed the point here...he just wants to ride it down the road to better riding spots.

if it was me, I would just drop the needle clip 1 position to fatten the midrange and tool along at 55 - 60 being careful to not to sit on 1 throttle setting. two strokes can heat up and lean out on long constant throttle settings.

when I road ride I continually change the throttle setting, being careful not to just chop it at high revs, I feather off high speed runs to keep delivering good fuel mix to the engine and continually slow down and rev up so the motor is more under load with open throttle than just bingity binging down the road to needle jet seize city.

beats me if it works but I ve never made it to "needle seize city" yet...

I am dual sporting a '96 WXE360 with no issues. Of course this is a water cooler bike where yours is not but I'm not sure there would be much practical difference between two for this application. 60 ish is about top speed for me as that's about all my current tires are balanced for (gets a bit "nervous " if I go faster). I'll address the balance issues when new tires come along. I carry a pint of two stroke oil, good for mixing 4 gallons of gas. Since I've a Lectron carb I've no carb issues at any setting or speed. I'd say go for it and good luck!