125-200cc WR165 first ride/impressions

Well I finally got my 165 all together and took it out yesterday to break it in. I built this up on a new/left over 2013 WR125. Install of the kit is pretty simple (like building most 2 stroke motors is!).

Ride conditions. 27 degrees with some slight frost on the ground. After following my buddy around with his studded tires, the ground got muddy/mushy.

Bike. Walt 165 kit with a Lectron carb with the 3XL needle Kelly designed for the Husky's. Stock gearing (for now) 13/50 and a FMF Fatty. I have a 200SX pipe coming from Walt. Radiators filled with ZipTy XF2 coolant and AS3 hoses with no thermostat. 10W40 Castrol oil in the tranny. Fuel mixed at 40:1 with Motorex 2T racing oil.

Break in. Did 2 heat cycles of 10 min with slight blips here and there throughout the 10 min sessions. Let the bike completely cool between the 2 10 min periods. Bike smoked a fair amount due to the excess 2T oil in the crank case I put on the mains and small rod bearings during assembly. Once that was cleaned out, smoke was minimal to none for the rest of the day. After the 2 heat cycles, I cranked it up and rode for 15-20 minutes just cruising around. Never got it up on the pipe or made the Power Valves open. Bike pulled good. I had to use the clutch some in the woods on uphills (mostly due to gearing) and used first for all of the trails except for the flat stuff where I could easily pull 2nd through the trees.

After the first ride session, I let it cool then rode it for a loop on the trail that included muddy uphills with tree crossings halfway up and some rooty/snotty stuff in the muck. Bike ran great. Opened it up a couple times for short duration's to get the motor up into the power band and scream a little. Just like I remember, things start going by real fast once the motor is spinning up.

At the end of the ride, I was at 1.2 on the hour meter. Cleaned off the mud with the power washer. cranked it up and ran the gas out of the float bowl and then loaded up. One of the nice things about riding at my buddies place is he has a built in power washer back at the garage with hot water! Love going home with a clean bike!

Impressions--Like the power. While is doesn't pull with massive authority down low right off idle, it pulls good and considering I was using the stock gearing of 13/50, it did well. I was able to hook up in the mud and not spin the tire much and pull hills very well without having to rev the motor into the Power Valve. I love when it does hit, you get the "Angry Bees" sound going and acceleration picks up briskly. I really don't think I want to put an autoclutch on this motor though. I just don't see it pulling one well right off idle. I have one on my 300 and it works great, but I think I will ride the 165 for a while without one. Kinda nice doing the clutch work with that little motor. It seems to lug just fine without one and I was idling through the tight stuff and hardly ever had to work the clutch for fear of stalling the little motor.

Gearing, think I will definitely go up 2 teeth in the rear. I have the 52 already but I wanted to get a feel for it stock first. 2 teeth up should make 2nd gear more woods usable in the tight stuff without sacrificing top end much.

Fueling. Seems pretty good. Idles well once warmed up. I did not touch the Lectron as delivered. I had a small amount of splooge on the exit but nothing major. I will wait until I get the 200SX pipe on there and more break in time on the motor before I play with that. The 200SX pipe might be enough to clean it up and make it even better. Lectron's are so easy to adjust anyway. For now, I like that is is a little rich while the motor is setting in. Throttle response is quick and crisp. If I rolled it on slowly there is a slight hesitation in the transition between slide and PJ, but not bad. If I nail it quick it goes right past it, so if anything, maybe a 1/8th turn lean on the PJ would do it, but again, I'll wait till I get the 200SX pipe on there.

I can see this being a favorite woods ride easily. Brakes are Husky awesome. That little buggar will stop fast and they feel so good. Way better than my Berg (KTM) braking. I mean I'll still take the 300 to Colorado, but the 165 will probably be my main woods bike unless I need a plated ride or am going to where the additional power comes in handy like out west or up in the high elevations of Colorado and the like.

Good fun! Thanks Walt and Kelly for the parts and advice. She's a spicy meatball!

Next ride report will go something like this ------ Cant belive how much harder it pulls with 200 pipe in place

Any uk riders with this kit? I'd love to hear how you went about getting the kit etc 8-)

Spud has one as do I . Got mine direct from Walt (wallybean) Could not deal with a nicer guy. You may or may not get stiffed from our lovely customs people as they never can make up their collective minds just how much of your hard earned cash they wish to stuff in the till !
I personaly love the 165, Can be made a torque monster or a screamer depending on what exhaust you chose to run.
Will take some carefull jetting to run correctly here in the UK as it likes to be rich at the top but lean on the bottom with our fuel.
Pulls my old fat ass around all day with ease and is just so light and flickable it cannot help from making me smile
Always welcome to try mine if your anywhere near the south coast

I live down near crawley/brighton

My husky is a weekend road toy it's too pretty to go offroad(and I lack places to use it haha)

I currently have a stock sms with fatty pipe and working power valve and ot goes very well. But everyone likes a little more guts, I just wonder how it will fair on the road. You say it can be a liver or a screamer pipe dependant ? That's a good sign!

I think we talked at the WATR event at Eagle bay briefly. You're on the DAMN forum too, right? If we end up on another trail ride together you can run my 09 wr165 with a rekluse/left hand rear brake and see what you think. Everything else should be about the same other than mine being not so pretty these days (200 pipe/lectron/wr ignition).

It is fun to ride without the add ons (and I pull them off occasionally just for that reason), but I like the anti-stall feature of the clutch for racing. LHRB is just icing on the cake.

Yeah, I walked over and talked to you when you came in. Just worried about lock up down low off idle. We'll see. Gonna ride it for now without one. After I get the 200 pipe on there, then I'll re-assess. Yup I am on Damn riders as well. Funny how many of the 165's are running around here. Tony was at the farm Sunday when I was breaking mine in. He just sold his recently and picked up a 250 Beta.

Up to 4.9 hours now on the bike. Last ride yesterday was with the 200SX pipe on the bike. Runs great. I have the gearing at 12/50 and it is perfect. Pulls 4th through the trees quick/perfectly just under the power valve hitting. 3rd for most hills with a drop to second every now and then or if I pick a bad line. Very happy with this set up. While it doesn't pull with authority (like my 300 would) down low/right off idle, it does pull good and will lug pretty darn good for such a small motor. Very happy with this little guy.

Its a mountain goat how you can crawl it up on a hill without stalling

its really an amazing feature of this engine set up.

I had much more difficulties with a crf450 on the trails then the WB165

You have a stock SX pipe or a Fatty SX pipe?


Robert-Jan

It's the fatty. Yeah it pulls and it feels like it will start to die as the hill increases and it just pulls through. Fun to ride and I know I am faster for longer on this bike and that equals more fun.

Once I wear out my 09 WR125's top-end, I will probably go with the WB165 kit, with any other mods ya'll recommend...

lectron carb is a nice one to have on it

Robert-Jan

What RJ said and CR ignition.