• Husqvarna Motorcycles Made In Sweden - About 1988 and older

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Converting an 83 CR250 to a WR250 can it be done? what are the differences? Is it worth the bother?

RTM

RTM

Husqvarna
B Class
Can I convert my CR250 (1983) to a WR250? I can probably get hold of a 6 speed box and ignition system with lighting coils but are the engines totally different? Forks, etc etc?
 
The Cr has an extra inch of travel front and back.
The wr has a rear loop
The wr has the additional bar under the middle of the motor
Seat colour
I'm not sure about the motor - ignition is different, not sure if the barrels are the same or not.....the parts manual would confirm

probably not much help.

Why do you want to change it?
 
pretty sure the pipe, silencer and cylinder has different porting...lighter internal flywheel as well...cases are same. i think it would just be a matter or swapping the tranny over if thats what youre after....
 
If you want to go all the way the wr probably has nine little pegs on each side of the rim in addition to the rim lock front or rim locks rear. The rear brake is different. Plastic pieces (headlight rear fender) gasoline tank fork stop lengths. Like stated above perhaps just do the transmission, Larger gasoline tank and the needed longer fork stops, maybe different electric components perhaps new technology stuff. You might want to get an xc swingarm and backing plate for the rear brake. I use a cr wheel of that vintage with the wr xc backing plate but others have posted other results. The rear hubs and backing plates can be a bit more variations than I see posted on here in my bone pile.
 
The 1st question is what do you want to do with the bike?, alot of people think the CR is only good for motocross, it's not. I like the CR better in tight woods then my old XC.

WR usually has 1" less suspension travel the XC or CR model's so the forks & shocks are NOT the same , which never matter to me cause i'm tall anyway.
 
To reduce the travel in the shox, the WR has a 1" alloy spacer and different springs while the forks have longer underhang sliders and a longer damper rod. the wr usually (not always) has an SEM ignition, the gear ratios and the barrel / piston muffler.

as above the frame differences for enduro riding.

easy to reduce your suspension, whack in the 6 speed box wr (wide ratio) gearset, slip on a SEM or motoplat external ignition and ride the tight stuff.

we used to convert out wrs to the long travel for desert races and back again for enduro on a regular basis, its not hard to do.
 
Wow a lot of input. I have been using my 88 WR 250 in local enduro events this year and love it. I would like to enter the twinshock class in the Welsh two day enduro next year but obviously need a twinshock. I have an 83 CR250 which I have used in the odd enduro in the past but found it a little peaky, where as my 88 WR is very docile. Might be just the flywheel but I suspect I might need a expansion pipe and soften the compression.

To sum up, I'd like to smooth out the power, fit a 6 speed box, soften the front suspension and fit lights. That's good enough I guess.
 
The CR has a close ratio 6 speed. The 82-83 cylinders are the same between the WR/XC/CR but the WR/XC pipe is different. A bigger external rotor ignition (Motoplat/SEM/MZB) will help some, but that era of air cooled 250 are just mid-top bikes, no way around that really. If you just want the bike more tractable I would get an external rotor ignition, I think the rest of the bike will serve your purpose without much change.
 
RTM said:
Wow a lot of input. I have been using my 88 WR 250 in local enduro events this year and love it. I would like to enter the twinshock class in the Welsh two day enduro next year but obviously need a twinshock. I have an 83 CR250 which I have used in the odd enduro in the past but found it a little peaky, where as my 88 WR is very docile. Might be just the flywheel but I suspect I might need a expansion pipe and soften the compression.

To sum up, I'd like to smooth out the power, fit a 6 speed box, soften the front suspension and fit lights. That's good enough I guess.
Click to expand...

That 1988 has a longer stroke and smaller bore than the 83. On the 1983 parts sheets I see the sleeve or liner in the cylinder gets the same part number for the 240 cr, 250 cr, and 250 xc and the 240 and 250 wr modesl get a different part number. I suspect your 88 cylinder will look quite a bit different in porting from the bottom. Fourth fifth and sixth gear are the same in the six speed for petty much the 250 and larger bikes are the same so you really are choosing the first three gears depending on what donor parts you get. At least what I have taken apart and the sheets I have studied.
 
summing up your issue, I would soften off the suspension to WR specs and wack a flywheel ignition on it. try a bigger well packed muffler to help a little with the bottom end.
 
RTM said:
Wow a lot of input. I have been using my 88 WR 250 in local enduro events this year and love it. I would like to enter the twinshock class in the Welsh two day enduro next year but obviously need a twinshock. I have an 83 CR250 which I have used in the odd enduro in the past but found it a little peaky, where as my 88 WR is very docile. Might be just the flywheel but I suspect I might need a expansion pipe and soften the compression.

To sum up, I'd like to smooth out the power, fit a 6 speed box, soften the front suspension and fit lights. That's good enough I guess.
Click to expand...


I'm sure you already know but, before you spend a penny on it be sure you can get it registered (or have a numberplate you can use).

If it's dry a standard CR250 will be fine for the Welsh - it'll be a massive and fairly easy trail ride. Obviously you'll need lights and a bigger silencer, a side stand will be really useful too, there can be a lot of waiting around at checks.

It it's wet you'll need every bit of help you can get - especially to get a fat twinshock bike through the Ginger bike skinny, 18" deep ruts.

The forks from your '88 work better, have less under-hang, will fit and I'm pretty sure the brake arm will mount straight on if you buy the correct cable guide bolt. Don't worry about it having caliper mounts; no-one else will.

Andy Elliott was talking about getting some external rotor ignitions made, it'll be worth fitting one. MZB stuff works well too.

You will need a bigger silencer. Every bike is noise tested at the Welsh (max RPM/112dB). When it's tested stand at the same side of the bike as the exhaust and get close to it (that helps stops the fin noise and anything from the expansion chamber getting to the meter). Put the choke on too, it might keep the revs down a bit and the richer mixture will keep things quieter. If all that fails wrap something around the air filter to prevent it revving out and don't forget take it off after you've left the start. Old bikes weren't designed to pass modern nose tests.

I'm not sure what the bike will be like with WR forks and CR shocks - maybe worth trying before spending a heap of money on rebuilds, it might just work fine.
 
try wrapping the expansion chamber up with that exhaust wrap and put a heap of rubber bungs in the cyl and head fins. a lot of noise is generated by the fins "ringing" on those air cooled motors. u could try plain old silicon in thick beads....Nice look im sure! a lot of guys on swm's etc used to make straps of old tyre tube and clip them over the heads.

ditch the exhaust wrap after the test unless its real cold!

gear it down as much as you can, will help with the peakier engine!
 
The Exhaust port on the CR is wider and a little higher than a WR / XC. It will be a bit more revvy than the enduro bike, but still have reasonable torque. Use an Electrex STK185L ignition kit. Look out for a set of the shorter Enduro forks on ebay and just back the shock springs off a little to get the balance right. The silencer will be OK for UK use if the packing is fresh....

Andy Elliott www.hva-factory.com
 
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