250-500cc Help me decide on WR250

[MOTORHEAD]

Should I change "restrictor" to the regular air filter holder( which I don't have)?

If you don't have a "cage" in the air filter it will try to suck in on you. You need to get a filter cage.

Did you find parts diagrams?

 

[RusRider]

The catalyst is quite easy to remove from the pipe. It is the 'corrugated' plug in the pipe where it joints the cylinder and is clearly visable. To remove it simply cut approx 75mm off the pipe so that you can then knock the cat out of this section. Once it is removed weld the section back on. Unfortunately it is very difficult to remove without first cutting the end off.
There is also a vent pipe on the restricted pipe which is part of the emission control, again cut it off and weld up the hole.

I have it done already. Without cutting the pipe, just drilled it off. Air vent cutted and welded. But that's not enough. Looks like it's smith else in the pipe that restricts exhaust flow. I've found out it with air compressor. Compare with my old yz pipe it clearly has smith more inside. I was thinking to cut all the pipe to see what else is inside but not sure I can weld it back.

If you don't have a "cage" in the air filter it will try to suck in on you. You need to get a filter cage.

Did you find parts diagrams?

I've made the cage out of airrestriter, looks almost like original)))

No I haven't found parts diagram nor online parts supplier. I'll appreciate if somebody can help me with it.

 

[giantjoe]

http://www.outbackmx.com/manuals.htm

There will be a parts manual on that page you can download.

 

[braddenning]

I was choosing a new bike for woods riding mostly bar width singltracks and rarely fireroads. Now I ride yz125. My first choise was ktm 250, but than I've found good offer for new 2011 wr 250. I'll be the only one riding husky in my place, so to tell the truth I'm a bit scary of buying one. Then dirt rider review of the wr also brake my mind, they didn't like the bike.
So I need the first hand outputs on WR250.
How does it behave in tight woods, logs, ruts. Reliability, parts will be huge problem for me.

Well im 52 and been riding technical rock and enduros a long time, i just picked up anew 2011 300wr yesterday (first 2 stroke in 25 years )and will be bringing it back Monday morning !it is IMPOSSIBLE TO START !!! 2 hrs and three different experienced rider friends almost kill ourselves to start it !! among other shortcomings, the kick start design is awkward, the arms to short and the starter shaft is way far forward of the rider.to bad i really liked the bike try getting it going when your stalled on an off cambered rock trail and its 95 degrees out. I'm very disappointing , i really like the agile feeling and the ergonomics of the bike .

 

[lankydoug]

Get it jetted correctly and it will start 1st kick. Yes you have to get up over the bars a little and kick down and back but once you get the technique down it's no problem.

I have an 09 WR250 that I ride in the woods and I prefer it over my GasGas 200 with Ohlins front and back, which is known to be one of the premier woods bikes made.

 

[braddenning]

been kickin this bucket of bolts for two days now, after an experienced committee of riders have taken their shot of it ,studied it carefully , and used EVERY technique to fire it up ...and we did get it running at times.its no premier machine, my foots black n blue my knees swollen and i can barely walk. jetting maybe an improvement once its running buts there more than that going on here.gonna load it up and return it . lets see what they say

 

[lankydoug]

been kickin this bucket of bolts for two days now, after an experienced committee of riders have taken their shot of it ,studied it carefully , and used EVERY technique to fire it up ...and we did get it running at times.its no premier machine, my foots black n blue my knees swollen and i can barely walk. jetting maybe an improvement once its running buts there more than that going on here.gonna load it up and return it . lets see what they say

When new, mine was jetted rich and the float level was too high, it would want to foul the plug and I'd kick until I was wore out. Now it's one kick even when cold. I lean the bike to the left until it pees out the overflow, pull the choke and first kick it's running. Yours will come around with a little tweaking... hang in there.

 

[TROFFER88]

check the spark plug cap

 

[braddenning]

i pull and clean the plug, we checked the gap as well as spark, i lean the bike to the left to let out the overflow, choke on or off, fuel on ,then fuel off etc etc . you name it we tried it . when we do get it running and let it get hot it still wont restart and the longer it runs the crappier it runs !! if i ever got stuck in a technical spot in the trails im screwed ! and getting the bike into neutral when it does run is like the wheres Waldo game. because of the mis-designed placement of the kick-start lever you have to prop up the bike or place a milk crate under your opposite foot to stand the bike up . and im 6'4"

 

[WoodsChick]

Do like Troffer88 says and check the spark plug cap. This was a problem on our `09 WR250, and a few others here have experienced the same thing with their WR's. That bike came very close to being shoved off a cliff until we figured out that it needed a new spark plug cap that fit better. It now starts within one or two kicks each and every time

 

[braddenning]

spark plug cap?

 

[WoodsChick]

spark plug cap?

Yep. Seems the one on Eric's WR250 was loose or something, as it wouldn't make consistent contact. The bike wouldn't start, Eric would pull the spark plug to see if it was fouled, it wasn't, he'd put it back together and it would fire right up. A few miles down the trail it would run like crap and then die and not start again for love nor money. Off the plug would come, everything would look ok, the plug would go back on, bike would start and run great...lather, rinse, repeat....all day. We switched out the stock plug cap for an NGK one (don't remember what the difference was) and the problem disappeared, never to return again.

 

[braddenning]

ill check it , but even after pulling the plug and cleaning it it still dont fire

 

[WoodsChick]

ill check it , but even after pulling the plug and cleaning it it still dont fire

Maybe there's a loose ground somewhere? Are you consistently getting good spark? Take your kill switch off and then try starting it.

I don't blame you for being unhappy...you shouldn't have to mess with a new bike just to get it to start.

 

[braddenning]

just went through the whole thing again !! no luck , thanks for the help . im going to return the bike to the dealer and get the bike i originally went in for. the husaberg 300 ,E-Start and a 6 speed or the 300 xcw

 

[windsurf]

Maybe there's a loose ground somewhere? Are you consistently getting good spark? Take your kill switch off and then try starting it.

I don't blame you for being unhappy...you shouldn't have to mess with a new bike just to get it to start.

I had problems with the kill switch causing an intermittent misfire/stop evry few hundred metres. Just unplug it behind the headlight shroud. It takes two seconds to disconnect / reconnect and is worth a try.

I know you shouldn't have to with a new bike but, for the purpose of getting it started to sort out jetting why are you kicking it? give it a push.

Without trying to antagonise you are you sure you really want a two stroke? Any make will require jetting wether it is electric start or not. As I am sure most on here will agree it is worth perservering with the Husky as they are just as rewarding if not more so than any other brand.

So far as the kick start, once you have the bike running properly they do usually start 1st kick meaning the kickstart position doesn't make any noticable difference.

 

[utopia]

What jetting do you have in there now?

 

[braddenning]

aside from these issues , as i study this bike its a horse an wagon in a a world of modern transportation.its low price and for some good bang for your buck but you get what you pay for. steel frame, 5 speed ,very basic bike like a 1970 Hodaka that should only weigh about 210 to 215 lbs yet weighs the same of other 300s and some 4 strokes with e-starts and 6 speeds etc. im not knocking the bike but if it was 15 lbs lighter than the KTM or the other 300s than i could justify the lack of conveniences .i still like the bike , besides i was told it was a 6 speed when i bought it

 

[TROFFER88]

Go orange and go home

 

[lankydoug]

It sounds like you bought the bike on an impulse and it probably isn't the bike for you. You spent the time to read the spec sheet and learn the weights of various bikes yet you didn't know it was a 5 speed when you bought it.. seriously?