It's a brand new 2016 Honda CRF250R. Just brought it home on Saturday.

This is a competition race bike...and it's scary fast. I have only been breaking it in on the street so far...and it's the quickest bike I've ever been on after riding different motorcycles for 30 years.

I love the look of dual exhaust on a dirt bike...it's unique and only seen on certain year Honda's. (06-09 and 14-16).







A little meet and greet with my other steed's



All tucked in for the night

Wow! That is a serious bit of kit! Very nice indeed. Don�t get it dirty, now

Beautiful bike. It looks like it was born to run! I like the dual exhaust too. Looks like your own little rocket fighter.

Very nice machine, just a little jealous here

I think I just broke a couple of bones just looking at those bikes!

Thanks guys!

I was sure to take pictures of it before I take it out to the track...chances are it's not gonna look
quite as nice after dumping it a couple times.

I was checking out these wash plugs that you plug the exhaust with for washing or storing:




I like em'. It gives it that jet on the carrier kinda look with the "remove before flight" straps hanging down. I showed the wife and
she gave me that "Oh please" eye roll. They're only $5 a piece...I think I'm going to have to get them.

One thing about dual exhaust on a dirt bike...now you have to buy 2 of everything. Wash plugs, spark arrestors, re-packing material for the mufflers etc. I didn't really think that part of it through very well.

Clean the air filter after every weekend. Use a very tacky filter oil and work the oil into the foam. One of my customers was only spraying the oil onto the outside of the filter. The result was the titanium intake valves were shot after 10 tanks of gas. Do not use a K&N style air filter.

Check the valve clearance every 30 hours. You can go a little longer while the engine is new. If it is hard starting, the intake valves have no clearance. The typical intake valve life of the CRF is only 300 hours. Honda did change the valve seat material and we are seeing longer life, but not as long as brand blue and brand orange.

Change the oil at least ever 10 hours, but do not use full synthetic until 2 full tanks of gas. It is OK to change the oil filter every other time. It only holds a little over one quart of oil. The problem is thermal breakdown, not particulates. If the oil is dirty then you are not changing it enough.

Try not to run out of gas. The fuel pump could overheat. The first few years of FI on dirt bikes had a high failure rate from running out of gas one time. The manufactures have improved the pumps, but why take the risk.

It's not an XR. You need to give it as much TLC as a 2 stroke.

Have fun and ride safe.

Very cool!
My wife and I have been talking about getting some dual sports, but the whole thing would be new to us. Considering the much tamer CRF250L for her.
No high flying for us. LOL

Wow...excellent advice Aldo!

Believe me...I've been studying what maintenance is going to be like on this bike for months at the Thumper Talk forums and elsewhere. I'm 100% focused on what's best for the motor. My CRF230's are based on the XR motors and those things are bulletproof...but I still maintained the hell out of em'. Oil change every other ride and air filter every ride even if it only had 2 hours on it. Chain upkeep etc. Valve lash was super easy to check on those bikes.

I'm no master mechanic and might not attempt to do a top end by myself...but I'm pretty sure I can handle shimming the valves even though I haven't done it before. I've watched a half dozen videos on it and it seems manageable. I plan on re-greasing the swing arm bearings after the first ride as well...it seems they come a little light on the grease from the factory.

I'm guessing you're a motorcycle tech Aldo?

Thanks for the advice!

Is your Pug OK with you getting a new bike while he is stuck on a 4-wheeler?

lol...he's lucky he didn't lift his leg on the wheel like he does with my wife's car. I would have sent down the hill solo on a 4 wheeler
and said "be sure to write" as he rode off into the sunset.

I'm guessing you're a motorcycle tech Aldo?

Yup, 33 years now. I got my start at Yamaha of Redlands (83) and then John Burr Cycles (84-87). I left the dealers in 96 to be a service rep for team blue. Me and corporate did not get along. I've been working out of my garage since then. I stick to red, yellow, green, blue and orange brands. I avoid FI and air fork work, only because I don't feel like learning new tricks.

The CRF uni-cam is one of the easiest to shim the valves. See if your local service department will exchange shims. The kits are mostly sizes you will never use. The number wears off the shim, so you will want a set of calipers that measure .01 mm. You can only buy shims in .05 sizes, but the bikes come from the factory with .01 sizes. If one .05 size shim is too tight and the other .05 size shim is too loose go with the loose size. A tappy valve is a happy valve .

The exhaust clearance is enough that the feeler gauge will not bend. Make sure your not at an angle when slipping it between the shim and the rocker. The titanium intakes use a light spring pressure. Make sure your not compressing the spring with the feeler gauge.

Good stuff Aldo...thanks!

I've been trying to lookup what's best to put in the tranny side...the manual recommends putting dino 10-40 in both engine and
tranny side. When you lookup what people prefer there are a hundred different opinions and everyone else is wrong...lol. I'll just go with the more expensive Honda Pro GN4 in both sides since it recommends it. Some use tranny fluid...but who knows.

I'm starting to stock up on fluids and filters for the new ride...this is with the assumption that it won't be a smoldering wreckage
after my first day at the track with it.

I prefer Motul 5100 or 7100 once the rings are seated, but any good oil with a MA rating will work. You want the MA rating for cross contamination mentioned bellow. A decent oil that is changed often is better then the best oil that never gets changed.

Short read that compares the 2 Motul's : http://nexgenbikes.com/site/2013/05/17/difference-between-motul-7100-4t-vs-motul-5100-4t/

You can use motorcycle transmission fluid (MTF) or SAE #80 gear oil (not hypoid) in the transmission side. These are the same oils used for a 2 stroke transmission. The reason motor oil is recommended is for the off chance that the wet side crank seal fails. If this seal fails, usually caused by over filling the engine side, then you will have cross contamination. The crankshaft and oil pump don't like gear oil.

Let me just say one thing here F10.....you're gonna kill yourself on that thing.

That's it.







I'm done.
God speed my friend.




If anyone is looking for a job, please submit your app at the front desk of SimHqs.
Thank you,

Murphy.

250s are a LOT of bike. I had a 125 Kawie when I was a kid, and that was more than enough grunt in a bike to get me into trouble. 250s are beasts that need lots of room to work.

Thanks for the vote of confidence Murph!

Actually, I am a little nervous for the first time on a motorcycle. More about embarrassing myself at the track more than anything else.

I did tell the wife though "If anything happens to me...have someone help you load the bike in the truck first before you
go to the hospital"...lol. These race bikes have no keys and can be started and stolen by anybody easily.


I will let you know just before I take it out for the first time, that way if you don't hear from me for awhile you can start processing applications.

Ridden a few motocrossers/endure bikes over the years and it was the 125s I found scary, the throttle was more of a switch - full power or nothing, I much preferred my Yam IT465.

It could be ridden gently out of the powerband and still get you places or you could get her up into the powerband and hang on for your life. Dirt roads at 120mph were quite exhilarating!

The IT is the one bike I miss the most, but I did put a lot of effort in restoring her to new condition after buying her as a barn wreck.

Yeah, 125s were so lightweight it didn't take much to get yourself hurtling along.

Nahh.... If he wanted to do that he would have bought a 450. 60+ BHP and 240 LBs wet weight. Now that's nuts. You should hear me when some kid calls and asks about making there 450 "faster". "You'll shoot your eye out kid".

If you "need" a modern 450, your either large, need to learn how to ride, or should turn pro.