I'm still totaling up invoices that I'm finding for the bike, but my calculations as of today are that I'm $5,066 in parts on this bike. Total investment if $6,866 to this point (cost of bike was $1,850). This is to say NOTHING of all Scott's labor. Only about 3 things of the near $6,900 included any labor. If I assigned a meager $25 per hour for Scott's time, we'd be in this A LOT more. I paid $9,100 before tax (to be consistent with the costs I'm calculating for the Honda) for the KTM. If you factor in the labor to put all this together, the Honda is just as expensive as the 2018 KTM and still doesn't have electric start, or a Hydro clutch, or the amazing counter balanced (no vibration motor), or the 6 speed gear box, or the 2.6 gallon tank. Used bikes aren't as cheap as we think :)
A lot of people are going to slowly put what they want on an older used mx bike, the average Joe will gear it, maybe adjust the suspensions, do tires, add a kick stand, and a skid plate.
@@hannesrosenlind4866 I dont think "most people" completely go thru the entire bike either. He spent this much because he went over the whole bike. It will add up trust me I know. I pay my 3rd party mechanic 50 an hr. The shops in my town are 85 an hr and 100 an hr and they gouge you for parts too. Anyways, he didn't spend that much considering the work that was done.
I have a different situation with my gen 3 Honda cr250. I bought my '04 full roller (less motor) for $350, refreshed all bearings, re sprung/rebuilt suspension for me. Enduro engineering bar risers, atv high bars, (I'm 6'4) and other needed items, tires, pegs, hand guards, etc. I spent about $2500 in add on more need, and some want items. Set up gearing for more trail. The big kicker though.... I put my slightly modified '97 cr500 motor in it doing all the modifications myself except the welding. Dream bike! I'm 40, been riding hard (all terrains) and wrenching for 25+ yrs. Ridden my buddies new husky 300's, ktm 300's, tpi's and non. I didn't have to spend a lot, had fun modifying, Have an unbelievably capable fun bike for under $5000. I know my story is unique, but thought I'd share, sorry so long. Love your channel and what you guys do.
I just sold my 2017CRF450R and bought a mint 2005 CR250R and my lap times dropped after 30 minutes of adapting back to a 2 stroke. Im done with $10,000 bikes. smoked everyone at the practice track on a 13 year old bike, bone stock.
Cragradualtions. I've been saying it for years. The difference between a 2019 and a 2019 bike isn't that pronounced. Now look at a 1979 vs 1989. The 4 strokes were designed to increase repair cost and new bike sales. Back in the 90s, you could be compative on a 3 or 4 year old bike. How many people do you see racing a 250f that is even 2 years old. Look how many 250f you see for sale and the asking price. You would have to be rich to think buying a 250f is a good idea.
Don’t buy a pos to start with and you won’t have to spend a stupid amount of money on it. I paid 1500 for my 04 yz250 put a fresh top end and fork service and have a ton of hours on it in the woods with zero problems.
Agreed, spent 1500 on my 2001 yz125 (California green sticker bike). Did the fork seals, basic maintenance and let it rip! 60+ hours later the clutch has died. I'll change the top end and the clutch and be good to go for 300 bucks. *SHRUGS* Here in Cali you have to get an old bike so you are "green sticker" to be able to ride all year . (look up red sticker green sticker California)
Sarah Gilbert glad you got it back 👍 I bought a new 01 CR And sold it at the end of 02 when Honda released their CRF. At that time it never dawned on me two strokes would be phased out or I’d just kept it.
Tyler does a really good job explaining the difference in how they handles different from each other. I've ridden both those bike and that is the exact way they differ in cornering
Picked up a 2003 YZ250 for my kid. Cost of bike was $1200. I replaced the crank, main bearings, trans bearings, piston kit, new plastics, and oversized footpegs. In it less than $1800 now. Sure the suspension could use some work and it doesn't have fresh graphics or fancy billet hubs but it flat works!!
We switched bikes yesterday so we could compare different generations of KTM exc 250 and 300, from 2005 to 2019 (TPI 250). All the bikes were very good, even the older one, but the keyword is ''refinement''. The 2005 vibrate, felt raw, had this old school pure mecanical feel while the 2019 felt silky smooth. But at the end of the day, we all did the same trails, cross the same sections and had a ton of fun. :) The video is excellent but one thing to keep in mind is that we are comparing a older track bike to a newer competition off road bike. From the start they are not meant for the same purpose and are tuned accordingly.
Where I live you can get a like new used bike for about a third as What you guys paid for this. I just bought a 2014 crf250r with a full Hinson clutch and full pr2 suspension and it was 2900. It hasn’t had a single problem yet and all the bearings are tight so I don’t really understand why you went this far into making this thing absolutely perfect when at the beginning of the series this was supposed to prove you can get into dirt biking without buying a brand new bike. I really love your in depth information and content though. Still a great vid as always.
Its fun to read the ktm vs Honda fanboy comments...lol... You weren't comparing apples to apples.. I liked what you were trying to do here.. great vid!
Great to see the comparison, for me tho the fact you've restored an old red for another generation is best...remember old Honda's never die they just wait...!
Great job restoring it. I had a 2004 that opened me back to 2strokes. It is fine for wide open, faster riding and not so good for technical and especially steep, loose hills or at least starting out in the middle of the hill. You have to be on the pipe all the time and burn out your clutch.Sam aleady figured it out. It's the wrong bike for trail riding.
I used to have one for trail riding. It's not a great trail bike, unless you like riding the trails sideways at full throttle, then it's perfect after a suspension revalve. 😁😁
Bruce Copner I have a 2002 Honda Cr250r that is set up for enduro. And it is most definitely a GREAT trail bike. And I haven’t even spent a ton on aftermarket parts as well. I ride enduro and it keeps up with ANY ktms. And that’s against good riders.
I got a 2006 CR250. very capable trail weapon. These are the mods done: FWW, gearing, bash plate, pipe guard, Keihin Airstryker carb, re-vavled suspension. Stickers don't get ya up hills ay
As far as labor goes it all depends on what only Scott could do for you. The welding is something not all of us can do. But rebuilding a 2 stroke motor isn't that difficult. With that being said maybe a used bike isn't such a bad idea. A lot needs to be said of the previous owner as well....BTW the popcorn was delicious. Great job. Heal soon.
Kyle, I like this comparison for the most part. But... (there’s always a but.) My only real two issue here is your forgetting the fact bikes have come leap years in steering and handling Geometry and suspensions (fluid dynamics, and valving) in just the last 3-5 years, let alone 13-15 yrs. Spring rates too are a major difference in this as well. I might have started of with the Lectron Carb first and tossed the stocker carb before anything. They were a known issue in performance right out of the gate when new. Love your show brother.
We are doing the best we can with the resources we have. Didn't have the Lectron in time for this ride, but the bike ran really good anyway since Scott worked on the Mikuni carb and rebuilt it during his refresh.
growing up i had a 1990 model and i can remember reading an old magazine which my friend had.the review on that bike was it wasnt the fastest but what honda done was to be the best all round, that magazine said the band was slow to come in and to just fan the clutch when needed and they were correct i hammerd that bike and it was great . yamaha brought the yzf426 out i think in 02 or 03 everybody wanted one , i used to smash them on my old cr. the front forks were terrible u used to get massive speed wobble. i think ive said enough but i loved that bike for 9 years, it was rough looking in the end but my engine was always spot on .bring back cr 250
This build has came together nicely. I was the same as being as all on Honda 4 strokes. Picked up the cleanest 2000 model cr250 I’ve ever seen. Just need to get my suspension dialed
As for the weight comment,when that cr was made,it was designed to race motorcross,which had a minimum weight requirement that being said,I'll take the cr
Great video Kyle! Really enjoyed it. Goes to show you how well made the CRs were. I’ve always been a big fan. Look forward to more videos like this and watching this ‘03 get dialed in further.
While the costs are adding up it is important to remember your only into this bike as much as a stock new ktm. Which would still need all of the aftermarket protecton, radiator guards, shark fins etc. Also if you are outside the spring weight it's cheaper to have a revaulve that works on an older more familiar bike then the newest forks which have a steep premium. I do enjoy the series very much though.
Dirt Bike Channel all that is true and I agree with you. However you should not take a bare bones 10k investment into single track with no protection. The ktm is great it will just require more than the original purchase price to ride it. Just like any bike you buy new or used
enduro engineering bar risers and fastway footpegs in the low position will open up the cockpit.... I stand 99% of the time and am 6' 2"... the bike is phenomenal in the tight stuff with 14x48 gearing and z start pro rekluse....
Please tell me more. Im gfetting ready to buy and rebuild a cr 250 for some fast sand mx grack he like to practise on the we head to the woods to really hone his skills at 6'2 im all about helping the cr to fell bigger in the cockpit. And about that reklus is is going to work for both application. Thank for helping others to stay in the game...
That B-Roll, damn Kyle, you're edit's are steeping up like really really crazy, i'm enjoying even more you're content, even when you're not riding (sorry about that), congrats for the really good job!!!
Somethings wrong with that CR. I have a 250 EXC TPI and a 2006 CR250. My CR is WAY faster in acceleration, it explodes in the midrange and signs off relatively early, its lighter also and you can feel it, its more flickable. The EXC is more refined, more linear, revs farther and has more top speed. It allows me to meter out the power more precisely. Its more stable, it is and feels heavier. If I go hill climbing I take the CR. Long journeys, muddy days or long single tracks the KTM. With all this said however you cannot really compare these two bikes, they are from different era's and made for different purposes. Both are a huge amount of fun in their own way.
Hey you guys should get some kind of grade messure like 1-50. Like handleing, feel, suspension, etc.. and add upp the points to see were the diffrent bikes are.
When riding a 1998 cr250 i honestly have no problem lofting the front wheel. Also maybe this is because of the aftermarket suspension i really like the way the cr sits compared to a 250 ktm
Have you had the CR250 forks revalved and fresh fluids by a professional? That honestly should be the first dime you spend on a used bike from 2003. 15 year newer technology on the KTM. Can't really do a true comparison without proper suspension setup for both machines. Just my opinion.
Good video, interesting feedback.... So much can be done to suspension to accommodate for riding preferences tho. Possibly if cr was set up with less rebound and a progressive rate spring on the rear it would have more of a similiar feel to the ktm. Not sure if you put a flywheel weight on the cr but a different head as well.... But suspension suspension suspension 👍
It cost a hell of a lot of money, probably the average budget rebuilder would not go as far or will do all the work themselves over several months. The bike looks great and is a classic that is probably worth a million bucks. But my question is, are you going to save the bike for a couple of months so you can ride it? And when you sell or give it away, how are you going to get a ROI? Oh wait, half these parts were giving to you by sponsoring companies? 😀
Where does the insane price tag come from? Did you calculate msrp cost of all parts to get to your $7000 price tag? New motor assuming the cylinder is serviceable is $1000 at the very max without being a donor motor from the bottom of the sea. $200 for every new bearing on the bike, another $500 for misc parts such as brake pads, rotor, drive set, misc clips and bolts ect. Hell even at $1000 for misc parts we are still under $2500 + the purchase price. $4000 is well under half of a comparable KTM. My estimate is based off of a roached out bike as well, buy one in decent shape and a couple pre bought goodies and you will be well in the money for a low budget competitive bike. Certainly not a bashing comment it would just be nice to see a spreadsheet of the costs involved in the project to better help people understand what falls in the "Want/Need" category. Because when you buy a KTM @ 10k you will still want to buy the shiny bits so technically any anodized, personal preference piece you put on the CR should be added to the KTM's cost. Nonetheless awesome build as it is always fun to see a bike get revised and brought back into commission.
This was a really interesting video! I am excited to see how this bike does with some of the singletrack and technical riding. I think it would also be great to hear your guys' thoughts on how this bike compares to the Yamaha yz250x, as they are both similar in technology as far as being kick-start only bikes and essentially from the same era due to the fact that the Yamaha has not really been updated in about 10 years or more significantly....
The electric power valve CRs lacked bottom end. Honda tried everything to fix this problem. Putting the intake into the cases like a 125 was a big mistake! I have ridden a 2001 and a 2002 CR. The 2001 centrifugal power valve/intake into barrel engine was far superior!!!
there is a YZ 125 needle jet that makes a huge improvement to the carb and if you drop the port timing a small amount the bike will pull your arms out of joint , how do I know ... I reced 1 for years , I am still trying to buy the bike back ...
Yes, the the CR has new parts EVERYWHERE. The ONLY thing 15 years old is the frame and the gearbox. We refreshed EVERYthing else to new parts. Complete refresh on the Honda.
Because it's a great bike, and it's his 2nd bike ever. Fantastic bike to cut your teeth on. He is a better rider than most beginners, partly because of the 150.
Open terrain on the MX bike still going to be okay, but once you get it up in the single track that things going to be a handful between the gearing and the lack of usable bottom-end power. Your clutch hands going to get really tired especially at not being hydraulic.
Hondas are great but it would be nice if you had a budget to rebuild correctly a KTM 380 and Jet it correctly since there are known to be a bitch to jet but to have a well tuned 380 would be interesting to review
The cr might of cost you that much. But what was it just for the nessary things? It didn’t need plastics and stuff like that. That is stuff you can do over time lol
A 150 2 stroke is heaps harder to ride than a 300 2 stroke. Your dark haired mate said he is working his skills up to a 250. A 150 2 stroke is a hard bike to ride (for an adult sized rider) as you have to modulate the throttle , clutch and gears more frequently. A 250-300 would be much easier for him.
2000, 2001 motor with the 2002+ chassis = THE BEST 2T EVER! 2002+ motors were very linear(flat) on power. You should've spent the money on motor mods or bought a '01.
I would love to see a rebuild and conclusion on the 380...one that is actually jetted right! I would think it would be a beast! I would rather Kyle and them to spend the $6,000 and buy that 380 restore it get it right and see what that old 2001 KTM 380 would do good point
just sayin, however, i have an 05 cr250 build i'm almost done with, and with your advertising and all ,well maybe we could do a test in alabama. we have a track at work ,cause my boss is cool, and maybe we could compare builds. we all love to ride, good pr for everybody. lets make it happen.
It’s funny that the guys are saying the KTM is a smooth fire breathing monster. My 96 ATK 250 has a counter balanced engine and still pulls just as hard as a modern bike. I have ridden a cr250 and can say that the only difference other than vibration is the power valve. The electronic power valve is great for the track but doesn’t lend itself well to the trail. It comes on like a light switch.
The lightswitch feel comes from port timing. Milling the cylinder 30thou fixes this With with some easy mods the gen3 CRs are as powerful as any earlier yrs. Carb swap ($300 new) - cyl and head mods ($200) , boyesen reeds or rad valve. Carb can be tuned easily for soft or hard hit into the mid, 10oz fww for climbing. My 06' lugs up hills and has an insane top end over-rev, running a 2003 KX250 airstriker carb (TPS disconnected) - 45pilot/Yamaha N3CW needle/ 178main @ sea level, 80deg. With the stock carb and jetting it was a pig to ride unless on the pipe.
Great question. I'm still totaling up invoices that I'm finding for the bike, but my calculations as of today are that I'm $5,066 in parts on this bike. Total investment if $6,866 to this point (cost of bike was $1,850). This is to say NOTHING of all Scott's labor. Only about 3 things of the near $6,900 included any labor. If I assigned a meager $25 per hour for Scott's time, we'd be in this A LOT more. I paid $9,100 before tax (to be consistent with the costs I'm calculating for the Honda) for the KTM. If you factor in the labor to put all this together, the Honda is just as expensive as the 2018 KTM and still doesn't have electric start, or a Hydro clutch, or the amazing counter balanced (no vibration motor), or the 6 speed gear box, or the 2.6 gallon tank. Used bikes aren't as cheap as we think :)
A 2001 cr250 would have been a better bike for you guys to compare, I have owned many CR250 is over the years and the 2002+ cr250s had total garage engine's in my opinion, i hated them, I do like the newer CR chassis though.
It’s hard to compare the cr to the ktm because the cr is a full on race bike with tall gearing would have been good to compare it to a ktm 250 sx but still an awesome vid keep it up
“Couldn’t lift the front tire” wtf. I could pump the front end like a bmx bike on my 2001 Cr250. Didn’t even need the throttle. Hill climbing, did great, with some skill it could do the same hills as cr500s. I ran a 52 tooth in the rear, perfect for trail and hills. Not so great in open country, only do about 50mph. Kyle I’d like to see you ride and review when your leg gets better. Ps. 2003 isn’t as good as 2001. Case induction, cable driven power valves.. not as good. IMHO they started making the 2 strokes less powerful to promote the more expensive 4 strokes.
dan gardner I rode a buddies 06 service Honda ( crf250 chassis cr500 engine) and didn’t like it it felt a lot stiffer to me. He also out weighed me by 20+ lbs at the time and likely had the suspension setup to suit, so that could be all.
you guys are comparing an apple to an orange. the cr is made for motocross tracks, the ktm is enduro/gncc. completely different animals. put em on a track the cr will shine.
Just bought a used 2006 CR 250 2 stroke for $2500 put new wheel bearings front and rear and new decal kit spend $150. And sold the bike for $4350 after 1 month of riding it. "WHO SAYS BUYING USED DIRTBIKES IS EXPENSIVE?"
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I'm still totaling up invoices that I'm finding for the bike, but my calculations as of today are that I'm $5,066 in parts on this bike. Total investment if $6,866 to this point (cost of bike was $1,850). This is to say NOTHING of all Scott's labor. Only about 3 things of the near $6,900 included any labor. If I assigned a meager $25 per hour for Scott's time, we'd be in this A LOT more. I paid $9,100 before tax (to be consistent with the costs I'm calculating for the Honda) for the KTM. If you factor in the labor to put all this together, the Honda is just as expensive as the 2018 KTM and still doesn't have electric start, or a Hydro clutch, or the amazing counter balanced (no vibration motor), or the 6 speed gear box, or the 2.6 gallon tank. Used bikes aren't as cheap as we think :)
I don't think most people spend that much on parts... at least I don't hah
I still ride a 1990 cr 250.......just Fun!😀
Ouch
A lot of people are going to slowly put what they want on an older used mx bike, the average Joe will gear it, maybe adjust the suspensions, do tires, add a kick stand, and a skid plate.
@@hannesrosenlind4866 I dont think "most people" completely go thru the entire bike either. He spent this much because he went over the whole bike. It will add up trust me I know. I pay my 3rd party mechanic 50 an hr. The shops in my town are 85 an hr and 100 an hr and they gouge you for parts too. Anyways, he didn't spend that much considering the work that was done.
Honda CRs were the greatest bikes ever made. Just ask Ronnie Mac.
Love Ronnie Mac.
Honda had the best 2 stroke from the early 80s to the early 2000s
I have a different situation with my gen 3 Honda cr250. I bought my '04 full roller (less motor) for $350, refreshed all bearings, re sprung/rebuilt suspension for me. Enduro engineering bar risers, atv high bars, (I'm 6'4) and other needed items, tires, pegs, hand guards, etc. I spent about $2500 in add on more need, and some want items. Set up gearing for more trail. The big kicker though.... I put my slightly modified '97 cr500 motor in it doing all the modifications myself except the welding. Dream bike! I'm 40, been riding hard (all terrains) and wrenching for 25+ yrs. Ridden my buddies new husky 300's, ktm 300's, tpi's and non. I didn't have to spend a lot, had fun modifying, Have an unbelievably capable fun bike for under $5000. I know my story is unique, but thought I'd share, sorry so long. Love your channel and what you guys do.
I just sold my 2017CRF450R and bought a mint 2005 CR250R and my lap times dropped after 30 minutes of adapting back to a 2 stroke. Im done with $10,000 bikes. smoked everyone at the practice track on a 13 year old bike, bone stock.
same! 03 cr250 is amazing i love it even got a cr 125 for practice and was even faster on that thing!
Cragradualtions. I've been saying it for years. The difference between a 2019 and a 2019 bike isn't that pronounced. Now look at a 1979 vs 1989.
The 4 strokes were designed to increase repair cost and new bike sales. Back in the 90s, you could be compative on a 3 or 4 year old bike. How many people do you see racing a 250f that is even 2 years old. Look how many 250f you see for sale and the asking price. You would have to be rich to think buying a 250f is a good idea.
Don’t buy a pos to start with and you won’t have to spend a stupid amount of money on it. I paid 1500 for my 04 yz250 put a fresh top end and fork service and have a ton of hours on it in the woods with zero problems.
We didn't start with a POS.
Agreed, spent 1500 on my 2001 yz125 (California green sticker bike). Did the fork seals, basic maintenance and let it rip! 60+ hours later the clutch has died. I'll change the top end and the clutch and be good to go for 300 bucks. *SHRUGS* Here in Cali you have to get an old bike so you are "green sticker" to be able to ride all year . (look up red sticker green sticker California)
Yz has a better platform for the woods to star with.
A few of us still own the CR with new bikes, we all agree the cr still corners amazing.
Sarah Gilbert I picked up a nice 04 about 5 years ago since they were getting hard to find in my area
Mine got stolen last may 2017, I got it back ten days before Christmas from a friend. I bought it in 04.
Sarah Gilbert glad you got it back 👍
I bought a new 01 CR And sold it at the end of 02 when Honda released their CRF. At that time it never dawned on me two strokes would be phased out or I’d just kept it.
"For how old it is" lol, it's 2003, it's practically a brand new bike.
Its 16 years old lol
Tyler does a really good job explaining the difference in how they handles different from each other. I've ridden both those bike and that is the exact way they differ in cornering
Picked up a 2003 YZ250 for my kid. Cost of bike was $1200. I replaced the crank, main bearings, trans bearings, piston kit, new plastics, and oversized footpegs. In it less than $1800 now. Sure the suspension could use some work and it doesn't have fresh graphics or fancy billet hubs but it flat works!!
We switched bikes yesterday so we could compare different generations of KTM exc 250 and 300, from 2005 to 2019 (TPI 250). All the bikes were very good, even the older one, but the keyword is ''refinement''. The 2005 vibrate, felt raw, had this old school pure mecanical feel while the 2019 felt silky smooth. But at the end of the day, we all did the same trails, cross the same sections and had a ton of fun. :) The video is excellent but one thing to keep in mind is that we are comparing a older track bike to a newer competition off road bike. From the start they are not meant for the same purpose and are tuned accordingly.
Try the RM250 if you think the CR corners well.
Big facts! Suzuki goes nuts with the RM250 chassis
Thanks for listing the final tab for this build. I have come to the same conclusion that some used bikes just aren’t worth building in the end.
I'm still in the bike over 4 grand even just swapping out the parts needed to be changed and the repairs that needed to happen.
Where I live you can get a like new used bike for about a third as What you guys paid for this. I just bought a 2014 crf250r with a full Hinson clutch and full pr2 suspension and it was 2900. It hasn’t had a single problem yet and all the bearings are tight so I don’t really understand why you went this far into making this thing absolutely perfect when at the beginning of the series this was supposed to prove you can get into dirt biking without buying a brand new bike. I really love your in depth information and content though. Still a great vid as always.
Its fun to read the ktm vs Honda fanboy comments...lol... You weren't comparing apples to apples.. I liked what you were trying to do here.. great vid!
Yeah...I loved the bike....
Great to see the comparison, for me tho the fact you've restored an old red for another generation is best...remember old Honda's never die they just wait...!
Great job restoring it. I had a 2004 that opened me back to 2strokes. It is fine for wide open, faster riding and not so good for technical and especially steep, loose hills or at least starting out in the middle of the hill. You have to be on the pipe all the time and burn out your clutch.Sam aleady figured it out. It's the wrong bike for trail riding.
I used to have one for trail riding. It's not a great trail bike, unless you like riding the trails sideways at full throttle, then it's perfect after a suspension revalve. 😁😁
Bruce Copner I have a 2002 Honda Cr250r that is set up for enduro. And it is most definitely a GREAT trail bike. And I haven’t even spent a ton on aftermarket parts as well. I ride enduro and it keeps up with ANY ktms. And that’s against good riders.
90 percent rider. But I do love having nice toys for my hobbies. 😀
@@kadeolson9805 I've got an 02 that I planned to turn into a trail king. What would you recommend?
I got a 2006 CR250. very capable trail weapon. These are the mods done: FWW, gearing, bash plate, pipe guard, Keihin Airstryker carb, re-vavled suspension. Stickers don't get ya up hills ay
As far as labor goes it all depends on what only Scott could do for you. The welding is something not all of us can do. But rebuilding a 2 stroke motor isn't that difficult. With that being said maybe a used bike isn't such a bad idea. A lot needs to be said of the previous owner as well....BTW the popcorn was delicious. Great job. Heal soon.
Kyle, I like this comparison for the most part. But... (there’s always a but.) My only real two issue here is your forgetting the fact bikes have come leap years in steering and handling Geometry and suspensions (fluid dynamics, and valving) in just the last 3-5 years, let alone 13-15 yrs. Spring rates too are a major difference in this as well. I might have started of with the Lectron Carb first and tossed the stocker carb before anything. They were a known issue in performance right out of the gate when new. Love your show brother.
We are doing the best we can with the resources we have. Didn't have the Lectron in time for this ride, but the bike ran really good anyway since Scott worked on the Mikuni carb and rebuilt it during his refresh.
growing up i had a 1990 model and i can remember reading an old magazine which my friend had.the review on that bike was it wasnt the fastest but what honda done was to be the best all round, that magazine said the band was slow to come in and to just fan the clutch when needed and they were correct i hammerd that bike and it was great . yamaha brought the yzf426 out i think in 02 or 03 everybody wanted one , i used to smash them on my old cr. the front forks were terrible u used to get massive speed wobble. i think ive said enough but i loved that bike for 9 years, it was rough looking in the end but my engine was always spot on .bring back cr 250
This build has came together nicely. I was the same as being as all on Honda 4 strokes. Picked up the cleanest 2000 model cr250 I’ve ever seen. Just need to get my suspension dialed
Is there a reason my cr250 will raise the front tire in 4th gear And yours struggles? I mean I have a lot of performance parts
Probably need to update the breaks too because mine are nicer than the ones on my 08 450f
Good info it might be time for Honda to get back into 2 stroke development!
As for the weight comment,when that cr was made,it was designed to race motorcross,which had a minimum weight requirement that being said,I'll take the cr
Great video Kyle! Really enjoyed it. Goes to show you how well made the CRs were. I’ve always been a big fan. Look forward to more videos like this and watching this ‘03 get dialed in further.
yes, there will be much more content on this bike.
While the costs are adding up it is important to remember your only into this bike as much as a stock new ktm. Which would still need all of the aftermarket protecton, radiator guards, shark fins etc. Also if you are outside the spring weight it's cheaper to have a revaulve that works on an older more familiar bike then the newest forks which have a steep premium. I do enjoy the series very much though.
But the stock KTM is lighter AND has e start, and hydro clutch, and longer range tank, and no vibration motor....
Dirt Bike Channel all that is true and I agree with you. However you should not take a bare bones 10k investment into single track with no protection. The ktm is great it will just require more than the original purchase price to ride it. Just like any bike you buy new or used
Dirt Bike Channel By 5 pounds
enduro engineering bar risers and fastway footpegs in the low position will open up the cockpit.... I stand 99% of the time and am 6' 2"... the bike is phenomenal in the tight stuff with 14x48 gearing and z start pro rekluse....
Please tell me more. Im gfetting ready to buy and rebuild a cr 250 for some fast sand mx grack he like to practise on the we head to the woods to really hone his skills at 6'2 im all about helping the cr to fell bigger in the cockpit. And about that reklus is is going to work for both application. Thank for helping others to stay in the game...
Really enjoyed this series and this style of review. Hope to see more like it.
That B-Roll, damn Kyle, you're edit's are steeping up like really really crazy, i'm enjoying even more you're content, even when you're not riding (sorry about that), congrats for the really good job!!!
Thank you.
Put an 11oz fww and you’ll love it even more.
I wish I could ride both! Thanks for the breakdown 👌
Love my 02 cr250
Somethings wrong with that CR. I have a 250 EXC TPI and a 2006 CR250. My CR is WAY faster in acceleration, it explodes in the midrange and signs off relatively early, its lighter also and you can feel it, its more flickable. The EXC is more refined, more linear, revs farther and has more top speed. It allows me to meter out the power more precisely. Its more stable, it is and feels heavier. If I go hill climbing I take the CR. Long journeys, muddy days or long single tracks the KTM. With all this said however you cannot really compare these two bikes, they are from different era's and made for different purposes. Both are a huge amount of fun in their own way.
Hey you guys should get some kind of grade messure like 1-50.
Like handleing, feel, suspension, etc..
and add upp the points to see were the diffrent bikes are.
When riding a 1998 cr250 i honestly have no problem lofting the front wheel. Also maybe this is because of the aftermarket suspension i really like the way the cr sits compared to a 250 ktm
Im definitely headed towards the cr250 for my next bike, i have a 125sx just not enough grunt for my bigass😂
Yess the continued video!! The bike looks sick! thanks for sharing !!!
Have you had the CR250 forks revalved and fresh fluids by a professional? That honestly should be the first dime you spend on a used bike from 2003. 15 year newer technology on the KTM. Can't really do a true comparison without proper suspension setup for both machines. Just my opinion.
Yes, the forks and shock were done by a pro. Fresh oil and seals all the way around. Stock valving though to get a good idea of the starting point.
Good video, interesting feedback.... So much can be done to suspension to accommodate for riding preferences tho. Possibly if cr was set up with less rebound and a progressive rate spring on the rear it would have more of a similiar feel to the ktm. Not sure if you put a flywheel weight on the cr but a different head as well.... But suspension suspension suspension 👍
My 1987 CR500R does not need to corner it just destroys the freaking bern. CR forever
If you put a flywheel weight on it I think you’d enjoy it much more
I did a 12 oz on my cr250 and I love it.
Always love your videos. I would be interested to see the comparison of the 2 with the Honda having similar gearing
It cost a hell of a lot of money, probably the average budget rebuilder would not go as far or will do all the work themselves over several months.
The bike looks great and is a classic that is probably worth a million bucks. But my question is, are you going to save the bike for a couple of months so you can ride it? And when you sell or give it away, how are you going to get a ROI? Oh wait, half these parts were giving to you by sponsoring companies? 😀
Scott will probably buy it from me.
Where does the insane price tag come from? Did you calculate msrp cost of all parts to get to your $7000 price tag? New motor assuming the cylinder is serviceable is $1000 at the very max without being a donor motor from the bottom of the sea. $200 for every new bearing on the bike, another $500 for misc parts such as brake pads, rotor, drive set, misc clips and bolts ect. Hell even at $1000 for misc parts we are still under $2500 + the purchase price. $4000 is well under half of a comparable KTM. My estimate is based off of a roached out bike as well, buy one in decent shape and a couple pre bought goodies and you will be well in the money for a low budget competitive bike.
Certainly not a bashing comment it would just be nice to see a spreadsheet of the costs involved in the project to better help people understand what falls in the "Want/Need" category. Because when you buy a KTM @ 10k you will still want to buy the shiny bits so technically any anodized, personal preference piece you put on the CR should be added to the KTM's cost.
Nonetheless awesome build as it is always fun to see a bike get revised and brought back into commission.
This was a really interesting video! I am excited to see how this bike does with some of the singletrack and technical riding. I think it would also be great to hear your guys' thoughts on how this bike compares to the Yamaha yz250x, as they are both similar in technology as far as being kick-start only bikes and essentially from the same era due to the fact that the Yamaha has not really been updated in about 10 years or more significantly....
Great job on the comparison, too bad it doesn’t have the ‘01 motor in it
What kickstand do you have on the cr? I need to put one on mine. Love the cr250r.
The electric power valve CRs lacked bottom end. Honda tried everything to fix this problem. Putting the intake into the cases like a 125 was a big mistake! I have ridden a 2001 and a 2002 CR. The 2001 centrifugal power valve/intake into barrel engine was far superior!!!
there is a YZ 125 needle jet that makes a huge improvement to the carb and if you drop the port timing a small amount the bike will pull your arms out of joint , how do I know ... I reced 1 for years , I am still trying to buy the bike back ...
Awesome video! gahhh, i wanna ride again!
And you putting a brand new bike versus a 15yr old bike
Yes, the the CR has new parts EVERYWHERE. The ONLY thing 15 years old is the frame and the gearbox. We refreshed EVERYthing else to new parts. Complete refresh on the Honda.
15 year old technology
As always very interesting video. One question for Logan, interested to know why you are ridding a 150xc-w? You seem like a decent size, just curious.
Because it's a great bike, and it's his 2nd bike ever. Fantastic bike to cut your teeth on. He is a better rider than most beginners, partly because of the 150.
Beginners opinion your first bike was a Honda four-stroke you only been riding for a few years?
Open terrain on the MX bike still going to be okay, but once you get it up in the single track that things going to be a handful between the gearing and the lack of usable bottom-end power. Your clutch hands going to get really tired especially at not being hydraulic.
You may have a point. We are going to find out soon.
I agree with that. It will be interesting to see what Tyler has to say.
Kyle a great comparison would be that old cr250 and the yz250x.. cheers 👌
I don't have the Yamaha anymore. Scott sold it too when he went in for shoulder surgery...
Dirt Bike Channel aah ok im surprised scott sold it.. i thought it was his baby :p
Kyle I know that you sold the yz250x almost 2 years ago but what jetting did it have?
Hondas are great but it would be nice if you had a budget to rebuild correctly a KTM 380 and Jet it correctly since there are known to be a bitch to jet but to have a well tuned 380 would be interesting to review
I think what this video is missing is the factor that we are comparing a race bike against an enduro bike
Great video sir
The older 2strokes vibrate alot in neutral and a little in gear
I can wait to see Kyle's oh the bikes grey video guy's.
Where are you riding? It looks like Española NM.
95 percent of the bikes on my local trails are orange. I don’t often follow the herd so I’d rather be on the CR.
I can appreciate that.
The cr might of cost you that much. But what was it just for the nessary things? It didn’t need plastics and stuff like that. That is stuff you can do over time lol
We are still at $4200 on the bike without ANY of the unnecessary things.
Dirt Bike Channel that is a good starting place if you are getting into the sport. A great bike to go and have fun on
Meant to say $4200 without any of the "fun" upgrades.
That is still not to bad really
Awesome thanks for the video
A 150 2 stroke is heaps harder to ride than a 300 2 stroke. Your dark haired mate said he is working his skills up to a 250. A 150 2 stroke is a hard bike to ride (for an adult sized rider) as you have to modulate the throttle , clutch and gears more frequently. A 250-300 would be much easier for him.
While that is true...learning how to use the throttle, clutch and gears will make him a better rider in the long run.
2000, 2001 motor with the 2002+ chassis = THE BEST 2T EVER! 2002+ motors were very linear(flat) on power. You should've spent the money on motor mods or bought a '01.
I'm 13 years old 5 foot 6 do you think I could handle a 250 or should I get a 125
Did Scott put a FWW on the CR ?
Not yet. Wanted to see what we thought of it without first.
THANK YOU!! LORDE
Im curious about their thoughts on a KTM 380
I would love to see a rebuild and conclusion on the 380...one that is actually jetted right! I would think it would be a beast! I would rather Kyle and them to spend the $6,000 and buy that 380 restore it get it right and see what that old 2001 KTM 380 would do good point
micahs Me too man, i have a 2001 380SX and its awesome, although id prefer the EXC because the 6 gears suit me better.
I think you should compare an 03 KTM to an 03 Honda.
put a flywheel weight on that cr and you'll feel there is more power/grunt.
Jerome Gagnon I was thinking the same thing.
Did you guys adjust the clickers at all during your test?
nope. Rode it with whatever Scott set it up with.
What plastics are on this bike
first comment and hurry up and get back on the bike dude hope u heal well love from australia
Tassie?
just sayin, however, i have an 05 cr250 build i'm almost done with, and with your advertising and all ,well maybe we could do a test in alabama. we have a track at work ,cause my boss is cool, and maybe we could compare builds. we all love to ride, good pr for everybody. lets make it happen.
Put the stock head back on the XC and test, your're getting all kinds of grunt out of that RKTek for sure
Thats true...I don't remember if I mentioned that or not. However my 2017 KTM250XC had a ton of grunt and it didn't have the RKTek head
It’s funny that the guys are saying the KTM is a smooth fire breathing monster. My 96 ATK 250 has a counter balanced engine and still pulls just as hard as a modern bike. I have ridden a cr250 and can say that the only difference other than vibration is the power valve. The electronic power valve is great for the track but doesn’t lend itself well to the trail. It comes on like a light switch.
The lightswitch feel comes from port timing. Milling the cylinder 30thou fixes this
With with some easy mods the gen3 CRs are as powerful as any earlier yrs.
Carb swap ($300 new) - cyl and head mods ($200) , boyesen reeds or rad valve.
Carb can be tuned easily for soft or hard hit into the mid, 10oz fww for climbing.
My 06' lugs up hills and has an insane top end over-rev, running a 2003 KX250
airstriker carb (TPS disconnected) - 45pilot/Yamaha N3CW needle/ 178main @ sea level, 80deg.
With the stock carb and jetting it was a pig to ride unless on the pipe.
Maybe try a V Force!
So what I got from that is for a more experienced rider go KTM for more of a beginner get an old CR change the gearing and have a buttload of fun
Why is there no maxi pad 😂 on the handlebars hopefully nobody gets thrown over the bars
The big question, though...given the goal of the project...You're under $5K all-in, yes? Is the KTM 2.5 times the bike after riding both?
Great question. I'm still totaling up invoices that I'm finding for the bike, but my calculations as of today are that I'm $5,066 in parts on this bike. Total investment if $6,866 to this point (cost of bike was $1,850). This is to say NOTHING of all Scott's labor. Only about 3 things of the near $6,900 included any labor. If I assigned a meager $25 per hour for Scott's time, we'd be in this A LOT more. I paid $9,100 before tax (to be consistent with the costs I'm calculating for the Honda) for the KTM. If you factor in the labor to put all this together, the Honda is just as expensive as the 2018 KTM and still doesn't have electric start, or a Hydro clutch, or the amazing counter balanced (no vibration motor), or the 6 speed gear box, or the 2.6 gallon tank. Used bikes aren't as cheap as we think :)
@@DirtBikeChannel Not as cheap if you buy a clapped out one like this.
A 2001 cr250 would have been a better bike for you guys to compare, I have owned many CR250 is over the years and the 2002+ cr250s had total garage engine's in my opinion, i hated them, I do like the newer CR chassis though.
Lol
It's a Honda nuff said
It’s hard to compare the cr to the ktm because the cr is a full on race bike with tall gearing would have been good to compare it to a ktm 250 sx but still an awesome vid keep it up
Hello very cool channel
Imagine if Honda still made and did r and d on the 2t u wouldn’t ever hear of a ktm I’m afraid
My yz85 is all rear steer...
“Couldn’t lift the front tire” wtf. I could pump the front end like a bmx bike on my 2001 Cr250. Didn’t even need the throttle. Hill climbing, did great, with some skill it could do the same hills as cr500s. I ran a 52 tooth in the rear, perfect for trail and hills. Not so great in open country, only do about 50mph.
Kyle I’d like to see you ride and review when your leg gets better.
Ps. 2003 isn’t as good as 2001. Case induction, cable driven power valves.. not as good. IMHO they started making the 2 strokes less powerful to promote the more expensive 4 strokes.
The frame on the 01 is a brick. 02-07 frame was the best at the time.
dan gardner I rode a buddies 06 service Honda ( crf250 chassis cr500 engine) and didn’t like it it felt a lot stiffer to me. He also out weighed me by 20+ lbs at the time and likely had the suspension setup to suit, so that could be all.
Ktm has a hi-comp head tho!!!
really?!
you guys are comparing an apple to an orange. the cr is made for motocross tracks, the ktm is enduro/gncc. completely different animals. put em on a track the cr will shine.
Yep. Glad you noticed.
When you say the ktm is better then the honda
Buddy thinks the KTM250ex has power?! Lol
Yeah 50hp is very weak
I watch much of your stuff. I just have to say I waited 18 minutes to finally hear a 15 year old 2 stoke pinned AND NEVER HEARD IT. WTF?
CR is more fun if you're not at race pace. LOL!
Should of compared to a 15 year old bike! Ktm sales men
Dude in the orange is a straight up goon! Terrible riding posture and style.
haha goon riding is the best
Just bought a used 2006 CR 250 2 stroke for $2500 put new wheel bearings front and rear and new decal kit spend $150. And sold the bike for $4350 after 1 month of riding it. "WHO SAYS BUYING USED DIRTBIKES IS EXPENSIVE?"
hondas arevthe best
Something about that plastic on the honda make it look cheap like a new china pit bike.