85-86 250R's....I need the full low down!!

[Bubanator]

Alright dudes, ive ben having some serious thoughts about gettin back into the 3 wheeler game after a 5 year absence. My last bike was an 86 200X. Ive always liked the 250R's and im a die hard 2 stroke fan!

So heres the deal : I need as much info as i can get on these bikes (85-86 is what im looking at) i want to know how fast they go, the horsepower, what are the best mods, best gearing, common problems, everything! im open to all oponions and any input would be greatly appreciated. I ride 2 stroke triple sleds, one of which hits 130+mph on the lake consistantly and has aftermarket pipes, porting, a big bore, bored carbs etc...the other is stock, so im eventually gonna be wanting to do some engine mods to the 250R. Whats the best aftermarket place to go to for engine mods, pipes etc...?

Thanks again, i really apreciate the help! Very nice site btw....kept me busy for a few days lol!!

[sittinguy]

A stock 250R put out about 30hp, will go about 75mph, a very fun machine. lots of aftermarket parts availible

[Tecate250]

Well every liquid cooled 250r trike i have seen had some serious frame breaks up front where the lower rad guards mount.

[jeffatc250r]

Well every liquid cooled 250r trike i have seen had some serious frame breaks up front where the lower rad guards mount.

Not sure what your talking about. I have had many of these things and have ridden MANY others and have never ever seen that happen. The only spot that I have ever seen one break was behind the foot peg mount. IMO the best frame there is, unless it was subjected to too much moisture and got thin towards the cradle. Im sure with massive jumping it will break in other spots too (Kintore).

[DixiePlowboy]

Liquid R frames breaking are news to me.

Honda claimed 38 (crank) hp for the stock '85. With a liquid R, you get a machine that can pretty much do it all until it's set up for something specific that takes away from it's abilities in other areas. As it came from the factory, it's perfectly suited for everything from moderate- fast trails, gravel pit/sand pit blasting, hill climbing, jumping(the best suspension of any 3-wheeler produced in my book), all the way up to full-tilt racing with a few setup changes.

Back in the mid-'80s, my neighbor used ride his '85 R at the local trail/hill/gravel pit hot spot one day, then throw on a set of flattrack(lawnmower) tires and win(when I didn't beat him:)) the stock class at the track the next night.

There are hardly any truly stock R's being ridden these days, so mods and hop-ups abound. Eddie Sanders Racing, FTZ Racing, CT Racing, FloTek, and a number of others offer parts, kits, porting, and/or machining services to get your warpdrive going. You just have to decide how big you want to go and how much you can spend.

Another trick that will help you out handling wise....borrowing from Team Green's playbook:): If you're going to be getting sideways and have trouble snagging an affordable short track tank kit, you can move your stock tank and radiators rearward about 5/8" allowing you to grind your steering stops down a bit. This trick doesn't give you as sharp a steering angle as the short track kit, but it gives just enough angle to keep the rear tires from passing the front tire in hard, high speed corners and sweepers. Plus, you don't lose fuel capacity and can save the big $$$ everyone seems to want for the kits.

[yj350]

Well every liquid cooled 250r trike i have seen had some serious frame breaks up front where the lower rad guards mount.

My friends and I have flogged many R's over the last 15 or so years and have never seen this. We treated them like the red headed step child and they never let us down.

[Bubanator]

Liquid R frames breaking are news to me.

Honda claimed 38 (crank) hp for the stock '85. With a liquid R, you get a machine that can pretty much do it all until it's set up for something specific that takes away from it's abilities in other areas. As it came from the factory, it's perfectly suited for everything from moderate- fast trails, gravel pit/sand pit blasting, hill climbing, jumping(the best suspension of any 3-wheeler produced in my book), all the way up to full-tilt racing with a few setup changes.

Back in the mid-'80s, my neighbor used ride his '85 R at the local trail/hill/gravel pit hot spot one day, then throw on a set of flattrack(lawnmower) tires and win(when I didn't beat him:)) the stock class at the track the next night.

There are hardly any truly stock R's being ridden these days, so mods and hop-ups abound. Eddie Sanders Racing, FTZ Racing, CT Racing, FloTek, and a number of others offer parts, kits, porting, and/or machining services to get your warpdrive going. You just have to decide how big you want to go and how much you can spend.

Another trick that will help you out handling wise....borrowing from Team Green's playbook:): If you're going to be getting sideways and have trouble snagging an affordable short track tank kit, you can move your stock tank and radiators rearward about 5/8" allowing you to grind your steering stops down a bit. This trick doesn't give you as sharp a steering angle as the short track kit, but it gives just enough angle to keep the rear tires from passing the front tire in hard, high speed corners and sweepers. Plus, you don't lose fuel capacity and can save the big $$$ everyone seems to want for the kits.
very interesting, and good to know! thanks for the help guys! anything else i should know?

[harryredtrike]

best trike around hands down heres mine its an 85.if you want more ass put a 500r in her

[Tecate250]

Well I am going to take a few pics of my 2 frames today to show you guys that the rs frames are not as good as you guys say. I had 3 good tecate frames and one was missing a piece of frame out of it and never cracked or split. And i ran the guts out of it.

[jeffatc250r]

Ya, post pics. I gotta see this. This is the first I have ever heard of such a thing.

[DixiePlowboy]

Not wanting to take the "Tecate vs. 250R" thing that this thread is evolving into any further, but I've seen several 1st Gen. Tecate frames bent/broke and no(personally witnessed that is) liquid R frames in that shape. Not that I don't love 1st Generation Tecates....I absolutely do, but they have more structural and strength issues than the last R's.

....and I won't even go into comparing the fork tube diameter/strength/resistance to bending between the two machines('86-'87 Tecates were the bomb with 41mm forks). Finding unbent 1st Gen. Tecate forks isn't rare, but it's more of a challenge.

With that said, any machine can be bent or broke if pushed hard enough past it's point, especially with 24-26 years of moisture and unseen rust working on them.

There's no sense bashing any of them. I like 'em all in their own way. I just think the liquid R was and is a terrific machine derived and benefiting from a longer production run that resulted in solid refinement.

....but I'm not prejudice. I'll ride 'em all as long as they have 3-wheels.

[Dirtcrasher]

The liquid 250R frame is a tough frame!! Unless your like KINTORE and jumping/racing it allot, then I believe it will hold up just dandy for ya :beer

If your a 2 stroke junky then there's no reason for me to tell you how quickly they can get out of your hands and wipe you up like a paper towel. :D

I bet if they still made them it would have changed to a box styled frame (like the 86/87 200X) over the years.

But, they are built very well and setting up your suspension taxes the frame allot less..........

[Dammit!]

Put me down as another person who has had several R's and seen many dozens of them and never seen this problem being discussed.

[Tecate250]

Hehehe. Well I only got pics of where the frames are bad on my 85 frame. But the whole bike is complete and hard to show you guys how bad it broke. But this is the area shown in the pics. My 86 frame shows the real damage.
http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll148/Tecate250/1986%20ATC%20250R/Atc250r005.jpg
http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll148/Tecate250/1986%20ATC%20250R/Atc250r006.jpg

[DixiePlowboy]

^^^ Me thinks you'd better hose out your radiators before 250R's develop a notorious reputation for overheating....lol.

Just ribbing you, dude.

See you're wearing white plastic like I am.

[Mosh]

Hehehe. Well I only got pics of where the frames are bad on my 85 frame. But the whole bike is complete and hard to show you guys how bad it broke. But this is the area shown in the pics. My 86 frame shows the real damage.
http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll148/Tecate250/1986%20ATC%20250R/Atc250r005.jpg
http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll148/Tecate250/1986%20ATC%20250R/Atc250r006.jpg

I have seen the 3rd gen R's crack here too and Tri-z's for that matter.
I wouldnt call it common, out of 50 or so R's I have seen or worked on, 2 cracked there.
The one, was my friends and it got ridden HARD..No jumps, just wicked trails and mountains for about 15 years.
I am talking, 30 hours every other weekend all summer, spring, and fall, usually hauling a passenger.

The other was a hit pile of poo, that looked like it rolled down a mountain 2 times.

But I wouldnt let it discourage anyone from owning one at ALL.However, it is a area I would pay attention to in the buying process, as well as the subframe.
I ride mine pretty hard, and I have had no problems.

And to answer the one question, I like to run mine at the stock gearing. 13-39.

And as far as performance for a R goes, in my eyes there are only 3 options in no particular order.
1) Find a Curtis Sparks MX ported motor..
2) ESR makes good stuff...
3) Jason Hall here on the forums, can get mad Horsepower out of these from mild to wild, all reliable.
Any of those Combo's with a ESR ATC 5 pipe and 38 mil carb is a great start.

[1BFC]

3) Jason Hall here on the forums, can get mad Horsepower out of these from mild to wild, all reliable.
Any of those Combo's with a ESR ATC 5 pipe and 38 mil carb is a great start.

Let me tell you this is damn sure the 100% truth! :twisted: I had Jason work on my engine that has a LA sleeve 310 cylinder and after he did his magic on it the thing is a total monster. I have all 3 of the above combo.... ESR ATC 5, 38mm PWK and a few other things too, but those are the big ones.

This engine pulls 14/38 like it's nothing. 5th and 6th are the only gears that take more than a half second to run through...

Good advice, take it to heart!

[Mosh]

Let me tell you this is damn sure the 100% truth! :twisted: I had Jason work on my engine that has a LA sleeve 310 cylinder and after he did his magic on it the thing is a total monster. I have all 3 of the above combo.... ESR ATC 5, 38mm PWK and a few other things too, but those are the big ones.

This engine pulls 14/38 like it's nothing. 5th and 6th are the only gears that take more than a half second to run through...

Good advice, take it to heart!
I run one of his mad ported stock cylinders with a FMF and V-3's and 38 mil carb, and it friggin hauls the mail. There isnt much I can't get by in a straight line even with them 450 things built up.
He has been preaching about some sweet ass stroker thingy, that I am dying to run, but funds are tight these days and honestly I LOVE this current set-up to death.
For sure when $$$ allows I will be talking to him.

[Kintore]

I run one of his mad ported stock cylinders with a FMF and V-3's and 38 mil carb, and it friggin hauls the mail. There isnt much I can't get by in a straight line even with them 450 things built up.
He has been preaching about some sweet ass stroker thingy, that I am dying to run, but funds are tight these days and honestly I LOVE this current set-up to death.
For sure when $$$ allows I will be talking to him.

I can tell you, I run this lil stroker thingy and it is incredible what he did. I have torque of a 4 poke but the rev/ haul the mail of a 2 stroke. Not to mention I race on this motor and it gets beat to hell and back, So far it has about 20 hours on it and it feels TIGHT still. I also run a PT high rev, 39 mil pwm, 265 duncan PV top end and a 17 cc dome in there, it kicks like a mule!

[scottp597]

Some things that I have run across:

Stock - 14/39 gearing is about 65-70mph top end
Great mods from esr250.com, they have performance parts made just for the 250 2-stroke platform
Suspension can be upgraded to progressive springs
Top of 13/36 gearing is 85mph
ALL of the information on these machines you can get RIGHT HERE. There are some really talented people on here than can give you an answer to anything you want to know.