Hi all, It's taken a while to gather the gumption to post... here goes. Aside from my vintage Yamahas I also have a 2014 XT250 which is my everyday and everywhere bike. I want to adventurise this bike with upgrades and mods. I am looking for PROVEN experience and reviews on which to base my investment. Who else has modded up an XT250 and what works best? 1. Windscreen 2. Bash plate / skid plate 3. Panniers / side bags (I prefer soft) 4. Battery upgrade / management for heated grips and plugin for GPS - I hear my stock batt won't cut it. 5. Taller gearing to take the strain off higher speeds and make 1st a little less short; which is the best sprocket option for this? My budget is pretty flexible so I want quality gear. Doesn't have to be the BEST, but it has to be GOOD and good value. I appreciate any links, leads, and knowledge you can share! Cheers!
For panniers I had a similar situation as you. I think you should check these out. They are 36L for the pair and don't require racks. So they hold quite a bit of stuff requiring no racks saves space and weight while helping the bike stay slim and light. Also a huge savings in money versus racks and bags. https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/wolfman-enduro-saddlebags
I bought the Moose Racing Skid Plate, $120.00, from Procycle: https://procycle.us/bikepages/xt250.html#xtplate Not on your list, but I think it was money well spent: I did the RaceTech Gold Valves and fork Emulators upgrade. The bike handles rough ground much better. It steers better and the rear tire stays in contact with the ground when powering up rough washboard hills. I got my RaceTech bits from Procycle: https://procycle.us/bikepages/xt250.html#fegv4301
Thanks. I'm going to be watching this thread for good ideas for myself. I love the weight and simplicity of the XT, but I'm a little big for it. I had planned to, at a minimum, switch the shock spring over the summer, but may do a few more things as well. Yamaholly, sorry I don't have any ideas for you. Other than tires and maintenance, the only changes I've made to mine so far are hitting the front fender with white Plasti-Dip to make it match the rest of the bike and adding a luggage rack and mounting a Seahorse case onto it: http://advrider.com/index.php?threa...s-lets-see-them.403156/page-145#post-27927472 I still have the old street sign sitting in the garage waiting to be turned into a skid plate...
Thanks, Sitheach86. I like these, as well as the next step up: the Expedition Dry bags from Wolfman: https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/wolfman-expedition-dry-saddle-bags I am on the fence about a couple things... I'd kind of like a luggage system that easily removes from the bike so I can take the bags off and bring them into my tent/accommodations. Is that available with soft luggage? From what I can see most of these strap/mount onto the bike in such a way that you only want to remove the contents, leaving the bags on the bike. Not a deal breaker, just wondering. Also, what about a system like the Giant Loop Coyote bag? It's got a 39L capacity, great reviews, and I like how it sits on the bike. Better than a Wolfman option? Comparable? I have a GL tank bag and love it.
If you haven't already, have a look at what Chantal Simons has done: http://advrider.com/index.php?threa...etherlands-chick-on-the-chook-chaser.1124532/ http://chickonthechookchaser.com/ https://www.facebook.com/chickonthechookchaser/ She put a pile of miles on an "adventurised" XT250!
I have a nice skid pan and rack for sale in flea market, both are really heavy duty and had a little experience.
I did none of that. I did better seat, better tires, drilled the exhaust a bit, plus some fork preload.
I've got Dirt Bagz on my 2008 XT250. They suit my purposes. Great for every day use. Easily removable. http://dbzproducts.com/fs/dirtbagz.htm
I mounted a Ricochet aluminum skid plate which mounts to existing mounting holes on the under frame. This skid plate was made to fit well and didn't require any clamps or drilling, just a quick installation. https://www.skipsskidplates.com/col...cts/yamaha-xt250-ricochet-aluminum-skid-plate I also tried to mount a Moose Expedition luggage rack, but the left bracket wasn't made/shaped right and wouldn't attach without leaving the plastics off. I returned the rack to the seller and had to pay for return shipping costs. What a waste of time.
Can I get a recommendation on some better off road tires than the stock rubber? I tried a stream crossing last night that was muddier than I thought and my not so knobby tires turned into slicks and I buried it up the swingarm...it's a new to me 2015.
The Dunlop 606s are Okay although a bit pricey. I used them for a couple months but still craved more off road aggression. Settled on a set of Kenda Trackmaster IIs. Got them both for the price of one 606. Just what I wanted for off-road but I haven't ridden much street yet. From what I can tell so far they seem fine but I just use the XT for fun...not a commuter.
Depends on what you want. For a dualsport bike that will see at least some road time, I think a very solid choice is a Pirelli MT21 on the front and a Dunlop D606 on the rear. This has been a favorite tire combo of mine for many years for my dualsport bikes. There is definitely better stuff for offroad but it wears very quickly when riding pavement. Especially for a relatively light weight bike like an XT the Pirelli MT43 could be a good choice for a rear tire. Its a "trialsish" sort of tire. Works very well at 8lbs or lower for offroad. Amazing traction for rocks and hardpack. Best part about this tire is that its cheap and wears very well. Unlike a knobby that it shot when it starts to show wear. This tire will still give great traction even when its on its last legs.
I can't imagine riding a bike without a skid/bash plate. But I guess you don't really need one if you stay in the Jersey Pines.
I made a semi stone guard that I bolted to the frame where the front wheel might throw rocks. Not a real bash plate, no rocks around here, small stones at most.
Surprised this thread died out with all the goodies for GPS, cameras, brush guards etc etc etc.... available now a days.
The IRC tr8 battle rally tires seem quite good as a dual sport tire. I have them on my KLX and they even do ok in sand.
Do you ride thePine Barrens ? I recently found out about them and they seem like a nice ride for a dualsport bike.
Almost every day. A good all around tire set. A really agressive knobby set would work better in the dirt, not a lot, but better, but as a dual sport tire, the TR8 seems to be quite good in the dirt.