Where are your XT250's...let's see them.

I lowered it one full rotation on the back spring for my wife's bike. She hasn't reported any issues with bottoming out, but she weighs a lot less than me. Also, we aren't super aggressive, as our bikes are usually fully loaded with camping gear, etc.

Another nice day for a ride. This time I went where I knew it would be good, because I'd ridden this double-track in the opposite direction:




Some puddles, but all except the last one could be ridden around. It was a little one, not this group.

Unfortunately, the sun was in the face, riding south (that photo shows the bike facing northerly, because I rode back north after going around.
,
,

headed out to the CABDR tomorrow on my vintage '81 XT250...

Chyeah man, it's nice there

Dude... 28psi? That's crazy. If I ride dry street I'm never at more than 22F 26R. If in sand, I'm as low as 12F 17R. Snow, 8F 17R.

If I catch a hard pack gravel road with 1-2" of sand on top, I have to lower front to 18/19 from 22 otherwise steering will wander. On deep loose shale/gravel/river rock/sand/wet soft dirt/mud, 22 is straight up dangerous for me and my bike.

I ride at minimum a couple hours everyday 7 days a week; if a full day ride on mixed terrain I will easily adjust pressure multiple times a day. Obviously if their hot from the street it turns into a guessing game real quick, but it is possible to make an educated guess. If in the mountains, my pressure will often not increase riding 1st-3rd gear stuff off road.

2 or 3 psi make a world of difference, especially up front. How much do you weigh? I'm 220 naked, easy 300 maybe 315 with all gear. You're missing out on massive amounts of traction regardless of tire especially off road at 28psi, I'm 100% sure of it.

Well, I'm also about 220 lb, these days, down from near 250 at times, and I do lower tire pressure when I want more traction, which isn't often. However I hadn't thought of lowering front tire pressure to prevent deep sand/gravel from grabbing the wheel and turning it. Guess this ol' dog's still larnin' some new tricks.

Nice you made it! Are you hand pumping your tires back up all the time, or did you get one of the electric pumps I showed you?

I play with the front pressure a lot more than rear, it is super helpful, try it out!

Still using the mountain bike hand pump yeah.

Thank you for the info. I had put lowering links on mine, which I guess changes the whole dynamics of the bike. I also lowered the front 1 inch as well. I have looked at the back spring, but it looks like a lot of work to get to. Maybe I need to put the bike back the way it was and just do the adjustment with the spring.

It comes out pretty easy, took me about 3 hours to disassemble, adjust preload with a vice/pipe wrench, and re-install the first time.

You don't need to remove the rear spring to adjust it. Just remove the right side plastic, then use a punch or, say a 1/4 inch diameter bolt or rod, and a hammer to loosen the lock nut, rotate the adjusting nut, then re-tighten the lock nut.

I adjusted mine as far as the owner's manual recommends, since I'm tall.
.
.

+1 Yes this works (though it is a bit of a pita).

Guessing it is a PITA anyway you look at it.

The threaded rings (nuts?) on my rear shock were a bit frozen when I tried to adjust it on the bike, a 2012 model. Took a big ass pipe wrench and all my strength to undo it on the bench.

A nice time to assess if your stock spring is really doing it for you, or if aftermarket is necessary for setting the appropriate sag.

Copying the example of my DR650 & probably many other bikes, I did this simple modification to the XT250; took only an hour or two to complete. This makes rear wheel removal & replacement much simpler due less parts to juggle with overall, & chain tensioning becomes really easy. Plus one less tool (22mm spanner) to carry.
Support bike vertically on a central stand, support wheel with a lump of wood or whatever below & remove 19mm nut & fittings from left side & pull out rear axle from the standard r/h side & insert a suitable temporary steel rod right through to hold the wheel loosely in place. Note:- the rear axle will fit quite happily either way from left or right; same diameter all the way.
Now using your bench drill & normal procedures, step drill to final size a 6.5mm/1/4" hole right through a pair of opposite flats on the 22mm hex head of the axle taking care to space the hole mid-way from base to top.
Take the l/h adjustment cam, making sure the numbers are on the outside! & carefully tack weld it to the axle head in two or three spots either using the original washer in place, or as I did, one with a reduced OD that matched the axle head diameter. A quick spray with cold galv. & silver paint & she's done... Note:- It doesn't really matter if the cams get swapped about L to R; they are mirror imaged. The adjustment numbers are on the flat face of one & the rounded face of the other. You'll either go CW to increase tension (as mine) or CCW if the cams are swapped L to R. See the DR picture as below for CCW to increase tension.
Now insert the axle back through the swing arm & wheel from the left side & refit the other cam, washer & nut on the right. Initially tighten only enough to hold it all in place. From behind the bike, with the blade of the phillips screwdriver through the new hole you can now easily set the chain tension by rotating the axle & cam unit as one with the left hand whilst pushing the wheel forward with one knee. Count the dimples & set the right cam similarly. Hold the axle head with the screwdriver & tighten the nut fully & she's done. Simple isn't it?
Pump the rear brake before riding if you did remove the wheel.


These two photos at left show the result.



And here is the DR for comparison as ex: factory.

And referring to the previous few posts re: adjusting the rear shock spring, CloudSplitter's method with a long 6mm or 1/4" rod is the way to go. Take the weight off the rear wheel though.

Good write-up, but it seems like a lot of unnecessary complication to me. There no need for an implement through the axle head to set the tension as it is simple enough to push on the flats of the snail cam with your fingers. And there's no need to hold the axle head when tightening, either: the main reason to weld the snail cam to the axle is to use the cam and swingarm pin to do that for you, and ditch the 22 mm spanner.

It takes longer to set up your welding gear than it does to buzz on a couple of tack welds. Pull the axle, remove the washer, stick the axle and cam in a vise, weld it, put everything back where you found it. Job done.

K. I. S. S.

This is a nice write but I find something like this totally un nesasary . Why go to all the bother when all you have to do is just loosen the axil nut and move the cams to adjust the chain. Why do you want to have to turn the whole axil just to tighten the chain? As far not needing a 22mm wrench goes I carry a lot of tools with me so one more small wrench really doesn't matter. Nice explanation on how you did this though.

Cyclepath, I like Halifax's idea. Sometimes I need to find something to pound with, in order to rotate the spiral cam, so being able to do it with a screwdriver seems like a nice idea, especially on the left side, where you might want to pull the chain tighter. I also like the idea of turning the axle around, because getting the wrench away from the chain and pillion pegs, when you're stomping on it to loosen the nut, seems nice as well.
.
.

KISS indeed.

Leave everything in place as is, a bit of a thorough clean with some acetone and a couple of quick and meaty tacks with a TIG at 10o'clock and 3o'clock.
2mins for the job, rest of the time for the beer.
(I think I learned that from a Kiwi from the South Island , wink)
No, it doesn't melt the dustseals nor boil the grease in the wheel bearings
And yes, junk the 22mm

nb, obviously the battery was unhooked at the time....installing heated grips at the same time

I would like to replace my stock foot pegs (2009 XT250) with something a little hardier so I ordered from http://www.dmospecialties.com/

I read good reviews on this thread but hadn't seen much info in a while (or missed it). They should arrive in a few days.

Anything advice or something I should know before installation?

Thanks in advance!

I put them on my 2017 XT. They are solid and simple. Installation took 5 mins. No advice etc. needed.