Got this 2004 xt225 a few days ago in exchange for a job I done for a mate. You’re an ambassador for this bike and found your vids very informative and is a great practical workhorse- very much like yourself. Keep up the good work
Congrats on the new bike, Grant, that's awesome! And thanks for the shout out, that's some pretty high praise...I'll take it! Let me know how you get on with the XT.
Just found your channel today, been watching motovloggers for about 4 years now and your definitely one of the more quality video makers. Simple, no frills, and informative. Good stuff, man.
I just took a ride today and initial impressions are that it's much more lively and LOTS of fun on backroads and hills. It's a bit "buzzy" on the road at 60+ mph due to the higher revs, though, and MPG might take a hit. Will report more once it's had a good go on some trails.
@@jimmytmoto If you ride more in the woods you'll love it. If you're more of a street rider then you won't. Over 60 and it will feel a bit of vibration though the newer XT250 has a counterbalanced engine which really helps its street manners. Don't know about the XT225's engine but the XT250 is happier under 60 as well.. Where I ride in Northeast Pa we have some serious rocks and uphills where the lower gearing really comes into play. It's a tradeoff for sure but I find the 14 T more of a help than a hindrance.
In looking for DR lowering videos, yours came up (among others). I watched it, and then I went to your channel. I spent (about) 2 to 2 1/2 hours going through an assortment of your videos, and I must say I enjoyed every one of them. You have some good content with no overkill or silliness. So, I'm now a new subscriber. I'm pretty sure you have a new fan. Maybe it's because I'm in awe of guys my age posting videos that are in line with my interest.😄👍 I'll be looking forward to your next one. Thanks, bro. "Thumbs up" from this ole Kentucky boy.
Right on! I'm still an ole West Virginia boy at heart. And I really appreciate the kind words. It's nice to know there's a place for us RUclipsrs that aren't 25 years old and racing around on sportbikes. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Interesting story. with lower gear you can skip 1st in most situations. Good luck and this old guy says attack hills more aggressively - speed and rpm -Cheers, Roy
It's important on multi rate fork springs to cut the two Inches off the "soft" end...to raise overall rate. If you do the other end it will lower rate.. Also use oil level to set fluid ..much more accurate...start at 4 in from top.of tube with fork collapsed and spring removed. If you want to slow movement in last third of travel slightly" raise " oil level. This is a tuning variable and will take some .eexperimentation to perfect for given rider...it is well worth the effort
Thank you for your update and Hope you’re doing well! Great ideas there with your XT225 changes. I have a 2007 XT225 and have done a lot of mods to mine. I just did put the Kenda 270s on front and rear and hope they do well for me. Please let us know how your mods do over time and use.
All is well here, thanks for asking. And, yes, I'll definitely do a mod update after we've racked up some more miles. So far I'm loving the gearing and the Kenda but am mixed on the forks. More to come...
Best budget mod for most XT225's is proper jetting for conditions. Spend the $5 for the proper sized jet. If its stock its probably on the lean side especially if you have any intake or exhaust mods. If you ride at high elevations you may be okay. Sea level not so much. The idle screw is set lean from the factory as well.
I've unplugged and set the fuel screw but the bike is otherwise stock as far as intake/exhaust and seems to run well. I'm might lift the needle and the main a bit just to see what it does. Thanks!
Hey if it aint broke dont fix it. Mine was very cold blooded new and was a bugger to keep going when cold. The idle mixture adjustment cured that . I ride mostly at lower elevations and found going up to the 130 main and opening up the intake an exhaust worked great. Probably picked up 1 to 2 hp and no flat spots.
Great point, Jason, 100% agreed. I actually do have larger footpegs on the bike and mentioned them in this video: ruclips.net/video/FAQLugHWxAk/видео.html . This is the first time I've used the larger pegs in all my years of riding and it really makes a difference!
huh, thats funny, ive thought about kicking it up a tooth in the front for a bit better power delivery at higher speeds, never thought about going down, i guess i dont do nearly as much trails so i want it to be a bit easier on the bike nearing her top speed. i do defititly need a new rear though, thanks for the vid man.
Right on! Let me know if you go up a tooth on the front and how it works out. My initial impressions of the 14T is that it's a blast on twisty roads, though I haven't hit any hilly trails with it yet. At just $20 for a front sprocket it's a fun, relatively inexpensive way to experiment.
Great video.i like the size of those 225 and xt250.i also like the weight of the xt225 and six speed.i think somewhere around 230lbs is light.all pluses for that bike.im riding a 91 drs 350.quite a bit heavier. But the bike has got some real grunt.went through engine professionally and a new pumper carb instead of the California emissions one.some day I might run into one of those 225xt for sale and have to buy it.thanks for all your info.
Hey Jimmy. Good to see you back to making good content. I was just watching a little video on the SR250, and magically your video notification popped up. How's your SR250 doing?
Thanks, Joe! The SR250 was running great but it needs a new battery. I must have left the key in the "parking light" position after the last ride and now the battery won't even take a charge. I'll be swapping that out soon and will post an update!
I haven't had a battery issue yet. Surprisingly. I have left my keys on a few times. Trickle chargers are awesome. Lol. I have just finished putting some cheap chinese turn signals on. I found out that they work all my themselves without a flasher relay. I had to unplug the original flash relay and just shove a wire in the connections to bridge the wires together. These lights are so bright. Front turn signals have white lights when not being used as turn signals, and the back double as brake lights. Great product.
perhaps you coudl do a carb rebuild for the xt225, there are no really good ones. You could do a nice one. detail the jets etc, where is the pilot, mods etc
That's a great idea, Steve. I've actually done a few mods to the carb recently so I'll likely share that in a future video, along with an explanation of how the carb is layed out. Thanks!
I have seen another video you made later than this one that warns of the two ply weakness of the Kenda 270. Maybe you should amend the end of this video now that you know it was a real cause of cracking a rim.
the 14T sprocket should give you the grunt you're looking for.. be advised they also make a 13T but that would make it really iffy for any on street lengthy travel at speeds over 55 mph.
Is there much to gain by switching to a Non CV carb(PWK, Mikuni VM/TM etc) and get a more free flowing exhaust? Otherwise is there any big bore kits available and performance.cams and/or camshafts? Would be cool to do a performance build with this bike.
i went out yesterday on some dirt in the stock tires and lost traction with the front wheel several times, when going 40-55 i could almost feel the front walking side to side and it felt gummy and strange, this was my first time offroad and basically my first real ride on a motorcycle so i attribute alot of my issue to that but i was just wondering if i put something real knobby on just the front is that gonna impact my traction on the road, i dont really wanna ride dirt as fast as i did yesterday but i was trying to keep up with 2 stroke 250's
I'm going to try the tusks dual sport tiers front and back. The 225 is not my bike it's my 14 year old son. I do ride it sometimes so if these tires are any good I will try them on my 250l.
@@jimmytmoto I will try to remember. I just got them in today, they are "beefy" They look good, I would have mounted them tonight but I had bought new bearings so I got them in and decided to put a new tube's in so I ran out of time to run down to the bike shop to pick some up. Tomorrow is another day.
Great video Jimmy. I was looking forward to meeting you at the RRS but guess I’ll see you in September now. Keep up the good work ,always nice to see local content. Do you ever ride at Shawnee State Forest?
Thanks, Jim! It's a bummer about the RRS being rescheduled but fingers crossed for September. Definitely look me up. I've not been to Shawnee State Forest but know it's not far...what's the riding like? I'll definitely head out there!
Shawnee has lots of great gravel roads with plenty of views to go along with the many little lakes and ponds. A few creek crossings but beware of the algae covered creek bottoms. Don’t ask how I know about those. There’s also a fire tower from the 1920’s that you can still climb. I like to camp at the State Park and spend the weekend trying to get lost on the fire roads. Be glad to show you around anytime. I hang out with one of your costars from the Pike State Forest video.
I’ve been trying to find a new carb for my xt225 because my old one is broken do you know where I can find a different one for cheaper than if I bought the stock one from Yamaha?
Hey, Gabe, you can typically find what you'll need on eBay. In the vast majority of cases a rider will just get a rebuild kit ($40) for their existing carburetor since there aren't really many things that can actually break. That's the route I'd highly recommend if you can do it. Alternatively, there are really cheap ($50) complete knockoff carbs for the XT225 available on eBay but those can be a real crap shoot - low quality, they might not take normal jets, etc. But I guess it's worth a gamble if you're completely high and dry. Good luck and let me know what you end up doing!
My girlfriend twisted the forks on her xt225 and I cannot find the torque specs for the triple tree clamps anywhere online. Would you happen to know the torque specs for the triple tree clamp?
This would have had some value if you had tested the bike after the modifications and reported the results. As it is neither you or the viewer have any idea if the mods helped or hurt (I'll concede that the new tire is highly likely to improve traction).
Thanks! The footpegs were on the bike when I bought it so I'm not quite sure but, visually, they appear to be the DMO pegs, which look a little different than the IMS pegs. One of them is a little bent from a hard hit but I love the width and the way the teeth are shaped - highly recommended!
Hey Jimmy,, Southern Indiana dual sporter here, So I just got a 2001 XT225 with 3300 miles and tires need replaced, was concerned about the width of the rear swing arm and putting a 4.60 X 18 on there can you show me the clearance between the tire and swing arm and will a 3.00X21 work on the front? Thinking of going with the 244 but not sure.
Hey jesterman63, thanks for asking. My XT225 is in more pieces than I can count right now (it will be coming back soon!) so I can't easily show pics of your questions. In the meantime, I highly recommend the Shinko 244 front and rear. Zero clearance issues with the 4.60 out back and, personally, I'm happy with the 2.75 x 21 up front. I'm not sure if I'd go with the 3.00x21 up front just because of rim width, even if it physically fits between the forks. I'll mention that the Shinko 2.75 front is wider than the Kenda 2.75 I replaced...the Kenda was SKINNY. I hope this info helps get you further down the road. Hey, and whereabouts in southern Indiana are you?
@@jimmytmoto Thanks for getting back to me, I just received my 244's today and my sunstar 50 tooth steel rear sprocket & I'm going to go with the sunstar 15 tooth front, I'm wanting a gold o ring or x ring chain but getting a name brand chain in what you want in the 428 pitch isn't very easy, I'm located just east of Evansville, and grew up Riding Trails over in Lynnville, IN. I hope you get yours back up and going soon and if you get down this way let me know and we can hit some trails.
@@jimmytmoto Dang I hate this, I just seen your video "uh oh metal shavings", I am very sorry and I hope you will rebuild it and if not I guess I could always use a parts bike, lol no seriously I cringed when I seen this video, I just did an oil change and I had very minor residual flake aluminum but very minimal at best, you know like from an engine with 3,330 miles...also I was told from the person I bought it from that it had just had an oil change but I was reluctant to believe that because instead of clean looking oil it was more amber so upon inspection I realized that the filter was original stock yamaha so between the primary and secondary filter sources I came to the conclusion that this is the first oil change and all is well. I seen some of your other bikes and dig your collection, I have 2 XR 200's an 86 and 2001, 2 XR 250's an 84 and 91, a 1974 TY-80 trials , a 1975 TL-250 trials, 2017 crf 50 for the grandsons, a 1987 Honda super magna, and a 1976 Honda LTD GL1000 and my new old 2001 XT 225 I also have a collection of Mini bikes including some Rupp's. Let me know when you get it back together so we can go riding!!!
I don't understand how cutting the spring, and replacing the missing part with a PVC pipe will add to the springs capacity to lift. To me this mod seems to remove some of the springs lifting capacity and as such will result in the spring compressing flat, and bottoming out the fork travel even quicker than before you made the mod. I dont get it ? Why not cut the spring in half, that should doulbe the lifitng capacity. I dont get it ?
It does seem contradictory and I have to think it through every time I approach it. And you're spot on about the possibility of shortening the travel if it's done wrong. I think there are two things to understand - 1) shortening a coil spring makes it stiffer (i.e. a shorter piece of metal is stiffer than a long piece of the same metal). Unfortunately, the math is over my head to determine the final new spring rate once shortened, but you get the idea. Cutting the spring makes it stiffer and the PVC pipe replacing the cut off portion of spring just fills the space in the fork tube to hold the front end up. But 2) if you shorten the spring too much, as you mentioned, then it will coil bind or reach full collapse before all of the travel is used, which will definitely break something. So I measured the spaces between the coils and subtracted that from the spring free length, giving the length of the spring at full compression. Then I made sure that when the forks were fully collapsed, the spring and PVC spacer could still collapse another 15-20% more (safety margin, so the springs don't coil bind). Man, I hope this makes sense. If not, maybe someone else can chime in. I found this info by doing Google searches and learning from people way smarter than me on the subject. I hope this helps!
The way to imagine springs is opposite of our intuition. We need to think in terms of how springs make it easier to compress a piece of metal, instead of how stiff they are. Imagine you had a straight rod of metal, and you push straight on the end, you get ZERO CUSHION because it's too hard to compress. If you pushed sideways, the rod would bend much more easily, but you are head on. Now twist the rod very slightly into a long single turn coil. It is almost as stiff as the straight rod, but adding pressure causes some of the force to work at a very slight angle, sideways instead of straight end-on to the rod, and so it twists just a little bit more, it bends sideways just a tiny bit, providing a tiny bit of cushion. By twisting the rod, you caused a bit of the force to push sideways instead of straight end-on. Now twist it more. Every turn you provide both flattens the angle AND lengthens the rod, so you get closer and closer to pushing sideways on a longer rod, instead of pushing end-ways on a shorter rod (ignore the fact that it's wrapped into a circle for this). The flatter the spring is wound, the closer you are to pushing sideways on it, instead of end-on, so it is provides more cushion, and we call that "softer". But also, every next turn of that flatter wound spring, provides another bunch of length, as if you are pushing mostly sideways on a longer rod, which means MUCH more cushion. So, here we are with a piece of metal rod trying to be straight and stiff, and not allow us to compress it. But we made it very long, and twisted it so much we're pushing sideways on it. It doesn't stand a chance, we have a very soft cushion. Now cut off a few turns, and you just shortened that rod a whole bunch (pi times the diameter times the number of turns). Now you're pushing sideways on a much shorter rod, and so it gives us less cushion. It would have resisted if only it was straight, but it was bent in circles, so it couldn't resist the pressure. cut off more circles, and it's that much shorter and more able to resist getting bent sideways (sideways in a circle). That translates to: the more coils you cut off a spring, the more closely it equals a short metal rod you are pushing straight end-on, thus making it MORE able to resist compressing, not less.
@@jimmytmoto You are using the work "stiffer" to cover a couple of different conflicting ideas I think. A spring, regardless of material, diameter, length, etc. is defined by the amount of force required to change it's length a given amount (the K factor for a spring). For example, a spring could be 100 lbs / 1 inch of travel. By trimming a section out of your fork spring, you didn't change the stiffness of the spring because you didn't change the K factor for the spring. What you did do is provide less travel available in your spring and you will bottom out with less force than before the modification. If you wanted a stiffer suspension you need to either get a tougher spring (higher K factor), or preload the original spring prior to installation. Had you installed the PVC pipe section and not removed part of the spring, you would have achieved your goal, as it stands you only reduced performance.
To clarify, preloading the spring would not increase the amount of travel available so you would still bottom out. It would however, make the system "stiffer" by increasing the force required to start compressing the spring again.
I noticed you went up in size on your rear tire. Did the 460 fit with out any mods? Are you running a 275 or 300 up front? Thanks for any input as I am looking at a set of new tires for my 2002, by the way the stock Chen Shens are horrible the front washes out so easy in gravel its pathetic.
Hey Mike, yes, the 4.60 fit just fine. Yamaha recommends a 120/80 which I guess translates out to 4.25/4.50 in inches, so it's pretty close. I saw that Kenda does make a 4.50, also. TBH, I was really surprised Yamaha didn't recommend a smaller tire like a 4.10 but I'm happy that it pulls the 4.60 well. As for the front, I've been running the K270 2.75-21 for a while now but...I DON'T recommend it. If I had to do it all over again I'd get the 3.00-21 but am not sure if it's a fit for the front rim width. I'd want to ask Kenda first. I plan to post a tire video next Tuesday on the Shinko 244 vs Kenda K270, so if you can hold off for a bit I think the video could be informative. And thanks always for the comments! Hey...Cheng Shins...are those still the stock tires???
@@jimmytmoto yes they are factory original and 18 years old, that is why I am replacing them. Any thoughts on D605s, I think you said that 250 you rode was sporting them?
Jimmy - Love the video - I have a 1992 225 cant get it past 55mph without feeling like its going to go over the RPM limit - any thoughts would be welcome
@@rychu2001 these bikes are geared so low from the factory. You could practically take off in second gear. I've got the same problem with my new xt250. Good luck & ride safe!
Oops, thanks for the correction, Charles! Yes, 15 is definitely stock and then I went down to a 14. I'll have to keep an eye on my proofreader (which is me). :)
Thanks, Sebastian! The bike was in excellent shape with just 4500 miles and I paid $2400 a couple years ago. The seller also threw in some other gear with it. I saw a couple XT225s that were a little cheaper but went with this one because of the great condition. Good luck in your search!
I found adding 25 ml of fluid to each of the front forks helped my overly soft front suspension.
Got this 2004 xt225 a few days ago in exchange for a job I done for a mate. You’re an ambassador for this bike and found your vids very informative and is a great practical workhorse- very much like yourself. Keep up the good work
Congrats on the new bike, Grant, that's awesome! And thanks for the shout out, that's some pretty high praise...I'll take it! Let me know how you get on with the XT.
Just found your channel today, been watching motovloggers for about 4 years now and your definitely one of the more quality video makers. Simple, no frills, and informative. Good stuff, man.
Are you kidding me😂 this guy waffles on the most
Great video. I’m looking forward to hearing you report back on the 14T front sprocket change.
I just took a ride today and initial impressions are that it's much more lively and LOTS of fun on backroads and hills. It's a bit "buzzy" on the road at 60+ mph due to the higher revs, though, and MPG might take a hit. Will report more once it's had a good go on some trails.
@@jimmytmoto If you ride more in the woods you'll love it. If you're more of a street rider then you won't. Over 60 and it will feel a bit of vibration though the newer XT250 has a counterbalanced engine which really helps its street manners. Don't know about the XT225's engine but the XT250 is happier under 60 as well.. Where I ride in Northeast Pa we have some serious rocks and uphills where the lower gearing really comes into play. It's a tradeoff for sure but I find the 14 T more of a help than a hindrance.
I have the 1982 Yamaha xt200 and run a 55 with a 11 tooth. Does 50 tops but I can climb a tree with the setup.
@@sparkyrosatch2770 not at all it works perfectly
Good to know
In looking for DR lowering videos, yours came up (among others). I watched it, and then I went to your channel. I spent (about) 2 to 2 1/2 hours going through an assortment of your videos, and I must say I enjoyed every one of them. You have some good content with no overkill or silliness. So, I'm now a new subscriber. I'm pretty sure you have a new fan. Maybe it's because I'm in awe of guys my age posting videos that are in line with my interest.😄👍 I'll be looking forward to your next one. Thanks, bro. "Thumbs up" from this ole Kentucky boy.
Right on! I'm still an ole West Virginia boy at heart. And I really appreciate the kind words. It's nice to know there's a place for us RUclipsrs that aren't 25 years old and racing around on sportbikes. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Maybe you can find some used springs and add 4" or 6". 2" for the 2 you cut off then 2" or 4" more to make it a little stiffer.
Interesting story. with lower gear you can skip 1st in most situations. Good luck and this old guy says attack hills more aggressively - speed and rpm -Cheers, Roy
Riding an xt225 on Maui. love it
i got to say i did the front and rear of my xt225 and it rides so much better
Hey, Jeff, you've inspired me to think about investing more in the XT suspension. Those Cogent Dynamics mods sound awesome!
It's important on multi rate fork springs to cut the two Inches off the "soft" end...to raise overall rate.
If you do the other end it will lower rate..
Also use oil level to set fluid ..much more accurate...start at 4 in from top.of tube with fork collapsed and spring removed.
If you want to slow movement in last third of travel slightly" raise " oil level. This is a tuning variable and will take some .eexperimentation to perfect for given rider...it is well worth the effort
Thanks for the guidance, Michael! It's a blast to tweak these simple, fun bikes, and learn along the way.
Thank you for your update and Hope you’re doing well! Great ideas there with your XT225 changes. I have a 2007 XT225 and have done a lot of mods to mine. I just did put the Kenda 270s on front and rear and hope they do well for me. Please let us know how your mods do over time and use.
All is well here, thanks for asking. And, yes, I'll definitely do a mod update after we've racked up some more miles. So far I'm loving the gearing and the Kenda but am mixed on the forks. More to come...
Stock front tire on my new TW200 washed out so often, I put a Kenda 270 on. HUGE improvement in steering. 1'-1/2" narrower than stock.
Best budget mod for most XT225's is proper jetting for conditions. Spend the $5 for the proper sized jet. If its stock its probably on the lean side especially if you have any intake or exhaust mods. If you ride at high elevations you may be okay. Sea level not so much. The idle screw is set lean from the factory as well.
I've unplugged and set the fuel screw but the bike is otherwise stock as far as intake/exhaust and seems to run well. I'm might lift the needle and the main a bit just to see what it does. Thanks!
Hey if it aint broke dont fix it. Mine was very cold blooded new and was a bugger to keep going when cold. The idle mixture adjustment cured that . I ride mostly at lower elevations and found going up to the 130 main and opening up the intake an exhaust worked great. Probably picked up 1 to 2 hp and no flat spots.
I don't own this bike, but I subscribed because you seem awesome!
Curious, Why Yamaha makes an XT225 & XT250?
You should also swap foot pegs, doesnt seem like it would do much but the larger foot pegs make all the differencd
Great point, Jason, 100% agreed. I actually do have larger footpegs on the bike and mentioned them in this video: ruclips.net/video/FAQLugHWxAk/видео.html . This is the first time I've used the larger pegs in all my years of riding and it really makes a difference!
huh, thats funny, ive thought about kicking it up a tooth in the front for a bit better power delivery at higher speeds, never thought about going down, i guess i dont do nearly as much trails so i want it to be a bit easier on the bike nearing her top speed. i do defititly need a new rear though, thanks for the vid man.
Right on! Let me know if you go up a tooth on the front and how it works out. My initial impressions of the 14T is that it's a blast on twisty roads, though I haven't hit any hilly trails with it yet. At just $20 for a front sprocket it's a fun, relatively inexpensive way to experiment.
jimmytmoto yeah forsure, it’s not so common to find something so cheap in the motorcycle industry that can make such a huge difference to your ride
I have one and I'm only 13. This motorcycle is very good for Trails since it won't stall out as much and also it's very short but still has travel.
Right on, Southern Enduro, glad to hear you're enjoying the XT!
just bought mine loving it!
Right on! It's amazing how many new XT225 owners have been commenting lately, which is so awesome. Enjoy the ride!
Thanks for the tips jimmy 🇨🇦🙏🏽💯
i run Kenda Trail Masters on my Xt250 and it's a real dirtbike now
Great video.i like the size of those 225 and xt250.i also like the weight of the xt225 and six speed.i think somewhere around 230lbs is light.all pluses for that bike.im riding a 91 drs 350.quite a bit heavier. But the bike has got some real grunt.went through engine professionally and a new pumper carb instead of the California emissions one.some day I might run into one of those 225xt for sale and have to buy it.thanks for all your info.
Very practical upgrade 👌
Hey Jimmy. Good to see you back to making good content. I was just watching a little video on the SR250, and magically your video notification popped up. How's your SR250 doing?
Thanks, Joe! The SR250 was running great but it needs a new battery. I must have left the key in the "parking light" position after the last ride and now the battery won't even take a charge. I'll be swapping that out soon and will post an update!
I haven't had a battery issue yet. Surprisingly. I have left my keys on a few times. Trickle chargers are awesome. Lol. I have just finished putting some cheap chinese turn signals on. I found out that they work all my themselves without a flasher relay. I had to unplug the original flash relay and just shove a wire in the connections to bridge the wires together. These lights are so bright. Front turn signals have white lights when not being used as turn signals, and the back double as brake lights. Great product.
perhaps you coudl do a carb rebuild for the xt225, there are no really good ones. You could do a nice one. detail the jets etc, where is the pilot, mods etc
That's a great idea, Steve. I've actually done a few mods to the carb recently so I'll likely share that in a future video, along with an explanation of how the carb is layed out. Thanks!
I just bought a 2004 XT 225 ,2 hours age
I have seen another video you made later than this one that warns of the two ply weakness of the Kenda 270. Maybe you should amend the end of this video now that you know it was a real cause of cracking a rim.
I want to do the same Fork mod...but did you cut off the bottom of the springs? Any additional info would be appreciated.. Love your video's!
the 14T sprocket should give you the grunt you're looking for.. be advised they also make a 13T but that would make it really iffy for any on street lengthy travel at speeds over 55 mph.
Is there much to gain by switching to a Non CV carb(PWK, Mikuni VM/TM etc) and get a more free flowing exhaust?
Otherwise is there any big bore kits available and performance.cams and/or camshafts?
Would be cool to do a performance build with this bike.
i went out yesterday on some dirt in the stock tires and lost traction with the front wheel several times, when going 40-55 i could almost feel the front walking side to side and it felt gummy and strange, this was my first time offroad and basically my first real ride on a motorcycle so i attribute alot of my issue to that but i was just wondering if i put something real knobby on just the front is that gonna impact my traction on the road, i dont really wanna ride dirt as fast as i did yesterday but i was trying to keep up with 2 stroke 250's
Stock front sprocket is 15 tooth.
I'm going to try the tusks dual sport tiers front and back. The 225 is not my bike it's my 14 year old son. I do ride it sometimes so if these tires are any good I will try them on my 250l.
Hey, let me know how the Tusk tires work out!
@@jimmytmoto
I will try to remember.
I just got them in today, they are "beefy"
They look good, I would have mounted them tonight but I had bought new bearings so I got them in and decided to put a new tube's in so I ran out of time to run down to the bike shop to pick some up.
Tomorrow is another day.
i have a 2020 xt250 and the check engine light will come on and the bike will shutoff everytime i do a harsh bottom out
Hey Jimmy--- Where did you get your windscreen? Thanks Dave
I just got a 1995 and it has a metal tank can I get a plastic tank for it or no
Great video Jimmy. I was looking forward to meeting you at the RRS but guess I’ll see you in September now. Keep up the good work ,always nice to see local content. Do you ever ride at Shawnee State Forest?
Thanks, Jim! It's a bummer about the RRS being rescheduled but fingers crossed for September. Definitely look me up. I've not been to Shawnee State Forest but know it's not far...what's the riding like? I'll definitely head out there!
Shawnee has lots of great gravel roads with plenty of views to go along with the many little lakes and ponds. A few creek crossings but beware of the algae covered creek bottoms. Don’t ask how I know about those. There’s also a fire tower from the 1920’s that you can still climb. I like to camp at the State Park and spend the weekend trying to get lost on the fire roads. Be glad to show you around anytime. I hang out with one of your costars from the Pike State Forest video.
Would you buy one with 30000 miles ?
Still got it?
I’ve been trying to find a new carb for my xt225 because my old one is broken do you know where I can find a different one for cheaper than if I bought the stock one from Yamaha?
Hey, Gabe, you can typically find what you'll need on eBay. In the vast majority of cases a rider will just get a rebuild kit ($40) for their existing carburetor since there aren't really many things that can actually break. That's the route I'd highly recommend if you can do it. Alternatively, there are really cheap ($50) complete knockoff carbs for the XT225 available on eBay but those can be a real crap shoot - low quality, they might not take normal jets, etc. But I guess it's worth a gamble if you're completely high and dry. Good luck and let me know what you end up doing!
I put a carburetor for Suzuki Ts185
My girlfriend twisted the forks on her xt225 and I cannot find the torque specs for the triple tree clamps anywhere online. Would you happen to know the torque specs for the triple tree clamp?
This would have had some value if you had tested the bike after the modifications and reported the results. As it is neither you or the viewer have any idea if the mods helped or hurt (I'll concede that the new tire is highly likely to improve traction).
Looking for an xt225 in the UK as my klx250s is just too tall/heavy for me (even with lowering links and scooped seat).
Hi
Did you find an xt in the UK
If not I might be able to help
Roy
@@cubbingit6688 No not yet. Have you got one for sale?
Hi . Did you get more torque with the 14 sprocket in low wear?
Do you feel a need for wheel rim locks?
How did you like the 14 vs 15 sprocket change? Did it give you some torque gains in low end?
Did you cut off the top or bottom of each spring?
What foot press bike lift do you use?
Do you think this could work on a 250
Great video. What footpegs do you have? Are those the DMO pegs?
Thanks! The footpegs were on the bike when I bought it so I'm not quite sure but, visually, they appear to be the DMO pegs, which look a little different than the IMS pegs. One of them is a little bent from a hard hit but I love the width and the way the teeth are shaped - highly recommended!
Any updates on the upgrades you have done on the forks? With the changes up front, will you be tweaking the rear suspension at all?
Hey Jimmy,, Southern Indiana dual sporter here, So I just got a 2001 XT225 with 3300 miles and tires need replaced, was concerned about the width of the rear swing arm and putting a 4.60 X 18 on there can you show me the clearance between the tire and swing arm and will a 3.00X21 work on the front? Thinking of going with the 244 but not sure.
Hey jesterman63, thanks for asking. My XT225 is in more pieces than I can count right now (it will be coming back soon!) so I can't easily show pics of your questions. In the meantime, I highly recommend the Shinko 244 front and rear. Zero clearance issues with the 4.60 out back and, personally, I'm happy with the 2.75 x 21 up front. I'm not sure if I'd go with the 3.00x21 up front just because of rim width, even if it physically fits between the forks. I'll mention that the Shinko 2.75 front is wider than the Kenda 2.75 I replaced...the Kenda was SKINNY. I hope this info helps get you further down the road. Hey, and whereabouts in southern Indiana are you?
@@jimmytmoto Thanks for getting back to me, I just received my 244's today and my sunstar 50 tooth steel rear sprocket & I'm going to go with the sunstar 15 tooth front, I'm wanting a gold o ring or x ring chain but getting a name brand chain in what you want in the 428 pitch isn't very easy, I'm located just east of Evansville, and grew up Riding Trails over in Lynnville, IN. I hope you get yours back up and going soon and if you get down this way let me know and we can hit some trails.
@@jimmytmoto Dang I hate this, I just seen your video "uh oh metal shavings", I am very sorry and I hope you will rebuild it and if not I guess I could always use a parts bike, lol no seriously I cringed when I seen this video, I just did an oil change and I had very minor residual flake aluminum but very minimal at best, you know like from an engine with 3,330 miles...also I was told from the person I bought it from that it had just had an oil change but I was reluctant to believe that because instead of clean looking oil it was more amber so upon inspection I realized that the filter was original stock yamaha so between the primary and secondary filter sources I came to the conclusion that this is the first oil change and all is well. I seen some of your other bikes and dig your collection, I have 2 XR 200's an 86 and 2001, 2 XR 250's an 84 and 91, a 1974 TY-80 trials , a 1975 TL-250 trials, 2017 crf 50 for the grandsons, a 1987 Honda super magna, and a 1976 Honda LTD GL1000 and my new old 2001 XT 225 I also have a collection of Mini bikes including some Rupp's. Let me know when you get it back together so we can go riding!!!
I don't understand how cutting the spring, and replacing the missing part with a PVC pipe will add to the springs capacity to lift. To me this mod seems to remove some of the springs lifting capacity and as such will result in the spring compressing flat, and bottoming out the fork travel even quicker than before you made the mod. I dont get it ?
Why not cut the spring in half, that should doulbe the lifitng capacity. I dont get it ?
It does seem contradictory and I have to think it through every time I approach it. And you're spot on about the possibility of shortening the travel if it's done wrong. I think there are two things to understand - 1) shortening a coil spring makes it stiffer (i.e. a shorter piece of metal is stiffer than a long piece of the same metal). Unfortunately, the math is over my head to determine the final new spring rate once shortened, but you get the idea. Cutting the spring makes it stiffer and the PVC pipe replacing the cut off portion of spring just fills the space in the fork tube to hold the front end up. But 2) if you shorten the spring too much, as you mentioned, then it will coil bind or reach full collapse before all of the travel is used, which will definitely break something. So I measured the spaces between the coils and subtracted that from the spring free length, giving the length of the spring at full compression. Then I made sure that when the forks were fully collapsed, the spring and PVC spacer could still collapse another 15-20% more (safety margin, so the springs don't coil bind). Man, I hope this makes sense. If not, maybe someone else can chime in. I found this info by doing Google searches and learning from people way smarter than me on the subject. I hope this helps!
The way to imagine springs is opposite of our intuition. We need to think in terms of how springs make it easier to compress a piece of metal, instead of how stiff they are. Imagine you had a straight rod of metal, and you push straight on the end, you get ZERO CUSHION because it's too hard to compress. If you pushed sideways, the rod would bend much more easily, but you are head on. Now twist the rod very slightly into a long single turn coil. It is almost as stiff as the straight rod, but adding pressure causes some of the force to work at a very slight angle, sideways instead of straight end-on to the rod, and so it twists just a little bit more, it bends sideways just a tiny bit, providing a tiny bit of cushion. By twisting the rod, you caused a bit of the force to push sideways instead of straight end-on. Now twist it more. Every turn you provide both flattens the angle AND lengthens the rod, so you get closer and closer to pushing sideways on a longer rod, instead of pushing end-ways on a shorter rod (ignore the fact that it's wrapped into a circle for this). The flatter the spring is wound, the closer you are to pushing sideways on it, instead of end-on, so it is provides more cushion, and we call that "softer". But also, every next turn of that flatter wound spring, provides another bunch of length, as if you are pushing mostly sideways on a longer rod, which means MUCH more cushion.
So, here we are with a piece of metal rod trying to be straight and stiff, and not allow us to compress it. But we made it very long, and twisted it so much we're pushing sideways on it. It doesn't stand a chance, we have a very soft cushion. Now cut off a few turns, and you just shortened that rod a whole bunch (pi times the diameter times the number of turns). Now you're pushing sideways on a much shorter rod, and so it gives us less cushion. It would have resisted if only it was straight, but it was bent in circles, so it couldn't resist the pressure. cut off more circles, and it's that much shorter and more able to resist getting bent sideways (sideways in a circle).
That translates to: the more coils you cut off a spring, the more closely it equals a short metal rod you are pushing straight end-on, thus making it MORE able to resist compressing, not less.
@@jimmytmoto You are using the work "stiffer" to cover a couple of different conflicting ideas I think. A spring, regardless of material, diameter, length, etc. is defined by the amount of force required to change it's length a given amount (the K factor for a spring). For example, a spring could be 100 lbs / 1 inch of travel. By trimming a section out of your fork spring, you didn't change the stiffness of the spring because you didn't change the K factor for the spring. What you did do is provide less travel available in your spring and you will bottom out with less force than before the modification. If you wanted a stiffer suspension you need to either get a tougher spring (higher K factor), or preload the original spring prior to installation. Had you installed the PVC pipe section and not removed part of the spring, you would have achieved your goal, as it stands you only reduced performance.
To clarify, preloading the spring would not increase the amount of travel available so you would still bottom out. It would however, make the system "stiffer" by increasing the force required to start compressing the spring again.
I noticed you went up in size on your rear tire. Did the 460 fit with out any mods? Are you running a 275 or 300 up front? Thanks for any input as I am looking at a set of new tires for my 2002, by the way the stock Chen Shens are horrible the front washes out so easy in gravel its pathetic.
Hey Mike, yes, the 4.60 fit just fine. Yamaha recommends a 120/80 which I guess translates out to 4.25/4.50 in inches, so it's pretty close. I saw that Kenda does make a 4.50, also. TBH, I was really surprised Yamaha didn't recommend a smaller tire like a 4.10 but I'm happy that it pulls the 4.60 well. As for the front, I've been running the K270 2.75-21 for a while now but...I DON'T recommend it. If I had to do it all over again I'd get the 3.00-21 but am not sure if it's a fit for the front rim width. I'd want to ask Kenda first. I plan to post a tire video next Tuesday on the Shinko 244 vs Kenda K270, so if you can hold off for a bit I think the video could be informative. And thanks always for the comments! Hey...Cheng Shins...are those still the stock tires???
@@jimmytmoto yes they are factory original and 18 years old, that is why I am replacing them. Any thoughts on D605s, I think you said that 250 you rode was sporting them?
What year is your serow?
2006, next to last year of US import.
Jimmy - Love the video - I have a 1992 225 cant get it past 55mph without feeling like its going to go over the RPM limit - any thoughts would be welcome
Go up to a 16 on the front sprocket. Will help considerably at highway speeds.
@@yamahasuperbike2202 Thanks for the advise - put a 15 on and what a difference :) It had a 12 on it - why????
@@rychu2001 these bikes are geared so low from the factory. You could practically take off in second gear. I've got the same problem with my new xt250. Good luck & ride safe!
Front sprocket is actually 15 tooth stock.
Just referring to the graphic you posted. It said 14 tooth was stock.
Oops, thanks for the correction, Charles! Yes, 15 is definitely stock and then I went down to a 14. I'll have to keep an eye on my proofreader (which is me). :)
I wanna buy one and i would like to know how much did you pay? Thanks and i love your content
Thanks, Sebastian! The bike was in excellent shape with just 4500 miles and I paid $2400 a couple years ago. The seller also threw in some other gear with it. I saw a couple XT225s that were a little cheaper but went with this one because of the great condition. Good luck in your search!
@@jimmytmoto I just bought one for 1750 with 5000 miles
What gearing did you do to give it more power?
he replaced the front sprocket with a 13 tooth from the 14 stock
Of road...13/52
Why wouldn't you ride, because of a "pandemic"?
Thanks, for the tips!