2007 250SX-F Ride Report

[Z mann R2]

Got my baby and tried here out at Cycle Ranch in Floresville. The best track in Texas with soft loamy power robbing red dirt. First off you have to realize I'm coming off a YZ125, I've owned 125's since i was 13. I have also ridden a good couple of times on an '06 250SX-F so I'll give comparisons between the two.

First thing to talk about is starting the motor. They did something to make the motor easier to kick over cuz it is absolutely easier to kick than the '06. She also started up with the first kick without the hot start while she's red hot too, every time. The suspension is noticeably different. The bike feels more plush, and had a soft feel too it. Softer than the '06. Yet it still holds firm on big impacts. I hit the face of a double and it didn't bottom out. What struck me right away is how flickable the bike feels. Coming off a 125 I was worried about how heavy it was going to feel. If anyone knows how much weight they dropped for '07 I would appreciate it. Cuz it does feel lighter than the '06. Yet, its wider than the '06. The bike is not as narrow as the old body's were. If you see one, you'll know what I mean. To me, with my long legs, I felt quite comfortable on it.

I know they left the motor pretty much unchanged so there's not much to say there, its still the most powerful one you can get I'm sure. Although I gotta say, I would rather have a 5 speed than the 250sxf's 6 speed tranny. Too much shifting. They switched to brembo hydrolic clutch this year and its even smoother than the Magura! Also they went with a higher bend on the Renthal Fatbars to give you a more sitting in instead of sitting on feeling. The seat is flatter and is easy to manuever on, and cornering does feel better as well.

OK, now, through the whoops and chop it handles better than my '04 YZ, I will say that, I know the new YZ's have some killer new suspensions so I can't say how well it handles compared to those. But it definately is slick through the chop, I had no cases of headshake, and this was at the end of the day at Cycle Ranch when the track was TERRIBLY rough! In spots where my 125 would get sketchy, the SXF flew right through....seriously I had a smile on my face the whole time because I was so scared of the bike not handling good, that was my biggest concern, not anymore.

oh and a side note, it came stock with a magnetic drain plug, and the black brace for the front fender isn't a seperate piece anymore, now its integrated into the fender......oh and one more thing, the graphics are integrated into the shroud, thats not a sticker, that IS the shroud, you cannot take those graphics off....therefore, no peeling or bubbling!!!

Basically, its a completely different feeling bike, aside from the motor. The suspension is a BIG improvement over last year. It's night and day how the bike handles compared to the old one. If you have any questions let me know, I've only ridden it for one day, so I'll be discovering more and more things about it over the next few weeks. Thanks

-Tim

oh, and here she is!

[adamdf]

Nice review, how much do you weigh? I am just trying to compare my findings with the 06 suspension versus yours, i found the 06 to be too soft and bottoming resitance not that good, i weigh about 167 pounds. I haven't seen or ridden an 07 yet.

[Z mann R2]

I weight around 145 to 150lbs. It could have been also that I had it clicked all the way out with 5 click in on the compression...I dont know what the '06 had done to it.

[adamdf]

Wait a sec, not sure if i undrstand you. You stiffened the compression up by 5 clicks? On your first ride before you broke in the 07?

[Z mann R2]

clicked the compression all the way out to softest setting and click in 5 clicks, ya, before I rode it. Should I have not done that?

[adamdf]

What were your goals when you did that? To set the forks up to stock specifications? Or did you need them to be stiffer than the factory settings?

[KTM-Lew]

clicked the compression all the way out to softest setting and click in 5 clicks, ya, before I rode it. Should I have not done that?

It's OK to adjust before you ride. In fact, I allways back my comp all the way out during break-in. I figure I'm not gonna be riding the bike very hard anyway so why not allow the susp to move as freely as possible? It needs to break-in too so the more it 'moves" the better, right?

I still do the 3 heat cycle deal...start the bike and ride about 10 minutes at no more than 1/2 throttle. Shut down and check fluids, chain, etc and allow to cool for 20-30 munutes. Ride again for about 10-15 minutes at max 3/4 throttle, let cool again and make minor susp adjustments as needed. Third ride I do some brief full throttle runs to check response for jetting info then pull plug and inspect for more jetting info. Check all fluids, chain, spokes, adjust susp, etc.

Then do about a 30 mile test ride varying speed while allowing minimum idleing. Once that is done I tear bike down to frame and grease & loctite everything as needed, check sag, clicker settings, clean and oil air filter, change trans/engine oil & inspect oil filter...blah, blah, blah...

?

[SXF811]

It's OK to adjust before you ride. In fact, I allways back my comp all the way out during break-in. I figure I'm not gonna be riding the bike very hard anyway so why not allow the susp to move as freely as possible? It needs to break-in too so the more it 'moves" the better, right?

I still do the 3 heat cycle deal...start the bike and ride about 10 minutes at no more than 1/2 throttle. Shut down and check fluids, chain, etc and allow to cool for 20-30 munutes. Ride again for about 10-15 minutes at max 3/4 throttle, let cool again and make minor susp adjustments as needed. Third ride I do some brief full throttle runs to check response for jetting info then pull plug and inspect for more jetting info. Check all fluids, chain, spokes, adjust susp, etc.

Then do about a 30 mile test ride varying speed while allowing minimum idleing. Once that is done I tear bike down to frame and grease & loctite everything as needed, check sag, clicker settings, clean and oil air filter, change trans/engine oil & inspect oil filter...blah, blah, blah...

?

Tha was the wrong way to run your bike in.

The piston rings haven't been subjected to enough pressure and the rings won't seal properly and it WILL burn oil, your valve train won't last as long, and your oil will get dirtier quicker, not to mention less compression and less performance. You need to put load and pressure on the rings by warming the engine up completely, then riding the bike as you usally would, no rev limter action obviously, but just as you would if you were riding it comeptetively, riding hard. You'd find the bike would run better, have cleaner oil longer, better compression and better performance.

Your at a disadvantage anyway being wet built from the factory. At least you know in future.

Check out this link...

http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm

[KTM-Lew]

Tha was the wrong way to run your bike in.

The piston rings haven't been subjected to enough pressure and the rings won't seal properly and it WILL burn oil, your valve train won't last as long, and your oil will get dirtier quicker, not to mention less compression and less performance. You need to put load and pressure on the rings by warming the engine up completely, then riding the bike as you usally would, no rev limter action obviously, but just as you would if you were riding it comeptetively, riding hard. You'd find the bike would run better, have cleaner oil longer, better compression and better performance.

Your at a disadvantage anyway being wet built from the factory. At least you know in future. ?

Check out this link...

http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm

Guess the nearly 40 years I been doing it that way I've been wrong...

Oh, I'm an ASE MASTER AUTO TECHNICIAN- FORD CERTIFIED DIESEL TECHNICIAN that has been workin on bikes, cars, planes, trains, buses and trucks since 1969...while loading the rings does help break-in, the reduced clearances of modern M/C engines make a "cold-seizure" or lack of break-in time seizure, more likely than doing it my way...too many idiots unload their brand new bike AT THE MX TRACK and go out balls-to-the-wall...just asking to get killed when it seizes on the face of a jump!

You break yours in your way, i'll do mine my way!

[dunn2500]

ride 20 min on track just cruising and getting on it here and there bring back in let it cool all the way down, then go out and let her rip!.......in motocross you dont put real heavy loads for long periods of time anyway.....never had a problem

[KTM-Lew]

ride 20 min on track just cruising and getting on it here and there bring back in let it cool all the way down, then go out and let her rip!.......in motocross you dont put real heavy loads for long periods of time anyway.....never had a problem

Very good point! I'm a woods rat, so the occassional 70mph blast will definitely check for correct jetting!

We have sucessfully hijacked this thread... ?

The question I was commenting on was about adjusting the susp before "break-in" occured. I can't see a reason NOT to adjust it? How is it gonna hurt anything? The susp is going to require more or less constant adjustment anyway as you get faster...

[SXF811]

Guess the nearly 40 years I been doing it that way I've been wrong...

Oh, I'm an ASE MASTER AUTO TECHNICIAN- FORD CERTIFIED DIESEL TECHNICIAN that has been workin on bikes, cars, planes, trains, buses and trucks since 1969...while loading the rings does help break-in, the reduced clearances of modern M/C engines make a "cold-seizure" or lack of break-in time seizure, more likely than doing it my way...too many idiots unload their brand new bike AT THE MX TRACK and go out balls-to-the-wall...just asking to get killed when it seizes on the face of a jump!

You break yours in your way, i'll do mine my way!

I guess some people just don't learn, they say you can't teach on old dog new tricks. ?

I knew some stupid, I'm a blah blah technicain and I've been doing it this like this for how many years was coming. Yeah I've heard of your kind before do it a certian way and that's it.

Get a life, move on with the times, the FACTS are starring you in the face on the website. From people who know very much what they're talking about, not some tinkering retards.

&%$#@! you are on cold seizure?

I said warm the bike up properly THEN ride it like you normally would hard, man some of you "technicians" are so narrow minded.

I assure you yours will burn oil and produce less power than my bike and my bike will last longer too. Ha ha sucker...

[adamdf]

Guys, back to our original discussion, the only reason i asked why he had adjusted the suspension on his first ride, was because i wanted to find out if the stock stuff is too soft or not, and its too soft for his weight, then it will definitely be too soft for mine. Noone was ever saying it was wrong to adjust, however, what i would do with my bikes is let the suspension break in for the first ride or two then play with the clickers. For example, the 06 yz250F was stiff when i first bought it, then it wore in nicely.

[Z mann R2]

OK, now, through the whoops and chop it handles better than my '04 YZ, I will say that, I know the new YZ's have some killer new suspensions so I can't say how well it handles compared to those. But it definately is slick through the chop, I had no cases of headshake, and this was at the end of the day at Cycle Ranch when the track was TERRIBLY rough! In spots where my 125 would get sketchy, the SXF flew right through....seriously I had a smile on my face the whole time because I was so scared of the bike not handling good, that was my biggest concern, not anymore.

oh and a side note, it came stock with a magnetic drain plug, and the black brace for the front fender isn't a seperate piece anymore, now its integrated into the fender......oh and one more thing, the graphics are integrated into the shroud, thats not a sticker, that IS the shroud, you cannot take those graphics off....therefore, no peeling or bubbling!!!

[Z mann R2]

Guys, back to our original discussion, the only reason i asked why he had adjusted the suspension on his first ride, was because i wanted to find out if the stock stuff is too soft or not, and its too soft for his weight, then it will definitely be too soft for mine. .

No, no, no.....they had it too firm for me when i first got it, I had to click the compression all the way out and just 5 clicks in, they had it like 20 or so clicks in, and it felt really firm....now its just perfect for me.....I only weigh 145lbs

[RobinWatson]

OK, now, through the whoops and chop it handles better than my '04 YZ, I will say that, I know the new YZ's have some killer new suspensions so I can't say how well it handles compared to those. But it definately is slick through the chop, I had no cases of headshake, and this was at the end of the day at Cycle Ranch when the track was TERRIBLY rough! In spots where my 125 would get sketchy, the SXF flew right through....seriously I had a smile on my face the whole time because I was so scared of the bike not handling good, that was my biggest concern, not anymore.

oh and a side note, it came stock with a magnetic drain plug, and the black brace for the front fender isn't a seperate piece anymore, now its integrated into the fender......oh and one more thing, the graphics are integrated into the shroud, thats not a sticker, that IS the shroud, you cannot take those graphics off....therefore, no peeling or bubbling!!!

Are you serious? The graphic is actually etched into the plastic?? Thats a great idea

[Z mann R2]

Are you serious? The graphic is actually etched into the plastic?? Thats a great idea

I know right!! I was like "dude where the hell is the sticker??" I was trying to find the edge of the sticker and there was none....

[dunn2500]

just ride your bike the way it is from the factory....after a couple hours it will break in and then set everything up..............pretty simple

[adamdf]

No, no, no.....they had it too firm for me when i first got it, I had to click the compression all the way out and just 5 clicks in, they had it like 20 or so clicks in, and it felt really firm....now its just perfect for me.....I only weigh 145lbs

okay just wanted to clarify. Let us know how it goes on your second ride!

[Z mann R2]

Sure will, I have a race this weekend....I'm so excited, I look like this guy --->