I have joined the dark side

[sdjclevland]

Well, i have bought a crf 250r. I still have my yz 144 and have no intention on selling it unless after a year i totally love the 4t still. Plus i just put a new motor in it so it would be stupid to sell it along with the other fact that i love that bike.

anyways i gotta say the crf is great for me. I am 195 pds with no gear and wanted a more powerful bike, but not as powerful as a 250 2t. I have 3 rides on it now and love it. I dont know what people are talking about that these dont handle well, i think it handles better than my 05 yz with revalved suspension. No doubt the yz can turn sharper but the crf is way more stable in a corner and holds it better. You can just lean the honda over and hit the gas it it just goes great.

Power wise the crf is for sure more powerful, but only off the bottom really. i think its faster over all but not by much compared to the 144. If you drag raced them it would be close i think. also all the power on the 4t seems usable and more controlable. On the yz thats one thing i did not like was being in the powerband when i did not wanna be and it was harder for me to control.

Only thing i dont like on the 4t is the weight, which really is not that noticable until you fall or almost fall, and starting the thing. Its a process to start it. Besides that great bike, love it so far. I just thought i would post cause i know people are thinking about switching. From a 125 or 144 its for sure a upgrade, but i dont think going from a 2502t the to 250 4t would be.

[Blake 888]

i agree on some parts, i have a 06 yz250 and my step dad 'had' a 08 crf250r and on corners where my bike would spin the 4t would grip and go kinda thing, but i hated starting the 4t compared to my 2t, the 4t usually started 1st or 2nd kick but sometimes alot more, the crf is a good bike and has good power but opening up my yz is what puts a smile on my face, so its 2t for me hehe

[Swapper265]

So, what year CRF did you buy ? Was it new? Are you racing MX or just trail riding? Why did you not want to buy a 250 two stroke ??

[Dirtysnow]

I rode my buddies 05 crf250 a few weeks ago. You are right, they are so easy to lean over it's confidence inspiring. I didn't like the engine braking and the powerband also felt boring to me. But they can definately rail a corner that's for sure. I was thinking about getting 22.5mm offset clamps to replicate that feeling.

[BDubb106]

I also had my first experience on a 07crf250 after saying I would never ride another 4t after getting rid of my problematic 450f and but a buddy talked me into switching bikes for a while and I had a blast... it pulled suprisingly well and seemed a little quicker than my 125 through the lower gears which made it ideal for the track I was riding. Not to mention my lap times were close to that of my Yz 250 race bike (which I practice on about 3 times a week and race every weekend and was only half a sec. slower on the crf) and the crf suspension was set up for a 5'8 170lb A class Vet rider... Im 6'4 225lbs with no gear and push any bike Im on pretty darn hard. The only thing I didnt like is the rev limiter on the 250f... it seemed to come at the most unexpected times which got me in trouble a couple times, but also note Ive never ridden a 250f before so I was very unfamirliar.

[nealy578]

I came from 250 and 450 4t huskys before my yz, the 450 was a great bike but compared to my yz it was boring to ride looking back at it, i dont think i would ever part from a 2t now, and the added bonus is that maintenance and parts cost is so cheap in comparison, im riding tomorrow and its my first ride with my 22.5mm Rg3's so i may do a little ride report tomorrow evening, that along with a dep pipe and raptor titanium pegs!! Cant wait, i love the smell of two stroke in the morning!

[sdjclevland]

I got a 2007 used that appears to have low hours. Maybe 20 or 30. Still has stock front tire on it the clickers were still in stock position and cases hardly had wear marks. Hardly a mark on the plastics or under the bike also. I just practice mx and so far only had it indoors. I am really wondering how it will feel out doors. I did consider the 250 2t but felt it would be too much bike for me. Everyone kept telling me how powerful they are and honestly I did not feel like I was ready for a bing step up to that bike. I felt the 4t would fit me better and honestly so far it's everything I was wanting that my yz was not doing.

And I can totally see how people feel the 4t cam become boring. I am already pretty use to the the POWers where as my yz I can't say I ever got totally use to that bike and I had it for a year and it always makes me smile.

[sdjclevland]

And btw I think next week I am gonna have the yz out so we will see then how I feel after being of it for a little

[Swapper265]

Thanks for those answers, and will be interested to read on how your relationship with the CRF either grows or sours.

[nealy578]

Im sure the bike will be great for you as i'm probably alot heavier than you so the extra 2 stroke snap wouldnt be so much for me, all the best with the new bike!

[sdjclevland]

Thanks I will update it. And i weight 195 with no gear. The only reason i will be selling the new crf is if i either just end up getting tired of it or if repair bills start adding up. Honestly now would be a great time for me to sell my yz cause i can still get back above wht i paid for it, but at the same time if i sell it three years from now i am not really losing that much either unless you want to add in all the extra work and parts that went on it but that does not really count.

[BDubb106]

Well if you end up selling the Yz give me a hollar! lol

I vote keep both if you can afford it!

[ron_m]

The two-stroke 125s and the 250Fs both have their good and bad points. I do like how much lighter the 125 smokers feel and I LOVE how easy they are to start. When it comes to bottom end power I definitely have to give the nod to the 250Fs. Occasionally I ride a 2007 CRF250R as well as a 2005 YZ125. The Honda handles really well and it will tractor up pretty much any type of hill that I am interested in climbing. Sometimes it can be a bit of a pain to start and that is never an issue with the YZ125. From a maintenance standpoint I would much rather deal with the YZ125. Engine braking, or lack of it, doesn't bother me at all. It's just whatever you get used to.

[BDubb106]

I was suprised by that as well... I hated the engine braking on my 450 when I had it but its hardly noticable on the 250f. They can be a PITA to start when your used to kicking the smokers over, but it does get easier once you get the hang of it. I was also suprised by the ability of the stock crf250 to pull my 225lb frame up some monster hills without stalling or even trying to. The couple hills I thought that there was no way I would make it up it never stopped pulling hard. I would never even consider trying to climb those on my 125, but also rem I dont ride trails so Im not into the big hills and stuff. I only do that when I go riding with a buddy whos 50+ years old (he owns the loaner bike). He was climbing stuff on his RMZ250 that I wouldnt climb on my 450... lol

[sdjclevland]

yeah i dont even notice the engine breaking at all honestly. I was trying to start my yz two days ago after not rouching it for three or four weeks and i thought i was gonna snap the kick starter off cause i was use to the crf now and how much force that takes.

I really wanna see how the honda is on the trail cause i really do think it will be better untill i lay it down in some mud. I was having trouble with the 144 on hills since i weight 195 but besides that it was fine

[bevo]

I had a new 04 CRF250 and it was a great bike, very useable anywhere. Off road it was great and your right, the power is smooth and consistant.

But

Starting it hot was a problem and stalling it was easy to do, bad combination. The weight also was a small problem but would be moreso after 3 hours of HS racing.

The reason i got rid of it was the repair costs, weight and the maintenance it required, that and I wanted a 2 stroke again.

Looking back I think both are great bikes and I think I would love a new FI 250 but am in no hurry to buy. I would rather get a new Husky 300 2 stroke!

[jar944]

Not really a dark side, lots of people like myself own both. Both 2t and 4t have areas where they excell and areas where they dont. I love the weight of my yz, but 45hp isnt enough some times. I love the smooth 65hp of my SX/EXC but (compared to the YZ) it's heavy.

[sdjclevland]

Just a little update since someone asked. I been off the 4t cause I had it resprung and something else done so I been riding my 144 for the past month. Today was mY first time back on the 4t pretty much since I got it. The new springs made a big difference and the front end feels more planted than my yz.

Everything I said before is still the same really but I gotta say it's really hard to Compare the bikes cause they so different. I'm still happy with both bikes and still love the 144. It forsure turns better and feels lighter and is more fun, but everything else I feel the Honda does better. Either way I think the 4t is a better fit powewise but if I hAd to sell one tomorrow it would be the 4t by a very slim margin.

[sdjclevland]

And btw I am happy I did not buy a 250 2t cause I got to rise a super nice one with mods and I think I may have killed myself on that. I think the 250f is a nice in between