First 2-smoke, first Gasser, first ride, first PICS !!!
 

So; ive only been off-roading since last January (25+ years of motorcycling mind) and im ABSOLUTELY LOVING IT.

**WHY THE HELL DIDNT I DO THIS EARLIER :D **

In this short time ive had:

XR400 (Loved it - not sure why i got rid to be honest)
WR250F - Got it for leccy start. Wish i hadnt bothered. Bored me stupid.
KTM 500 EXC - Stupidly quick for the UK lanes i use. Too much - too soon.

So now ive just taken delivery of my first (Off-road) 2 stroke [2006 Model EC 250], and after a few tweaks, a service and check over with all new oils, plug, HT lead, air filter and a good greasing of bolts, pivot points etc; today was our first adventure together. Just a few local green lanes here in the UK - so nothing very scenic, and all fairly flat and boring - but we had a blast none-the-less :-)

Full ride-out with friends tomorrow, and if i see anything scenic i'll get some snaps. Then im looking to do a few races / Hare and Hounds events with a friend - which was the purpose of this machine. (Easy + cheap maintenance hopefully).

Ive not actually cleaned it since ive had it, and it was already muddy in these pics. Not sure why it looks so 'clean'., because it really isnt !

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/g...ps5326edbc.jpg[/URL]

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/g...ps93c46762.jpg[/URL]

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/g...psbb8140e5.jpg[/URL]

No problems at all so far apart from one:

The "breather pipe" than comes from the front of the cyclinder (2006 model bike) was looking tired so i decided to replace it. Upon pulling it off, it became obvious the old one was nipped tight and wouldnt have let anything through.

I laid a piece of rag under the nipple on the barrell overnight until i got a new hose. When i went to fit new breather hose, there was a few drops of oil on the rag, and even now after a small run out on the bike, its still dropping the occasional spot of oil.

I suspect its been 'blocked' up for a while, but is this anything to worry over ?

Cheers - Ride safe all.

By far my most favorite year for the front fender and headlight. Good looking bike.

If it is on the left side by the large PV cover where you have the "red" hose, it is nothing to worry over. That is normal.

Yup: The hose that was kinked and i pulled, i replaced with the red one you've picked out that comes from a nipple on the front of the barrel. Appreciate that - what exactly is it venting anyway ?

Thanks for compliments about the bike. Its a 2006 - but has 2010 plastics fitted, later wheels, stand, switchgear and other parts. First impressions were really good, apart from a front brake that needs bleeding badly and a fishtailing of the rear end when 'on the pipe' (Im guessing from a worn rear tyre).

Still, i'll ride tomorrow and get those two little issues sorted next week.



*****Ive also got quite alot of oil-splurge out the back of the exhaust. Im running Putoline MX5 synthetic @ 50:1.

Should i be trying to reduce that ratio to 60:1 or is it better to accept the splurge and run a little higher ratio to protect the engine ???

748, My EC300 Man. says 2T synthetic @50:1. As I stated in the poll thread I would never run a 2 stroke of any type with any oil at that ratio. Right now I'm jetted and running Dominator at 28:1. I'd be using Red Line but it's just so expensive. I have no spooge at all.

Now, as has been thoroughly discussed many feel no need to run such rich ratios. Read the thread....notice who rebuilds and who does not. I'm not an inexperienced rider/owner by any stretch. When I say my EC300 runs "as new" I mean it and I certainly know what I'm talking about in that regard. I've been riding 2 strokes for over 40 years. I'm at >5,600 miles and have only replaced the head o'rings because I thought they were leaking. Probably were not. That is it. No PV cleaning, no de-carbonizing anything, nothing. I use synthetic oil in the CC and change it often, way more than needed....every 10 hours, maybe?

Starts 2nd kick every single time, pulls like a truck from idle to rev limit and has never fouled a plug.

I really do not care what folks do but for the life of me I just don't understand how so many ignore the fact it has been proven that more oil properly jetted makes more power. It certainly will extend the engine and to a "realist" like me it makes no sense to skimp on oil. It is not that expensive. I expect to get >10k out of my 300 before I do a damn thing to it!
I know what piston noise is, I know what a crank going south feels and sounds like. How do I know? because all my buddies who used "Golden Spectro" at 50:1 were always rebuilding their engines. I ran Yamalube 20:1
I NEVER had a 2 stroke "wear out" or suffer a catastrophic failure except in my CR250R......The Bunny was bad ass....built to the gills and insane....she was old and still kicked ass but 105 degrees, following my wife on a CFR150 through tight woods for 25 miles (!) did her in. She lost the big end bearings.
Just as I entered the parking lot! Good thing too. It was so hot I almost passed out pushing her the 50 yards to the truck! That failure was certainly not oil related and the piston and cylinder looked perfect, ecxept from the gouges from the pieces of bearings :).

So my vote is for more oil, not less :)

You might want to replace the packing if it is oil soaked.
Ed

Alright mate! I'm Ipswich, so if you wanna harass the Thetford locals let me know as I have an awesome route from Bury St Edmunds to Hunstanton!

I have an 06 300 also, fuckin' awesome bike, running 32:1 motul 510, no spooge at all.

I completely agree with the argument on more oil, there is no evidence anywhere that less oil is better, and numerous studies proving otherwise.

Good-day fellow East Anglain Gasser !

I've only done lanes fairly local to me. A bunch of us were meant to go to Thetford a few weeks ago (Me for the first time). Forecast was rubbish and a guy who was meant to be taking 4 or 5 us and our bikes called-off......so a friend and me who were then kind of stuck; spent the day at my work, modifying his boat trailer to turn it into a 2-bike trailer. He's now offshore for 3 weeks, but i believe its just about finished !

I'd love to meet up at Thetford sometime. My friend with the trailer has a Gasser 300 EC too - so that would make 3 of us. Almost a "Club-meet" in these remote parts ! I'll PM you my mobile number in a moment.

And interesting about more oil - and jetting to suit. Thanks to Houndog too for the write-up and explanation.

Anyone of you UK'ers know any 2-stroke 'specialists' for carb setting up in the East ????

Check out these:
Essex Greenlaners - greenlaners.boards.net
Green Lane Cafe facebook page

The lads that i ride with organise ride outs on these pages. I have no van or trailer at the moment so am dependent on lifts - it's a bit of a slog doing an hour's ride to get to lanes.
There's also practice days with Enduroland & Endurokent and GH M/C's in Colchester run practice days at Chappel.
I dare say we'll meet up somewhere :-)


2004 EC 200

Thanks very much - I'll have a look on those sites.

Lets hope we meet-up soon. Soon as we are 'mobile' with this trailer, no reason why we can't organise a meet-up :)

I love the looks of the front end too, they can try and make something better and just make it worse sometimes. I hated the change to the headlight and fender in 11 but the older bikes just make me smile everytime I see one.

Thankyou Trevor - i'll take that as a compliment, to bikes of my 'shape'.

Its got its own 'unique foibles' as a whole bike for sure. But that silhouette sure is a looker in my opinion too !