Looking to get into 2 strokes

Hey everyone, relatively new track rider here but I'm looking to get myself a 125 gp machine to learn on.

I'm having a bit of trouble figuring out where to look for one though and the basic process of tuning, maintenance, etc. If someone in the Southern California area could chime in on where to go or can help me out that would be great.

That said are there any basic tenants I should abide by? Honda vs yamaha, how long parts and tires last, basic tuning, etc.

Thanks everyone, anything at this point will help!

 

www.tz250racing.com

 

Got one for sale on USGPRU.net in the classifieds. An "08" with spares Reduced the to $8000. Has only 5 races on it.

Or you may contact me at the following. (936) 672-2672. T. Johnson

 

I haven't seen many TZs in So Cal, or for sale for that matter. Not sure what parts are like for them. We run a Honda RS, and parts are still readily available. HRC top ends are ridiculous, but there are plenty of aftermarket options--we use Vertex, but Weisco and Woosner are even cheaper. We've gotten great mileage out of our Dunlops (not sponsored, so honest opinion).

I've seen some great bikes in the $8,000 range, but lots of great bikes for cheaper. Check out on here and on usgpru website. We'll be doing some Autoclub track days in preparation for the next WERA race, so if you get a bike and want to do a track day I can help you out.

Jetting and maintenance can be intimidating at first, but there really isn't that much too it. Stock bike will be in the 175 jet range--more or less depending on elevation and weather conditions. We use a density guage to take all that into account. Do plug chops and inspect the plug to verify your jetting. Top ends every 300 miles or so for stock or Vertex pistions. Pull the pipe and check the ring at the end of the day. It's recommended to change the chain and reeds with the top end. A leak down test is mandatory after a top end. Any air leaks and you could seize your motor.

Any other questions I'd be happy to help.

 

I've been riding / racing a TZ250 for the last two seasons. Very simple to work on, but it isn't a ride and put it away kind of bike. Fair amount of maintenance time. Absolute blast to ride though.

 

Wow thanks for all the response everyone. Nice to know everyone is very helpful here.

To be honest I'm not looking to spend 8k on anything just yet, i was hoping to find an older model for closer to 2-3k. I'm not looking to race with it yet, but I'd like to get a track bike that will have the most return on riding skills. Most people seem to think a 2t is the way to go in that regard. But if I'm being unrealistic about the price somebody chime in so I can start putting more pennies away in the bank.

As far as maintenance goes I'm not afraid of wrenching. I have a 1974 cb550 that had to have the carbs fiddled with for a long time to get running pretty good. Far from perfect, but pretty good for going in without any idea of what you're doing. Is a 125 going to need to be jetted

 

You can get a decent RS125 for 3K. I just sold one. They are maintenance intensive. Simple enough to work on but need constant attention. You will spend more on parts to run a season than the initial purchase price. My kid loves his.

 

yes the 125 will need to be jeted quite offten. I was told that, and then learned 1st hand. a temp/humidity meter is your friend and a good tool for jetting.

your not unrealistic in the price, I bought an rs125 in that range and Im very happy w/it.

 

Thanks again for everyone's responses, it really is helping. I've been debating between an sv650 and a 125 and was a bit put off by the maintenance involved but it isn't so scary now haha.

What would you guys estimate the running costs for just doing trackdays for the year? I'm planning on twice a month for the next year hopefully, how do the costs run for you guys so far?

 

By the time you figure pistons, crankshafts, chains, reeds, tires, race gas, clutch plates etc, you will be looking at around $4-$5 a mile. For that, you get to ride a purebred no compromises race bike that is capable of more corner speed than anything out there.

 

I would say thats a bit on extreme side. I never put a new chain or reeds every top end. Sure it won't hurt anything but don't see a point. I think I did a whole wera season on one chain. Maybe two.

Leakdown test is a good insurance, but not a must. I used to do those, but after a while was just a waste of time.

Your mileage may vary

 

Considering the chain is the same as that goes on a 10hp KTM50 and cost next to nothing...change it. The reeds are also cheap enough to change at that interval. It is never a waste of time to do a leakdown....it is all called "preventitive maintenance". JMO

 

Change handlebars every session, its just a tube of aluminum and it's cheap.

Are you really serious?

 

Nah, I was just blowing smoke up your ass!

 

I agree it might be overkill. That's just what was recommended to me by some highly regarded professionals. I clean the chain before every outing and replace it when it shows signs of wear or has a lot of miles on it. I inspect the reeds after every day of riding and have found broken reeds on several occasions, so best to be proactive. Racing is expensive and we try to get as much life out of our parts as possible, but I wouldn't advise someone to go a full season without changing those items.

Again, that's not really good advice to give a new rider. It takes literally 2 minutes and I have occasionally found leaks, which can be catastrophic. Best to just do a proper job.

Handlebars don't wear out. I guess it depends how seriously you take your racing. In my case I have a 12-year-old son whose life is in my hands, so I take it very seriously. For a casual rider I'm sure the standards can be a little more relaxed.

 

pffft

What do you know, anyway?

 

Who in the world would recommend a new chain and new reeds every top end? That was what you said in your first post. Then it changed to "inspect". Which is far more reasonable advice. As I said, in the beginning doing leakdown tests is a good thing, but far from a must.

I take riding / racing serious enough to not have a mechanical failure in 250 or 125 in two seasons that I was riding them.

No need to scare a newcomer with excessive maintenance advice. Sure some teams do a complete bike teardown after each race weekend. But on our level it is just not needed.

Again, your milage will vary

 

Make sure when you go to sell your bike to mention that the maintenance routine sucked.

Top ends should be removed every race weekend if not more often. There is piston and ring maintenance that should be performed no matter what the skill level. Not maintaining will result in lack of performance and premature wear on the piston, ring and cylinder.

Reeds wear out, chip and/or break. The more time on them, the more performance will suffer and when they do break you just lost a session or worse yet a race.

Like I said the chain is the same chain used on 50cc MXers. They wear quickly and when they do you lose performance and they will prematurely wear the sprockets and dampers. Worse case scenario is they can derail and/or break...ever see what a broken chain can do to a $400+ left side case.

And your advise on the leakdown test is just plain wrong. It takes 10 minutes to do and can save $100s. Why would you want to take a chance on toasting a brand new topend or crank to save 10 minutes?

Not trying to scare any new rider away from the GP bikes but rather just inform them...and that is what he was looking for. Just because your maintenance is lacking doesn't mean it is right.

Like the old saying...pay it now or pay much more later.

 

Getting off subject.

My personal bikes in two years running yielded 0 (ZERO) mechanical DNF's. Period. Re-read that a few times......

Ran various TZ125's and 250's.

Arguably my 125 was the trickiest in this country. Powervalved 5KE square bore cylinder, custom head, TZ250 5KE carb, Kit pipe, Kit ram air, SPA tach with three stage shift lights, quickshifter... you get the idea on the complexity of setup.

Your advice is completely excessive and over the top.

 

No offense to Alex as I am new to the 2 stroke world with my son's new RS125. But, I do know TDub and know that Ear is a solid source of info. I would say that what they are saying is very true and I don't even really know much about these bikes yet. A leakdown is easy to perform. Reeds and a chain as mentioned are stupid cheap and are variables that CAN cause issues.

Dunno... I do know TDub probably has more experience and knowledge from working with a certain young man that I am pretty confident was running a 2 stroke at a level higher than anyone on here ever has. I take that knowledge as something to listen to when spoken...

Just sayin'...