Customizing the TT250 for Offroad Performance

[montucky__mike]

Hi all,

I am new to posting on the forum, but have been reading and researching here for some time now. In fact, ChinaRiders is the reason I have a CSC TT250 in transit to me at this very moment.

I am an off road enthusiast. I wheel my Jeep often on the weekends but I felt it was time to add another off road sport to my repertoire. Something that can get me into the small places that my truck cannot. After reading extensively here I pulled the trigger on the TT250 to fit that bill.

In my time lurking here I noticed that a lot of the upgrades for the various CBs, including the TT250 focus on making the bike more street capable - not more trail capable. Here and there, I was able to find tidbits about adjusting the suspension or replacing the tires for trail performance but there does not seem to be a recent, comprehensive post about taking the TT250 to the next level for trails. Living in the Flathead Valley in Montana it is very valuable to have a street legal option to get to the trails without trailering and to expand my options as far as legally ride-able terrain, even if that means giving up some trail performance. That said, how can you upgrade the TT250 to maximize its trail performance?

Disclaimer: I am a new rider - for me and any of the other newbies starting out that may read this it would be helpful if you assumed I haven't thought of the things that might seem obvious to you.

TL/DR:
What upgrades would you experienced riders and tinkerers make to the TT250 to turn it into an ~80-90% trail riding machine? Assume this bike will only touch a paved road for the smallest amount of time required to find dirt. Some things like tires and suspension adjustments may be obvious, but in those cases what changes do you specifically recommend? Others may be less obvious (to me at least) like replacing the foot pegs (I believe I read somewhere that new pegs would be useful for a trail rider that stands more because the standard ones are small) and I would love to hear those too.

Thanks in advance!

[2LZ]

I think you may find the TT250 to be a pretty good trail bike, right out of box. I'd give it a go for the first while, get it broke in, and then see what you absolutely cannot tolerate about it on the trails.

I found even the stock tires were good for dirt roads, gravel roads and some trails. You may find the forks a little soggy. Ours were. I changed the fluid out to Bel Ray 10W in short order. It helped tremendously.

As the motor breaks in, you'll find it will deliver more and more torque. The stock gearing also seemed good for trails.

Good luck and keep us posted!

[Megadan]

2lz will be the person to really listen to, but for what its worth I have some experience off roading with a friend on a TT250. The reason tires is mentioned for more serious off road riding is because the TT250 tires are decently capable, they are still a 50/50 tire. The second you introduce them to mud or deeper sand they really start to struggle.

I do agree that gearing wise the TT250 comes just about perfect for a dual sport that will see some off road time with a 17 front and 50 rear.

I would recommend a skid plate, and as far as the pegs, yes, a set of wider ones will make you more stable when you stand. CSC actually sells both for the bike under their accessories section.

Some lever/brush guards would be a smart idea as well. Personally, I go for function over form and prefer the thick solid bar like these from Moose Racing. https://www.revzilla.com/product/moo...xoCWZoQAvD_BwE

I can speak from personal experience that those things are strong as heck and will protect your hands from some pretty good impacts.

I could make a bunch of suggestions, but it really depends on how aggressive of an off road experience you are after.

[montucky__mike]

Originally Posted by 2LZ

I think you may find the TT250 to be a pretty good trail bike, right out of box. I'd give it a go for the first while, get it broke in, and then see what you absolutely cannot tolerate about it on the trails.

I found even the stock tires were good for dirt roads, gravel roads and some trails. You may find the forks a little soggy. Ours were. I changed the fluid out to Bel Ray 10W in short order. It helped tremendously.

As the motor breaks in, you'll find it will deliver more and more torque. The stock gearing also seemed good for trails.

Good luck and keep us posted!

Appreciate the reply 2LZ. It is great to hear how the bike comes alive over the break in period and something to remember. And the advice to give it a chance to do so might just keep me from getting kicked out of the house


Based upon your reply it sounds like the suspension has the most potential for changes that are worth making early-ish on, specifically to stiffen up the forks. Being a heavier than average rider (215#), the suspension will likely require adjustments anyways I would assume. Good to know that fork oil can help. Sounds like a simple and relatively inexpensive upgrade.

I will probably also want to push the tires beyond the terrain you mentioned that the stock tires handle well so I may still have to upgrade there. If you have opinions on options for a more trail oriented tire I am all ears. Can't remember which model it is but I know I have read that Kenda has a good option.

Originally Posted by Megadan

2lz will be the person to really listen to, but for what its worth I have some experience off roading with a friend on a TT250. The reason tires is mentioned for more serious off road riding is because the TT250 tires are decently capable, they are still a 50/50 tire. The second you introduce them to mud or deeper sand they really start to struggle.

I do agree that gearing wise the TT250 comes just about perfect for a dual sport that will see some off road time with a 17 front and 50 rear.

I would recommend a skid plate, and as far as the pegs, yes, a set of wider ones will make you more stable when you stand. CSC actually sells both for the bike under their accessories section.

Some lever/brush guards would be a smart idea as well. Personally, I go for function over form and prefer the thick solid bar like these from Moose Racing. https://www.revzilla.com/product/moo...xoCWZoQAvD_BwE

I can speak from personal experience that those things are strong as heck and will protect your hands from some pretty good impacts.

I could make a bunch of suggestions, but it really depends on how aggressive of an off road experience you are after.

Appreciate the insight Megadan. Given your feedback on the sand and mud issues with the stock tire I will probably want to trade them out for some better off road capability. I have been off roading in the Jeep quite a bit recently and mud is pretty inescapable at the moment and will be for a while longer. There is also a lot of good rocky terrain, and even some sand. All of which I will be seeking out and want a tire that allows me to do so. If you have a recommendation on a budget friendly 80 (offroad)/20 (road) tire I would love your input. As I mentioned earlier I think the forum like a particular Kenda model but can't remember which it is.

I was hoping that the answer on the gearing would be that it is pretty well off to start, so it is great to have agreement from you and 2LZ on this.

Skid plate and pegs sound like a no brainer if they are even available from CSC. Makes them easy additions.

Had not considered the lever guards. I will look more into those. I am sure my hands will thank you for that recommendation.

To answer your question, I intend to get to the point where I am pushing the TT250 to its absolute limits on the trails. I find that the lack of information around pushing a TT250 to the extremes on the trails via the necessary upgrades intrigues me, and as I grow as a rider I definitely expect that I will be pushing its capabilities. I am sure there are lots of folks that would recommend just getting different bike once I start to get to the limits of the more stock trail riding capability for it, especially considering the price of the bike. I kind of want to see how far it can go in the off road direction though. I just don't have the knowledge or expertise that you all do to have a clue of what it would take to get it there.

If you, 2LZ, or anyone else, has the time to share thoughts on what they would do in the above scenario then I will gratefully absorb them all.


Edit: I do plan on waiting through the break in period before making too many changes, as 2LZ has recommended. After that, I will definitely be using the recommendations in this thread to go a little nuts upgrading the new toy. I'm doing it for science!

[Megadan]

The Kenda tire you are mentioning is probably the K760 Trakmaster 2. It's a 90 offroad, 10 on road tire that is DOT approved for road use. Essentially that is the type of tire the Hawk comes with (not the same brand obviously). Great for the kind of riding you want to do off road. They will be a bit noisy and make some vibrations on road, but still very tractable. They do very well in soft loose surfaces and mud though, which sounds to me like the tire for you.

Obviously there are a host of other upgrades that can be done, but knowing what you want or need is going to really come down to your own experience.

A shift lever with a folding tip isn't a bad idea, nor would having a spare brake lever on hand be a bad idea if you plan to really push it. That way you won't suffer too much down time if the first one gets mangled too much to be properly fixed or breaks.

Some form of rim lock might not be a bad idea if you plan to air down fairly low. But that might be something for another day when you start reaching that point. There are a few options when going down that road as well, such as Neutech's Tubliss system.

[2LZ]

Regarding knobbies, any inexpensive knobbie should be fine. These bikes don't develop enough power to put a knobbie through the rigors of motocross. My old Husky on the other hand, I had to shop specifically for rubber hardness or pliability for some longevity, balanced with the tracks I'd be riding, at what time of year (soggy or bone dry). The wrong tire and I'd be spinning off huge hunks of knobs or they'd sand down in short order. You won't have that worry with a Hondoid.

No knobbie (IMHO) is worth a damn on pavement but you get used to their limitations.

If you'll be doing tons of mud, just look for the least expensive, "self cleaning" (uh huh) knobbie out there.

[montucky__mike]

Sorry for the late reply Megadan and 2LZ. Thank you both for your great input on this topic!

Originally Posted by Megadan

The Kenda tire you are mentioning is probably the K760 Trakmaster 2. It's a 90 offroad, 10 on road tire that is DOT approved for road use. Essentially that is the type of tire the Hawk comes with (not the same brand obviously). Great for the kind of riding you want to do off road. They will be a bit noisy and make some vibrations on road, but still very tractable. They do very well in soft loose surfaces and mud though, which sounds to me like the tire for you.

Great! Thanks for the confirmation of the tire there. I will certainly look more into the Kenda's for sure.

Originally Posted by Megadan

Obviously there are a host of other upgrades that can be done, but knowing what you want or need is going to really come down to your own experience.

This makes sense. Jeep upgrades are no different. Personal preference and goals make a huge difference. I think you have given me some great initial things to think about previously and below though, that will provide value off road in all situations.

Originally Posted by Megadan

A shift lever with a folding tip isn't a bad idea, nor would having a spare brake lever on hand be a bad idea if you plan to really push it. That way you won't suffer too much down time if the first one gets mangled too much to be properly fixed or breaks.

Not something I had thought about but makes complete sense. Exactly the type of feedback I need given my lack of experience.

Originally Posted by Megadan

Some form of rim lock might not be a bad idea if you plan to air down fairly low. But that might be something for another day when you start reaching that point. There are a few options when going down that road as well, such as Neutech's Tubliss system.

I will take a look at this! Airing down is a game changer for a jeep so I am sure I will be looking to take advantage of it on the bike as well when I get to that point.

Originally Posted by 2LZ

Regarding knobbies, any inexpensive knobbie should be fine. These bikes don't develop enough power to put a knobbie through the rigors of motocross. My old Husky on the other hand, I had to shop specifically for rubber hardness or pliability for some longevity, balanced with the tracks I'd be riding, at what time of year (soggy or bone dry). The wrong tire and I'd be spinning off huge hunks of knobs or they'd sand down in short order. You won't have that worry with a Hondoid.

This is great to know as I was starting to spend some time looking into those tire characteristics you mention. It makes sense that without a high performance machine there is not a real need for that level of specificity around with tires.

Originally Posted by 2LZ

No knobbie (IMHO) is worth a damn on pavement but you get used to their limitations.

Of course from the lower surface area exposed to the road surface due to the knobs this makes sense but it still a bummer. Luckily there will not be a ton of paved road riding even to get to the trails (mostly dirt roads) so the impact should be relatively small. I hope.

Originally Posted by 2LZ

If you'll be doing tons of mud, just look for the least expensive, "self cleaning" (uh huh) knobbie out there.

Will do!