New rider close to getting a TT250

flopsweat · 10-14-2021, 06:13 PM

Hello all! Just wanted to say hi because I feel like I'll be on here quite a bit in the upcoming months. I just finished my second MSF course and am planning on ordering a CSC TT250 in the next couple months. Once I started realistically trying to figure out which type of bike I wanted, it didn't take long before I landed on the TT. I'm "mechanically inclined" but know nothing about motorcycles, so I didn't want something used and needing tlc but can't afford a brand new Japanese bike, and this guy seems to fit the bill perfectly as the perfect starter bike. I've only ridden a dual sport of some kind for about an hour around a friend's property (other than the MSF courses), so I'm NEW new.

Sadly I live in the suburbs of Chicago, so there's not much other than a few designated OHV parks within a couple hours drive, but the plan is to move to Colorado in the next year or so and I'd have an infinite amount of trail options. For now it'll pretty much just be for the commute or random rides with a good friend that just bought a TW200.

As for the TT250, I've already decided to have them install the upgraded o-ring chain since I hear so much about the stock one stretching, as well as a 47T sprocket instead of stock 50T since my commute has a few stretches of 50mph roads. I'll get the heavy duty Zeta XC handguards, and most importantly since the 2021's are no longer in orange like I wanted I'll end up springing for a set of orange panels.

Anyway, that's all I have for now, so I'll see y'all on the rest of the forum!

wheelbender6 · 10-14-2021, 08:08 PM

Welcome. Isn't there a place in the midwest called the driftless area where people ride?

Emerikol · 10-15-2021, 05:21 AM

Welcome to the forum! I think you'll really enjoy the TT250. It has a lot of support from CSC, and the bike itself is pretty well at the top of the China bike range.

flopsweat · 10-15-2021, 09:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wheelbender6

Welcome. Isn't there a place in the midwest called the driftless area where people ride?

Interesting! Oddly enough I have spent a LOT of time around the far northwest area of IL and the title of The Driftless Area somehow escaped me all these years. Very cool wiki page. Yea Wisconsin has numerous trail areas that I'll hopefully be able to visit, after I get my "sea legs" and am comfortable riding a couple hours to reach the destination. Cheese Country Trail looks fantastic.

DualSportDude · 10-15-2021, 10:03 AM

Don't get discouraged with your first impression of the bike. It is really smothered in order to be legal in CA. Keeping it under 5k rpm for the first 400-500 miles means 43 Mph tops. Once you get a free flowing exhaust and tweak the carb, it runs great.

Awesome day in GA, headed out!

flopsweat · 10-15-2021, 11:23 AM

Thanks for the tip, that's what I've seen elsewhere. I know they need a decent break-in period before things loosen up so to speak so I'll follow that advice. I'm going to try and not make any adjustments until after that period, unless the carb is simply not allowing the engine to run. A lot say "get the jet kit right off the bat", but I'd really like to get a feel for what it does first and then I'd be able to see the difference that can make.

flopsweat · 10-15-2021, 11:46 AM

DualSportDude, just curious, what's your height and inseam? I'm on the fence about getting the lowered seat, but I suspect I may be ok. 5'9" and about 33" inseam, I found a KLR650 at a local dealer that has has nearly identical seat height (34.3" vs the TT's 34"), sat on it, and although not flat-footed I'm at least on the balls of my feet, and that was while wearing soccer shoes. I was just going to give the stock seat a shot unless it started to become an issue.

DualSportDude · 10-15-2021, 12:52 PM

You’ll probably be fine, I will say my buddy got that seat and it’s definitely higher quality and more comfortable. I’m in 34” Levis and flat foot with no problem. I didn’t modify anything until after break in either. It’s painful waiting until 500, I did it @ 462.

flopsweat · 10-26-2021, 08:00 AM

Does anyone know if CSC typically does winter sales? I might be able to pull the trigger soon but am wondering if I should (aka "can") hold off a little longer for a cheaper price.

TominMO · 10-26-2021, 09:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flopsweat

Does anyone know if CSC typically does winter sales? I might be able to pull the trigger soon but am wondering if I should (aka "can") hold off a little longer for a cheaper price.

With our current supply-chain issues, I would not wait for that.

flopsweat · 10-26-2021, 10:13 AM

Exactly my thoughts. Ready to rock and suddenly *poof* they're on back order for 4 months.

flopsweat · 11-15-2021, 03:43 PM

Ooooh buddy. Sara at CSC just told me they're getting my TT250 together now and will let me know when it ships. The trigger hath been pulled! Now I just need to find a way to bring my wife's enthusiasm level up just one notch closer to where mine is...

Hunnicutt · 11-16-2021, 08:24 AM

I STRONGLY recommend you order a carb jet kit. Jet Kit, Complete 4 Piece, SG250 & TT250 - CSC Motorcycles

Ask CSC if they can do the install. If they can, pay the labor. TT250's come with stock 102 jets, which is anemic at best. I ran the stock jet for the first 480 miles and it roasted my spark plug. The 112 jet from the kit works perfectly.

CSC does not do winter sales on their motorcycles. Last year they had a Black Friday sale on select parts and accessories. I got the Seat Concepts seat for my wife's white TT250 for a great price.

I had CSC install the Aluminum Skid Plate on both our bikes. TT250 Aluminum Skid Plate - CSC Motorcycles - The ultimate adventure skid plate for your 250cc Dual Sport Enduro Motorcycle
They charged me an hour labor for both installs. I can attest to the protection they provide. The roads around my 10 acres are all graded limestone. I kicked up a big rock with the front tire and it bounced off the plate, no damage to the engine. :-)

I use the rear rack nearly every time I ride. It takes 5 minutes to install and is solid as a rock. Rear Rack, Black, TT250 - CSC Motorcycles

Sara is absolutely amazing!!! OK, everyone I've dealt with at CSC is amazing!! I LOVE my TT250's. As you see in my signature, I own 3 of them!!!

Magician16 · 11-16-2021, 08:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flopsweat

DualSportDude, just curious, what's your height and inseam? I'm on the fence about getting the lowered seat, but I suspect I may be ok. 5'9" and about 33" inseam, I found a KLR650 at a local dealer that has has nearly identical seat height (34.3" vs the TT's 34"), sat on it, and although not flat-footed I'm at least on the balls of my feet, and that was while wearing soccer shoes. I was just going to give the stock seat a shot unless it started to become an issue.

I've got a Bashan Storm with 34" seat height, and I have a 29" inseam. I can get both feet on the ground with boots on. I rode just a bit yesterday with tennis shoes, and I could barely touch one side at a time. With your inseam, you'll be comfortable.

flopsweat · 11-16-2021, 09:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hunnicutt

I STRONGLY recommend you order a carb jet kit. Jet Kit, Complete 4 Piece, SG250 & TT250 - CSC Motorcycles

Ask CSC if they can do the install. If they can, pay the labor. TT250's come with stock 102 jets, which is anemic at best. I ran the stock jet for the first 480 miles and it roasted my spark plug. The 112 jet from the kit works perfectly.

CSC does not do winter sales on their motorcycles. Last year they had a Black Friday sale on select parts and accessories. I got the Seat Concepts seat for my wife's white TT250 for a great price.

I had CSC install the Aluminum Skid Plate on both our bikes. TT250 Aluminum Skid Plate - CSC Motorcycles - The ultimate adventure skid plate for your 250cc Dual Sport Enduro Motorcycle
They charged me an hour labor for both installs. I can attest to the protection they provide. The roads around my 10 acres are all graded limestone. I kicked up a big rock with the front tire and it bounced off the plate, no damage to the engine. :-)

I use the rear rack nearly every time I ride. It takes 5 minutes to install and is solid as a rock. Rear Rack, Black, TT250 - CSC Motorcycles

Sara is absolutely amazing!!! OK, everyone I've dealt with at CSC is amazing!! I LOVE my TT250's. As you see in my signature, I own 3 of them!!!

I was really on the fence about the jet kit and decided to wait on it. Being my first motorcycle, I just want to see how it rides through the break-in as it stands (granted I got a chain upgrade and 47T sprocket installed by them), and want to do it myself to learn what's actually going on by experience.

Skid plate will definitely come by next summer, as I probably won't be on any trails for at least a good 6 months while I ride the few warm dry winter days here in Chicago, essentially just to a parking lot to continue practicing.

Rear rack will eventually come, but might be something I put together myself in some fashion. For now, I'm just going with a backpack.

And yes, Sara has been super patient with me and is right on point with everything, I probably have 20 emails between us getting everything sorted out and she hasn't thrown in the towel with me yet!

10-14-2021, 06:13 PM	#1
flopsweat Join Date: Oct 2021 Location: The burbs of Chicago Posts: 235	New rider close to getting a TT250 Hello all! Just wanted to say hi because I feel like I'll be on here quite a bit in the upcoming months. I just finished my second MSF course and am planning on ordering a CSC TT250 in the next couple months. Once I started realistically trying to figure out which type of bike I wanted, it didn't take long before I landed on the TT. I'm "mechanically inclined" but know nothing about motorcycles, so I didn't want something used and needing tlc but can't afford a brand new Japanese bike, and this guy seems to fit the bill perfectly as the perfect starter bike. I've only ridden a dual sport of some kind for about an hour around a friend's property (other than the MSF courses), so I'm NEW new. Sadly I live in the suburbs of Chicago, so there's not much other than a few designated OHV parks within a couple hours drive, but the plan is to move to Colorado in the next year or so and I'd have an infinite amount of trail options. For now it'll pretty much just be for the commute or random rides with a good friend that just bought a TW200. As for the TT250, I've already decided to have them install the upgraded o-ring chain since I hear so much about the stock one stretching, as well as a 47T sprocket instead of stock 50T since my commute has a few stretches of 50mph roads. I'll get the heavy duty Zeta XC handguards, and most importantly since the 2021's are no longer in orange like I wanted I'll end up springing for a set of orange panels. Anyway, that's all I have for now, so I'll see y'all on the rest of the forum!
	1

10-14-2021, 08:08 PM	#2
wheelbender6 Join Date: May 2015 Location: Houston area Posts: 1,902	Welcome. Isn't there a place in the midwest called the driftless area where people ride? __________________ "Its not WHAT you ride; its THAT you ride"
	0

10-15-2021, 05:21 AM	#3
Emerikol Join Date: Oct 2016 Location: Carrollton, GA Posts: 1,465	Welcome to the forum! I think you'll really enjoy the TT250. It has a lot of support from CSC, and the bike itself is pretty well at the top of the China bike range. __________________ First Rule of Aviation: -Never Pass Up The Opportunity to Pee I was struggling to get my wife's attention; I sat down on the couch and looked comfortable. That did the trick! My wife says I only have two faults. I don't listen and something else... If at first you don't succeed, try doing it the way I told you to... The Stable: 2005 Yamaha V-Star 650 - SOLD 2015 Suzuki DR 650 2015 RPS Hawk 250 - SOLD 2016 Ural Gear Up
	0

11-16-2021, 08:24 AM	#13
Hunnicutt Join Date: Apr 2021 Location: Central Florida Posts: 103	I STRONGLY recommend you order a carb jet kit. Jet Kit, Complete 4 Piece, SG250 & TT250 - CSC Motorcycles Ask CSC if they can do the install. If they can, pay the labor. TT250's come with stock 102 jets, which is anemic at best. I ran the stock jet for the first 480 miles and it roasted my spark plug. The 112 jet from the kit works perfectly. CSC does not do winter sales on their motorcycles. Last year they had a Black Friday sale on select parts and accessories. I got the Seat Concepts seat for my wife's white TT250 for a great price. I had CSC install the Aluminum Skid Plate on both our bikes. TT250 Aluminum Skid Plate - CSC Motorcycles - The ultimate adventure skid plate for your 250cc Dual Sport Enduro Motorcycle They charged me an hour labor for both installs. I can attest to the protection they provide. The roads around my 10 acres are all graded limestone. I kicked up a big rock with the front tire and it bounced off the plate, no damage to the engine. :-) I use the rear rack nearly every time I ride. It takes 5 minutes to install and is solid as a rock. Rear Rack, Black, TT250 - CSC Motorcycles Sara is absolutely amazing!!! OK, everyone I've dealt with at CSC is amazing!! I LOVE my TT250's. As you see in my signature, I own 3 of them!!! __________________ ___________________________________ 2021 CSC TT250 - Silver (Mine) "Buzz" 2021 CSC TT250 - White (Wife's) "Seymour" 2021 CSC TT250 - White (Daughter's) "Gemini"
	1

10-15-2021, 11:23 AM	#6
flopsweat Join Date: Oct 2021 Location: The burbs of Chicago Posts: 235	Thanks for the tip, that's what I've seen elsewhere. I know they need a decent break-in period before things loosen up so to speak so I'll follow that advice. I'm going to try and not make any adjustments until after that period, unless the carb is simply not allowing the engine to run. A lot say "get the jet kit right off the bat", but I'd really like to get a feel for what it does first and then I'd be able to see the difference that can make.
	1

10-15-2021, 11:46 AM	#7
flopsweat Join Date: Oct 2021 Location: The burbs of Chicago Posts: 235	DualSportDude, just curious, what's your height and inseam? I'm on the fence about getting the lowered seat, but I suspect I may be ok. 5'9" and about 33" inseam, I found a KLR650 at a local dealer that has has nearly identical seat height (34.3" vs the TT's 34"), sat on it, and although not flat-footed I'm at least on the balls of my feet, and that was while wearing soccer shoes. I was just going to give the stock seat a shot unless it started to become an issue.
	0

10-15-2021, 12:52 PM	#8
DualSportDude Join Date: Jul 2021 Location: Georgia, USA Posts: 91	You’ll probably be fine, I will say my buddy got that seat and it’s definitely higher quality and more comfortable. I’m in 34” Levis and flat foot with no problem. I didn’t modify anything until after break in either. It’s painful waiting until 500, I did it @ 462.
	0

10-26-2021, 08:00 AM	#9
flopsweat Join Date: Oct 2021 Location: The burbs of Chicago Posts: 235	Does anyone know if CSC typically does winter sales? I might be able to pull the trigger soon but am wondering if I should (aka "can") hold off a little longer for a cheaper price.
	0

10-26-2021, 10:13 AM	#11
flopsweat Join Date: Oct 2021 Location: The burbs of Chicago Posts: 235	Exactly my thoughts. Ready to rock and suddenly poof they're on back order for 4 months.
	0

11-15-2021, 03:43 PM	#12
flopsweat Join Date: Oct 2021 Location: The burbs of Chicago Posts: 235	Ooooh buddy. Sara at CSC just told me they're getting my TT250 together now and will let me know when it ships. The trigger hath been pulled! Now I just need to find a way to bring my wife's enthusiasm level up just one notch closer to where mine is...
	3