DirtNoob, CSC TT250 explorin my new home

[NBGAF]

I'm still a noob to the dirt scene although it is growing on me. Its clear I need a few things, proper off road gear, I have Oneal boots but thats about it. Need a more adv helmet and proper armor. On the bike I need proper offroading tires. The stock ones are pretty ok for most things but I can see how true knobbies will eat up some of this terrain.



Also my skills suck but at the same time I can see I might get an RX3 i the future just for the longer paved sections going to and from areas. Riding this little bike on I80 going 63mph max won't cut it. That said, other than being blown around, I felt more confident on this bike than my gz250 back in the day. I just dont like having to wind it out at 7000rpm as its got to be unecessarily stressing the motor.

[Meloman]

NBGAF, these bike are designed to spin at high rpm’s all day with no harm to the motor. The RX3 will give you a better cruising speed on the highway (70 vs 60) but will also be turning 7-8000 rpm. Changing your rear sprocket to a 47 tooth on the TT will improve your highway riding a bit without sacrificing the low end off road performance. You may already know this but Joe Berg from CSC took a group of RX3 riders on a western USA tour and wrote a book called “5000 Miles at 8000 RPM” and he wasn’t exaggerating. So don’t worry about stress on the motor. My TT is always running at 6-7000 rpms with occasional blasts to 8000.
These little 250’s are bulletproof.
You really need to assess your riding requirements. If you’re 90% on road 10% off road then an RX3 will do the job fine. But if it’s the opposite, then your TT will outperform the RX3 and its lighter weight is much easier to manage off road.

[Azhule]

Originally Posted by NBGAF

I'm still a noob to the dirt scene although it is growing on me. Its clear I need a few things, proper off road gear, I have Oneal boots but thats about it. Need a more adv helmet and proper armor. On the bike I need proper offroading tires. The stock ones are pretty ok for most things but I can see how true knobbies will eat up some of this terrain.

Also my skills suck but at the same time I can see I might get an RX3 i the future just for the longer paved sections going to and from areas. Riding this little bike on I80 going 63mph max won't cut it. That said, other than being blown around, I felt more confident on this bike than my gz250 back in the day. I just dont like having to wind it out at 7000rpm as its got to be unecessarily stressing the motor.

I-80 around here has speed limits upwards of 80 mph... go slower than 70 and you will quickly be run over by a vehicle going closer to 90


I have put a few thousand miles on our Lifan powered China Bike going high speeds/rpms on the interstate... maybe 2.5 or 3 hour ride at 70+ mph before a short lunch break... then up and down some 13,000+ feet mountain ranges and some "Diamond rated" 4x4 trails... another short break for food... then back on the interstate for the long ride back home at high rpms and speeds...


All I have really done is keep good oil in the engine then rev the crap out of it for hours on end... if my cheap Lifan can do it, your expensive Zong should be able to also

[NBGAF]

I don't intend to ride it on the highway at all really its just the stretch going into Reno that I have to ride on to get to the Tahoe area or into Cali. I guess I'm lucky enough that its kind of a speed trap because that 20 miles of so or high way slows down quite a bit because of an industrial park and coming into the city.



I knew the RX3 was great for revving out but I wasn't sure about the TT. I could shave some distance and go over the mountain but there's no route and I am not that good a rider to make my own

[Megadan]

I think it might be good to change how you see the TT250 and how you want to ride it. To me, it and the Hawk and other Hondoid Dual Sports are more akin to an adventure bike than they are an MX bike. Full framed and heavier than an MX bike but lighter than a typical ADV bike, less powerful that most MX bikes, and while they have more suspension travel than a typical street bike, they have much less suspension travel than a true off road machine.


As the owner, you have the ability to focus your machine more to what you desire. One big suggestion would be to consider a 45 tooth rear sprocket. That would definitely give you a lot more highway capability. Especially if combined with the proper mods and carb tuning. Holding 65mph is no sweat with a 45 rear sprocket, and you would be amazed at how well it will still do off road.

How aggressive of a tire were you wanting to go with? From what I understand the TT250 comes with a 50/50 tire. If you want something far more akin to what the Hawk 250 comes with, then the Kenda K760 Trackmaster might be more up your alley as a 90/10 tire. A little over $100 will get you both front and rear. https://www.bikebandit.com/tires-tub...le-tire/p/3684

[NBGAF]

Thanks for the tip. So far I have the 47 tooth on. I really wasn't sure about going lower as there are some areas where I think I'll need the torque since theres so many trails here.


For tires, I really have no idea, I'll run the stock ones down since they are really ok for an all around although I think they're more street oriented like 60/40. They tend to wash out alot offroad. Then again my bike wasn't setup properly.



I have to fiddle with it a bit. Lastly I see alot of people messing with the carb getting the mikuni and that ebay pipe. Has anybody really gotten any more HP out of these things or is it all sound and fury signifying nothing. Personally I like the quiet pipe as it allows me to dip in and out of places where I maybe should not linger

[Megadan]

Originally Posted by NBGAF

Has anybody really gotten any more HP out of these things or is it all sound and fury signifying nothing. Personally I like the quiet pipe as it allows me to dip in and out of places where I maybe should not linger

As far as the TT250 goes, I can't speak from direct experience, but as far as my Hawk goes. Let me put it this way.

With 17/43 gears and no mods besides a spark plug and the Mikuni clone jetted properly - top speed, at best, 63mph. Literally the absolute best I could ever manage.

With 17/43 gears and a full exhaust, pod filter, and the same carb dialed in for said mods - top speed, at best, 72mph (I did hit 75mph a couple of times, but 72 was the most repeatable)

While that may not sound impressive, keep in mind that I am not a small guy, and that increasing speed through wind resistance is an exponential function. In simple terms, to go twice as fast requires 4 times the power.

In even simpler terms, it would take approximately double the power of a stock Hawk to go 90mph, so for a roughly 10mph increase in speed, you are talking a 3-ish hp increase in power. So, yes, there is something to it beyond "sound and fury". It puts them in the same top speed category as the Honda CRF230F, which is drag limited to around 70mph, meaning these bikes at least push the 18-19hp boundry with bolt ons.

Of even more note was the VERY noticeable gain in mid range power.

As far as the tires go. The TT250 factory tires are more akin to a 50/50, but they do not have very deep lugs, which I can only assume was done to make them better on-road tires. I think even a better pair of 50/50 tires would make a big difference, such as the Shinko 244 or the 60/40 tire the Shinko 700. Even those will still not do as well as a tire like the Stock Hawk tires or those Kenda tires I linked. Those obviously won't be as good on road, but that is always the trade off you make.

[2LZ]

Originally Posted by NBGAF

I don't intend to ride it on the highway at all really its just the stretch going into Reno that I have to ride on to get to the Tahoe area or into Cali. I guess I'm lucky enough that its kind of a speed trap....

That was the strangest turn of events. Most of my life, you got to the state line and floored it going into Nevada. Now, I have to slow down. The Nevada CHP is no joke. We visit a friend in Dayton once in a while and it's so strange to be going down a multi-lane highway out in the desert and everyone around you is doing the exact speed limit.