Templar 250 resource guide

[Mumen Rider]

Originally Posted by Thumper

Anyway, until someone finds a lowering link, you can always shorten the rear shock on the Templar.

Debating if I want to pick one of these up come June 1st. Both list the 08 CRF250/450. My OEM link is actually bent from shipping.

[Mumen Rider]

Otom CRF250R front brake disc guards fit the front forks perfectly. You will need your own M6-1.0 bolts and washers to mount it.

[Mumen Rider]

I ran out of cut off wheels for my dremel tool but I have these pliers that managed to get the OEM carb screws out without much fuss even with the red thread lock on the bolts. Engineer PZ-57 Japanese pliers($16 on Amazon, a great alternative if you don't have a dremel tool or don't want to spend the money for this one job). You will need M4-.70x20mm screws to replace the OEM headless bolts.



I could only fit one .5mm shim under the needle and still have the white plastic needle retainer clip into the slide piston.

[Thumper]

I posted the 5/8" new lower mounting hole on the rear shock (post #59), which drops about 1.75" and if you drop the front forks about a half inch, you get a solid 2" lowering. I also compressed the preload by about 175 pounds (~ half inch @ 350 pounds per inch). This is a NICE way to stiffen and lower the bike moderately.

BUT, the kickstand is too long now. Aussie mentioned that the kickstand had nice thick walls, so I decided that my weak welding skills could be successfully brought to bear

I took a ~1.25" section out, below the lower spring mounting post:


I set it up pinning it vertically to a red landscaping cinderblock and ground off a section to pin the grounding clamp:


A strip of masking tape was good enough to hold it for the first tack weld, then pulled the tape off and finished it off:



Lovely weld, eh
In my defense, most of that is slag. It was pretty good underneath the mess

I filed off the crap and gave it a flat black finish. Done. The bike leans over nicely. You can even park it with the kickstand uphill now. Plenty strong enough.

This worked great.

[GypsyR]

I was chicken with mine. Cut 3/4" off first and then about another 3/4".

[Mumen Rider]

FYI: the rear axle nut is 31mm.

[Mumen Rider]

Originally Posted by Thumper

32mm actually.

No, it's 31mm. I bought a 31mm socket and it fits perfectly compared to the loose fit of a 32mm.


Nut 31.22mm
31mm socket 31.4mm
32mm socket 32.2mm (ISO/DIN standard: 32.08 - 32.48mm)



If someone uses a 32mm with an impact to loosen it they are going to deform the nut.

[Thumper]

32mm works. A 1-1/4" socket will also work. I use a breaker bar.

[Megadan]

Originally Posted by Mumen Rider

No, it's 31mm. I bought a 31mm socket and it fits perfectly compared to the loose fit of a 32mm.


Nut 31.22mm
31mm socket 31.4mm
32mm socket 32.2mm (ISO/DIN standard: 32.08 - 32.48mm)



If someone uses a 32mm with an impact to loosen it they are going to deform the nut.

If the nut measures 31.22mm, it is considered to be 32mm nominally by every industrial and automotive measurement standard. Cheap hardware is notorious for being below standards, and often greatly undersized. If a 31mm fits, great, I would use that.

If a 32mm fits, also great, I would use that.

If some standard size fits better than either of them, I would use that.

My point is. Who cares? Use whatever fits the tightest or works. This is like arguing about who got more milk in their glass.

[Thumper]

I'm glad the 31mm socket works for you. My 32 works, and I have a 1-1/4" backup that works too. It's just a couple of turns to loosen, tightens easy to, and I like using a breaker bar to make it easy. It's like 55-60 foot pounds. No need to use an impact driver. I don't need to buy a new socket.

[Fast_Freddy]

I used an adjustable wrench because I couldn't find a suitable socket. I think I have a 11/4" socket so if I can find it easily I'll try it next time. Maybe buy the right socket some day.

[GypsyR]

I'd appreciate it if like a half a dozen or so posts at the tail of this otherwise very helpful resource thread were deleted.
And then this one too. For the record, until a few posts back I never knew or cared what size the axle nut was. I just loosened and tightened it with whatever it was I had that fit. An adjustable wrench would work. I see it as a non-issue.

[Okierider]

Originally Posted by jc3

What about replacement shocks? I am heavy and would like to replace at least the rear. Anyone know if there is there a cross reference bike?

Came here looking for this as well, or at least a new spring-I’m unfamiliar with how they are sized.

[Fast_Freddy]

Originally Posted by jc3

What about replacement shocks? I am heavy and would like to replace at least the rear. Anyone know if there is there a cross reference bike?

Unfortunately I don't have any information on replacement suspension components or exact specs for the oem parts. Your best bet is to start a new thread about it and any useful information posted will be added here as it becomes available.

Another option is to contact Joe Henner Motorsports on Facebook. He offers suspension tuning for Chinese bikes. I got some fork preload spacers from him recently that helped immensely with my too-soft Templar forks (I weigh 250lbs). Good luck.

[Thumper]

The OEM spring on the KKE rear shock on the Templar is 350 lbs per inch. It is the stiffest spring available from KKE for that shock. I contacted KKE Racing
(2260 S. Haven Ave Unit B, Ontario California 91761, United States), but their primary motorcycle product for North America is wheels, not shocks. But they can get you a replacement shock.
KKE model number is MA40B03
He quoted me $169 plus $80 shipping
Ya I know, shipping is ridiculous, but these are OEM supplied by KKE, manufactured in China for motorcycle builders like Zuumav, Kamax, etc.

To figure out what spring could replace it (not KKE racing), measure the mounted length from end to end first, Then you can remove the shock and measure the internal diameter on the mounting ends. You can measure the length uncompressed when you have it out if you want to. Overall spring length is kind of important. It might be hard to find much stiffer spring though.

FYI- I compressed the shock by more than one inch and it was STIFF!!!

Chances are, all you really need to do is compress the preload.

Look at posts 12 through 14 in this thread for a how to on preload adjustment:
https://www.chinariders.net/showthread.php?t=31860

Alternatively, The bolt diameter is 10mm (upper and lower rear shock mounts) and bushing length (22mm for the upper, and I think the lower one is identical - you can measure it). Find a shock with the same mounting bolt size, ~ same length or shorter if you want to lower it (1" shorter creates ~3" to 3-1/2" lowering). The only possible issue is the side mounted ballonet has to be at a slight angle to fit. Just get one without a ballonet to avoid that problem!.

Here are some specs I sent to KKE racing:
Some specifications:
-460mm distance from top to bottom mounting positions (center to center of mounting holes)
-10mm bolts top and bottom (mounting holes)
-22mm wide upper mount bushing
-350lbs/inch spring
-rebound adjustment is at the base of the cylinder on the lower mount
-compression adjustment is on the top of the ballonet