Yamaha XT225

[SoCal250]

Realized I hadn't updated the ongoing saga of the POS. I did a bunch of work on it in the weeks leading up to the Thanksgiving holiday. And after about 120 test miles it seems to be running OK now.

Because it was running crappy after the last fill up I tested the fuel for excessive ethanol but didn't find anything unusual, just the expected roughly 8-10%. After running through that tank I have started filling up at a different station.

Increased the pilot jet size again, from #42.5 to #45. The settings are now:
MJ: #130 (stock is #125)
PJ: #45 (stock  is #40)
Needle: 1 shim (the OE needle has only 1 groove)
Fuel screw: 2-3/4 turns out (stock is 2 turns)


Checked the plug, which shows some wear (chipping) on the electrode. And this is only after 300-400 miles. It was obviously running lean, but much of that is likely due to the suspected leaking intake boot that I found and replaced recently.


Installed a new plug. I'll keep an eye on it to see how my new jetting looks.

Checked compression. 158 psi (spec is 128~185 psi)


Replaced the worn out and disintegrating chain slider. Man, what a task that was! Replacement required nearly taking the whole bike apart. Had to remove the seat, side covers, tank, rear wheel, shock, lower shock linkage, and swingarm. Hopefully the new one lasts another 20 years.




Also adjusted the valves (which were nearly perfect) and replaced the O-rings on the covers that had been seeping since I got the bike.


Hopefully the days of running hot and crappy performance are now behind me. I'll continue to rack up more miles to know for sure, and keep my fingers crossed.

[m in sc]

nice. good to have an errand mule thats fun. my ct125 and dr650 split that duty depending how far or fast I need to go.

[so-cal-sdr200]

Let's encourage Russ to change the "Death-Wing" tires with something sticky.

[m in sc]

I missed the tire thing.  are they just old?

[SoCal250]

I missed the tire thing.  are they just old?

He's talking about the infamous Bridgestone Trail Wing tires that have a notoriously bad reputation for letting grip go suddenly, hence the nickname "Death Wings". The XT came with TW27 & TW30 stock. My POS is now shod with TW301 and TW302 in stock sizes.
What's on there now, although not that old (7 yrs) is SKETCHY on the street! Whether that's the tire model or just because they're knobbies is debatable. I just want something I can trust and will actually allow the bike to lean a little without dumping it. Almost blew out my knee recently doing a frantic foot dab save while putting through a neighborhood.
But...new shoes are on the way -- sticky 80-20 street rubber.   After several months of backorder, my new tires have finally shipped! Maybe I'll get fresh ones for once.

In other news...Today I decided to take it out for a longer test ride after the 20 miles yesterday. I added 1/2 turn out to the fuel screw before heading out, so I'm at 3-1/4 out now. It ran flawlessly!
My goal was just to go out and do some test miles and make sure all is good, but I didn't really have a destination or goal. Once I got out there I decided to just keep on going and changed routes a few times. Ended up doing all of PCH from Seal Beach down to almost Dana Point, and the canyon roads; Laguna, Santiago, Silverado, Live Oak, etc.
Total mileage for the day was 144!   I'm tired and my ass hurts!
I think I can almost say now that it's been thoroughly tested and is good-to-go.

Corona Del Mar




Stopped for breakfast/lunch at Silverado Cafe



EDIT: By the way, I can tell you that 144 street miles on a POS dual sport with a 20-yr-old stock seat isn't for sissies.

[m in sc]

ok. io kinda thought so. the dr650 has trail wings. so far i've been pretty happy with them but in cold weather they def aren't as good. yesterday i had them in cold wet conditions in the morning and werent bad but could have been better.

glad to see the 'duece and a quarter' is finally behaving.   

[SoCal250]

So I finally got around to getting some new shoes for the POS.
First, the project was delayed because of inventory or supply chain issues. For months there were no tires in the model & sizes I needed anywhere. Finally they showed up at Chaparral so I ordered some and got some "freshies"! Placed the order in week 49 and received tires dated the 37th and 40th week of 2025.

Then it took me a while to get them installed due to the holiday season and life getting in the way. I finally finished mounting them last weekend.
Goodbye DeathWings!



And so-cal-sdr200 was kind enough to let me borrow his tire changer  






Before:


After:


Before:


After:


Time for test riding!

[SoCal250]

Yesterday I did a shakedown ride and put a little over 25 miles on them. And today I rode around town a bit doing errands and then met up with a friend in Irvine to ride up to Cook's Corner for lunch. Another 64 successful miles today.

[RDnuTZ]

so you traded better on road manners and stability for less off road "capability"? I need to find something like that for my Beta after I dual plate it.

[SoCal250]

so you traded better on road manners and stability for less off road "capability"? I need to find something like that for my Beta after I dual plate it.

Yep, because I doubt that it will ever see much dirt activity since we don't go out out to the desert or OHV areas anymore. I may do an occasional fire road but these tires should handle that no problem. The Kenda K761s are an 80/20 tire that had some good reviews and positive reports on performance, plus they're relatively inexpensive. I'm guessing they'll only see 1-2% dirt

[m in sc]

good to know
the DR will need something better in the near future

[SoCal250]

Put another 66 miles on the POS today.
Went on a ride with my friend John to Long Beach with hopes of seeing the Queen Mary & Queen Mary 2 together for the first time in 20 years. The QM2 just came into port, and on Monday was next to the Queen Mary which is permanently moored in Long Beach Harbor. Unfortunately the QM2 had already sailed over to the Port of LA for its nighttime mooring Monday night, prior to Tuesday evening departure.