Help to gether parts for an 86 build

[kymudhunter]

Hey guys, I recently bought this 86. It is 100 percent stock, as far as drive train. The motor has never been bored, and everything is still set as factory specs, except for the FMF pipe. But I don't even know which one it is, so I reckon it is a "fatty"... Maybe someone else can I.D. it.
Anyway. I am still in Kuwait, and will be until july/ august, but I plan to gather parts to get this up to snuff when I get home. I will be doing more trail riding then anything, and I like the XC style racing, but I have never had a chance to enter a race.
This is my first R, and I searched out an 86 on purpose, for the transmission, but I didn't want one that was hacked on by someone else. I know that I am going to have to address my suspension at some point, but don't really know what to go with. I am 6'3 and 250lbs, so I am worried about The amount of power I am going to have on hand.
The one thing that I have bought so far, I bought off here, is an oversized fuel tank. New tires and wheels are certainly on the list as well. Any other suggestions that you guys could give? I won't actualy be working on the bike until I get home, but I would like to gather as many parts as I can between now and then. Thanks in advance.
Josh

By the way. I live and ride around New Haven, KY if anyone is local to that area and could maybe give me some pointers on getting started in XC racing when I get back that would be awesome.
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[pro-fab]

that looks like an FMF from a trike or dirt bike...

[deadly]

Wow you're a big dude! IIRC the weight to HP loss is every 10 lbs is one horse lost. Common XC motor is a 300 or 310. For your size I don't think that'd be enough motor. Unfortunately stepping up to a 330 or larger will require your cases to be bored out to accept the big bore. These R's are a complete money pit. For you to actually get this ready for racing I think you'd be money WAAAAY ahead to sell this thing and buy one that someone already took the financial beating on. I've got well over $10K into my bike and I'd be lucky to sell it for $4500. By the time you get done doing your motor you're going to be well over $2K and now take into account how much you spent on the bike and you still have to do the suspension?
Yeeeaaah that's just not remotely even worth it.

I feel horrible saying it - but get rid of it and buy one that someone already did all the "cool and necessary stuff" to it. You should be able to pick up a sweet R in the $4500-$5500 range.

Thanks for your military service!

Hey guys, I recently bought this 86. It is 100 percent stock, as far as drive train. The motor has never been bored, and everything is still set as factory specs, except for the FMF pipe. But I don't even know which one it is, so I reckon it is a "fatty"... Maybe someone else can I.D. it.
Anyway. I am still in Kuwait, and will be until july/ august, but I plan to gather parts to get this up to snuff when I get home. I will be doing more trail riding then anything, and I like the XC style racing, but I have never had a chance to enter a race.
This is my first R, and I searched out an 86 on purpose, for the transmission, but I didn't want one that was hacked on by someone else. I know that I am going to have to address my suspension at some point, but don't really know what to go with. I am 6'3 and 250lbs, so I am worried about The amount of power I am going to have on hand.
The one thing that I have bought so far, I bought off here, is an oversized fuel tank. New tires and wheels are certainly on the list as well. Any other suggestions that you guys could give? I won't actualy be working on the bike until I get home, but I would like to gather as many parts as I can between now and then. Thanks in advance.
Josh

By the way. I live and ride around New Haven, KY if anyone is local to that area and could maybe give me some pointers on getting started in XC racing when I get back that would be awesome.
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[kymudhunter]

Not a chance in me getting rid of this bike, LOL. But thanks for the advice. I don't plan to build a pro class race bike, I just like fast trail riding. and I considered trying a coupl of xc style races for the hell of it. Certainly would not be an every weekend kind of deal. Just something to have fun with.
I have had my share of 4 strokes, and I really don't want another one. I prefer a 2 stroke in so many ways.

[450eater]

First thing you need is suspension. Good shocks are a must for xc racing. I run +2 a arms and 450r front shocks. They work ok but I'm sending them to Jet Suspension to get resprung and revalved. Ditch that pipe...don't know what it's off of but it's not for a trx250r. Anti-vibe stem and fat bars or flexx bars should be on your list also. As for the engine there are so many ways you can go. Everybody is gonna tell you to run a 310 or bigger engine and it's really not necessary for xc racing. My buddy is about your size...6'2", 240 lbs and he has no problem beating 450's with a ported 86 cylinder, short rod crank, 210psi on race gas. You want a quick revving motor that snaps to attention when you hit the gas...don't want to be clutching it all the time. I'm 5'8", 165 lbs and I run a xc ported 88 jug, short rod crank, 230psi, uccr of 14.02:1, boyesen rad valve, fmf sst pipe, 36mm mikuni tmx carb. Very torquey, very snappy, and very fun to ride. If you go with +2 a arms make sure you run 4+1 offset wheels to keep it around 46 inches wide. Any wider and you'll be clipping everything. Hope this helps. I race 4 or 5 races a year in the msxc series and 1 or 2 gncc's a year. It's so much fun beating bikes with a lot more money in them.

[tbone07]

Deadly has a good point. But i'd go the opposite route and buy another one that already has some chassis and suspension work done to it so you don't have to blow a ton of money on that. Plus having spare parts is never a bad thing

[kymudhunter]

I personally think you guys are nuts to suggest buying another bike to start with. Or to suggest that I need a big bore bike to be competative. Thanks for the advise on the suspension 450eater. That will certainly be one of my first upgrades. I do understand the proposal of having a parts bike, and alot of spares because of how old these bikes are getting. A revalved rear and some 45r chocks up front will get me in the ball park. and I am sure that I can get the pep that I need out of the stock cylinder and proper gearing. The pipe that is on my bike is indeed an FMF Fatty pipe, MADE FOR AN 86 TRX250R. It is just an older series. a little reasearch turned that up quite easily. I will be replacing it and possibly selling it to a guy that wants to do a retro racer restore.
To the guys that gave actualy useful advise, thank you. To everyone else that suggest replacing my bike with one that is already set up for ANOTHER rider.. get real.

[ChvyCruzen]

Kymudhunter -

I am in the Lexington area and I am building up an XC/trail quad myself. I actually bought someone else's project and I still have a ways to go before I can begin assembling anything. We should try to meet up when you get back and ride together (I have a dirt bike to ride for now).

Anyways, I can relate to your size and weight ... I am 6'6" and 225 lbs. I had a stock 88R with only a FMF pipe and had plenty of power off that ... gearing does make a difference though. Suspension is a whole nother story too. I later bought a 2nd 88R and put a ESR 310PV with C-Leigh Racing Woods/MX port & polish on top of a 01 CR250 ignition and Sparks MX pipe & silencer and 38 PWK A/S carb ... I was eating any 450 out there so bad it was ridiculous. Either way, you're going to have enough power off your stock cylinder and I think a C-Leigh Racing ported & polished 310 top end will definitely be enough so you don't have to do the 330. That's if you ever decide to cross that bridge ... personally, I can't go back to a stock cylinder after my 310PV.

That's a pretty clean 86R ... Some suspension upgrades, a good pipe and perhaps a 38 PWK A/S carb will get you the power you need out of that stock cyl ... along with gearing.

Get in touch with me when you're back and thanks for your service!!