[Cold Slither]

I asked my local tire shop if they could balance my tires to cut down on vibration and they said they couldn't do wheels this small.

 

[UshouldaBOUGHTaHONDA]

I’m not sure if this will help with the wobble but they sell balancing beads that you insert thru your valve stem. I have some rolling around in an old set of tires on the shelf & didn’t know why they were in there till I asked a friend. Then I did a little research & there are different amounts to put in different sizes tires.

Counteract for Off Road | Counteract Balancing Beads

counteractbalancing.com

 

[Jeepster]

I just checked mine. They wobble some too, but not any more than my Hipers on my red R. Some of the wobble you’re seeing could be the tires, too. I don’t think they’re ever going to be perfectly balanced/true like an automotive tire/wheel.

Good to know. All my wobble is from the wheel. Oh well I’ll just run em.

 

[bushwesl]

The D14 XC 5th round (my 4th race) was yet again at the Fredneck Ranch last weekend. It’s the last one there for the year. I took the holeshot and 2nd place. I personally felt better than I ever have - stamina, strength, fatigue, etc. Apparently working out and eating better is helping🤷🏼‍♂️ That said, I’m still slower than the guy that consistently beats me…😏 The R ran great, but my skid plate broke and one of my pipe springs popped off. Easy fixes. I think the engine is starting to get a little tired, unfortunately. I need to run a compression test to know for sure. I’d really, really like to make it through this season without having to rebuild as there are only 2 more races left.

 

[bushwesl]

ISF Racing finished up my no-link swingarm last week - Steve does some beautiful work! It’s now at TLR Coatings getting powder coated in Columbia Coatings mini texture black just like the other components. I hope to get it back this coming week🤞🏻

 

[XC250r86]

How’s the no link work with the stock frame? Would be interested in doing something similar on my build.

 

[bushwesl]

How’s the no link work with the stock frame? Would be interested in doing something similar on my build.

In short, it works with a no-link swingarm and a correct length no-link shock.

The no-link setup was mostly found in aftermarket chassis, most notably Roll Design Lobo and LSR, where the upper shock mount was moved up on the frame allowing for a longer shock - typically 17.5-18”. In any OEM frame/no-link setup that I’ve seen the shock length is 15.5-15.75”.

From my understanding, only Roll Design (Lobo II) and KOQ made no-link swingarms specifically for OEM frames. Any others were likely intended for an aftermarket no-link chassis.

The OEM frame/no-link setup is not common, but it can be done. Unfortunately, all the usual aftermarket swingarm manufacturers only made no-links in the 88/89 style. ISF Racing, to my knowledge, is the only one to ever be willing to make a no-link swingarm in the 86/87 style, with this one being the second. Burns350R has the first one, which this build was modeled off from his XC 250R chassis.

If you pursue this path, make sure you find a shock builder that is familiar with these setups. I chose Motowoz because, 1. I’ve always heard good things about them, and 2. Jim setup Burns350R’s shocks on his XC 250R build, so I felt confident he’d get mine right.

Lastly, the no-links are notorious for being a PIA with the intake/airbox, often times needing to adjust the airbox location to clear the shock throughout its travel.

 

[bushwesl]

I think the engine is starting to get a little tired, unfortunately. I need to run a compression test to know for sure. I’d really, really like to make it through this season without having to rebuild as there are only 2 more races left.

Well, I’m dropping off the engine this week to DBC Racing for a rebuild. It’s really hard to start and get/keep running, and I can roll it over with my hand. I hope it’s a quick turnaround and I can be back in the game for the next race.

 

[bushwesl]

I picked up my ISF no-link swingarm from the powder coater today. It was the first time that I actually had it in my possession and wow, I’m impressed! The build quality and fitment is second to none. Everything fits and lines up exactly how it’s supposed to, and I was surprised that it came with every piece of hardware. It took a while to get it, but it was definitely worth the wait.

 

[scrappy]

Looks awesome! Is it stock length?

 

[bushwesl]

Looks awesome! Is it stock length?

Thanks! Yes, it’s 18.5”, stock length for 88/89.

 

[scrappy]

Ah no wonder it looked a little short.

 

[kellmx147]

Wow that swingarm is pretty trick, looks awesome. Everything else seems to be coming together nicely!! Keep it going

 

[bushwesl]

And we have a roller! Mostly. Just need the rear shock.

 

[bushwesl]

Similar, but different😁 Mostly similar in that neither run right now🤣😏 A side note - those Obor’s are HEAVY. There is a very noticeable difference just lifting the back end of each machine to move them around.

 

[kellmx147]

Looking sick!!
That’s funny you mentioned the tires, I was thinking that they look heavy in those pics. Hopefully they run well

 

[scrappy]

It's looking awesome. The tires look huge like a set of steam rollers on a pro street car.

 

[bushwesl]

Well, I’m dropping off the engine this week to DBC Racing for a rebuild. I hope it’s a quick turnaround and I can be back in the game for the next race.

DBC Racing crushed it! I dropped my engine off last Monday and just picked it up tonight - a 1 week turnaround. We ended up doing a lot more than just rebuilding the top end, too. He split the cases and replaced the gaskets to fix a small oil leak, put a new clutch in, and replaced the counterbalancer bearing. It should be good to go for awhile now. Thanks to Blake at DBC Racing, I’ll easily make it to the next race on Oct 8th.

 

[bushwesl]

I'm WAY behind on updates, so bear with me on the next few posts.

Even though DBC Racing took care of me in time for the Oct 8th race, I unfortunately had to miss it. I was, however, able to make the last race of the season on Oct 15th at Valley Trail Riders in Bentley, MI. VTR did an awesome job with the course and the overall management of the race. It was a true woods course and the scenery was amazing with the fall color change here in MI. It sure was muddy, though.

I finished 2nd in my class and 10th overall for the day. The ol’ 250R with a fresh engine ran great😁

As far as overall points, I finished 3rd in my class, just 3 points behind the 2nd place guy. Had I made any of the 3 races I missed and finished, I would have easily taken 2nd overall. Showing up consistently is key, something I look forward to being better at next year. Speaking of next year, I think I will move up to B class or 35+ Vet, depending on what some of the other guys end up doing. Not the best pictures, but these are what I have.

 

[bushwesl]

Also, I realize this thread has turned build/race report; that will be my last race report post with hopes to only focus on build updates from here on out.

That said, I haven't made too much progress since my last update. Life has been busy and there isn't a major rush to finish it anymore. Not to mention it's turned cold in MI and I don't have a heated garage. I'll have a bit of time over the upcoming holidays, though, where I hope to spend some time making more progress.

I previously shared that I was going to refurbish the original OEM plastic. Unfortunately, the OEM plastic was too far gone - dried out and brittle - and there was no way I was going to bring it back to life. It certainly wasn't for a lack of trying, though, as I've spent several hours already scraping and sanding. So I pivoted and picked up some white Maier plastic. It'll do, but the fitment certainly isn't OEM. I'm currently trying to get the front to fit right while using the black OEM shroud. I'll post pics once I get it all done.

One thing I did get is some custom graphics from Spider Graphix. My goal was to have the same look/feel as my red R, but in blue and with sponsor style decals throughout. Overall, I think they turned out OK. After having them printed and in-hand, I think there are a few things that I would have tweaked/done differently.