[250Renvy]

I'm not even in the ATV racing industry but it's interesting to watch and see the changes despite most of them being bad for 250R's.

It seem as though the first generation is being slowly fizzled out. Some of the companies that specialized in and created parts for the 250R don't seem to have a lot of the same parts for 450's. As far as aftermarket cylinders go, there are a bunch of new companies arising.

Here's my observations - this discussion has come to my mind after seeing NAC's website go down and not being accessible.

Companies like Laeger's, Nac's and some others have been sold and the new owners take no interest in 250R stuff while companies like ESR, CT even LRD have limited amounts of stuff available for the new 450's(mostly focused on pipes). It's almost like it's not worth producing all the billet accessories or developing new products and especially aftermarket frames, because every couple years the quads change. So why put all that money into R&D when in a couple years the demand will not be there and to stock or carry parts for 7 + different machines and all the different years can't be easy and is probably financially risky.

I think the suspension guys faired the best in the transition because shock mounts can virtually stay the same from year to year and A-arms are pretty easy to adjust.

But I think as owners get older and retire, 250R stuff is going the way of the buffalo. Think about it, if Duncan racing gets sold, LRD, CT or any of the big 250R guys retire and/or get sold the new owners will ditch anything that is not so profitable and have no sentiment attached to 250R stuff(unless they were big into it at the time), even 400ex and Z400 stuff and 300ex stuff is getting ditched.

I'm interested to hear what others think?

 

[RebelBanshee]

as long as there is a market, someone will make stuff.

 

[Michael88R]

I find it very interesting that most companies have quit making or selling 250R products. Some keep selling their existing products, but don't put any time into developing new products, like CT, Duncan, and LRD have. ESR, however has just came out with a new spark arrested silencer, a new TRX7 pipe, a revised TRX5 pipe, a new TRX 71 porting, and possibly more. A lot of time and money goes into developing new pipes, especially when you look at the stamped type pipes. They have to make up new patterns, dies, and everything. Just surprises me. The old trx5 and 6 pipes continue to sell, yet they develop new ones. I think part of it is that Eddie and many of his employees and friends still run Rs so they want to keep making their own Rs better.

 

[voelker]

ive thought about this before. as long as esr, ct etc.. keep making stuff for the next tens years or so, ill be happy. ill never get rid of my r, but i figure ill buy a four stroke eventually.

 

[C-Leigh Racing]

One company we should all focus on in all of this is LA Sleeve, why, because they are the main supplier of Pro-x 250R cylinders to all the retailing dealers.

Times right now are tight, & LA like all other companys in the US are feeling the pinch.
Some of you may have noticed, when asking about a cylinder kit, that they didnt have it in stock, well, because of the pinch LA & all the stocking dealers just dont order as many cylinder kits as before. Sales being down like they are & the market opening up for the new 4 stroke products is why.

There was a time when CT Racing would order 500 265 cylinder kits at one time, now, today, because of the 4 stroke, what they are pushing sales in is a 350PV cylinder kit. Why mess around with a 265 or 310 their way of thinking, just go big & be done with it.
All dealers will have from the 310 up to 350, but will be limited in numbers & sometimes even out of stock because of LA Sleeves condition right now.

I might be wrong in this thinking, dont think so right now, but, one reason for this problem is, you have so many dropping the 250R & jumping on a new 4 stroke because its easier to ride.
BUT, dont let that easy ride fool you, because for all that easy your enjoying it will eat up your back pocket later down the road.
Neil

 

[8dave3]

Interesting topic here.I was just talking about this very thing Friday with my local shop.About 4yrs ago Sparks would hardly talkto you about a 250R and one tech ther flat told me they were focusing strictly on 4 strokes.I called them 2 weeks ago on the off chance they may still an old pipe laying around or know where one was.Of course the answer was no,but the guy did go on to tell me they were going to try and make a run of them this fall.They already have the material and just need to get the time after the racing season slows down.We actually talked for about 30 min about the state of thr R and he said they are getting more and more requests for pipes and cylinders.With ESR continuing to develop newer stuff,that tells me there is still a market.When I called them,I said I wanted to talk to him about something he probaly hadnt talked about in a long time,a 250R pipe.He told me that I was the 4th guy that day asking about 250R pipes.I dont think the parts boom will ever reach the height of the 90's and thats all right.Some of that stuff was junk and needed weeded out.Ill settle for fewer makers with quality stuff.

 

[my88r]

Interesting topic here.I was just talking about this very thing Friday with my local shop.About 4yrs ago Sparks would hardly talkto you about a 250R and one tech ther flat told me they were focusing strictly on 4 strokes.I called them 2 weeks ago on the off chance they may still an old pipe laying around or know where one was.Of course the answer was no,but the guy did go on to tell me they were going to try and make a run of them this fall.They already have the material and just need to get the time after the racing season slows down.We actually talked for about 30 min about the state of thr R and he said they are getting more and more requests for pipes and cylinders.With ESR continuing to develop newer stuff,that tells me there is still a market.When I called them,I said I wanted to talk to him about something he probaly hadnt talked about in a long time,a 250R pipe.He told me that I was the 4th guy that day asking about 250R pipes.I dont think the parts boom will ever reach the height of the 90's and thats all right.Some of that stuff was junk and needed weeded out.Ill settle for fewer makers with quality stuff.

thats cool that sparks is getting back into it.

 

[sictrxr]

recently ive seen a bunch of r's at my local races and as long as guys are racing/breaking them the market will be there. the biggest problem the manufacturers are facing also stems from the fact that any racer or rec rider who has or have had an R has a small room dedicated to spare parts and as they get new 4-strokes they sell off there old go-fast parts on ebay. and why would you pay $400 for a new pipe when you could buy a used one for $150.

 

[Project250r.com]

One thing i have noticed, the HUGE market on ebay of used parts has kind of hurt/decreased sales of new aftermarket R parts. Its hard to sell a new set of a-arms for a 250r when they are going for 200 to 300 shipped one bay.

I think once ebay dies down a little on the used parts, people will start ordering new parts again. Maybe that will increase demand, and companies will start stocking them again...

 

[mxduner]

One company we should all focus on in all of this is LA Sleeve, why, because they are the main supplier of Pro-x 250R cylinders to all the retailing dealers.

Times right now are tight, & LA like all other companys in the US are feeling the pinch.
Some of you may have noticed, when asking about a cylinder kit, that they didnt have it in stock, well, because of the pinch LA & all the stocking dealers just dont order as many cylinder kits as before. Sales being down like they are & the market opening up for the new 4 stroke products is why.

There was a time when CT Racing would order 500 265 cylinder kits at one time, now, today, because of the 4 stroke, what they are pushing sales in is a 350PV cylinder kit. Why mess around with a 265 or 310 their way of thinking, just go big & be done with it.
All dealers will have from the 310 up to 350, but will be limited in numbers & sometimes even out of stock because of LA Sleeves condition right now.

I might be wrong in this thinking, dont think so right now, but, one reason for this problem is, you have so many dropping the 250R & jumping on a new 4 stroke because its easier to ride.
BUT, dont let that easy ride fool you, because for all that easy your enjoying it will eat up your back pocket later down the road.
Neil

Wasn't it interesting, about 2-3 months ago neil couldn't get a pv cylinder kit for me, let alone any pro x kit, cause they were retooling their equipment? but lets not forget, we have a new line of cylinders from cpi ind. in their testing phases... and yea as neil says the four strokes cost more in probably everyway shape and form, period. Lets just see what happens to direct injection in the future, and you could be straddling the most crisp and clean burning quad powered engine ever imaginable, and it will fire combustion gases every revolution!