First thing I did was remove the mirrors. I use a helmet mirror. If you've ever used a bicycle mirror on your glasses its similar to that. Although the ovalized mirrors on the CRF250L are much better than round mirrors, they cant hold a candle to a helmet mirror. A helmet mirror gives you instant 180 degree view behind you which includes both blind spots and its much easier to focus on even with bifocals. The cops have never bothered me since many motorcycles no longer use handlebar mirrors. Ive been using a helmet mirror for 14 years. Next thing to go was the chain guard. A properly lubed chain doesn't throw oil and theres no way its going to catch my clothing and I don't carry passengers. Its possible to clean and lube half the chain at a time without the guard on. Saves time and trouble and you actually lube the chain every 500 miles. Install accessory hookup on the battery. Allows instant attachment of a trickle charger and also a 12v accessory socket for my electric vest and other things without removing body work. Future plans: I was going to buy a rear rack but perhaps it is possible to bungee a dry bag to the rear fender without one. That's all I will need. Anyone try it? Does it work? Ive filled the gas tank once and those two stupid bars at the top of the tank prevent inserting the nozzle so gas goes all over when filling. Has anyone removed them? Is it possible to fill the tank at a gas station without spilling all over it? Enquiring minds want to know.
The bars at the top of the gas tank are a bit annoying, making fillups just a bit slower and more prone to spilling. Would also like to hear how other folks have dealt with them.
I deal with those bars by really slow fill ups. Annoying, definitely. But then again, because the tanks are so small if the bars weren't there we wouldn't get as much fuel in there either, without holding the nozzle and filling carefully anyway. I also have the accessory dongle specifically for a battery tender. IMO that is a "necessary" mod for just about every motorcycle.
two things: -the tank bars are there so you know when to stop filling, but still annoying, ive just learned to fill up at a particular gas station that has a "slow fill" option. thus dramatically reducing spills. - 2nd, your chain should not "spray lube everywhere" if it does you have over lubed it. yes, over lubing is a thing. i actually didn't learn this untill a few years ago, and ive been riding since i was 12. your suppose to spray the inside of your chain, the part that actually goes around the sprockets, spraying the outside of the chain does next to nothing as the lube will sit on top of the o-rings and simply collect dirt thus wearing out your chain faster. when you spray the inside of the chain the lube will actually get pull through due to the centripetal force, and actually work its way into the o-rings. when correctly spraying your chain you will not only use far less lube, but your chain will actually last 3-4 times longer. ive been doing this "correct lube method" for 4 years now and i can confirm that it really does work, not just for dirt bike ( altho they are more prone to over lubing due to dirt stick) but sport bikes too. i kick my self in the pants every time i lube my chain now, because i used to lube like every ride, now i do it like every 5-10th ride and my chain lasts so much longer then before. just my 2 cent
Wow! First time I have seen that in writing. Great advice. I have "accidentally" been lubing my chain using that method because it's the easiest way to spray without getting lube all over the chassis/tire/wheel. Put the bike on a rear stand, spin wheel with one hand, spray lube with the other. No mess, no fuss.
i hear you man, just when you think you know everything, you learn something new. even someone like me, that been building custom bikes for almost a decade, and yet i didnt know this till a few years ago......... a really easy way to lube the inside of your chain is put the bke on a rear stand, turn the bike on and let it run in 2nd gear, as the wheel spins, spray alittle bit of lube on the inside of the chain, just under the chain guide, right before the rear sprocket. this will ensure a nice even coat of lube and maximize your chain performance while reducing wear and tear. glad i could help
