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New Member New SRX250 owner

Discussion in 'New Members Say Gday' started by Alumascoupe, Nov 10, 2022.

  1. Alumascoupe

    Alumascoupe Member Premium Member

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    Hello from midwest USA :) Found this forum few weeks back after accidently finding an srx250 while hunting for parts for my other yamahas ( a pair of XT225s & several TW200s). The srx250 i found had been parked since the mid 90s by the original owner. Her son decided to keep her Seca instead of the SRX.
    . Being far more interested in dual sports i ignored the increasing urge to pursue the SRX for nearly 2 weeks as it was 2 states & 300 miles away (500km for you Aussies?) But when a deal came up on a TW200 that was within 2 hours drive of the SRX my willpower caved in & I went to see them both & came home that day with an SRX ! (No worries, the TW was much closer so i told that seller i would return to retrieve it the next day, so 2 winter projects scored in one day !)
    . My SRX is missing the front fairing, but does still wear its belly pan :) Still debating if I want the 80s square headlight & stock fairing, or if i will adapt a 7" round LED in its place...
    It took about 3 weeks to get the parts here to get it running after a 1/4 century in a partly roofless garage (so yeah its got some corrosion spots here n there) but it cleaned up fairly good & looks great from about 5-10ft away LOL
    . All it took to revive sleeping beauty was a good thorough cleaning of the carb (FULL of weirdly green syrupy goo, secondary slide was gummed shut & the secondary jet had to be cleaned in place, as the screw slot was too mangled to dare trying to remove) Also had to reseal the intake boots until XT350 ones came from Aliexpress (a great tip found on this site!) The chain & sprocket were rusty & seized BAD in spots so ordered a set from the UK. Gas tank petcock & lines had to be gone over as previous owner has (most) the parts in a bag from decades ago, presumably why it was parked. amazingly only a few small screws & a hose clamp were M.I.A. The hardest task was remaking the now rock hard fuel hoses that feed the petcock. Took an hour just to fish 2 feet of new hose into those spring sheilds, ugh ! Got new petcock & fuel strainer seals to stop all the drips (was SO close to running but then had to wait a week for the seals)
    Brakes were shot so new pads & shoes (warning the SRX250 NICHE brand shoes available needed some serious sanding down to fit in the drum, poor quality control) I had to rebuild the front caliper & master cyl, a first for me, nothing but globs of crystalline gel in there, caliper seized tight. All told it took under $200 in parts to revive it after 25 yrs neglect in a shed, & my carb rebuild worked first try ! (rare for me LOL)
    The only thing i have left to do (besides make the front end/headlight less ugly) is to source some tires as the originals have DEEP dry rot cracks several inches long. Of course now i find out at least the front tire size is Unobtanium here in the USA so may be spending an arm & a leg shipping from overseas. Its nearly winter here so i have time.
    I have put about 12 miles on it so far, just around the block as i am leary to test the tires much. A few short bursts of throttle up to 60mph or so have been relatively disappointing in comparison to my bored piped & jetted xt225...
    Not sure if my SRX250 truly is 17hp vs 30+ like some stats say. Or if the carb "seconday" that i had to free up is again inoperable ? I can get it to rev well up to 9k, just doesnt really pull very hard vs my xt225 thats rated at 20hp (& maybe juiced up to mid 20hp or so with mods). I do have a slight low rpm throttle bog on the srx when trying to idle around at 5-10mph so perhaps more carb work is in order, can you SRX guys "feel" the secondary kick in ???
    Well, looks like i just wrote more of a build thread novel than an intro...so yeah, new member here with an SRX250 thats getting some love this winter & hello to my fellow forum members !

    20221103_055557.jpg 20221014_170543.jpg 20221018_002954.jpg
     
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  2. thebeefsalad

    thebeefsalad Well-Known Member

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    Howdy neighbor
     
  3. Alumascoupe

    Alumascoupe Member Premium Member

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    G'day Mate :) I love the fact we can be neighbors, Only possible now in this modern connected era ! funny enough after reading more posts here it looks like another member just an hour south of me has an SRX250, this forum sure goes global
     
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  4. thebeefsalad

    thebeefsalad Well-Known Member

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    Of course now i find out at least the front tire size is Unobtanium here in the USA so may be spending an arm & a leg shipping from overseas. What size tires does it call for? wasn't aware other countries had other sizes available than we do
     
  5. 2valve

    2valve Well-Known Member

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    :welcome: to the forum.

    You've done well scoring the SRX , it look's very nice for a bike that was exposed to the weather as such.

    The belly pan's are getting hard to find , there usually either cracked , which i suspect them coming loose on the front mount's or there M.I.A.

    The front fairing can still be found over this way , have a contact that has two them in his garage. The fairing work's pretty well for the size of it , definitely will help when your doing 60MPH on the highway.
    Pretty sure that the decal kit is N.L.A though for your USA model , so if you can find one over your way , that would be the way to go. The fairing is only going to get harder to find as time goe's on.

    The SRX250's where very popular over this side of the pond , they made for year's for our market , not like over your way for one year only so we had a good following on this model.

    Wasn't sure if your aware or not , but you can purchase a carby kit to suit , not everything in the kit is supplied , but at'least it's better than nothing. The same seller also has rear brake shoe's , if you have issue's with the one's you have.

    New tyres are available over this way , so close to O.E spec's , i think they are 10mm wider front and rear and the height of the tyre is correct so no issue's with the front mudguard.

    The next time i'm out on the bike , i'll take note of when i think the secondary carb kick's in. I should have wrote it down , but by the time i got home after a ride i forgot all about it :headbang:.

    The OZ market SRX's are rated at 32 HP , mine seem's to get up and go pretty well straight up to 60 MPH easily at our highway speed limit and the bike want 's to keep going.
    I've only rev'd mine to 6000RPM , so way off the 10,500 RPM red line.
    The O.E air filter has 30 weight oil fitted , so it's pretty thick , there is a lot thinner oil for maximum air flow.
    O.E air filter's are still available over your way and very cheap too.

    There are a lot of very smart guy's on this forum (i'm not one of them :idk:) , so there is alway's help to be found here.

    Anyway , again welcome to the forum and the SRX 250 family :lolsign:.
     
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  6. Andych

    Andych Moderator Staff Member Premium Member Contributing Member Dirty Wheel Club

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    Welcome aboard... looks to be a lovely little bike.
    If you are really concerned about the front tire you can source a 1991 SRX250 3WP front rim (17 inch) from Japan. Forks are identical, if memory serves me correctly the spacer is different as is the brake disc and caliper... but all obtainable through places like Zenmarkey, Jauce etc. These are Yahoo Japan sourcing houses (Yahoo Japan only sell in Japan).
    Plenty of spares on there as well... new and 2nd hand.
    Enjoy the ride :)
     
  7. Murdo

    Murdo The Good Doctor Staff Member Contributing Member Ride and Events Crew

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    :welcome: Nice bike.
     
  8. Alumascoupe

    Alumascoupe Member Premium Member

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    Wow thanks for the warm welcome, its clear this is THE place to be for an SRX250 owner !
    Not sure I can trust google info when it comes to a one year only model, so firsthand info is much appreciated :)
    Tire sizes are 90/90/16 & 100/90/18. Front is really more a scooter/moped sized tire & scooters have never sold well here. Best i can find is to order a pirelli from France for about double (what I think) such a small tire should cost. Annoyingly theres a pair of rims on ebay with what appear to be good Avon tires on them, but seller refused to go into detail on tire condition saying tires are just a free addition to rims. If I understood motorcycles bizarre habit of listing tires in varied measurement standards (is a 2.75x16 or MT90b-16 the same as a 90/90/16 ? ugh pick one standard ! I understand metric from car tires but the other two just confuse me.
    As for the fairing & graphics, I trust you guys know the truth, tho a site i order yamaha parts from often shows them available still (but once in cart say BACK ORDER ships in a few weeks, so who knows perhaps not) I am still torn on if i go fairing or not. I can go naked round LED headlight for under $100 or its $300+ for an OEM fairing & windsheild (IF available) There are several used on ebay to but all need windshields & have crack damage. I can plastic weld, i can paint (matching the OEM pearl may be hard tho) & I have already done PAINTED graphics by hand cutting a template in vinyl "mask" to then paint it on, so in theory for a few nights effort & $100 or so I can make a used one work (tho may still need to find a windsheild)
    You guys seem to readily order from Japan but that is nothing I have experience with stateside. Funny enough the kid I bought the SRX from was telling me he occasionally orders stuff like JDM blinkers straight from Japan for his subaru wagon & we got along quite well so he maybe able to assist showing me how its done.
    And don't sell yourself short 2Valve, i have read all 27 pages of Andych's srx build & its clear you guys know ALOT about these bikes ! It's because of guys like you all, with loads of helpful insight that I'm so thrilled to be here !
     
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  9. thebeefsalad

    thebeefsalad Well-Known Member

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    Google probably isn't lying. I remember having a hard time finding a tire for the 250rr. looked at it today and the only one I can find for the rear in the proper size is a shinko, and that appears to be a new offering. plenty of options in india though, ugh!
     
  10. Andych

    Andych Moderator Staff Member Premium Member Contributing Member Dirty Wheel Club

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    Ordering from Japan isnt a big issue as long as you know the costing...
    In general you need to pay for the item (on an Auction basis) then internal freight, plus the fee for the selling house (Zenmarket, Jauce, Buyee etc) and then international shipping plus any taxes etc.
    I find it generally ends up being 3 times the price of the original item.. so if it is $30 it will cost you $90.... but this is for very hard to find parts so it goes with the territory I guess.
    @2valve has ways and means of finding some very rare parts etc... if you ask nicely he may be able to hunt down tyres or at least get you links to chase down. As he mentioned... that standard size is pretty difficult to find.
    It may be the case that Zenmarket might be a good bet for you.
    Here is one I found.It is from the 3WP 1991 model... 17 inch so a better choice of tyres available.
    https://zenmarket.jp/auction.aspx?itemCode=m1051291537
     
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  11. thebeefsalad

    thebeefsalad Well-Known Member

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    impex and cmsnl are to places I source from. risingsun is US based, but you'll pay more for anything they do have, and you can't search their parts online. if you need it now, it might be an option. i swear theres another non-US supplier thats been mentioned somewhere, but it didn't get bookmarked on my system :(
     
  12. Andych

    Andych Moderator Staff Member Premium Member Contributing Member Dirty Wheel Club

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    Boats is another... I wont use Impex any more... ripped me off on freight and were arrogant.. typical Russians.
    Megazip also are a source.
     
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  13. Alumascoupe

    Alumascoupe Member Premium Member

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    Sadly over the years I have also found russians to be difficult to conduct business with, from crooked nightclub security letting people in the backdoor at a friends party to absurdly shady scrapyard "customer service" on a junk turbo costing $700, i have learned to avoid it. Hate to lump all together as one, but some things are ingrained culture & i think capitalism & good business practice is a thing not fully understood by that society :(
    I will have to take my time getting into the multi-step japan parts process.
    Here in the states I prefer rocky mountain ATV for oem parts. Good prices, full oem parts diagrams & free shipping over $75. Really i need to browse SRX pics for a bit & decide what fairing i want to go with. I just got this fairing in the mail today from aliexpress for my TW200 cafe racer project, not sure i like it on my TW so maybe it will end up on the SRX.
    I am in Wisconsin where its madness to ride for the next 6-7 months so i have plenty of time to try ideas out.
    It seems like India is the land of all thingsmotorcycles nowadays. I do find one 90/90/16 tire available stateside, but its a bridgestone costing $260 without shipping, YIKES !
    I really appreciate your help with info guys, i will see if i can get adtrue answer if the oem fairing is actually still available & kick around fairing ideas for a bit. And see if i can decipher the tire size interchange as i "think" there maybe some sizes that match the 90/90/16 in the inch/imperial standard, i just cannot stomach spending as much for one scooter tire as 4 tires would cost on my car ! I got a fair price on the SRX so perhaps i shouldn't care, but then spending as much on tires & a fairing as the entire bike cost just seems crazy. These motorcycle projects can be a slippery slope LOL
    . I like Andych's idea of a 17" front as the 16 does look comically small in proportion, & if anyone knows what could fit its Andych. Who knows it may be just as cost effective to upgrade the front end vs a $250 scooter tire :)]
     

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  14. Andych

    Andych Moderator Staff Member Premium Member Contributing Member Dirty Wheel Club

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    Trust me... that front wheel fits, it is what is on my little SRX350 now. Standard SRX250 front forks and triple tree.
    I did use the 3WP top bridge but only because I have the full gauge package from that model.
    If you use the Megazip search you can compare part numbers from variousl year models including the 1991 3WP. There are a few differences but not many.
    The main ones being the tank, rear cowl, headlight, gauges, front brake and the rear brake is a disc. The rear suspension linkage is slightly different as well.
    I can guarantee you that the front fairing is No Longer Available.. as are most of the plastics on bikes of that age.
    There were naked versions produced... no fairing or belly pan and they look good too.
     
  15. Alumascoupe

    Alumascoupe Member Premium Member

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    I have a tiny thread of hope the fairing may still be available for the US model as the part diagram lists it as being factory pearl (maybe a USA only color scheme & therefore still some left since only one year of bikes sold here to buy them for ?) Might just be wishful thinking tho...at first i really liked the square headlight, very 80s retro to me, but the more i look at the semi naked bikes i do also like that look too. Without a fairing buffeting at speed could be an issue i'm sure. Theres a good chance it will end up a semi naked bike if the fairing is a real pain to find, i do have everything here to do a 7"round light test-fit, so in the coming months i will try fitting the setup off my TW cafe project on the SRX just to see how it looks & also see if I have the patience to try the JDM route. I talked to the seller & he used a site called buyee to order stuff for his subaru so worse case i have a helper with experience getting stuff from japan to the USA.
    After devouring every bit of info in Andych's build thread i gotta ask, whats going on with that project these days ?
     
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  16. Andych

    Andych Moderator Staff Member Premium Member Contributing Member Dirty Wheel Club

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    Too many other things happening right now for me to concentrate on the SRX... moving house, needing to re-setup a work space for the bikes as well as work (that pays the bills) :)

    I have also used Buyee but found their fees etc were higher than Zenmarket.
    Basically I search for stuff on Jauce (another buying house) and then find the same item on Zenmarket.. They all use the same Yahoo Japan identification number. Jauce has the better search facility though, Zenmarket has the lowest fees.
     
  17. Murdo

    Murdo The Good Doctor Staff Member Contributing Member Ride and Events Crew

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    When looking for tyres for one of my VT250 rebuilds I found that 90/100-16 were easier and cheaper than the 90/90-16. I think they were Pirelli brand.
    I think your bike would look ok with a round headlight.
     
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  18. Alumascoupe

    Alumascoupe Member Premium Member

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    Digging further into tire size "interchange" & i think these sites are useful
    https://www.denniskirk.com/learn/tire-sizes-explained

    https://www.tacomaworld.com/tirecalc?tires=90-80r16-90-90r16

    Still no luck finding a cost effective 90/90/16 but from what I can tell the closest size in inches would be something like a 2.75 or 3.00-16. Another close one in the other system could be MJ90-16.

    If I/we can get away with a 10mm wider tire like you suggest, then the best option is a 100/80/16 I think. Would achieve a slightly lower profile (good for handling in cars, a touch firmer ride also, but i've no clue if a lower profile helps or hurts on a bike ? Would it be too twitchy and harsh on bumps ? )
    100/80/16 stays within Just .25 mph at 70 so the speedo would read correct & give a bit less sidewall flex plus something like .4 percent shorter gearing to win those stoplight drag races LOL
    The 100/90/16 you mention also comes very close, speedo would read about about 2mph or 4.5kmh LOW at 70mph/113kph, so a touch taller gearing with a taller sidewall too (which may cause the 10mm wider tread to flex enough to cause clearance issues on the forks, but not sure)

    I maybe upsidedown and american (dont hold that against me ;) but seriously the metric tire standard is SO MUCH EASIER to decipher ! Always used it on car tires so was always taught wider tread needs a lower sidewall to be close in overall size.
    Bear with me here, imperial was how i was taught and aside from a short trip to italy as a teenager MPH is all i have ever known...i will try getting into metric km mode for you guys (and i promise i won't do that silly thing where we refer to things like football fields, school busses or empire state building as a weird form of measurement sometimes ;)
     
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  19. Alumascoupe

    Alumascoupe Member Premium Member

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    I should probably start a tire size thread & maybe a seperate "build" thread so as not to bury any useful info in a new member intro, that may arise in me asking you guys questions ? Never did much other than lurk on forums over the years but i know some can be particular on methods of posting especially with a newbie. The facebook groups i am on have taught me little in the way of actual forum manners other than how divisive people can be at times & i would prefer to be a member in a constructive group like this where guys work together to solve problems, dont wanna be that guy cluttering info in all the wrong places :) thanks for the welcome & super useful knowledge guys, will see you out in the main forum, should i post mainly in the yamaha section ?
     
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  20. Andych

    Andych Moderator Staff Member Premium Member Contributing Member Dirty Wheel Club

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    Your choice as to where you have your "build" thread. I t can be in 250 Projects or in the Yamaha section, either is suitable and as long as it has SRX250 in the title it can be found with the search function :)
     
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