Well a couple friends and I have decided to take a trip out to St. Anthony in June. And I will be taking my newly obtained 87' 250x. I will be the slug of the group. Although I haven't had a real chance to get to play with it yet do to the white stuff. Few questions for ya.

First off how's everyone like SA?
And what should I do to prep my 250x?
How well will the little 250x do in the sand (I will have a set of sand stars on the rear)?
Also going from 1000 feet elevation to 5000 feet. Which way should I rejet it up or down?
I've heard from a couple peaple to strip the quad down of any necessary weight. Is it necissary?
Also should I regear with droping the tooth on the front?

Current mods: Keihn carb, Uni filter, older Cobra exhaust (Looking to replace soon with trail legal full exhaust), Nerf bars

I know I have more questions but thats all I can think of right now. I can't wait!

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87' Honda 250x
86' Honda 200sx Project quad

Not familiar with SA, so I can't comment on that.....

An elevation change of 4,000' is nothing. We take sea level jetted quads to 11,000' all the time, and it isn't any big deal. I doubt you will notice much difference, but if you want to rejet you would want to go smaller to lean it out. Or, cut some holes in the airbox lid or just take it off.

Weight is your enemy in the sand. I would go with buffed down Skat-Traks in favor of the heavier Sand Stars.

The little X is pretty torquey. Might be fine without a gearing change.

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Desert: 450R
Trail: 400EX
Technical Trail: Rancher 420 and 350 4X4's
Kids: Two 250EX's and 90
Dual-Sport Bike: XT225

Past rides: 300EX, 2wd Rancher 350, Recon, TRX90, Z400, LT160, LT80, Warrior, Blaster, CRF230F

Edited: 01/15/2008 at 04:36 PM by reconranger

Ordered a set kenda gecko's last night. I know there not everyones favorite. But they were the cheapest. And being this trip may be the only time I get to visit a sand dune. I'll probably end up selling them afterwards.

I'm looking for new exhaust. Any suggestions for the 250x?

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87' Honda 250x
86' Honda 200sx Project quad

Your going to hate the Gecko's they will dig like no other. And the 250x at St. Anthony's is going to struggle. The dunes are huge and the riding is fast. I would sell it and buy something faster if I was you if that is possible. Go get a TRX450 for around $3000 and you'll never look back. Good luck with it all.

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01' Bomb DS650
OMR Carb Mods(thanks OMR)
Big Gun CDI box
K&N filter (no air box)
15t front sprocket
Full CT pipe
JE 11.5:1 piston
80%/60% woods springs
Barnett Clutch
more to come......

03' Z400(Wife's ride)
Full LRD pipe
Cams

I finally found the info I was looking for. There was a long thread on gecko's. And all i've heard or read on them is that there junk. With few people liking them. But after reading a post from raptorron. I feel alot better about my dicision going with the geckos on my 250x.

Here's his quote:


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87' Honda 250x
86' Honda 200sx Project quad

Edited: 01/18/2008 at 09:58 AM by STANG302

I also am not a big gecko fan. They didn't work for anything that we had but I would put them on my kids quads with out a problem. But I agree that for the price they are ok. I just don't perfer them. If I was to buy a v-paddle I would get Sand Stars they are about the same price and IMO work alot better. But that is just one persons opinion. I also think your bike should do pretty good out there I have seen many 250X and they seem to do ok. I haven't seen them on the big hills but if a blaster can make it up Choke so can you.

Good luck and have fun and be safe St.A's is a blast.

-------------------------
2005 DS1300 Hayabusa power baby
2004 YZ450F my dirt machine
2006 Raptor R1. Very nice ( The wifes )
2003 WR450 Wifes dirt machine
1992 LT80 DG Pipe Cy's
2001 XR50 Cy's
2000 LT80 DG Pipe Nick's
2004 PW50
Want? Need? It's a fine line............

I have a hard time with the Blaster going up Choke story but oh well, I guess with an adult riding it's a different story. The blaster wouldn't have a snowballs chance in hell of making it up chokecherry with an adult. I have two buddies that have Gecko's. One has 2 400ex's. One of the ex's has Gecko's and one has knobbies. The one with the knobbies out climbs the gecko's every time at sand mountain and that's with me on it outweighing my buddy by at least 50lbs.. I also have a buddy with a blaster that has Gecko's and He is way slower because of them. This is just my experience with them. Like I said St.A's is way fun but way BIG!! so you might not be able to ride the big dunes.

-------------------------
01' Bomb DS650
OMR Carb Mods(thanks OMR)
Big Gun CDI box
K&N filter (no air box)
15t front sprocket
Full CT pipe
JE 11.5:1 piston
80%/60% woods springs
Barnett Clutch
more to come......

03' Z400(Wife's ride)
Full LRD pipe
Cams

Well I mounted the gecko's yesterday. And gave them a try in the snow. First off yes they are heavy! On feel alone they are close to double the weight of my knobies. And they did at times bog the motor down quite a bit requiring more throttle than normal. So I will be bringing a 12 tooth front sprocket to try in the sand.

It hasn't snowed in some time now. So theres a nice crust on top. My knobys would chew right threw would not stay on top. The geckos had good flotation but if they broke through they had a hard time getting through the upper crust. At one point riding on the snow drift along our fence line. I broke through and it darn near threw me over the handle bar. Wich latter on to day I did end up taking a spill sliding sidways on the side of the hill and hitting a ridge from my previous tracks a few days ago.

Over all I liked them. One thing I didn't like at least in the snow. Is they didn't like to be over spun, you ended up going no where. I can't wait for june to get out to SA. But for now I'm going to keep them on and hope for a good fresh snow fall. So I can give them another try.

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87' Honda 250x
86' Honda 200sx Project quad

There's no way I can believe a 250X would make it up Choke. I used to own one. I also go to St. A's every year (6 years in a row), and can assure you that some 400 EXs can't make it up.

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"RTOYZ" Hey 2fun, I'll pump, you bleed..
#1 04' YFZ 450
#2 04' YFZ 450
04' TRX 450R
03' KFX 400
04' Arctic cat DVX 400
88' Honda 250R (sold)
86' Honda 250R (sold)
89' Banshee (sold)
96' Banshee (sold)
93' Blaster (sold)
87' 250X (sold)
It's all about a duners perspective....
Is there any other???

I notice a HUGE difference on the YFZ at St' Anthonies compared to the Oregon coast (St A's is around 5000 ft in elevation), and when I had the 350R, I HAD to drop down at least 2 main jet sizes, or it wouldn't run on the top end.. just blubber... lol

To me, even the YFZ feels a little doggish at St. A's compared to the coast. For instance, I can easily launch hard in 2nd gear at the coast, where at St' A's there is no chance of that happening.

To yes, one can get away with not re-jetting (at least on a 4-stroke), however, I believe that you will want to re-jet in order to get the most power possible, esp when talking about taking the 250X to St. A's.
Just my opinion,

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"RTOYZ" Hey 2fun, I'll pump, you bleed..
#1 04' YFZ 450
#2 04' YFZ 450
04' TRX 450R
03' KFX 400
04' Arctic cat DVX 400
88' Honda 250R (sold)
86' Honda 250R (sold)
89' Banshee (sold)
96' Banshee (sold)
93' Blaster (sold)
87' 250X (sold)
It's all about a duners perspective....
Is there any other???

Oh, and stang,
I hope you don't think I am dogging the 250X. Like I said, I owned one for a few years and absolutely LOVED it!! However, when talking about the sand, they are severely underpowered if you plan on doing any type of hill climbing at all. Trail rides would be a blast, but any type of steep terrain is going to tax that motor, and believe me, St' A's has some of the steepest dunes in the USA!

Just go and have fun, but realize you might be finding a lot of "alternative routes" if your buddies have higher HP machines.

-------------------------
"RTOYZ" Hey 2fun, I'll pump, you bleed..
#1 04' YFZ 450
#2 04' YFZ 450
04' TRX 450R
03' KFX 400
04' Arctic cat DVX 400
88' Honda 250R (sold)
86' Honda 250R (sold)
89' Banshee (sold)
96' Banshee (sold)
93' Blaster (sold)
87' 250X (sold)
It's all about a duners perspective....
Is there any other???

i live in utah and we go to sa alot last summer i rode around on 2006 blaster completly stock. the only thing was the paddles i have the are the kenda dune runners on the cheap black wheels i went everywhere all the others bikes went all weekend didnt do choke cuz my bike sat at camp when we went there so i could run camara. my buddy was running nobbys on his 300 and went everywhere also so no stress. you will love st anthony though we cant wait to go back again.

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live life with love or give it up!!!

Let's be real here people, I don't mean to dog anyone with a smaller bike, but there is no way a blaster or anything smaller than a built 400 is going to do any of the big stuff at St. A's. Stuff like Devils Dune, Dead Horse bowl, Choke and various other big dunes. I only say this because I have had experience at Little Sahara with Mildly built 400ex's and Blaster's and had a really hard time even going around some of the medium sized bowls. And climbing hills was worse. And I think you should try your nobbies instead of the Gecko's. I think you would be surprised how bad Gecko's are, esspecially with a low powered machine. They will steal your power in the sand rather than help you. Like I said before, my buddies 400ex with stock nobbies on it out climbs the one with the Gecko's every time on the sand and I think that is saying something. Once again, I'm not out to bash, just offer some advice that I think will help you. There is plenty of fun to be had at St. A's with your 250x just not the big stuff, which is fine if your a beginner in the sand. Good luck and most of all have fun with what you have.

-------------------------
01' Bomb DS650
OMR Carb Mods(thanks OMR)
Big Gun CDI box
K&N filter (no air box)
15t front sprocket
Full CT pipe
JE 11.5:1 piston
80%/60% woods springs
Barnett Clutch
more to come......

03' Z400(Wife's ride)
Full LRD pipe
Cams

Edited: 02/08/2008 at 09:35 AM by SilverBomb

Boy, I gotta agree with the 250x being a bit underpowered.
I went to Little Sahara, on a 300ex, and sand stars, and unless the quad was pointed downhill, it wouldnt pull 5th gear. I ended up going back to the stock knobies, at least I could build up speed for a run on the hills.
That 250x isnt gonna do cholecherry with an adult on it. I went there last year, and stock 400ex like mine, were barely making it up. You can try, but dont be surprised when it falls way short of midway. I would say a 400cc machine is about the minimum size for the sand, with an adult riding it. Sand tires are ok, but not really necesary, inless you go up the steep stuff, which there is plenty of at St A.
Get yourself a one size smaller main, its not hard to change. The mixture screw may need leaning out 1/4 turn. I put holes in the lid of the air box, and covered them with duct tape. That way, as the motor needs to be leaned out for the elevation change, just remove the tape, and uncover a couple of holes at a time, until it runs easier. Totally removing the air lid, will probably make it overly lean.
Dont worry about the Gecs, on low horsepower machines they work pretty good. Just air them down, one to 2 lbs is good enough.
If this is your first time to the sand, make sure someone else is doing the leading, until you get familiar with the razorbacks and how to go over them, and watch out for the witches eyes.

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No matter that patriotism is too often the refuge of scoundrels. Dissent, rebellion, and all-around hell-raising remain the true duty of patriots. ~ Barbara Ehrenreich
"It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble.
It's what you know for sure that just ain't so. "
Mark Twain
You have your way. I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way, and the only way, it does not exist. - F. Nietzche

I agree I just said that if that guy said a blaster could make it up which I have never seen and also doubt that the 250 could. Never said it would. I said I haven't seen any on the big stuff so don't know how it would do on the big stuff just seen them out there. I have a friend that has a z400 and some times it makes it up and sometimes it don't. So I agree.

-------------------------
2005 DS1300 Hayabusa power baby
2004 YZ450F my dirt machine
2006 Raptor R1. Very nice ( The wifes )
2003 WR450 Wifes dirt machine
1992 LT80 DG Pipe Cy's
2001 XR50 Cy's
2000 LT80 DG Pipe Nick's
2004 PW50
Want? Need? It's a fine line............

Thanks every one and keep the advise comming.

To answer a few things. I will be the underdog in the group. Going with two raptors and a z400. I also got a used set of sand skate II's which I may bring with instead. In terms of weight alone the one gecko is more than the weight of both sand skates. All though I do hope to try both sets out before winters end to see which work best. We had one windy weekend and have some large new drifts to play in this weekend. I will be bringing jets and a 12 tooth sprocket to try out if I get bogged down to much.

Choke, I don't think I'd even try, maybe going down but not up. Hope to try it on one of my friends though. We'll see how it goes and I can't wait.

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87' Honda 250x
86' Honda 200sx Project quad

A quick word of advise. Don't go down Choke, you will be stuck at the bottom as there is no way back up without climbing it.

-------------------------
01' Bomb DS650
OMR Carb Mods(thanks OMR)
Big Gun CDI box
K&N filter (no air box)
15t front sprocket
Full CT pipe
JE 11.5:1 piston
80%/60% woods springs
Barnett Clutch
more to come......

03' Z400(Wife's ride)
Full LRD pipe
Cams

Actually there are ways around it there is an easy way up to the right if you are on the bottom looking up and then there is the real long way if you follow the trail to the left that you can follow all the way out of the big stuff.

-------------------------
2005 DS1300 Hayabusa power baby
2004 YZ450F my dirt machine
2006 Raptor R1. Very nice ( The wifes )
2003 WR450 Wifes dirt machine
1992 LT80 DG Pipe Cy's
2001 XR50 Cy's
2000 LT80 DG Pipe Nick's
2004 PW50
Want? Need? It's a fine line............