Voted most helpful review
Reviewed on January 24, 2001
I purchased this bike as a 250 with a Mikuni flatslide carby. It was great to ride in comparison to my mates bikes. They were '93 & '95 model XR250's as well, but had standard carbs. Mine had superior power and acceleration to theirs, however the later model bikes had much better lights. The...
read more
I purchased this bike as a 250 with a Mikuni flatslide carby. It was great to ride in comparison to my mates bikes. They were '93 & '95 model XR250's as well, but had standard carbs. Mine had superior power and acceleration to theirs, however the later model bikes had much better lights. The only downfall of the '90-91 models were their electrics and their soft suspension. I fitted a77mm Wiseco piston, and a lumpier cam(Ballards) to it, as well as a "hotrods" conrod and bigend. After running it in properly, I gave it a good run down south. I had a few straight line Drags with anXT350, aTT350, as well as my mates XR's including a '97 model 400. The only bike to beat mine was the 400, but as soon as we left the road and hit the twisty trails, the 280 really shone. I think its lighter weight combined with it's love for revving, beat the others convincingly. The other advantage was in the fact that it was probably the least tiring to ride. I regularly reach speeds of up to 130 kmh on the powerline tracks. Most of my mates don't like going over 100 on these tracks, but the 280 just asks to be revved hard:-) I run a Michelin H12 at the front and for our gravelly roads and tracks, I don't believe there is a better tyre on the market for this type of riding. I also bought a new stator and fitted one of the UFO "Twins" halogen headlights to it, which not only made it lighter, but also lit up the road so I can see where I am going at night. Conclusion: Well worth the effort. Do it and you will have a bike capable of mixing it with the best, particularly in the tighter stuff.
Show less
