Ssr xf250
 

Went to pick up my TGB (new rear tire) at the local Honda/Yamaha dealer, and they have fairly recently picked up some of SSR's lineup. Outside, next to a CRF250 (offroad version, not enduro) was the XF250 in all its fat-tired glory. It was listed at $2699 (not MSRP) and had 12 miles, so my guess is it was a 'used' bike. I sat on it because I wanted to see its height from my perspective, and me being 5' 7" I had no issues with its height. I couldn't flat foot it, but I definitely did not feel off-balance.

I'm 5'7" short too lol. I tip-toe on the Brozz :)

Do you feel off-balance?

Only on trails. On road I'm fine.

I meant standing, like at a red light. :hehe:

culcune,
I wish you had a chance to ride the SSR 250SF. I have toyed with the idea of purchasing one, but have never seen a review, known anyone who owned one, read opinions of the bike or seen one in the flesh! But I think they look nice in photos!
Maybe you can snag a ride on your next visit. :yay:

Oh lol. Yes, I do. I wear boots that have a heal and it helps. I just do the lean lol

Member dh owns one and has reported on his; not as extensively as we all would like, but from what we gather, he loves his and he takes in on So. Cal freeways where he cruises at 65-70. He is still active here, so if you use the search, you can probably get some kind of review. I will say, the fit and finish seemed near or at the level of the Japanese bikes (as it should for costing so much for Qingqi, the OEM, being an unknown manufacturer). But, I was sitting between two dirt bikes that were near the SSR on each side and could not really scrutinize the bike. I was thinking of rolling the bike backwards so I could get a good walkaround, but didn't want to freak anyone out. This bike would be in financing territory for me, but I think it would be relatively worth it as compared to a double cost CRF250L for a couple reasons (again, for me to justify it); For one, the down payment would be lower. Two, the payments would be lower. Since I am commuting and not buying it as an 'investment' toy which many people seem to do with their belief that they can buy a bike, never ride it, and then sell it a couple years later for 'not much less than they paid' it makes sense for it being half the cost. I know that if someone is financing their 'investment' they might sell their bike for as close a price as they can get to the MSRP (not what they paid out the door) but not take into consideration (or conveniently not mention) all the interest they were paying--all for a bike they might not have ridden more than a 1000 miles!

Respectfully
 

Culc...sounds like you are getting closer thinking about a purchase. Seems like you are thinking about the next level quality bikes such as the pitster/Ssr. Probably best idea if your thinking about comuting all those miles you have been talking about. That however is a serious amount of comuting on a bike (150miles or so). You may want to consider that Honda 230 too since this is some serious mileage. Also the ability for repairs from a dealer since you have talked about not having time/high mechanic ability for repairs/issues.

Course the otd cost of the honda would end up being close to 6k. Still through fianancing one of the cheapest formes of transportation shy of taking the bus full of stinky people.

culture,
Thanks for the dh link. I looked him up and read his postings. Not too much detail, but still of interest. :tup:

Let me see where the job search takes me. I was reading an article the other day about the Bay Area's housing prices. I have not applied, nor have any desire to live up there, as nice as it might be. However, it was interesting that in the article, it was mentioned that someone making 6 figures and has a family is considered lower income. I know that L.A. is not far behind, but at least there is lots of sprawl, so housing is generally more available, hence prices will be lower. But it is not looking good to consider a move there.

I have applied to a position in Palm Springs. Much more reasonable cost of living, and seemingly top dollar salary (seems to be as much as L.A. and even MORE than the Bay Area--you didn't think I wasn't curious after I read that article did you? LOL). The position that I am hoping for the most is the one that will allow me to stay putt in Yuma, but I will have to commute to Calexico. The dread of moving looms over my mind, so the other thought of a high salary (seems to be as much as L.A. as well) mixed with me coming home to the house I have lived in for 13 years, and don't have to pack and get out of is the one I am hoping for--hence the need to find a commuter. :tup:

We are going to have to work on getting more out of him; he is not pulling his weight around here! :lmao:

56 miles https://goo.gl/maps/1v9mu4Gdzc12 one way? Better go for the rx3 with seat concepts, by butt hurts just thinking about it

I don't have the SSR but DO have a Qlink, made by the same factory (QingQi) and share basically the same parts. The difference between the SSR and Qlink is the fat tires and it runs the Suzuki CU 250 motor as opposed to my Suzuki DR200 motor. Other than that, it's all the same.

It's a 2009 and the bike has been flawless. Also, as culcune stated, the fit and finish is right up there with the Japanese bikes.

Is the SSR more expensive than the Hondoid counterpart? Yes....but you don't compare the SSR to a 1100.00 China bike, you compare it to the 5000.00 Japanese bike. That makes the 2799 (3099 list for 2017 models) look like a bargain.

If I ever thin some of my herd, the SSR XF250 will be a new addition, no doubt.

Hey guys I think a 10,000 mile XF250 review is in order shortly. I have put about 2,000 miles on the XF in the last 2 months commuting to San Diego and LA occasionally with up to 80 lbs of luggage. I didn't buy this bike intending on riding it this much, but it doesn't seem to mind. I may see what kind of a video I can put together.

Here is a riding video posted by some guy in Turkey I believe:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xO4oAhejJ2s

2LZ is right about the Qlink and SSR being pretty much the same bike. Owning a used Qlink is what gave me the confidence to spend $2,700 on the new SSR. If I didn't experience the quality of the Qlink I would have struggled to justify paying over 2k for a Chinabike like so many do. After owning the Qlink I was searching for something with a little more power and everyone I know tried talking me into a used Japanese bike. Of course I heard the old tired argument, "Oh you can get a used DRZ-400 or whatever else for that kind of money". I had already owned a couple of well used Japanese Dual Sports which I loved, but they needed repairs occasionally and parts were not exactly cheap. My XL600 had constant CDI, stator, decompression lever, and carb problems which left me stranded on a few occasions. On the other hand, the Qlink had been a completely trouble free bike. In 2014 the SSR came with a 12 month unlimited mileage warranty which sealed the deal for me.

Losing the cam timing chain
 

dh,
Did you have an earlier post about losing your cam chain when you had about 2,000 miles on your SSR XF250? How did that work out? Was it covered by the one year warranty by SSR? :hmm:

dh, I really look forward to your review of your SSR XF250! I'd love to do one on Q but since no one can buy one anymore, what's the point?

1CYL the short answer is yes, but I will add a story here. By the time that happened the warranty was in the "parts only" phase. The 12 month warranty consists of 6 months parts/labor + 6 months parts only. At that time it was unlimited mileage, I believe SSR has put a mileage cap on their warranty now.


When this problem came up I had go from Vegas back to LA to drop the bike off at the dealer I bought it from. The dealer then took the bike down the street to SSR's headquarters where they looked it over and decided to do a new engine swap. The dealer said the stock motor was repairable but the engine swap was the fastest and cheapest way for SSR to get my bike going again. Maybe they had extra EPA/CARB test engines laying around?


The dealer brought the bike back out to Vegas a few weeks later which saved me another trip to CA, and SSR only asked that I pay $200 for labor for the engine swap. I should add that after some TU250 forum reading on cam chain tensioner adjustment, I now believe this issue may have been caused by a stupid owner tinkering(yes me) and not a defect in the bike. Whatever the case, I am grateful for the way SSR helped me. When it came time to re-register the bike in CA the DMV noticed that one digit in the engine number had changed, and said I needed to take the bike to Highway Patrol to verify the engine wasn't stolen. Luckily they changed their minds and decided it was probably a clerical error in the end!

Here in Southern California it is still common to see a Qlink or SSR pop up on Craigslist so I'm sure someone would appreciate it! For how common the XF bikes are in Southern California, I would think there would be more reviews and videos available. In downtown San Diego recently I saw two XF250's in one morning which I go excited about.

In a very recent motorcycle.com article on the top 10 budget bikes, I noticed they still include the Qlink up near the top of the list even though it hasn't been sold for a few years now.

That's good to hear. I don't think I've seen a SSR XF250 on the road up in the Sac area. I'll have to go haunt the dealer again and see what he has. He had a used white one (2016) with only 300 +/- miles on it for 2499.00 I'm sure he repo'd it. It looked brand new and not thrashed at all.

What is the stock gearing on the XF? What aftermarket rear sprocket is available (if even needed). If I remember, it is the front sprocket that you go up a tooth on them?

2LZ when I see used private party Xf250's on craigslist they seem to run around $1500 down this way.

Culcune the stock front sprocket is 15t I believe. I was able to fine a 17t on Amazon by searching for Tu250 stuff(Oil filters are $8 for a 3 pack as well). Rear sprockets are available from lextek and taobao.

With the 17t the bike is a lot happier at 70mph and gas mileage is better too. If I only needed to cruise at or below 65 I would run the stock size and enjoy the low 1st gear on trail riding.

I am 6'3 190lbs and ride between sea level up to 5,000 feet.
With the 17t at 70mph rpms are at 6,600 and I get about 65 mpg.
With the 15t at 70mph rpms are at 7,000 and I get about 55 mpg.

Regarding financing, my credit union motorcycle rates were around 5% last I looked so I used a credit card with a 0%/16 month deal and was able to pay it off before the 0% rate expired.

How much good luck can a man possess:hmm:

More Q/SSR similarities.

My stock setup on my XP200 is a 15/48.
I went to a 16/44 and it wouldn't pull me in 5th against the wind worth a dang, even with the jetting and pipe......but it would rip down a hill or with a tail wind.

I went back to the 15 on the front and kept the 44. That seemed the ticket....but then I was wanting a little more low end so I am now at a 15/46 and it's the sweet spot. Still do 70 mph but have a more trailable 1st gear. Pulls better throughout the band also.

The Q takes:
JTF 409 on the front
JTR 809 on the rear.

What about your SSR?

2LZ The aftermarket front sprocket is a JTF434.16. Now I wonder if its actually a 16t.

pretty sure the 16 means 16 teeth

Ssr xf250
 

Hey guys,

I've been following on this forum for probably a month now. I decided to get an SSR XF250 from a dealership about 3 hours away and had them deliver. Its a 2016, brand new, but it has the street tires on it. I have barely ridden it yet because we've been having the normal Kansas spring weather, so it's been raining a lot. I'm looking to put tires dual sport tires on it, probably Kenda 270s. I've been searching for specific parts for upgrades and stuff on it, but haven't found a ton. I know the stuff is out there, it's just a matter of figuring out what fits. I'll probably buy an RPS Hawk next, unless that Tekken ever comes out..

http://www.jtsprockets.com/catalogue/sprocket/jtr279 seems fits...

That's a beautiful SSR XF250! Welcome to China Riders and I'm glad you joined us! :-)

I think you're really going to like the SSR (QingQi) product. They are of a very high quality in fit and finish and have modern engineering.

The supermoto version, as you have with the street tires, is very reminiscent of the Qlink XF200. It was a very popular motorcycle here at one time and was actually raced by one of our members with very impressive results against the Japanese brands. Also, the supermoto version has a 17" both front and rear, where the dual sport version of the XF250 has a 17" rear and 18" front.
I have the Shinko 700's on my Qlink now and really like them as a dual sport tire. Very sure-footed on gravel roads and comfortable on the street, as well.

https://www.amazon.com/Shinko-Dual-S...ko+700+5.10-17

Regarding mods, you don't have to do much to the QingQi product other than proper jetting for your altitude and maybe an aftermarket muffler but that's not a must. The real Mikuni CV carb is a nice unit and works very well. No need to switch carbs for an aftermarket. The air boxes breathe quite well, support the carb and it has a very well-designed stock filter, but I still drilled a bunch of 1/2" holes in the top of my Qlink air box to open it up a little.

I look forward to your review and riding esperiences on your new XF250 and again, thank you for joining us. It's refreshing to see another QingQi product in a Sea of Hondoids! ;-)

Are you able to register a Hawk in Kansas? I haven't been keeping track of that here.

Thanks for the likes guys! It's hard to find a place where people don't just immediately hate on a chinese bike. As for registering a hawk in KS, I'm not sure, but i do want one, or a Brozz... or a Tekken... or.. lol You get the picture.
I was wanting to do something a bit more aggressive offroad so was thinking the Shinko 244's or the Kenda 270's. Several of those don't list a 4.6 for the front, but it sounds like you can use a rear and move it to the front and it's not a big deal. Here's what I've found so far, anymore input will be appreciate as well!

I was looking at these for the handguards, but not sure if they'd work on mine or not. It doesn't give much info
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000LGU4BS...V7IJB5EL&psc=1

Here's the carb kit:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01G68EYS8...I2A5L1B6JV7TOI

Looking here for exhaust: http://chinesemotorcyclepartsonline....3051/Pulse/0/0

Just the little i've ridden it, it seems like the throttle isn't very responsive, but it still needs broken in and what not. Where are you getting your oil filters? I imagine jetting it will help a lot as well - i'll also take off the EGR.
I also HATE that it won't start and run unless the kickstand is up. I may just bypass that all together, but i kinda wish i could get it to run in neutral with the kickstand down. Kinda wanting this to be my adventure bike.

Here are the oil filters I run. I'm not sure if your TU250 Suzuki motor takes the same filter. I bought 6 of them and change it every other oil change.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I first ran this muffler on my Qlink as I've done on all of my Hondoids but with the OHC in the Suzuki motor, it had a sharper tone that I wasn't happy with. The good thing about the FMF TC2 is that it's a USFS Approved spark arrestor.

https://www.amazon.com/FMF-Turbineco...+turbinecore+2

This is now the muffler I'm running on Q and really like the sound. I've done some baffle adjusting (drilled more holes) and it has a nice sound with the OHC design.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I run those same hand guards on every bike I have in the fleet. I like them because they mount with one arm and don't attach to the bar ends. I hit brush and manzanita more than anything and I want them to flex and not push the bar as I'm riding. I have yet to break one. If I was doing Dakar or heavy river beds, I'd get a more aggressive hand guard.

Keep me posted on that jet kit! I've always wondered about that one. Also, regarding throttle response, there's a small cap you can remove on the side of the carb and fill the tiny port with a tad of RTV silicone. That really helped my throttle response. I'll get a pic this weekend and post it for you.

Here's some pics: the first one is with the FMF Turbine Core 2, the second pic is with the new muffler I just mounted last month and the third pic is of a straight on look at the hand guards that you're interested in.

It's KN-136

Talked to SSR today
 

I was told that the new SSR XF250 will arrive in the USA on June 10th, a month from now. The dual sport will be available in Black, Orange or White. I'll be test riding, maybe purchasing, next month.:clap:
Next :lol:I be looking to purchase Suzuki TU250 service manual to become familiar with servicing the engine.:yay:

Throttle Response
 

Though CV carbs have a throttle plate like a car, they rely on vacuum to draw up the slide. When in proper balance, they work very well and meter the fuel excellently.

That said, most are also set up for EPA and CARB requirements. Due to them not wanting an immediate rush of fuel when you open the throttle which will create more unburnt fuel, this is what causes the slight lag in throttle response.

If you have the same style carb, see in the pic, there's a small plate held in by Phillips screws behind the choke lever. Remove that plate and block the tiny port with a small amount of fuel resistant RTV silicone. Then remount the plate after it sets. This will improve throttle response as it did on Q.
Also, you will find the idle mixture screw on the top looking straight down on this carb. I set mine at 2 turns out and adjusted from there. You will find with the OHC motor, it is more hungry and you will find you'll need to run fatter jets than the Hondoids. The other beautiful thing about the CV carb is changing jets. Just loosen both clamps, undo the throttle cables and spin it. You can remove the float bowl without removing it from the engine. It will make testing jetting a breeze.

The "EGR" that you are referring to is actually an air injection. It does not hamper performance, but once you remove the cat, it will toss that extra cool O2 (at heavy throttle) that was supposed to burn unburnt gas off your cat and throw it on your muffler packing. If you are not removing the cat, I'd sugget leaving it functioning to keep your cat free of buildup. If you wish to remove your air injection, along with your cat, make a plate and block the head and plug the vacuum port, great. What I did with Q was I plugged the fat rubber hose (with a fat bolt with the head cut off) and plugged the vacuum feed with a BB. 5 minute fix.

Same carb as the XF250?
 

2LZ,
Is that the same carb as the SSR is using on their XF250 bike?
What is the brand of your carb?
I used your same method of loosening the clamps and spinning the carb to work on my KLR650's carb. Saves a lot of unnecessary disassembly.

200: Mikuni BS28 | 250: Teikei MV30

It will be interesting to see if any changes come for next year's model. If you end up needing a manual Haynes has made one for the XF250/200/125 specifically and it is about 1/4 the price of the tu250 manual. I ordered mine from chinesemotorcyclepartsonline.

The xf250 uses a Teikei mv30 cv carb. A similar version the mv28 is found on small zongshen and yamaha dualsports.

Haynes Manual for XF250
 

dh,
Thanks for the heads-up on the Haynes Manual. I'll be ordering a copy.
I asked my closest SSR dealer about a service manual, and he had no answers.
Same answer from SSR! :doh:
I appreciate your help.
1CW :hi:

FREE TU250 shop manual http://www.run2w.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=23918 (Traditional Chinese in theory -The text is readable only. Some 100% Kanji words just changed to Chinese equivalent character, not the exact Chinese words | some character in simplified chinese :D ie. TAI LING hired some monkey to translate...)
---
Why there's shop manual leaked?
http://www.suzukimotor.com.tw/milestones.html Taiwan used build Grass Tracker...