Ask The Editors: Suzuki LTR250 Premix Ratio

What to feed the legendary smoker.

The reason you’re seeing such a swing in recommended premix ratios is that the correct number has a lot to do with the brand and type of 2-cycle oil you’re using.

For a long time, the standard for performance 2-strokes was 32:1 but then synthetics came on the scene and that number dropped to 50:1.

The owner’s manual to your quad said 20:1 was adequate but do keep in mind we’ve made a lot of strides in the quality and protection of oil molecules since the late 80s/ early 90s.

The best way to tell, honestly, is to see what the manufacturer recommends on the bottle of the oil you pick up. Brands like Bel-Ray, Maxima, Klotz and so on typically recommend 40:1.

Once you mix up their recommended ratio, let the quad tell you what it thinks. You do this by studying things like your spark plug and exhaust vapor. If it’s pouring heavy smoke, you know you’re a bit on the rich side. Similarly if the plug is oily or fouling. We typically err to the side of caution and run our ratios a hair rich. There’s an old saying that says new spark plugs are a lot cheaper than a new top end.

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