Finally got my chance against an piped 86' 250R today.(dragrace)
Closer than the 250R people will believe. (however, if you dont, thats fine too)

He was very surprized, as I was. I would pull about 2-5 bike lengths on him depending on his-my launch. I would keep ahead of him untill I was high in 4th, or just hitting 5th. He would creep ahead of me at that point, slowly.
We were both very impressed with my stock 400, and good sports. He admitted to the fact that I would leave him in the dust from the line. Then toward 50-55 MPH he would pass me. It was really a good time.
His quad is stock exept for a Fatty pipe, and lower than stock gearing. (less top speed, more take off).

Question: I have on order two sprockets. One tooth smaller up front, and one tooth bigger out back. Will I feel a drastic difference in torque, wheelie ability?
Also, Will I be spinning MANY more RPM's at a given speed, compaired to stock gearing, in 5th gear? Will this help my accelaration, or hurt it from winding out gears too fast (and not moving as quickly).

Thanks people... -Matt

 

About your gearing: I am no fourstroke guru but I have heard that actually gearing an EX higher makes it accelerate faster. I know this is counter-intuitive but I have heard that the reasoning behind this theory is that a thumper likes to be under a load. I guess it lets it take advantage of all the torque that an EX produces. I am no expert - but that is what I have heard. If this is true then you would not only get more acceleration but you also wouldn't give up as much topend to an R.

About your race: was the R spinning on take off or something? My stock worn out 87 would be dead even with my buddies stock EX when we dragged and I outweighed him by 80 pounds and my bike needed a rebuild. We would be even until I hit sixth and then I would very slowly pull away. That was when I got traction. Many times when we raced he would hook up and I would just spin and then he would smoke me pretty badly. Now with fresh Razrs, a pipe, 38mm carb, rad valve, Cool head, and a rebuild he isn't even in the same area code when we race. He has big plans like a cam, etc so I am sure I haven't heard the last of him.

 

Not sure if he was spinning too badly (im sure we both were, to an extent!)
I think one thing the EX is good at is hooking up on takeoff for some reason.

A couple of times we raced, when I would pull away in first, I would powershift second and the front end would launch. This would scare me, I would let off to let the front end down, and thus lose the race.

We were both racing on the same terrain, so Im not sure. (I dont really care, we both had alot of fun and drag raced probably 15 times) We got a buddies CR250 in on it too... he he he
He was totally new to that bike, JUST had bought it. When he got the shifting down, he would pull ahead of us by a good margin. (duh!)

 

I think you discovered where HP meets torque, 400ex-torquey, 250R-rev happy power. Torquey off the line rev happy wins down the road. That's not that unusual of an outcome in drag racing any vehicles.

 

Are you changing both sprockets at the same time?
I'm not sure I would unless you just ride super tight trails. I think your gears are gonna be so close that you'll be shifting so much in 1st, 2nd & 3rd that you may not like it. The EX is pretty torquey out of the hole. I think a gear change that drastic is over doing it.

 

i believe it. the 86 R's weren't all that fast (they were fast but not as fast as the newer ones). when i raced my friends 400 i beat him by about 3 lengths. i know i'm a little bit faster than an 86R so i think your race was pretty good.

 

i think your full of yourself juggalo. i own a 1986 250r and i recently took a trip up to silverlake michigan. the only thing done to my r is a pipe silencer airfilter and roost boost, and i killed every other 250r out there except a 87 running on alcohol. i raced several 88s and 89s, and came out on top. i could take a stock banshee or a stock craptor and most lt's. the lt500s, piped raptors and the piped banshees were killing me though. i have read multiple reviews about the 86/89 engine differences and the 89's have a little more torque, but the 86 has more rev. the only 400 that was even close to me was a 2001 400ex with a 440 kit. and i beat him by about a quad length. but alot of dragracing depends on shifting knowledge, and weight of the quad as well as the driver. the 86 250r also has a 1 inch longer swingarm then the 89 so that makes for better launches. u should have seen the look on the guys faces when i beat there 660r with my 250r.

 

I agree with Billy, unless you put an outragous amount of money into your 400ex like NOS or Alcohol, or the 250R rider is taking a nap you are not going to beat the R. Also most 400ex I've seen that will run with close to a 250 are strung out, unreliable, ticking timebombs. I have yet to have a 400ex take me on dirt or street. BTW on the street the 250r downright embrasses ANY 400ex. We have official ATV 1/8 mile asphalt drags here every weekend here in FL. You see some pretty fast 400ex with alot of time and money, but then someone comes along with a half *** 250r or Banshee and will eat them right up.

 

You should have went down one tooth in the front and two teeth in the back to feel the difference while riding

 

hate to tell you this billybadass but a 1 inch longer swingarm will NOT make the 86's launch better. it makes it worse. when the swingarm is shorter (like on the 88-89's) you sit farther back, giving you more traction...