Was the 88 Tecate4 a decent machine? I remember reading that it had good power but terrible handling. Is it really that bad? It must be better than the Mojave which is decent in its class? Does it have good balance for jumping?

Thanks for any feedback,
Rod 86 250R

 

it was a great machine. it wont handle as good as your 250r because of its super short wheelbase. power wise it was the highest horsepower 250 at that time putting out 46hp. if i were you i would pick it up. you could easily take care of the handling problem with some wider a-arms and a longer swing arm.

 

With a longer swing arm, wider a-arms & axle you can stop the handling problem. I'd snach the quad if I had the chance. I raced an '87 and it was murder. It put out more power than my '89 R. Gearing and wheelbase adjustment was all the changes I knew of from race to race. With a wider stance to harness the power, it easily dominated where you could use those extra ponies under the seat. It still won't out carve the R in corners, but what does? Raw horsepower makes up for the loss and it's more forgiving if you're not perfectly on the powerband at all times.

But, don't just take my word for it. Check it out yourself. A lot of it is rider preference. I rode an Lt250R in '88, 250R in '89 and back to the '88 in '90. I did well on the 250R, but I didn't prefer it overall anywhere but hairpin tracks. Sometimes preference is everything!

 

I own an '88 Tecate 4 currently and really like the bike. It has more top end than my '86 250R and handles decent. It does get a little top heavy in some corners but with wider A-arms and axle that would go away. The bike is extremely light,pulls the front end easy in the power band. The gears seem to be spaced apart farther than the R and you can whine it out more. My bike is stock except for an FMF pipe/sil.,boyeseen reeds,K&N filter,Pep steering stabilizer,Works rear shock and a twist throttle. I can say it is probably one of the nicest Tecate's around. I thought parts would be hard to get but have only found a very few items that are discontinued (like the repair manuel). They are great bikes.-Chris