Well I did it, I knocked the shiny off that amazing TE250i build. the bike is as good as it looks. I'll add a bunch more as I have time but there is the quicky review.
For reference I rode a 2017 TE250 all year last year and that same bike was along for this ride so we did some back to back. Neither bike is stock and both have had the suspensions done.
Build info for this bike is here...
http://www.cafehusky.com/threads/im-building-a-decked-out-2018-te250i.88141/page-3#post-635165
Motor / EFI:
I know this is going to be the most asked questions so lets dive right in. I like it. First off I see no down side so far other than complexity of the machine itself. In us it is like the best jetted carb ever. Starts very easy (no throttle needed) and idles crazy low and steady. Motor is not stock as it has a FMF Gnarly and spark arrested muffler. Response is very nice, bike runs pretty much perfect all the time. No bog, no pinging, no hesitation, no run on. Runs perfect.
BTW zero spooge out the muffler and it does not really smoke after it warms up. I ahve not checked MPG but think it is going to be very good based on how far I went and how much fuel is left.
Power:
Like the 2017 the bottom end is slightly soft like all the balanced motors seem to be. As the bike got a few miles on it I did notice more bottom end. The mid and top end are borderline to much. This bike is FAST. Its almost like a motocross version of the 250 2 stroke. Its not as forgiving as some motors and a bit on the racy side. had a pretty good hit. If you are an experienced rider this works for you and allows you to jump stuff, move the rear end around with the throttle and gives you a lot of control. If you are inexperienced or tired things can get out of shape. Whisky throttle on this bike would be bad.
Suspension:
I never rode this bike stock. I sent it off to Richard at House of Horsepower. That guy is not a simple valve restaker he works on every circuit and understands the inner working of suspension very well. I have ran his stuff before. I told him I liked the convenience of the top clickers and wanted to keep them if possible. He thought he might need to gut them and put comp on the bottom to make it work 100%. When I got it back i was surprised to see the clickers like stock. After speaking with him he reconfigured a bunch of stuff, put fancy progressive fork springs he pioneered a few years ago and said he thought it should work great. Boy was he right. Suspension is freaking amazing. At first it was slightly sloppy and loose in front and slightly stiff in the rear. Was very good just wanted to dive int he front on down hills. I tweaked the clickers front and rear, only a couple clicks from where he sent them and bam, pretty much perfect suspension. Super impressive work. I look forward to setting it up more. As it I'd rate it top notch.
I would highly recommend Richards work if you have these 48mm explorers. Having ridden the 2017 stock these are miles ahead in performance.
Handling:
I have a fastway damper and the suspension done. It handles very well. I think it will handle even better after more setup (fork height and sag). I've very pleased with it as is. That said I think I still prefer the geometry of the new 2018 GG better. The damper and suspension get it close but I love the way the GG handles.
Summery:
Pretty excited about how good the bike turned out. All the aftermarket stuff and setup made this one of the best off road bikes I have ever ridden. Its a great machine.
For reference I rode a 2017 TE250 all year last year and that same bike was along for this ride so we did some back to back. Neither bike is stock and both have had the suspensions done.
Build info for this bike is here...
http://www.cafehusky.com/threads/im-building-a-decked-out-2018-te250i.88141/page-3#post-635165
Motor / EFI:
I know this is going to be the most asked questions so lets dive right in. I like it. First off I see no down side so far other than complexity of the machine itself. In us it is like the best jetted carb ever. Starts very easy (no throttle needed) and idles crazy low and steady. Motor is not stock as it has a FMF Gnarly and spark arrested muffler. Response is very nice, bike runs pretty much perfect all the time. No bog, no pinging, no hesitation, no run on. Runs perfect.
BTW zero spooge out the muffler and it does not really smoke after it warms up. I ahve not checked MPG but think it is going to be very good based on how far I went and how much fuel is left.
Power:
Like the 2017 the bottom end is slightly soft like all the balanced motors seem to be. As the bike got a few miles on it I did notice more bottom end. The mid and top end are borderline to much. This bike is FAST. Its almost like a motocross version of the 250 2 stroke. Its not as forgiving as some motors and a bit on the racy side. had a pretty good hit. If you are an experienced rider this works for you and allows you to jump stuff, move the rear end around with the throttle and gives you a lot of control. If you are inexperienced or tired things can get out of shape. Whisky throttle on this bike would be bad.
Suspension:
I never rode this bike stock. I sent it off to Richard at House of Horsepower. That guy is not a simple valve restaker he works on every circuit and understands the inner working of suspension very well. I have ran his stuff before. I told him I liked the convenience of the top clickers and wanted to keep them if possible. He thought he might need to gut them and put comp on the bottom to make it work 100%. When I got it back i was surprised to see the clickers like stock. After speaking with him he reconfigured a bunch of stuff, put fancy progressive fork springs he pioneered a few years ago and said he thought it should work great. Boy was he right. Suspension is freaking amazing. At first it was slightly sloppy and loose in front and slightly stiff in the rear. Was very good just wanted to dive int he front on down hills. I tweaked the clickers front and rear, only a couple clicks from where he sent them and bam, pretty much perfect suspension. Super impressive work. I look forward to setting it up more. As it I'd rate it top notch.
I would highly recommend Richards work if you have these 48mm explorers. Having ridden the 2017 stock these are miles ahead in performance.
Handling:
I have a fastway damper and the suspension done. It handles very well. I think it will handle even better after more setup (fork height and sag). I've very pleased with it as is. That said I think I still prefer the geometry of the new 2018 GG better. The damper and suspension get it close but I love the way the GG handles.
Summery:
Pretty excited about how good the bike turned out. All the aftermarket stuff and setup made this one of the best off road bikes I have ever ridden. Its a great machine.
