Bangkok to Moscow Motorcycle
* The Red Rocket *
XR 250L
After much discussion with my Dad, we came up with a list of motorcycles that I should start looking into. At the top of the list was the Honda XR 250, as we had rented a Honda Baja in Laos and knew the bike and many of its parts were readily available in South East Asia. The XR 250 also had a h uge reputation for being incredibly reliable. I had found my bike.
Orginal Honda XR 250L
Once my second hand 2004 Honda XR 250L was delivered to my house and I quickly arranged for a training course to obtain my license.
Every weekend I would be found in my uncle Len’s garage learning how to pull my bike apart, stripping down the engine and replacing any parts that looked worn. My bike came with barkbusters, bash plate and a bike cover. I also added the following items:
Pannier Rack – 12 mm SHS steel designed to hold soft panniers and be able to tie down fuel onto the top. I covered the frame with thick rags and taped over it to prevent rubbing on my soft luggage
Front Rack – 12 mm SHS steel designed to carry lighter weight items.
Lower Front Forks – I replaced the standard springs with shorter ones to help lower the bike overall.
Rear Suspension – Wound the rear suspension down to decrease height
Side Stand Foot – Replaced the standard foot with an increase size to prevent sinking into soft ground.
Side Stand – Made an adjustable stand to cater for different road camber
Rear Sprocket – Increase size to lower the gearing
New Chain
Did I have any bike problems?
Yes...
It started in Northern Laos with my battery failing.
I brought a cheap replacement that also failed. In Vientiane, Laos: I had my piston rings replaced. Three months later In Cambodia I had to replace my piston rings again.
In Russia, my speedo cog wore down and stopped working altogether.
When I was in Mongolia, I discovered my rear suspension had started to leak and a strange noise started in the top of my engine.
Back in Russia, I discovered that the noise was the rocker arm been damaged by the camshaft lobes. I had it replaced, however, on the way to Moscow, every morning I found my bike was increasingly hard to start and I was constantly topping up my oil. These were the first signs of more piston ring trouble.