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Anyone Build a EG yz 295 snowbike?

J

jskattum606

Well-known member
Thinking of this for my new bike for next year and was curious if there were any out there. Looks like they claim almost 60 HP, I know they handle well and feel light.
Wanting to go two stroke for sure as i have had a few 4 stroke problems in the past years(only snowbiking). Love the yz especially for the summer as it is just so much fun to pick on the 450s with it on single track, mountain free riding.
Was also considering a cr500 but they are just so much more dated. I have a fear of buying one and having to replace everything in the motor due to most the motors being over 20 years old. I like to ride on the pipe!, the 500 seem to lug around much more. IE(smaller window of ride-able power.

Please share your thoughts Snowest is so slow this time of year:face-icon-small-fro
 
Also would like to hear form the few that have had or have the yz 250 and its positives and negatives as a snowbike.

Thanks for the help!!
 
I think you might be off on the smaller window of power of the 500. Sure the 250 can scream, and results in power that really seems to move you. But with sledding there seems to be a larger load on the motor from having a big track with all that traction. with a 250 your gear ratio will have to be pretty close in order to be able to upshift and keep on the thing, a 500 just has so much power down below, it will just keep going. I'm sure you have experienced riding dirt and slipping the clutch to get rpms up on a 250, or even spinning the tire. the 500 really is a torque monster.
 
It can be fairly tough when its super cold and has been riding in the back of the truck for a couple hours. I'm running the stock carb and I've found kicking the motor over slowly, choke on, throttle opened 20ish times, then kicking it for real with the throttle closed works pretty well. When its warmer out, it starts pretty quick. When the motor is warm, its a first kick start every time, just like any good 2 stroke bike.

I think any carb'd bike motor is going to be tough to kick start when the motor is at 10 degrees or less.
 
I've been really tempted to sell my YZ450 and do the DirtRebel YZ300 build... I ran a CR250 2Moto, man it was a blast when the snow was set up!!! I love the 2T. with the 250 you either rode it on the pipe or you didn't move... but I like to wrap bikes out, and I feel like I am just abusing my 450 sometimes
 
Theres nothing wrong with building a yz 295 but I would give the ktm 300 the nod because of the 6 speed, electric start, bigger tank stock, enough electrical for lights/ hand warmers, a bunch of aftermarket parts and EG has a 330 kit for them now. I started with a kx 500 went to a 13 ktm 450 and now a full mod 300, I dont miss the 500 or 450 at all.... The 2 strokes rip on snow with the right mods, a 250 would be fun on an sx but a bigger track may drag them down a little. The 4 strokes are easier to set up for snow but I personally think that they suck on dirt so I won't be on one again anytime soon.
 
jskattum606 said:
Thinking of this for my new bike for next year and was curious if there were any out there. Looks like they claim almost 60 HP, I know they handle well and feel light.
Wanting to go two stroke for sure as i have had a few 4 stroke problems in the past years(only snowbiking). Love the yz especially for the summer as it is just so much fun to pick on the 450s with it on single track, mountain free riding.
Was also considering a cr500 but they are just so much more dated. I have a fear of buying one and having to replace everything in the motor due to most the motors being over 20 years old. I like to ride on the pipe!, the 500 seem to lug around much more. IE(smaller window of ride-able power.

Please share your thoughts Snowest is so slow this time of year:face-icon-small-fro
Click to expand...

the close ratio 5 speed works great for boondocking but another gear on top would be nice. The lack of electrical is annoying. Mine has an athena 300 topend that was sent to gorr and ported by him/them. rips really well I'm sure I could tune it up a little better. I prefer the 450 longtack but they are really close when it all boils down. I think you already have the yamaha, but the ktm 300 is probably a better 2 stroke platform to start with. I don't like the ktm 4cs forks but otherwise as mxracer stated they have alot going for them. I'm in bozeman too, wheel house has my number if u wanna check mine out sometime.
 
A YZ250 is a good choice

I own both a KX500 and a YZ250 right now. I bought the KX500 last fall thinking it would be a mean snowbike. I bought it for a song but ended up having to basically rebuild the motor top to bottom. It has some awesome power; especially down in the low RPM. It has however been a jetting nightmare for me, and i feel like I am constantly fixing little dumb things. Compared to my YZ It feels really slow and also feels really dated (feel of the bike is old and not as nimble). The YZ hits harder and will beat it in a race easily, and it has never be too picky with jetting. I honestly have never had to change jets since my initial jetting job, and I ride anywhere from 2800ft to close to 10000 feet and it has been very reliable.
So whats my plan for next year? I am planning to sell the 500 and run the YZ in the snow. I have been able to get my hands on a big stator kit (Hodgkins unit) for some mean lights, and I think I will be able to spend more time riding rather than constantly tinkering!
 
Awesome. These are the reviews I am looking for. Thank you much.

I do not have the yz any more, was going to find another. I guess the reason I was shying away from the ktm is it seems you have to put quite a bit of money into them to make them powerful. Just kind of a lazy motor.

Good points on the electrical, 6 speed and tank though
 
Its interesting to read different guys experiences with different bikes. My CR500 has been jetted the same as when I bought it, I've had zero issues what so ever with jetting, the bike has a 38mm PWK Air Striker. The big key for me I think was getting the carb heat squared away. When I bought the bike I was really concerned about the kick start only thing coming off of my KTM 4T and too many groin pulls from too much hockey so I had a decomp valve put in the head. It starts super easy hot or freezing cold, literally kicks like a 125. I swapped out the front end for a KTM setup and jumping from my 520 to the CR500 doesn't feel all that different now. I wouldn't ride it in the summer but it makes a killer snowbike and its pretty hard to argue with double the CC's over the 250. I'm sorry but there isn't a YZ250 out there that will run with a properly set up 500. 60 HP is entry level on a 500 with double the torque. It's just math in the end.

It is really going to come down to where and how you ride, I personally love the roll on throttle response of the big 2T down low and once on the pipe its best to be pointed where you want to go.

M5
 
Dband212 said:
I own both a KX500 and a YZ250 right now. I bought the KX500 last fall thinking it would be a mean snowbike. I bought it for a song but ended up having to basically rebuild the motor top to bottom. It has some awesome power; especially down in the low RPM. It has however been a jetting nightmare for me, and i feel like I am constantly fixing little dumb things. Compared to my YZ It feels really slow and also feels really dated (feel of the bike is old and not as nimble). The YZ hits harder and will beat it in a race easily, and it has never be too picky with jetting. I honestly have never had to change jets since my initial jetting job, and I ride anywhere from 2800ft to close to 10000 feet and it has been very reliable.
So whats my plan for next year? I am planning to sell the 500 and run the YZ in the snow. I have been able to get my hands on a big stator kit (Hodgkins unit) for some mean lights, and I think I will be able to spend more time riding rather than constantly tinkering!
Click to expand...

you got a hodgkins! u lucky guy! hopefully he will do another run sometime soon!



jskattum606 said:
Awesome. These are the reviews I am looking for. Thank you much.

I do not have the yz any more, was going to find another. I guess the reason I was shying away from the ktm is it seems you have to put quite a bit of money into them to make them powerful. Just kind of a lazy motor.

Good points on the electrical, 6 speed and tank though
Click to expand...


get ahold of me sometime if u want. i put on a zip ty 3.2 gallon tank and seat concepts seat, carrying around over 6 gallons of gas makes for a big load but man do you go thru the gas! wheels and 250 top going back on soon, I might rip it on snow one last time though!
 
Last edited:
dirtrebel said:
you got a hodgkins! u lucky guy! hopefully he will do another run sometime soon!






get ahold of me sometime if u want. i put on a zip ty 3.2 gallon tank and seat concepts seat, carrying around over 6 gallons of gas makes for a big load but man do you go thru the gas! wheels and 250 top going back on soon, I might rip it on snow one last time though!
Click to expand...
Chris,

Josh, AKA Jskattum606 here basically lives out of my shop. We should all just go ride here soon so he could see how that smoker runs.

Go vist Old Gregg for some testing!

Id be curious to see how it stacks up side by side wit ha 450 with an ST.
 
jskattum606 said:
Awesome. These are the reviews I am looking for. Thank you much.

I do not have the yz any more, was going to find another. I guess the reason I was shying away from the ktm is it seems you have to put quite a bit of money into them to make them powerful. Just kind of a lazy motor.

Good points on the electrical, 6 speed and tank though
Click to expand...

I have a good friend that has had 2 ktm 300's. A 2006 XC-W and currently a 2011 XC. The 06 was much tamer than the 11. My yz 250 felt hotter and more aggressive than the 06. The 11 is a very different than the 06. He had the green spring in the 11 and it is way hotter than the 06 with the red spring. He can pull me now against my YZ but I do have about 60lbs on him and I have a off-road flywheel in my yz as well, which tames it down some. He has made the 11 300 his snow bike and he has really liked it. I wouldn't steer you away from a newer KTM 300. I know there is a healthy Aftermarket supply of parts for them, probably more so than the Yz, and they have a good supply of power to get you around.
 
I have not ridden the YZ 2 strokes on snow, but I have ridden the Gas Gas 300, and a slew of KTM 300's; and I built an Eric Gorr 330 KTM this year with the help of a few good friends. You can read about it in Motocross Action, and soon in Dirt Rider.
The 330 is the most nimble, lightest, most flickable and most explosive bike I've ridden to date. We have bikes with a few more HP, but the 330 motor is definitely more explosive.

I named the 330 my "nervous grasshopper" because of how agile and reactive it handled. Definitely a bike worth owning.
I'm already planning my next 300 build. Can't wait for next season!

-Blaser
 
I have both a yz295 and a kx500. Originally planned to put my 2015 LT on the 295. Couldn't bring myself to tear the bike apart because I use it for Moto. So I bought a 500. I have the apt smartcarb. Bike works awesome, Never tried it on my YZ tho but I did ride a ktm 300 with the ST. 500 has way more torque obviosuly. The motor doesn't get worked too hard and I don't have to rev it out all the time. Which I like, also the carb is awesome, no issues at all. Looking at putting some newer forks on, as my 500 is a 93.

Cold starts just means you need a lot of fuel to fire, either a primer or kick it over lots. Hot starts are just like firing up a 125 ;) oh and I have the fmf gnarly wrapped and then painted with the silicone based stuff, works awesome!
 
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