A forum for owners of Yamaha TTR250 trail and enduro bikes!

olarf · Member

I would need a fork length measurement

Horizonti · Veteran Member

Hi olarf, I have just measured my standard 2005 model which is on a stand with no weight on the wheels.

From the centre of the front wheel spindle to the bottom edge of the frame head stock is 700mm
From the centre of the front wheel spindle to the top of the cap on the top of the frame head stock (your lower red mark) is 874mm
From the centre of the front wheel spindle to the centre of the handlebars (your upper red mark) measures 950mm

As far as I know my setup is factory standard, there are no bar risers fitted and the top of the fork legs are level with the top of the yolks.
Please allow me + /- a mm or two with my dimensions.
I hope that helps.
Happy spannering!

Regards. Steve.

olarf · Member

Hello Steve,

many thanks! That halps a lot to get an idea about the difference between Stock fork and my WR250F fork, will post my measurement then later today.

update, I did the measurement now and I get:

From the centre of the front wheel spindle to the bottom edge of the frame head stock is 700mm
From the centre of the front wheel spindle to the top of the cap on the top of the frame head stock (my lower red mark) is 874mm
From the centre of the front wheel spindle to the centre of the handlebars (my upper red mark) measures 950mm

So the 2002 WR250f USD fork seems to have the exactly same size then the TTR fork, therefore the lowering should work also while the USD fork can put through only 1 - 1,5 cm max. Better then nothing :)

Horizonti · Veteran Member

That sounds encouraging olarf, I have a lowering link ready to drop mine down at some point so will follow your progress with interest, do please keep reporting on your progress and findings.
Regards. Steve.

olarf · Member

I will do that, once I got my lowering link I will mount it and see if it keeps the super easy riding quality that the bike has now. But expect a while until I get it and mount it. I make it street legal for Germany so some additional work has to be done :) Will post that as well here. I prefer the lowering link solution because the modification of the seat, which I could do easy, destroy the mostly flat seat to a not usefull form for enduro riding. We lower a KTM LC4 last week and it works good but it has a very soft suspension now. I expect the TTR System is better developed and keep a good suspension.

Have a good week and stay healthy ;)

Olaf

Horizonti · Veteran Member

I find the standard suspension set up on mine perfect for my 12 stone weight and fairly gentle riding style on gravel lanes and back roads so I am loathed to mess with it. I do however find the seat a bit tall and am also about to get a custom seat made up with some extra padding for my old and bony backside so lowering the bike first seems to make sense. It will be an interesting and fun project for the winter months and I will put it back to standard if it doesn't work out. I'll post some pictures when I make some progress.......
Steve :)

olarf · Member

Sounds like a good plan and yes, with Stock setup it runs soooo smooth :) Next week our Link will arrive and depending on the weather we can do some first trys if we like it that way. WIll post pics as well.
Al nice weekend to all of you!
Olaf

olarf · Member

Just want to post an update. We went yesterday to the TÜV (its called MOT in England I guess) to get Street legal documents and we come back home with a street legal 1999 TTR 250 :) We didn't place the lowering link before to keep it as original as possible. I think I will have time to mount the link over the weekend and then I will make some picks and also report how it feels on a first ride (as long as it isnt to horrible weather). In 1 or 2 weeks we should finaly get a number plate to be able to ride around here. Im super excited if she keep the amazing handling once the lowering link is mounted and my daughter is even more excited as it is her bike in the end (while I already placed on the first place in case she will sell it ;) )

-- Edited by olarf on Tuesday 25th of January 2022 09:33:26 PM

Horizonti · Veteran Member

Congratulations and well done on getting your road legal paperwork sorted 👍 The bike is looking very smart 😎

Do please share details when you fit the lowering link, I have not started on mine yet as have been distracted with bike projects but all the parts are ready and waiting.

Hope you enjoy some good riding 👍😀

olarf · Member

Thanks Horizonti, we was also very happy that this part is done finaly. Now my report about the lowering link:

We mounted the totallyttrs.com lowering link last week and also put the fork through by about 1cm to balance it out as best we could. More is not possible with the USD fork from the WR, you can also use no underlay for the handlebars.
My daughter is then driven a first longer round test, she owns the TTR and for her it was lowered. She was super happy with the height and also found the handling still very good.
I have then yesterday also made a first longer ride. I find the handling is minimally worse than with the original Umlenkung, but it is still very very good.

However, there were strange, rattling chain noise in partial load operation. I thought that it could be the timing chain and ask for confirmation, but mossproof wrote that it could also be the drive chain, because this makes, in connection with the lowering link probably rattleing noises. I will now examine more closely and then report.

-- Edited by olarf on Sunday 6th of February 2022 08:20:12 PM

olarf · Member

update: as mossproof estimated, the drive chain was the issue for the nois or to be detailed the upper chain roller. I just delete it and made anpther roud and its perfect now. But the upper roller has a reason to exist so I will modifie it now a bit to get the rattleing nois under control :) WIll keep ypou updated.

Conclusion: I realy like the lowering link as it offer a bit more then 5cm lower bike and make the TT-R that way a very recomandable bike for riders below 1,65 Meter / with short legs. Handling keeps good, offroad quality has to be figured out. If you here stange rattle noises, check your upper chain roller :)

cheers

Olaf