Hey all,

So what are the weaknesses of an FL250?

There are a common few that can be addressed and turn these into sweet machines. I want to produce and sell some fixes for these machines that will make them more capable and better especially because they are a lot less expensive then fl350s and fl400s. In general I would like to create an fl250 performance parts store.

The first thing I would like to focus on in rear suspension. I would like to make and sell rear suspension kits, but I do not really have the tools nor the access to said tools to do this. If anyone wants to join me with this endevour and make some cash i would appreciate that. I currently drawn up some basic plans and ideas for the suspension, and I have some bottom ends that fit yz250, 490 and cr500 top ends. With some suspension and other racing parts these machines will be pretty sweet and I want to give people and opportunity to do that with their FL250's. I know mforbes is talking about creating a shop for 350 and 400 parts and I would love to work with him or someone else to make something like this for fl250s

some parts I am interested in reproducing/ producing
Electric start kits
reverse kits
aftermarket cages
rear suspension kits
racing motors/water cooled motors
long travel front and rear kits

let me know if anyone is interested or has a ideas for parts they want to see
Thanks

Only good thing I can really see about the FL250 platform is the affordability. Seems like a pretty straight forward machine and some of the harder to find parts for other machines are available for the 250. I don’t know much about about the 250, never owned one and haven’t seen one in person in a while but my blind advice would be go for kill shot first and try to make a replacement pullstart. Yes electric start is good but can they have both? When I worked in sales I learned always give people the choice between something and something else. Not everyone is going to want to fork over $500+ for a Goki style electric start. They are just going to want to get their 30 year old go kart started so they can beat the brakes off it and park it next to the garage till the next time they can mix up another couple gallons of gas. Truth is these machines are old, people are cheap, and at this point if you don’t have a rzr then you have a go kart. The odyssey is a cult classic, you remember them from your childhood or the movie heavyweights and yeah if you’ve been around powerspoets then you prolly drool over Pilots lol! I’ll tell you what is working for me and the only reason I want to start this business. Part one. Buy cheap, hoard, and sell when you can. I’ve made a coupe 20 hour round trips now to by hoards. Multiple odysseys, countless bins of parts, bare metal frames, and mountains of tires, I’m talking trailers full! Get organized, complete projects and sell! Because the difference between a machine that doesn’t run or in parts and a complete running machine is huge! They don’t sell quick so be ready for tons of low ball offers, trade offers, and people wasting your time. If your lucky you’ll just get a bunch of message asking if it’s still available lol! I personally want to do this because I’m a tinkerer. I like to build things, I want to make stuff that doesn’t exist or can’t be found. I want to fix thing that “can’t be fixed”. I want to make sure there are some fl350’s around for a while and restore them to there former glory and show people you can get them out and have fun with them with out worrying that if you break it then it can’t be fixed. Don’t plan on getting rich. Me personally, I just want to make enough to cover the hobby and the shop I’ve rented. You’ll have to immerse yourself in the community and take the criticism lightly. Sometimes you’re not gonna like the feedback you get. Don’t get upset when you get shot down or people don’t like what you’re doing. It’s gonna happen. Roll with the punches and keep on working on your visions and goals!

Great words mforbes,

Challenger250, can you tell me more about what a "reverse kit" would be?

mforbes nailed it in these comments.
Lets face it, people want things for free, that's how cheap we are.
This is the reason the Chinese have made such tremendous progress. Their products are garbage but people buy it because of the price.
The other issue is that some people want top quality and others are ok with functional and good enough. I make my own intake manifolds for the FL350 out of two part rubber mix. It costs peanuts to make one. It's same as factory dimensions, functional and good enough but most would not run it. That would lead to bad mouthing. That's the third part of mforbes comment above.
I really liked his comment in that thread on "going for the kill shot". I think that's the key. You will spend a lot of time and money trying to make something but you will never get your money back ------ "go for the kill shot".
Just my opinions.

CO, tell me about these intakes :)

Thanks for the advice, I am looking into a pull start, although I think that it would be hard to replicate but I think that it could be done. I appreciate all the advice thanks!

I have been designing a kit that would create an electric reverse for the fl250 by having a pully attached to the rear clutch and an electric-motor (( Internal Combustion Engine ? )) to power it with a centrifugal clutch on the electric-motor (( Internal Combustion Engine ? )).

I make my own intakes and Engine mounts.
Currently two of my machines have these intakes and one machine has the Engine mounts.
Everything works well and proven. I don't sell stuff because of an issue I ran into with a new member a few years ago when I sent him a used Art piston and rings. But you get the idea and you can easily make your own if you follow this thread: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=17228&hilit=homemade+intake
If you go to the tech section of this site and click on any thing that I have authored you get some ideas on things I build like: Homemade heads, liquid cooled cylinders, rear brake cable, intakes, Engine mounts, fuel tanks, check valves --- you get the idea.

Anyway to restore the oem ones? Yours are all rubber or do they still have the metal surface?

I cut an aluminum face plate for them and bolt it on. I also use a piece of steel brake line that is cut to half the depth of each hole so that you can't crush the rubber.