Honda Crf 250 M Manual

							Servicing Your Honda67
Piston/Piston Rings/Piston Pin
Piston Installation
1. Place clean shop towels in the crankcase to
keep the piston pin clips from falling into the
crankcase.
2. Apply molybdenum disulfide oil (a mixture of
1/2 engine oil and 1/2  molybdenum disulfide
grease (containing more than 3%
molybdenum disulfide additive)) to the
connecting rod small end.
3. Install the piston (1) with the “IN” mark (2)
and/or the large valve recesses (3) facing the
intake side of the engine. 
4. Apply flesh engine oil to the piston pin (4).
Install the piston pin and new piston pin clips
(5).
Use new pin clips. Never reuse old clips.
Do not let the clips fall into the crankcase.
Do not align the piston pin clip end gap with the
piston cut-out.
NOTICE
(1) piston (4) piston pin
(2) “IN” mark (5) piston pin clip
(3) large valve recesses (6) cut-out
Cylinder Installation
1. Clean off any gasket material from the gasket
surface of the crankcase, being careful not to
let any material fall into the crankcase.
Be careful not to remove any metal from the
gasket surface.
2. Remove the shop towel. Do not let any gasket
debris fall into the crankcase.
3. Install the dowel pins (1) and cylinder gasket
(2).
Do not let the dowel pins fall into the crankcase.
NOTICE
(1) dowel pins
(2) cylinder gasket
4. Clean the any gasket material off the cylinder.
(1)
(3)
(2)
(1)
(4)(5)
(2)
(6)
(5)
(1)
(2)
(cont’d) 
						

							68Servicing Your Honda
Piston/Piston Rings/Piston Pin
5. Apply clean engine oil to the cylinder wall,
piston outer surface and piston rings.
Route the cam chain (3) through the cylinder
(4).
Install the cylinder over the piston rings by
hand while compressing the piston rings (5).
Do not damage the piston rings and cylinder
walls.
NOTICE
(3) cam chain (4) cylinder
(5) piston rings
6. Install the cam chain guide (6) and fit the cam
chain guide tabs (7) in the cylinder cut-outs
(8).
Push the guide until it bottoms in the
crankcase guide hole.
(6) cam chain guide
(7) cam chain guide tabs
(8) cylinder cut-outs
Cylinder Head Installation
1. Install the dowel pins (1) and new cylinder
head gasket (2).
Do not let the dowel pins fall into the crankcase.
NOTICE
(1) dowel pins
(2) cylinder head gasket(5)(4)
(3)
(7)
(6)
(8)
(1)
(2) 
						

							Servicing Your Honda69
Piston/Piston Rings/Piston Pin
2. Route the cam chain through the cylinder
head (3).
Install the cylinder head.
Do not damage mating surfaces when installing
the cylinder head.
3. Apply engine oil to all cylinder head nut
threads.
Install the washers and cylinder head nuts (4).
Tighten the cylinder head nuts to the specified
torque:
29 lbf·ft (39 N·m, 4.0 kgf·m)
Do not let the washers and nuts fall into the
crankcase.
Tighten the cylinder head nuts in a criss-cross
pattern in 2 or 3 steps.
NOTICE
NOTICE
4. Install the cylinder bolt (5) and cylinder head
bolts (6) and tighten them to the specified
torque:
7 lbf·ft (10 N·m, 1.0 kgf·m)
5. Install the engine hanger plates (7), engine
hanger nuts (8) of the frame side and engine
hanger nut (9) of the engine side.
Tighten the engine hanger nut to the specified
torque:
frame side:
25 lbf·ft (34 N·m, 3.5 kgf·m)
engine side:40 lbf·ft (54 N·m, 5.5 kgf·m)
(3) cylinder head
(4) cylinder head nuts/washers(5) cylinder bolt
(6) cylinder head bolts
(7) engine hanger plates
(8) engine hanger nuts of the frame side
(9) engine hanger nut of the engine side
(4)(3)
(6)
(5)
(8)(9)
(7)
(cont’d) 
						

							70Servicing Your Honda
Piston/Piston Rings/Piston Pin
6. Connect the radiator hose (9) to the cylinder
head and tighten the radiator hose clamp (10)
securely.
(9) radiator hose
(10) radiator hose clamp
7. Install the shims and cam shaft (page 60).
8. Install the spark plug (11) (page 54).
(11) spark plug 
9. Install the crankshaft hole cap (page 62).
(12) spark plug cap
11. Install a new exhaust pipe gasket (13),
exhaust pipe (14) and exhaust pipe joint nuts
(15) and tighten to the specified torque:
15 lbf·ft (21 N·m, 2.1 kgf·m)
(13) exhaust pipe gasket
(14) exhaust pipe
(15) exhaust pipe joint nuts
(9)(10)
(11)
(12)
(13)(14)
(15)
10. Install the cylinder head cover (page 62).
Connect the spark plug cap (12).
12. Install the carburetor (page 121) .
13. Install the subframe and muffler (page 32).
14. Install the fuel tank (page 31) and the seat
(page 29).15. Pour a fresh recommended coolant mixture
(page 41) slowly into the radiator filler hole
up to the filler neck.
Capacity:
1.06 US qt (1.00R)
Lean your CRF slightly right and left several
times to bleed trapped air in the cooling
system.
If the coolant level lowers, add coolant and
repeat the above procedure.
Install the radiator cap (16) securely.
(16) radiator cap
Check for the following:
– compression leaks
– abnormal engine noise
– secondary air leaks
– coolant leaks
(16) 
						

							Servicing Your Honda71
Suspension
Refer to Safety Precautionson page 19
Loose, worn, or damaged suspension components
may adversely affect the handling and stability of
your CRF.  If any suspension components appear
worn or damaged, see your Honda dealer for
further inspection.  Your dealer is qualified to
determine whether or not replacement parts or
repairs are needed.
Front Suspension Inspection
•When your CRF is new, break it in for
approximately one hour to ensure that the
suspension has worked in (page 15).
•After break-in, test run your CRF with the
front suspension at the standard setting before
attempting any adjustments.
•For optimum fork performance, we
recommend that you disassemble and clean
the fork after riding your CRF for 3 hours.
See page 95 for fork disassembly.
•Replace the fork oil every 3 races or 7.5 hours
of running.  See page 73 for oil level
adjustment after changing the fork oil.
•Replace the damper fork oil every 9 races or
22.5 hours of running. See page 98 for
damper fork oil level adjustment after
changing the fork oil.
•Use Pro Honda HP Fork Oil 5W or an
equivalent which contains special additives to
assure maximum performance of your CRFs
front suspension.
•Periodically check and clean all front
suspension parts to assure top performance.
Check the dust seals for dust, dirt, and foreign
materials.  Check the oil for any
contamination.•Refer to 
Suspension Adjustment Guidelines
(page 112). Make all rebound and
compression damping adjustments in one-click
increments.  (Adjusting two or more clicks at
a time may cause you to pass over the best
adjustment.)  Test ride after each adjustment.
•If you become confused about adjustment
settings, return to the standard position and
start over.
•If the fork is still too stiff/soft after adjusting
compression damping, determine which
portion of the travel is still too stiff/soft.  This
is an important step that will help you solve
suspension problems.
1. Make sure that the fork protectors (1) and dust
seals (2) are clean and not packed with mud
and dirt.
2. Check for signs of oil leakage.  Damaged or
leaking fork seals should be replaced before
your CRF is ridden.
(1) fork protector (2) dust seal
3. Inspect the wear rings (3) for wear or damage.
Replace the wear ring if it is 0.06 in (1.5 mm)
or flat with the outer tube (4).
Install the wear ring with its end gap facing
rearward.
(3) wear ring (4) outer tube
(3) wear rings
4. Make a quick check of fork operation by
locking the front brake and pushing down on
the handlebar several times.
(2)
(1)
(3)
(4)
(3)
(3) 
						

							72Servicing Your Honda
Suspension
Rear Suspension Inspection
The swingarm is controlled by one hydraulic
shock absorber with an aluminum reservoir for
oil and nitrogen gas pressure.  The gas pressure
in the reservoir is contained within a rubber
bladder.
The shock absorber’s spring preload and
damping adjustments (compression and rebound)
should be adjusted for the rider’s weight and
track conditions (page 111).
Do not attempt to disassemble, service, or
dis
pose of the damper; see your Honda dealer.
The instructions found in this owner’s manual are
limited to adjustments of the shock assembly only.
•When your CRF is new, break it in for
approximately one hour with the standard
suspension settings before attempting to
adjust the rear suspension.
•Make all compression and rebound damping
adjustments in the specified increment or
turns described in page 108. (Adjusting two or
more increments or turns at a time may cause
you to pass over the best adjustment.)  Test
ride after each adjustment.
•If the rear suspension is too stiff/soft, adjust it
by turning all the compression and rebound
adjusters according to the procedures
described in page 108.  After adjusting the
adjusters simultaneously, suspension may be
fine-tuned by turning one of the compression
and rebound damping adjusters in one click or
in 1/12 turn increments.
•If you have a problem finding an acceptable
adjustment, return to the standard position and
begin again.1. Bounce the rear of the motorcycle up and down
and check for smooth suspension action.
2. Remove the subframe (page 32).
3. Check for a broken or collapsed spring.
4. Check the shock (1) for a bent shaft or oil
leaks.
(1) rear shock absorber
5. Push the rear wheel sideways to check for
worn or loose swingarm bearings.  There
should be no movement.  If there is, have the
bearings replaced by your authorized Honda
dealer.
(1) 
						

							Suspension
Servicing Your Honda73
Recommended Fork Oil
Fork Oil Change
Refer tosuspension removal on (page 95).
1. Record the rebound damping adjuster position
and turn the adjuster counterclockwise until it
stops.
2. Hold the outer tube (1), then remove the fork
damper (2) from the outer tube using a lock
nut wrench (3). Gently slide the outer tube
down onto the lower end of the slider (4). 
viscosity (weight) 5 W
suggested oil
Pro Honda HP Fork Oil or
equivalent
(1) outer tube (3) lock nut wrench
(2) fork damper  (4) slider, lower end 
The outer tube can drop on the slider and
damage the fork dust seal and guide bushing
when the fork damper is removed. To avoid
damage, hold both the outer tube and slider
when removing the fork damper.
NOTICE
(1) outer tube (6) guide bushing
(5) dust seal (7) slider 
3. Pour the fork oil from the outer tube (1).
Pour the fork oil from the oil hole (9) of the
fork damper. 
(1) outer tube (9) oil hole
4. Drain the fork oil by turning the outer tube (1)
upside down. (About 12 cc of fork oil will be
left in the outer tube when it is left inverted
for about 20 minutes at 20 °C/68°F.)
(1) outer tube
Amount of fork oil left in the fork
(within damper and spring) unit: cc
minute
°C/°F
30/86
20/68
10/50
0/32
5
27  
29.4
28.2
30.610
15.3
16.5
21.2
22.420
10.6
11.8
16.5
18.835
  9.4
10.6
15.3
16.555
  8.3
  9.4
12.9
16.585
  7.9
  8.2
11.8
15.3145
  7.9
  8.2
11.8
14.1
(3)
(2)
(1)
(1)
(4)
(5)(6)
(7)(1)
(1)
(9)
(1)
(cont’d) 
						

							74Servicing Your Honda
Suspension
5. Pour the recommended fork oil into the outer
tube (1).Fork Oil Capacity:
 
Standard (0.45 kgf/mm) Fork Spring
or
Standard oil
capacity12.5 US oz
(371 cm
3)
Maximum oil
capacity14.1 US oz
(417 cm
3)Slightly stiffer as
it nears full
compression.
Slightly stiffer as
it nears full
compression. Minimum oil
capacity10.9 US oz
(321 cm
3)
Optional Softer (0.43 kgf/mm) Fork Spring
Standard oil
capacity12.4 US oz
(368 cm
3)
Maximum oil
capacity14.0 US oz
(414 cm
3)Slightly stiffer as
it nears full
compression.
Slightly stiffer as
it nears full
compression. Minimum oil
capacity10.8 US oz
(318 cm
3)
1 scribe mark
(aftermarket parts) No mark
(factory products)
3 scribe mark
Optional Stiffer (0.47 kgf/mm) Fork Spring
Standard oil
capacity12.6 US oz
(374 cm
3)
Maximum oil
capacity14.2 US oz
(420 cm
3)Slightly stiffer as
it nears full
compression.
Slightly stiffer as
it nears full
compression. Minimum oil
capacity11.0 US oz
(324 cm
3)
1 scribe mark and
3 scribe mark 75 degrees apart
(1)
Be sure the oil capacity is the same in both fork
legs.
(1) outer tube 
						

							Suspension
Servicing Your Honda75
6. Check that the O-ring (10) on the fork damper
(2) is in good condition. Apply the
recommended fork oil to the O-ring. 
(2) fork damper 
(10) o-ring 
7. Tighten the fork damper using the special
tool, to the specified torque:
25 lb·ft (34 N·m, 3.5 kgf·m)
(10)
(2) 
						

							76Servicing Your Honda
Brakes
Refer to Safety Precautionson page 19.
Both the front and rear brakes are the hydraulic
disc type.  As the brake pads wear, the brake
fluid level will drop.  A leak in the system will
also cause the level to drop.
Frequently inspect the system to ensure there are
no fluid leaks.  Periodically inspect the brake
fluid level and the brake pads for wear.
If the front brake lever or rear brake pedal
freeplay does not feel within the normal range
while riding, check the brake pads.  If they are
not worn beyond the recommended limit (page
79), there is probably air in the brake system.
Refer to the Honda Service Manual or see your
Honda dealer to have the air bled from the
system.
Front Brake Lever Adjustment
(1) lock nut (3) piston
(2) adjuster
1. Loosen the lock nut (1).
2. To position the brake lever farther away from
the handgrip, turn the adjuster (2) clockwise.
To position the brake lever closer to the
handgrip, turn the adjuster counterclockwise.
3. Tighten the lock nut.
4. Apply the brake, release it, then spin the
wheel and check that it rotates freely.  Repeat
this procedure several times.
5. Check freeplay by pulling in slowly on the
front brake lever until the brake starts to
engage.
Freeplay
: 0.8 in (20 mm)
6. Apply grease to the contacting faces of the
adjuster and piston (3).
Brake Pedal Height
The brake pedal height should be approximately
level with the right footpeg.
1. Loosen the lock nut (1) and turn the adjusting
bolt (2) in direction (+) to raise the pedal (3)
or in direction (–) to lower it.
2. Tighten the lock nut at the desired pedal
height.
(1) lock nut (+) raise the pedal height
(2) adjusting bolt (–) lower the pedal height
(3) rear brake pedal(1)
(2)
(3)
(3)
(–)
(+)
(1)(2)