How far can a 250cc motorcycle go in one trip with out damaging the engine?

Question

How far can a 250cc motorcycle go in one trip with out damaging the engine?

Answer 1

Back in the 1960s when I learned to ride, they used to say that there was no reason any motorcycle needed to be bigger than 250cc. 250 was like the 'default size'. People routinely crossed the continent on 250s. And compared to the 250s of today, these bikes were seriously unreliable. Often they needed to be completely rebuilt after 10,000 miles!



BUT in those days you couldn't cross the country on a high-speed highway. Well, just barely. The US highway system went through the middle of every town, so even if you could go 65 mph, you did it in shorter stretches. You crossed the continent mostly at 45-50 mph. At that speed, a 250 can go more or less indefinitely.



At modern highway speeds--65-75 mph--a 250 is not really good. They will go that fast but they're not designed to cruise all day at 65. The engine is just beating its little brains out, plus the suspension is not made for that speed so it's not comfortable and not safe.



On secondary roads, 328 mile at mostly 45-50 mph, the bike should do fine. Remember, just as with a bicycle, that you save your highest speeds for short bursts, and downhill stretches. You average a lot slower.

Answer 2

You'll give up long before the bike does. Also youll have to stop for gas before 328miles.

Answer 3

250cc Motorcycle Engine

Answer 4

whilst i replaced right into a Peace corps volunteer in Morocco, I met 2 teenager agers who had pushed Mobylettes down from France on holiday - 49cc i think of. i've got self belief if a French teenager could make an prolonged holiday on a mobylette, somebody could desire to have the flexibility to take an prolonged holiday on a 250cc motorbike.

Answer 5

No it will go 328 miles and laugh at it and ask for more. Bikes are like cars anymore they will go and go until the gas runs out or you fill er' back up and go some more! Ride on man Ride on.

Answer 6

My personal record on a 250cc is 850 miles in a single day, but then, that's nothing compared to what others like Evan Yeager have done: http://www.theyeagergroup.com/ninja_250_BB1500_50CC.htm



As others have already stated, the real limit has nothing to do with the motorcycle and everything to do with you as the rider and maintainer. If a given 250cc motorcycle lasts for 50,000 miles, there's nothing in the engineering of that machine that dictates that that 50,000 miles has to be distributed over a certain period of time---the cooling and oil delivery systems are designed such that it can be done continuously, provided routine maintenance is followed (read Dr. Yeager's maintenance practices for his trip in that article provided above).



The first thing that will wear out though---and I say this from many thousands of miles of personal experience---will be your own butt (and on a sport bike, your back). Anyone who tells you that you can't put 500 miles or more on a 250cc motorcycle in a single day is misinformed and just hasn't tried it.

Answer 7

If its a 4 stroke it should be fine, the main thing is the condition of the engine now, if its new or almost new, has clean oil and a good tune up that should be no problem, in fact that will likely be harder on you then the bike. Make sure it has oil, keep the speed reasonable you know like the speed limit and have yourself a good time. If you have not ridden long distance, give yourself some time to build up the stamina, because in the beginning you hang onto the handle bars too tight, and ride too tense, it takes a lot of energy to focus while driving, because you are the pinball on the road and every thing with 4 wheels has the potential to squash you and ruin your day. Semi trucks in particular, can be a severe hazard in some conditions. in more ways than one.

If you do one thing in your life pay attention one hundred percent of the time where that front tire is going to be in the next 100 feet. Never hit anything with the front tire, and I mean anything. The bike has most of the weight on the rear, if the front tire hits anything going Straight ahead, it can knock it sideways (but your body and the bike are still going straight) this can be a real disaster if you are not paying attention. And especially going into a corner, when leaning into a corner, a rock, a coke bottle, a empty soda can are things that can knock the front tire sideways which can drop you on your face instantly.it happens fast too. Its all about paying attention and ride like your invisible to everyone else, do not take for granted everyone sees you or notices you are making a turn. good luck the more practice riding you get, the safer more comfortable the ride will be for you. 250 is a bit light for long distance travel, but it will work, keep the speed reasonable.

I know from experience I had good luck with honda motorcycle and have had several these bikes have a tendency to run forever, unlike kawasaki and suzuki I had some good strong 750 that while a bit top heavy around town with a full tank of gas, were long distance runners when it came to a freeway bike running down the road.

Answer 8

A well tuned and maintained 250 can go until it needs to have its oil changed and then go and go some more. 328 miles isn't going to be an issue at all assuming the 250 you choose can hold the speed you want for the entire distance. A 250 Ninja can run on the highway all day long without missing a beat.

Answer 9

You can drive as far as you want as long as it's tuned up and well maintained. A motorcycle engine is based on the same mechanical principal 's as any other form of transportation. You can drive coast to coast on a motorcycle given it is well maintained and driven with some sense. Most motorcycles when just cruised stay relatively cool and no need to worry about temp's. A smaller displacement is better for long distance because with a big V-twin or four cylinder that's a lot of power but much more friction than really needed when just riding down the interstate. A lot of guys take big V-twins hundreds or thousands of miles to bike shows with no problem, and those are mostly just air cooled. So as long as you don't go past your oil change while on the trip you should be just fine.

Answer 10

They can go a lot further than that but only until the fuel runs out. Motorcycles in general are a lot more reliable than you seem to think they are.