Several questions for work on an undead 250r

[LoganCormier]

I have an 08 that has seen some shiiiiiit and I recently found a clist ad for an 09 parts bike. Also an 05 front wheel which I could use since I need a new tire and it has one. I'd like to do all the work myself, I'm just not sure if I can or if I will. Depends on the difficulty. So:

-Can I fit the 05 wheel on the 08?
-How hard is it to fix front forks if they've been bleeding a bit for, uh... heh... 3 Minnesota seasons of riding and wheelies? Bleeding a lot more, lately... I think water's been getting in them and pushing back out. Still seem to work fine.
-How hard is it to swap out a radiator?
-How hard is it to swap out the entire fork set, handlebars and all?
-If I take both of the sprockets off, can I change the chain without a breaker/riveter?
-Is there really any point to fairings on a 250? I've had them off for a couple years.

Any answers/suggestions appreciated. Thanks, guys.

[MrAtom]

Tires have an expiration date, y'know. Make sure it's not expired. Even so, you're probably better off getting a new one and having a shop mount/balance it for you. Best $20 I ever spend and will spend again.

-Not sure
-You need to redo the fork seals. I don't think it's hard. Some people do. If they've rusted on the inside (very very unlikely unless they've sat dry with no oil in 'em), I'd toss 'em unless it was just a little and hasn't tarnished.
-I've never swapped out a radiator on a bike before but it's a piece of cake on a car and I don't see why it wouldn't be even easier.
-It's not hard to swap out the forkset, either.
-Maybe, but you'll probably need a breaker, anyway if you buy a new chain because you'll typically need to cut off a few links to get it to size. They're cheap and last forever if you use 'em properly. Make sure to grind off the end of the pin of whatever link you're removing. Some people don't realize that the ends of the pins are mushroomed a bit and end up chowdering up their breaker.
-It helps a lot for reducing drag at higher speeds. I personally keep 'em off but I'm not racing and find it's good enough at highway speeds.

[Triple Jim]

Maybe you know, but the '05 wheel is 16" and the '08 and '09 are 17".

[jkv45]

There's a ton of Ninja 250-specific info here - http://faq.ninja250.org/wiki/Ninja250_Howto

[spent_too_much]

I have replaced all of the parts that you have mentioned. One a t a time, they are not bad. But, you probably want to do so all at once.

Pre-gen wheel will not fit on a new-gen - as previously stated.

There are lots of naked 250's out there. Go for it!

I believe that you need to drop the swing arm to change the chain without a chain breaker. It is a major pain. Use a Dremmel and cut off the head of the rivets. Or Harbor Freight sells a breaker for around $15. It works fine for me.

Here is a really informative video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Yj4sKsguvU

[asellus]

None of the work you mentioned is terribly difficult, I'd say just go for it. You've got a week or two before there are any nice riding days anyhow. It's supposed to snow on Thursday or something.

Dropping the swingarm is pretty easy, IMHO. The only real pain is alignment after the fact. I did this last night on my '07 -- I assume the 08+ are relatively similar. Breaking the chain sounds like a whole lot less work.

As far as the tire needs, just get a new tire. A nice front is less than a hundred bucks.
Email Jeff the Alignment Guy (thealignmentguy.com) to schedule a mount/balance. He's the best in the Twin Cities and his prices are quite low. He just did both my tires yesterday. Otherwise you're looking at walking into Heinen's or something and paying $35/wheel, and f that noise.

[Bluberryrain]

Originally Posted by spent_too_much

I have replaced all of the parts that you have mentioned. One a t a time, they are not bad. But, you probably want to do so all at once.

Pre-gen wheel will not fit on a new-gen - as previously stated.

There are lots of naked 250's out there. Go for it!

I believe that you need to drop the swing arm to change the chain without a chain breaker. It is a major pain. Use a Dremmel and cut off the head of the rivets. Or Harbor Freight sells a breaker for around $15. It works fine for me.

Here is a really informative video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Yj4sKsguvU

You don't have to drop the swing arm. Just put the rear on the stand, loosen the axle nut/adjusters, move the tire all the way forward and then take the rear tire off. You'll be able to remove the chain from the rear sprocket with the tire on the ground, and then when you put it back on just put the chain on before lifting the tire up. I just did this a few weeks ago when I had to replace my rear tire, after putting a new chain on a few weeks before. Took ten minutes at most.

As for a chain, I bought this chain:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007A8OJX4...iglink21031-20

It comes with a clip style master link & is the perfect size. (No need to cut links off)

If you're concerned about the clip style link, see this thread:

https://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=292078

Specifically, this post here from Triple Jim:

https://www.ninjette.org/forums/show...7&postcount=22

Replacing the radiator looks to be pretty simple. I didn't actually take it out, but during the valve shim job, I remember looking at it and thinking it'd be easy to replace if need-be.