By: Team Source

How many TRX250R owners have gotten sick of listening to "My Builder is better then yours" garbage that is floating around the BBS.  Or how about this reply from a motor builder, "If you really want to go fast buy the Pro-X cylinder and have it ported".  Unfortunately not everyone has enough money to go out and buy that aftermarket cylinder or one of the Polanda setups.  There's even this notion, "To get my cylinder to work you need to buy the complete package from me and not use your current pipe, carb, and reeds that you already have sunk $100's of dollars in".  Plus some people are just the sentimental type and like the OEM cylinder. Team Source has heard your cries and is doing something no one else has dared to try before.  This spring we will be conducting an OEM Budget Cylinder Shootout for the TRX250R.

The criteria for this shootout has been set up to cover the vast majority of the riders out there and the builders will be working with that criteria.  The first and biggest criteria are all cylinders and heads must be OEM.  Something that just about every 250R owner has.  They can submit any year cylinder that they want.  Next the work done to the cylinder and head must come in under the cost of a new Pro-X Cylinder and that is including piston.  Other things they have to take into mind is that this cylinder cannot be setup on Alky, and must have at least 4 overbores left.

The only variables that the builder will have a choice when submitting the combo will be which style of pipe that they want to run, ie... either a midrange or topend pipe, a long rod or short rod crank, carb size, and for reed cages we will be running the V-Force or RAD Valve as they appear to be the most popular choices.  If they want to use there complete setup they must submit all the components for that. But, we will also be running that setup with the most popular combination of pipe and reed cage to give the readers the most accurate data available.

Testing criteria will be out on a 300 ft Sand Track with times from 60 ft, 100 ft, 200 ft, and 300 ft to see where each cylinder shines whether it is down Low, Midrange, or Top End.  All these cylinders will be bolted on the same bottom end and the same chassis/tire combo to promote consistency.  We will be adjusting the gearing to compliment each cylinder and list which gearing gave us the fastest times for that cylinder.  This is not going to be one of those testing the owners' own personal quad that has the best of everything from aftermarket frame to shocks on.  This is going to be the normal Joe Blow setup.  We are also going to be doing this in one weekend (short rod setups one day and long rod setups the next day) so that the conditions stay as constant as possible.

To there credit we have had ESR, MP Racing, Ohton Racing, K&T Racing, Atomic Racing, and FTZ step up to the plate and give us a big healthy "Yes I want in on this".  We have received maybes from MAC Racing, Grand River Racing, Dennis Packard and Sparks Racing.  For those of you that do not see your builder listed here or if it is under the maybe category give them a call and encourage them to contact us at: 315.346.1686 or email for more details and to submit an entry.

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