Thank you so much for this video! I wish it had existed a year ago, but that's OK, I am thrilled it is available now! Let me explain. I'm a 57 year old guy who once owned an 81 Yamaha SR250 that I bought new in Oceanside, California when I was a young US Marine. It wasn't my first motorcycle but it was the first bike I ever bought brand new, and I loved it. I rode that bike all up and down Southern California; it was the perfect bike for cruising the Pacific Coast Highway. Once upon a time, I was out for a Sunday ride, stopped in Solana Beach at the Belly Up Tavern for a cold drink, and was surprised to find B.B. King playing in the middle of the day - $2 cover charge! Those were some amazing memories I built up on that bike. When I received orders to go overseas, I even rode that bike across the US back home to Denver in March 82, through not one but two snowstorms! Well, I was young and very foolish. And the national speed limit at the time was 55mph, so the Exciter was quite capable of keeping up, except on Raton Pass in New Mexico, where I drafted behind semi-trucks to get up the hill (I told you, young and foolish). Years go by and I quit riding and lost track of the bike, and finally I get the bug again. I go looking and find a nearly-identical 82 Yamaha SR250, which I buy on sight. Unfortunately, the bike wasn't running right. It's fine at low speed but has valve noise and cuts out badly over 30mph. I am no mechanic, not sure what's wrong with it, so I took it to the local 'vintage bike mechanic' who charges me $600 (including oil change and fork rebuild) and leaves it running just as badly as before. In desperation, I turned to the Internet, and discovered Jadus and other groups and teams and individuals who love the SR250. It seems it was quite the popular bike in its day, although I did not know that back in that time period - it was just the bike my eye fell on at the local Yamaha dealership. After some deliberation, I decided that the carburetor was the culprit, so I watched a lot of videos and read a lot of comments on various discussion forums and ordered a parts kit (Mikuni BS34-III as I recall) online and got cracking on my kitchen table. Despite not being overly mechanically-inclined, I discovered that it just wasn't as difficult as I had been led to believe. If I had had *this* video, I'd have been even more confident! Believe me, you can do this yourself, have fun, save a ton of money, and get a great result. After rebuilding my carb, my bike simply came to life. It was as if I was magically transported back in time to 1981, cruising the southern California coast, back when there orange trees and the Orange County International Dragway was still open (anyone remember those days)? I am so grateful to Jadus and to the people who make tutorials and write about how to maintain the SR250. The Exciter is just a fun, fun, bike, and I will never sell mine now that it has become fun to ride. In fact, I hope that I might be able to find another at some point - I like the idea of a cafe version such as the kind that can be made from Jadus parts, but I don't want to change my current Exciter from stock, which I also like very much. I even love those mini-Easy Rider handlebars everyone hates so much! Now, for the next video, if I may be so bold as to suggest... The SR250 has two major weaknesses. The carb as addressed here, and the camshaft, which has a flaw from the factory such that it doesn't get the proper amount of oil and wears away quickly. Mine sounds like a coffee can full of ball bearings at the moment. I need to replace the camshaft and rockers, I know that. And I feel semi-confident that I could do it myself with some encouragement and tutorials. I have heard so much conflicting information, however, that I don't quite know where to begin. Some have said the Yamaha Warrior 350 cam and rockers can be used; this would be great because they are cheap. OEM Yamaha cam and rockers are quite expensive, unfortunately. Thanks again for the video. I hope that I will be able to become a customer as well, just need a second SR250 to 'cafe' on.

Thank you for this video. It helped me a lot. I had a nightmare with my 2003 SR. It came from bike mechanic (carb cleaning + repair kit). After his service, idle revs were fluctuating, it was hard to start when cold. On stopping, revs were dropping down, then stall. His response - air leak, manifold cracked. So I bought a new one, only OEM available - 78€. Nothing changed. I decided to do the rest by my own. Checked for air leaks - none. With your video I stripped down the carb and it turned out the Air/Fuel screw from repair kit have different sized top. I switched it back to original one. Also main jet. Then I set it to factory settings. Bike is running perfect now. Again, great video. Cheers

Thanks for the video I bought a 1981 sr250 July 2018 and it would run with the help of starting fluid but would back fire through the carb into air box I wasn't able to find any rebuild kits for this carb until I found your video last night went to your site this morning and ordered the new parts and can't wait to rebuild the carb thank you for such an in depth video on this carb wish I would've found it last year

Thank you so much for this video. Just cleaned my carb inside and out. Fantastic content.

Good video! I have a81 sr250 gas leakes from back of the carb when running from the barrel,not when the engine is off any ideas

I can’t thank you enough for the time you’ve taken, and information shared with this video. I’ve destroyed my throttle/butterfly valve screws. Could you share how you modified and repaired the one you showed in the video? I ended up drilling out one of the screws.

I already fuck the screws up before watching video. I was able to remove the bottom parts but not the 4 screws on the top part and it is a pain the ass. Gonna get some rotary and make those screw into flat head soon. damn it

Hey,love your content,can you post all the sizes of the JIS screwdrivers i need to open this carb?,i need to order it online and dont wanna miss it

I just bought a 1980 SR250. It wasn't running but I was told by the previous owner that carb needed cleaned and/or replaced. My 18 year old son and I are working on it together. We pulled the carb and inspected it. It looked pretty good. Diaphragm was in tact, float looked good, everything looked pretty clean. We sprayed with some carb cleaner, wiped it down, and put it back together. This time when we turned if over it started with the choke pulled out fully. After driving it around the block I could not get it to run without the choke out. When it finally stopped running (probably flooded) it was leaking gas. Should I pull the carb again and check and clean all the jets (we didn't pull and the jets the first time, only inspected the floats and the diaphragm). Will the carb leak because the choke was out for so long, or could it be clogged jets? Your videos are awesome by the way. My son and I have been watching them to learn about our new bike. It's the bike I'm going to use to teach him how to ride. Thanks for you help.

Hello magnificent videos that you make I congratulate you for them very well detailed !! congratulation!! I have doubts about whether we remove the standard filter from the sr250, and put a high flow one on it, I would like to know what jets it has on high, on low, and where the needle would be located. Thanks!!!!

Stuffed the screw head on the filter screw. Even with a Jis bit. Wondering of I can use an impact driver to remove or an easy out drill bit.

Single question, master: Do you think that the original carburetor is the best you can use for the SR?

great video. any advice for getting both stuck jets out?

Great videos and super informative!! Thanks for the detailed descriptions. I do have a question. I have a stock 1980 SR 250G and I'm having carb trouble. Are the settings that you use in the video based on a tuned carb with performance jets? I cleaned my cab and tried setting the air fuel jet to 3.5 turns out and the float height to 23mm and my bike got pissed at me. The stock float was flat and sat at 20mm. Should it be 23mm? Also the air fuel jet at stock was originally 2 turns out not 3.5. Just curious. Thank you for the blog and videos again!

Mention at 34:10 that you were able to get super clean running by getting the jetting right - will you do a video on getting the jetting right? I've got a K&N pod filter on, was thinking of swapping it for one of your Harmonic Intakes, how do you change the standard jets for the harmonic intake?

I took my carb off my sr250 and cleaned it all. Now when I put it back on and go to start the bike, I have to pull the choke all the way out, and itll start but it revs up VERY high, constantly. If I try and shut the choke it'll die. Any suggestions?

I can’t get to my air-fuel screw because of an aluminum plate blocking access to it like you mentioned, but I can’t unscrew it; there’s only a little hole centered at the top of the plate. I was wondering if you had any suggestions on how to remove the plate?

So unfortunately I’m finding this video after the fact but it is immensely helpful. Previously I tried to remove the jet that is sunk down deep, the one you filed down a screwdriver to fit in, and it came apart pretty badly. More than stripping and now it’s mostly just the threads stuck with a rather hollow inside of that makes sense. Is there any way to remove this or is it game over at this point?

Awesome video! Thanks for all labor and time. Much appreciated it. A quick question about the gap between very lower tip (south) of the butterfly and the surface it is touching (south). When I take it up and point the air intake-side to a light source, I can see light coming though (my eyes) at the very (inner) bottom. The gap is tiny, about half a millimeter. Would that be acceptable? Or, should it touch/close almost fully? Previous owner had the triangle metal piece (which sits between choke, idle screw and throttle cable hole and directly connected to butterfly rod) bent. When I tried to fix, I had to take out whole butterfly assembly. As you have mentioned on your video, those two screws on butterfly disks are really pain... Butterfly disk and screw holes are made of soft aluminum, so, you could kiss good-bye with a small mistake. Anyhow, I was able to manage assembling those back. Again, not sure if that was my fault or the way it is but there is a very tiny gap between the bottom top of butterfly and the bottom surface. Currently, my (78) SR250-Exciter runs only on high throttle and full-pulled choke. I understand there is most likely a vacuum leak somewhere but wondering how much would that gap may contribute to this problem. Any feedback is much appreciated. Take care.

Is it at all possible to jam the slide open and just use the butterfly so it functions like a normal carb?

Please, help me: yesterday when I started the SR250, after 6 years of being stopped and after having cleaned the carburettor, I put the petrol tap on PRI to start the engine. I got distracted and after about 30 seconds - 1 minute, I heard petrol falling to the ground through the air filter box tube: is this normal, or is there something wrong with the carburetor floats? Help me, thanks

Well i come from the blog post looking for the carb settings, and i have some questions out of curiosity. Here I go! First I'm mounting the Harmonic intake and the Jadus Header with an Universal megatone Muffler from Modeliko, then my question is, this muffler without dbkiller i should consider it a free flowing silencer on the configuration??? Second, when the time of going to the anual revision of C02 emisions come, i will put on a dbkiller for sure, and thats a restriction to the exhaust, giving some turns off or in to the airflow screw isnt a problem, but on the configurations you're pointing that the main jet should be changed from 115 to 120. Is that important only to pass an emisions test?? I dont really matter opening the carb once a year but I'm really curious, cause i thought the bigger the main jet was, more gasoline flow and so, more power, but looking the indications I appreciate that the less restrictive the silencer the smaller main jet we use. It needs less gas when having more air exhaust flow??? I really apreciate if you understand my questions. You're doing a great job and I'm looking forward to show you my SR when it gets finished!!! Thanksss

Como puedo conseguir el juego de chicles?

Thanks for the video, helped a lot with changing out the jets in my carb, although I have a question to see if anyone here could help me out. I'm having trouble starting the bike when its cold and it doesn't idle well.I tried adjusting the air filter screw but it didn't seem to help. It was originally at 3/4 of one rotation until fully tightened. I screwed it out two full rotations but it didn't help with the cold start at all. It seemed to help with the idling a bit, but not very much. Everything on the bike is stock but some of the jets are replaced. I'd appreciate any advice on what to do, thanks in advanced.

Which JIS bit sizes are needed for working on the SR250? Thanks for the excellent video!

I have a mates 81 XS650 and the carbs are in pieces, there are two small black rubber plugs that appear to go in the pilot jet hole inside the bowl is, is this correct? Cheers Peter

Thank you very much for the information depth video! Much appreciated :) I'm still having a slight issue. My bike hangs up when given the slightest throttle and won't idle down for a few moments. I changed the rubber boot and gasket as I assume it's lean, to no fix. Should I unscrew the A/F for more fuel to balance it out?

Hey Jadus, thanks for the video. It helped me a lot! The first carburettor looks so clean and would like mine to shine as much as yours. How did you get it so clean?

Hi, I have 1981 SR250 Exciter, I rebuild the carburetor. She idles great and excellent throttle response. However when I come to a stop after a mile, the bike begin to idle very high and I have to turn the engine off to prevent it idle too hard. What could be the issue?

Hello Is there any chance that the air-fuel screw would be screwed out 6 times from the factory? Mine was but I had problems with cold starting and the motor was unstable on idol. What is the starting point in finding the right air-fuel setup?

My sr250 has an air filter and full exhaust, what main and pilot jet sizes do you recommend ?

Does it work for x-max carburettor

Don't stuff up the JEETS or the THREEDS.

Nice one, great video! In the process of restoring and customising my SR250 and very grateful for the videos ! Check @1800customs on IG. CHEERS!