Engine oil

[yzjock]

cant see a engine oil window on my 99 yz 250.How can i tell if the oil needs a top up and how often should i change the oil.Also my bike takes a ngk B8EG plug but have put in a BR8EG in and bike starts fist kick.What does the R stand for and should I be using this plug. Cheers.

[The Baron]

Resistor is what the R in the plug number stands for. Most bikes have a resistor in the spark plug wire cap so you don't need a resistor plug, but it's not going to hurt anything by running one.

As far as the tranny oil, you need to get a manual. You don't "top it off". The tranny oil doesn't go anywhere but it does need to be changed every 4-6 rides. There is an amount stamped on the side of the motor that tells you how much oil to put in, but you really need to get a service manual.

[joseph13]

Correct. The R in BR8EG means it is a resistor type plug.

"A spark plug having a resistance of 5,000 to 10,000 ohms inside the upper part of the insulator, increasing the electrode life and suppressing radio interference." (Info passed along from another subscriber)

Shouldn't make much of a diferrence. My manual on my WR250 calls for either/or. But always go with what the manual recommends.

[joseph13]

I also agree with Baron Von B about your tranny oil. I change my oil twice a season which is probably roughly 6-8 rides. The beginning of the winter and half way through. I ride trails and very little MX.

[TUK101]

Yeah, I change my oil in my 2 stroke about every 2-4 rides, depending on how hard I ride and how dusty it is out and how much I have slipped the clutch on a given ride. In a 4 stroke you really need to keep the oil fresh for a long engine life. Basically, I check the oil and see how dirty it is, if it is starting to show black, it gets changed. The darned thing only holds just shy of a quart, so it is cheap insurance to keep my clutches and gears working for a long time. As far as the plug goes, a non resister plug will work fine, but I know that when I was a kid and the resister plugs started becoming the standard they used to say that running a standard plug could shorten the life of electronic ignition and on board computers due to interference. How true that is, I really dont know, but I know that a plug is a lot cheaper than replacing ignition components. The called for plug will last a lot longer than a standard b8es or b8eg will. But in a pinch I always pack extra cheapy plugs for myself and buddies bikes. I personally have only fouled maybe 3 plugs in the past 5 years, and that was only due to me accidentally double mixing my freaking gas lol .