Yamaha Raptor 250 Project – Part 2

ATV.com is building up a Project Yamaha Raptor 250. This is the second article in a six-part weekly series. Once the build is complete we will be giving the modified Raptor to one of our readers. Click here to enter for a chance to win.

Shortly after installing all the GYTR power accessories we featured in Part 1 of our Raptor 250 project, we realized we needed a way to get that extra power to the ground. We solved this dilemma by adding some tricked out Motosport Alloys wheels and set of Kenda tires.

We’ve heard about Motosport Alloys before and we knew about its reputation for manufacturing some of the most stylish and slick looking wheels in the powersports industry. We wanted to check out some product for ourselves and decided to throw a set of Phantom Blue S3 Redline wheels on our Yamaha Raptor 250 Project!

Sweet!

Like kids on Christmas morning we were eager to open the package that read “Motorsport Alloys” on the shipping label. When we ripped open the first box to investigate its contents we were pleasantly surprised about what we saw inside. Immediately we could see chrome and metallic blue start to shimmer under our fluorescent shop lights as we pulled out the first wheel.

After taking a few minutes to admire the wheels we gently set them aside and began to open another box postmarked Kenda USA. Inside was a full set of Kenda tires. We ordered these to give our Raptor 250 a little more bite than the stock tires.

We’ve run Kenda tires on a variety of terrain, including several years riding GNCC, Maxxis 12 Hours of ATV America, and many motocross tracks throughout the United States. Originally we chose to go with Kenda Kutters, but we found out quickly that we would have a bit of trouble trying to mount these eight-inch tires to our 10-inch rims. Kenda doesn’t make rear Kutters in 10 inch so we chose to go with the Kenda Klaws instead.

Where the Kutters are more of a motocross tire, the Klaws are better for riding in the woods and on rough trails. The Klaws are a taller tire so you sacrifice a little low-end power, but you gain ground clearance, which is great for getting over roots and rocks. We called Kenda to return the Kutters and order the Klaws and they were shipped the next day! Kenda customer service was fantastic.

After getting our fresh rubber in we began our installation. If you’re going to do this at home please be sure you have the right tools. If you do find yourself having problems mounting the tires to the rims keep in mind you can always take them to your local tire center and have them mounted professionally.

The first step to any installation is to make sure you have a clean work area and the parts you are working on are clean as well. We found it easy on our knees to place a piece of carpet underneath and set the wheels on a piece of cardboard to avoid scratches.

There are a couple of options you have when lubing up the center of the tire to slip the wheel into place. You can use a mixture of soap and water or you can just go with the Jack-of-all-trades WD40

Kenda Klaws are directional tires so make sure you look for the arrow and have it pointed in the direction you want the ATV to go. Once you have one side of the tire in place, use a couple of tire irons to help stretch the tire around the wheel.

When mounting these Motosport Alloys wheels be extra careful not to scuff the lip of the wheels up by rubbing against something hard like a tire iron or concrete.

 

After you have the tires on the wheels remove the valve stems and set them in a safe place so they don’t get knocked around. By removing the valve stems this makes so that more air is delivered into the tire itself making it easier to set the bead. After setting the bead it’s always a smart idea to spray soapy water around the inside edge of the tire to check for air leaks. If there are no leaks you are ready to bolt them up and go ride!

Although the Motosport Alloy wheels aren’t made for taking a beating they are nice on the eye!

The chrome lip and blue centers go right along with the Yamaha blue plastic!

If you’re looking to set your ATV apart from the crowd with some of the sweetest looking wheels anywhere or you just need to get that extra bit of performance out of your tires, Motosport Alloys and Kenda are great companies to deal with and both make some outstanding product.

Check back next week for Part 3 of our Raptor 250 project as we add skid plates and bumpers from DG Performance and Nerf bars from GYTR. Click here to enter the Raptor 250 contest.

Related ReadingYamaha Raptor 250 Project – Part 1Yamaha Raptor 250 Project – Part 3Yamaha Raptor 250 Project – Part 4Yamaha Raptor 250 Project – Part 5Yamaha Raptor 250 Project – OverviewYamaha Raptor 250 Project – Giveaway