In today’s day and age, it’s rare to see a high caliber rider aboard a two-stroke, even in off-road. 250F’s have come so far and most all of the OEM’s R&D goes into improving the four-strokes, leaving less promise to those who want to keep it old school. However, there are still a select few that still mix gas and haul a…
At the first round of the AMA National Hare and Hound Championship, we spotted a well built GasGas MC250 under the S.W. Roberts Construction tent. Belonging to Pro 250 racer Clayton Roberts, a race winning contender in the series, we got to take a deep dive on the bike and, at a later date, have plans to take it for a spin ourselves to see just how competitive this bike is. But for now, enjoy this clean 250cc two-stroke and what all went into building this race winning machine.
Meet the racer – Clayton Roberts. With support from GasGas for 2023, he has his sights set on a NHHA Pro 250 Championship and SCORE Pro Moto Unlimited Championship.Like many Pro racers, Roberts opted for WP Pro Components, replacing the AER48 air fork for the cone valve style spring forks. Valved by John Talarico at DT Racing, they show a lot of promise in the desert and Roberts feels they work pretty good across the board.Out back is a WP Pro shock valved by DT.Another big change to this bike is a Keihin carburetor. Roberts claims the Keihin runs cleaner and crisper, and is easier to jet than the stock Mikuni. In our experience, we’d have to agree.
FMF handles the Pipe/Silencer duties and the Turbine Core 2 spark arrestor is needed for BLM stipulations when racing desert.After riding with the GUTS Wing Seat on our YZ450FX last year, Roberts made the switch and put one on his own ride for the 2023 season.Bullet Proof Radiator Guards add strength and support to the GasGas radiators while mesh over the front keep bushes from penetrating the fins.SXS Skid Plates are burly and offer a lot of protection, something most desert racers need.The cockpit.Mika Pro Series Handlebars paired with a Precision Racing Steering Stabilizer make up the controls.One of our favorite combos is the white 1/2 Waffle AME Grips mated with Mika Grip Donuts.TM Designworks Dirt Cross Chain Slider up front.With a TM Designworks Factory Edition 2 Chain Guide and Bullet Proof Designs Swingarm Guard out back.Blair Heating and Air, S.W. Roberts COnstruction, and J.D. Transport are a few of Roberts’ main sponsors for the ’23 season.An IMS tank is a staple in off-road and Roberts is a fan of their dry-break tank.A 120/100-18 Kenda Parker DT is fitted on the back. Roberts claims the bigger rear tire helps stabilize the bike at speed across the desert valleys and the bike has enough power to pull it.A Kenda Washougal II is run up front at most desert races.
Fastway EVO Ext Footpegs made their way onto Roberts’ MC250 as he is a fan of the ankle extensions, citing only noticing them when needed.It’s all in the details…Quite the mechanic himself, Roberts makes sure every little part is checked and goes the extra mile in bike prep.Beautiful.
As it turns out, this bike is more than competitive with Roberts at the controls. Thus far, he is 2-0 in the NHHA Pro 250 class and is finding himself in the Top 5 O/A each time. We’re hoping to swing a leg over this bike in the coming months to see just how good it truly is, or if it’s all the rider.
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