Q:
How can I coax a little more power from my XT225?
My XT is just a bit down on power for my taste, are there any simple modifications I can make to it? I understand it is not a power monster and am not trying to make it one, just simple mods to give it a little more oomph.
A:
As far as performance, there are a couple of easy things you can do. First, you can do what is often referred to as the Z1 muffler modification. This comes from the XT225.com forum and you can click here to see the images and detailed instructions on that web site. This modification will open up the exhaust and allow the motor to breathe a little better. Be forewarned that it will make the machine slightly louder. Not excessively so, but slightly. It does not affect the spark arrestor at all, so you will still be USFS legal. It is recommended that you also remove the snorkel on the top of your airbox. This allows more air into the motor.
You will of course have to re-jet your carburetor after making these changes. These are not cast in concrete, but a good starting place is a 130 main jet, 42.5 pilot and then a shim or two under the needle. We have all of these jets (and more for adjustability) and the shims in our jet kit for the XT225. Once you start making adjustments to the carburetor, you will want to remove the brass plug over the fuel mixture screw so you can adjust that as well. This will be a very important adjustment!