At some stage, It might be advisable to back off from pushing the edge - breaking through it / exceeding it, can cost way too much. Not just in dollars. Even major corporations / race teams know how to take a step back, to avoid going over the edge.
Perhaps just the simple action of pulling back a bit from such a lean oil (on oil) / fuel ratio is warranted. Also, you might be pushing just too far to the lean side on the jetting, in the search for more power.
Backing up a bit on both / either, may be all that it takes to keep it going. Picking up on the inlet and exhaust port is a good indication of a lack of lubrication, or faulty coating, port edge finishing etc etc - goodness only knows from my end, but there's a problem to be solved. And I'm sure the talented people involved will get it sorted out.
The bike, should have more than enough to be competitive, judging by what I've seen so far - though, it will be considerably more hyper than a 450. A high power, highly strung 250 2t is harder for the rider to manage than a 450. And that's what most people, on both sides of the 2t / 4t fence, seem to forget, or avoid facing up to. I've missed any same day, comparative dyno runs, if there have been any posted up that might show me otherwise. Remember what the MX Panda did last year in the first moto at Washougal? On what was confirmed to be a bone stock 450 Honda with just a pipe, by the tear down/ scrutineering team, for an example of what can be done with a 450. We're dealing with that mongrel capacity handicap, that, I feel, now no amount of tuning will allow a 250 to overcome. Unless you've got a top 10 rider on it. Sure, you could pull out 60+ HP from a 250 2t single, but you wouldn't be able to use it on the dirt.
It's a big achievement to qualify for a national at Any main MX nation national. Perhaps that might be beyond the current riders capabilities. And this is Not me putting the bloke down, before some get their knickers in a twist. But there's a bunch of internet bench racers out there gleefully pointing out the disparity between Project 250s times, and the times that are needed to get into the event.
Toning the engine tune down , adding a bit of oil, backing off on how lean you go on the jetting, or anything that keeps the bike going, and / or not going over the edge of disaster, might make what is a Tremendously difficult thing to achieve , that of just qualifying for a national, easier for the rider.
I applaud the enthusiasm, and dedication of you blokes, and I hope you get into a national soon - just doing that would be an achievement for you and the rider. We here would recognize that. But to really get attention, you'd need to get some top 20 results. As it seems, that anything much below the podium, gets nothing but criticism for the riders out there.
