2008 Atomik Blitz 250 review

[thump*140]

ok this is for anyone who is considering buying a 2008 Atomik Blitz 250...I'm sorry it's a bit long winded, but when i was researching China 250cc bikes, i couldnt find a decent review anywhere... so hopefully this might help anyone out there wanting info or tips on the Blitz 250
I've been riding for 26 years, have owned scores of bikes, worked on and modified all of them, and currently share my stable with: 2004 Thumpstar HungeTen, 2005 custom 125 Atomik mini, 2008/9 ground up High End ebay special 140 mini build, KTM 250SX-F copy, 99 Yamaha YZ400F, 06 Yamaha YZ450F-LE, X-moto XB35, and now an 08 Atomik Blitz 250, so i have a fair amount of experience with both Jap and China MX bikes...
(can anyone lend me a bigger shed??????)

I purchased my Blitz about a month and a half ago... have had the chance to tear it to bits, go over it, run it in, ride it across several different types of terrrain, and discover the pros and cons to this model...
I've segregated the sections of review to make it a little easier to consume...

OVERVIEW: Plastics are a straight copy of 06-08 Yamaha YZ-250/450F plastics, with the exception of the front guard, which appears to be a copy of the Yamaha 01-02 YZ426F guard. Frame is a very rough imitation of a Honda CR-F/BBR style apparatus... Engine-wise is pretty impressive given it is a new generation engine, but long term reliability remains to be seen. Power output is acceptable, but disappointing for those who have already owned previous versions of the Loncin/Zongshen 250cc engines.
Very tall bike, NOT RECOMMENDED AS A BIKE FOR THE YOUNG FELLA OR THE MISSUS... Suspension is genuine Long Travel front and rear, and is definately set up for the larger or faster rider dampening wise.
WEIGHT is reasonable for the appointments of the bike and overall construction of the bike is acceptable for a china, but it does have a few problems, which i will cover specifically later on... If you are a Big Lad getting into dirt bikes, this is a great bike for you, being tall, easily manageable on all sorts of terrain, wont bite you when you crack the throttle, and is arguably the best looking of the current string of china copies..

ENGINE: Runs the 3rd generation Liquid-cooled Loncin 250cc engine, SOHC, 5 speed manual... electric and kick start, removable/ interchangeable oil filter, twin radiators, key-switch ignition, neutral warning light and 34mm exhaust pipe. (good copy of the Yamaha YZ-250F system) Long term reliability remains to be seen as this is a new generation of engine. All the usual tricks in regards to changing the oil BEFORE YOU RIDE THE BIKE, regular oil changes during the running in period, and general modifications apply to the 3rd generation Loncin engine.
STARTING with electric start is relatively easy, however i do recommend either starting the bike on a regular basis to keep charge up to the battery, and clean fuel through the carby, or running the carby dry when you have finished riding it. Leaving fuel in the carby for anything over a week makes it a little hard to start next time you go riding... Kick starting the bike is very difficult from cold, but this is either my particular bike, or a common trait to the 3rd gen engine. Once the engine is warm, kick-starting is no more difficult than starting any engine. I have removed the kick starter from my bike, as the finish of the lever is pretty average, and has a tendency to flick out to the "kicking" position basically all the time, which will drive you nuts... So far the electric start is reliable.
ENGINE PERFORMANCE, while strong and torquey, is disappointing for those who own or have spent a bit of time on Loncin/Zongshen 250cc engines. i am yet to discover whether this is jetting, cam-profile, flow through the valves/head, or an over-zealous exhaust system. (the pipe looks great, but is overkill for a low powered 250 engine. I will be modifying my exhaust in the future to get it to breathe a little easier, and will post results as i find them.)
CARBURETTION from the factory is typical China... pilot, airscrew and needle jet are pretty well spot on, but the main jet is optimistic to say the least... mine came fitted with a 132 main jet, which wouldnt rev anything past 2/3rds throttle... swapped it straight away for a #100 main jet, hey presto revs cleanly right through the range. The air box is very restrictive, so feel free to cut the intake holes roughly twice the size of what comes standard. Dont cut out too much, you'll end up with a lean spot through the middle of the rev range, that you will find hard to get rid of... The Carby itself is quite impressive... am yet to run verniers over it, but it appears to be a 28mm mikuni copy, and is a genuine pumper carby. pumper settings seem pretty good as set from factory, and pay attention to which way the choke operates in the ON and OFF position... caught me out for awhile before i figured out switch up= choke on, switch down=choke off...
Once fitted with a smaller main jet, it pulls cleanly through the rev range, but is not overly crisp, nor does it have much "bark"... I am attributing this to the muffler overkill... (the exhaust note on the other hand is impressive without being overly loud... or crackly)
Overall power isnt what i expected... strong, but doesnt have the top end sting of a well jetted 2nd generation air cooled Loncin 250. (found this out as my missus has an X-moto XB35, and i also own a KTM 250SX-F copy, both of which outrun the Atomik in a straight line, especially once the revs build)
Top speed as usually advertised is very optimistic... 85kph is about the most you will get out of this bike without gearing changes... which will drop your acceleration rate...

FRAME AND SUSPENSION: Frame looks great. good shape, well appointed, good size for a big bloke, good wheelbase, stable in a straight line and reasonably well finished. welds, although nowhere near straight, are well completed. no gaps or "filler" to be seen thus far. On the downside, the frame is quite remiss of early Honda CR alloy frames... this baby does NOT flex... and is hard on the body...especially over rough ground. Most of the bolt holes line up where they should be, and the bike is relatively easy to work on with good access to most parts... Carby removal and valve clearance checks being the exception...
SUSPENSION wise, the Atomik Blitz is blessed with genuine Long Travel suspension, with no fouling points anywhere, another rarity among full sized chinas... Unfortunately, whilst the action of the suspension itself is acceptable, the "adjustment" of the suspension is doubtful at best, and rebound dampening of the forks is almost non existent, resulting in a jarring rebound action when the forks extent, particularly if the front wheel leaves the ground over a rough surface. the fork guards are a particular problem, as they are actually too small, and foul the action of the forks... this results in a very harsh and unpredictable fork action.. again, very hard on the arms. The fork guards are best replaced with genuine Yamaha items... straight up fit, and they dont foul the fork stanchions.
Rear suspension action and damping rates are surprisingly close to the mark. ( i weigh 88kgs, Clubman level racer) The big problem with the shock is it suffers from very poor tolerances in the linkages... which makes the bike rattle and clunk over anything bigger than a marsbar... sounds terrible, and again, isnt good on the body... on the plus side, if you can keep the front tyre lofted over rough ground, and the rear wheel planted, it tracks pretty well... keep in mind this is a china, not a $11,000 Jap mxer, so you wont keep up over rough ground...
I am currently attempting to fit the rear shock and linkages from a Yamaha YZ-250F to the bike... shock length is identical, but the reservoir gives you no choice but to modify the exhaust pipe where it ducks under the reservoir.. it will not fit without a bit of bending... best not attempted unless you know what you are doing with gas axe...
Whilst these bikes are advertised as having adjustable suspension, i am yet to find any difference while adjusting the compression and rebound clickers, but setting the spring for correct static and rider sag is worth the trouble. Once i have fitted the YZ rear shock and linkages i will post more results.

BRAKES AND ERGOS: This is where the Blitz really excels... This bike boasts some of the most powerful and manageable brakes i have experienced on a china. This is probably attributable to the diameter of the rotors... they are massive!! The calipers and master cylinders on the Blitz are common fare for china copies, but offer surprisingly strong braking performance. Overall braking performance so far i have found to be comparable to my yamaha YZ450F... Big claim, but ride one, you will see what i mean... they pull you up quickly with good control without being overly strong or grabby.
For anyone familiar with 06-08 Yamaha fourstrokes, the ergos will seem very familiar... with the exception of being wide around the front of the radiator shrouds, the Blitz feels just like a YZ-F to sit on and ride. ride height is a little taller than a yamaha, but the bar/seat/peg relationship is pretty close to the real thing. The one thing i wish my YZ450F shared in common with the Blitz, is two bulges either side and slightly behind where you lower legs rest... makes it very easy to grip the bike, either putting about or wide open... (are you listening Yamaha????)

 

[thump*140]

Blitz Review Continued

Lever/bar heights are good for the taller riders (i'm 5'11", so taller riders will love the Blitz) and while the bars are a great bend, and it's nice to see some strong Pro-Taper style bars standard fitment on a china, they are as stiff as a 14 year old boy in a strip club, and offer no flex whatsoever... which also contributes to the bike being hard on the body, particularly the arms...
The overall fit and finish of the bike pretty reasonable for a bike that you can find pretty easily for less than $1500 delivered if you bid smartly on Ebay... and the fact all the plastics and seat can be replaced with Yammie parts straight up is a bonus...

QUICK FIXES AND MODS: Before you do anything, drain the oil, and replace it with the same stuff your dad puts in the mower. it will be better quality than the standard honey, and the gen 3 engine doesnt seem to fussy about oil type...
CARBY: change the main jet from a #132 to a #100... will clean up the top end/full throttle operation...
Thoroughly grease all linkages in the rear suspension, axles, and headstem bearings... there is practically nothing on them... But then neither do Jap MX bikes, and they cost up to 10 times the price...
AIRBOX: open up the main inlet hole in the airbox to roughly twice the size of standard. Dont go too far with the stanley knife, it will lean the mid range out, and be hard to jet the flat spot out...
CLUTCH CABLE: where the cable mounts to the engine, grind or file a tiny bit of the clamp/mount away, which will straighten out the cable angle... standard it has quite a kink in it, which stiffens the clutch pull considerably. Also pays to lube the cable regurlarly.
HANDLEBARS: after you tip the bike over in the garage and turn the stockers into paperclips, bite the bullet and replace them with proper Pro Taper style bars... your arm pump will forgive your spending...
IGNITION: replace the standard CDI unit for a high rev unit... (bout $15-20 on Ebay) makes the bottom end a little crisper, and gives a cleaner spark, higher rev ceiling and a bit more sting up top.
RADIATORS: PAY ATTENTION TO THIS ONE.... The radiators are very weak and flimsy... before you fall off the thing, spend some time in the shed with a bit of flat bar, and some small diameter rod. (5mm worked for me) bend up some outer frames and braces against the frame to give the radiators a bit of support should you tip the bike over. Worth the effort and welding, as compared to trying to source new radiators, it's a lot cheaper and easier... and necessary...
FRONT SUSPENSION: remove the stock fork guards, replace them with yamaha items. Drain the oil, refill with 5weight oil, set at 130mm from the top of the fork leg.
REAR SUSPENSION: Cheats version: grease everything heavily. tighten all the bolts on the linkages without over doing it. set static and rider sag to your weight and speed. 30mm static sag, 95mm rider sag.
Experts version: replace the rear shock and linkages with parts from a Yamaha YZ250F. Modify, or have the exhaust modified where it ducks under the reservoir. (must do item...)
The shock from a 96 model Suzuki RMX-250 will also fit the bike while retaining the standard bottom linkage, but also requires the exhaust to be modified.
OVERALL REVIEW: For the price of this bike, its a great buy for the price. Essentially you are getting a YZ250F copy without the great suspension and outright horsepower. You do get the looks, the size if you are a big fella, decent spare parts back up, good quality fit and finish for a china bike, ass-puckering brakes, and a very comfortable ride over most terrain, provided you keep it in the back of your mind, it is a china, and you will hit it's limits quickly if you are a C-grade or above rider... stick to the bikes capabilities, and its a great ride. unfortunately, if like me you have a couple of Jap MXers in the shed, particularly YZ450F owners, it will disappoint as it feels like a fourfif, sounds like a fourfif, but no, it doesnt attempt to dislocate your shoulders when you crack the throttle... pity...
It's a great beginners bike for bigger lad, or for those like me, a great second bike to play around with beginner rider mates, or the missus if she rides, when you dont fell like being beaten up trying to trailride a fourfifty...It aint a SX model, but it will punt you through the bush pretty quickly, and is a great playbike.

For the fifteen hundred bucks you can get these bikes for, they are a great deal... But sadly, my girlfriends X-moto XB35 is faster, lighter, has identical braking performance, higher top speed, higher outright horsepower, and much better valving and suspension compliance, with the exception of shorter fork travel... The X-moto XB35 250cc version can be sourced for under $1000 on ebay, in either air or water cooled engines, with 19"/16? or 21"18" wheel combinations...

Having said all that, good luck reselling an X-moto, or finding any sort of parts for it, when it does cough in its nappy...

If you know how to ride a bit, are on the leggy side, and dont mind a bit of sorting and spanner work before you get to fire the thing in anger, The 2008 Atomik Blitz 250 is a fantastic buy... and lets face it, we're all buying chinas to save a bit of money and they are a bit of fun... if we didnt, we'd all be buying Jap bikes, and taking our riding a lot more seriously...

China Vs China rating:[/B] 7/10 (good bike but hard on the body.. too stiff)
China Vs Jap rating: 5.5/10 (cant argue with the price, and the blind or stupid will think you're astride a Yammie YZ450F. (until they scream past you...)

 

[unitrider08]

best review ive read its good to hear a review from sum1 with time and really knows there bikes

 

[themountain]

Very nice review, specialy for this bike ,because there is nothing available on other forums yet!!
My question: What type of forks are on there?? Openbath or twin camber??
Did you try a genuine Miku tm28??
What about clutch action?? any fade or problems until now??
...and do you got pics from the ride??

 

[thump*140]

cheers for the ups guys, makes the typing worthwhile...
Not too sure about the forks.. am yet to open em up and modify the valving or have a real good look... i would imagine for the price, they're only openbath type...
havent tried a different carby other than a basic mikuni copy... (26mm)... cleaned up the jetting, but no real noticeable increase in power... clutch action is surprisingly good... have ridden it through some pretty twisty stuff, and so far it has held up nicely... no fade, good feel, no grabbiness.... held up pretty well thus far whether hot or cold... engine temp held up as well... wide open stuff, or tight and twisty, not once has it dumped any water or over heated.... but then it was only about 32C when at it's warmest...
got a few pics of the bike static, a couple of the airbox mods, and a few shots in action, but need to pull them off another computer before i can post them... am hoping to get em up soon... along with a similar review on the Xmoto XB-35... that one will surprise a few people... damn good little bike for the price... (and quicker than an atomik blitz or kuda pro...)

 

[thump*140]

blitz pics

clearly influenced by the '06 yamaha YZ 450F... plastics lift straight off... easy to source replacement body parts...
Ergos are very similar... headstem height, bar height, bar to peg relationship, seating position and tank junction very similar (yamaha narrower across shrouds.)

front suspension action tracks well once forkguards are replaced with Yamaha items... rear needs some work before it becomes friends with chattery bumps... poor linkage tolerances are the culprit...

the blitz almost puts out enough power to churn up hardpack clay... ha ha

 

[themountain]

sweet...exactly the bike we have here ....I will try that thing next week...lets see what it can do!!

 

[thump*140]

ah nice, if you find any more, um, findings... in regards to making the blitz a better bike, post em up... be interested to see if the average engine performance compared to the gen 2 motors is a common thing or if it's just mine...

 

[Andrew Aslan]

if you changed plastic to the yammys and the disk brakes.. i would be confused which is which....

 

[thump*140]

yeah they pretty similar... hats off to chinas lax copyright laws... ha ha.. mind you the missing 35 horsepower may soon give the game away... blitz wont do fifth gear clutchless powerwheelies... heh heh

 

[AtomikMilkman]

hey mate, cheers for the review! it was awesome! Just bought a blitz 250 a week ago and took it for a ride on sat past. Couple of hours into it, I noticed oil coming out of the left fork and all over my brakes and wheel. My mate has a similar 250 (PitPro) and had to rebuild his forks after 6 months of having it because of the same problem. Now, he did notice their was no actual oil seal in the forks at all, only a dust seal at the bottom! is this right?

Spoke to some guys at a Kawasaki dealership and they said it should have an inner seal. Haven't taken mine back yet, but we approached Atomik about it and the haven't heard of the problem and don't have seals (dust or inner) in stock.

I was thinking of replacing the entire front fork assembly with that of a 08 Yamaha YZ250F. They look pretty much identical and should just be a bolt on job to the frame. What do you reckon?

If not, how do I fix these forks and prevent this from happening again?

 

[themountain]

thats a very good choice ...and when you are on it change the shock of it too!!

 

[thump*140]

atomikmilkman, i'm yet to pull the blitz forks apart, so i cant confirm whether they run an inner fork seal or not... i would hope they do, but hey, it is a china... i've actually just spent a week away riding, and can report the blitz will cope with many hours riding in a short space of time... spent maybe 8 hours a day on it, and not a single problem, with the exception of the rear shock going from bad to downright terrible as the shock blew a seal on both the reservoir and the shaft, so now she like a pogo stick... aside from that, she came through with flying colours...
as for the forks, yes the 08 YZ front end is a great choice if you can find one, but keep in mind anything from 06 onwards should fit on as well... and an 06 front end might be easier to find... i have both the blitz, and an 06 YZ-F 450, so i'll measure them up and see if they will be a straight bolt on fit... i would imagine the YZs have much beefier head stems and bearings, so it may be a case of having to slide YZ fork legs into the Blitz triple clamps... (i'll measure mine up to see if the forkleg diameter is the same and let you know)
and like the mountain said, if you can replace the rear shock with a yamaha item, (complete setup including rear linkages etc) then do that as well... just keep in mind you will have to have your exhaust pipe bent a little bit otherwise the yamaha reservoir will foul the pipe and wont actually fit in there... if you cant find a complete setup with yamaha shock and linkages, a 96 Suzuki RMX 250 shock will also fit, but also needs work to the exhaust to fit...
as for your forks leaking after the first ride, dont feel too bad about it... i've had a handful of new yamahas, and the first thing to go on them was fork seals...very quickly... my YZf400 lasted about three hours, then five hours after the first set were replaced, and the 450 lasted less than 8 hours... so it's not just chinas that blow fork seals quickly...
i would suggest changing the brake pads as well if they got oil on them, and most suspension shops should be able to source some fork seals that will do a better job than the Blitz items...

Oh i have a question for both atomikmilkman and the mountain... you guys both have Blitzes, how have you found the engine performance? I'm pretty disappointed with mine... not a huge amount of power, very slow to gain revs, and not overly responsive to the throttle... just wondering if its mine, or a characteristic of the new liquid cooled engine...
will be shortening the pipe, adding a 28mm oko flat slide and 1/4 turn throttle as the next mod, will post the results... cheers guys

 

[themountain]

The pipe 4sure is restrictive...on the carb...mm...if yours is with the chink 30mm , going to a 28 OKO will be good....ours came with 26mm Mikuni copy and it had nice snap but was limited aaaalot on higher revs...I am trying out now a DRZ250 carb...its also 28mm but got a pumper!
I wonder if I can shape a bit off the flywheel to to get more KXF feeling...hehe...but as you said...hey its a china what do I exspect....lol!

 

[thump*140]

Blitz vs YZ-F front end update...
the YZ-f forks are almost a slip in swap... i have an 06 YZF 450, and the fork tube outside diameters are about a mm in difference at the bottom clamp, 2mm at the top clamp... so theoretically you could get the stock Blitz clamps line bored to the proper diameter... however the axle diameters are massively different, so you would need a yz front wheel as well... would be an expensive exercise, but one i intend to take when i have the funds to do so... i reckon better suspension would make the blitz and awesome scrub bike..
oh and Mr, The Mountain, not sure exactly what carby i have on mine, but it appears to be a chinga mikuni pumper copy... 26mm i think... like you said, plenty of poke down low, nice and torquey, but just hates to rev and falls flat up top, and very slow to build revs... even with a hi-rev ignition fitted...
lets hope the 28 oko flatslide gives it a bit of sting... let me know what effect shaving the flywheel has...
at the end of the day, i think the blitz has a hell of a lot of potential for a china... am interested to see just how far i can take mine before it comes close to costing the same as a jap bike...

 

[themountain]

exactly my thoughts too..therefore I ´d like to know ,which kind of cam they run....that would be the ultimate upgrade !!
BTW...what do you mean by "hi rev ignition" ??
aah and in matter of the fork...92-93suzuki RM125 forks have 17mm axles...so a bearing swap for 15 bucks on the wheel and you good to go!!

 

[thump*140]

hi rev ignition as in hi rev cdi unit... cheap crappy blue box ignition from ebay... may have to look into the RM forks... heh heh..

 

[JOEL10]

if i buy a set of 06 yamaha plastics will they bolt straight on?

 

[thump*140]

yeah Joel, it looks like they bolt straight on... as far as i can tell... havent actually tried it, but have lined my yzf fourfif up next to it, and all the bolt holes appear to be in the same place... even the fork guards... actually the fork guards are exact yzf copies, cause earlier model ones dont fit...
will let you know if they bolt straight on, cause i have a spare set of 06 plastics laying about... assuming i beat you to trying it out...

 

[JOEL10]

thanks for that. if you do beat me let me know thanx