CAN THIS TWO-STROKE CYLINDER BE REPAIRED? OCTOBER 2025 ISSUE

Dear Mr. Know-It-All,
I recently let my friend Travis borrow my 2006 Honda CR250R two-stroke. Apparently, the gas was not mixed correctly, and, well, you know what happened next. Let’s just say the piston and cylinder are a lot closer physically and spiritually now. I have always just bought new cylinders  when something like this happened in the past, but that is no longer an option. The cylinder has some pretty deep grooves in it, and chunks of materials are missing in places. Is my only option to have a sleeve put in it now, or can it be repaired and re-plated? Thanks for the advice.
TJ
via [email protected]

TJ, first things first: we hope Travis is now no longer able to borrow any more of your motorcycles, and he took you out to a nice steak dinner to apologize. Steak dinners make everything better. We feel your pain on not being able to get new Honda CR250R two-stroke cylinders brand new anymore, and the answers to your questions are no and yes. Putting a sleeve in the cylinder is not your only option, but it is still an option if you so choose. The crew at L.A. Sleeve still offer a variety of sleeves in different sizes for older-model two-strokes, and they have a fast turnaround time last we checked. Repair and re-plating with NikaSeal is also an option, and we have been blown away with the types of repairs that can be done nowadays. The crew at PowerSeal USA worked on a cylinder a while back that would have normally been headed into the garbage can, but they were able to strip it down, weld it up and re-plate it all in about four weeks, not counting shipping time. We strongly advise against it, but there is always the option of buying used and hoping for the best. See more about your options at www.lasleeve.com and www.powersealusa.com.