VOL. 56 ISSUE 1 JANUARY 8, 2019 P87
The Showa SPG coil-spring fork
provided a planted feel around the
track, performing best on rough
downhills and corner entrances.
Riders opted for inside lines on
the Honda as the well-balanced
chassis and quality suspension
components made it nearly effort-
less to lean the CRF250R on its
side. Despite tipping the scales
as one of the heaviest in the class
at (238 lbs), the Honda's agile
personality makes it feel lighter
than most on the track.
The convenience of the rider
cockpit is strides ahead of the fifth-
and sixth-place finishers. Renthal
Fatbars are outfitted to the front
of the Honda and are home to
more useful buttons than a simple
launch control and kill switch. The
CRF is equipped with electric start
and a three-mode map switch that
blinks when selected. While it of-
fers the convenience of a handle-
bar-mounted switch, this was our
least favorite of said design. How
so? In order to change modes,
the bike must be in neutral and the
blinking lights can be hard to see
in the afternoon sun.
The Honda is undeniably a
challenger for the crown in the
250 class, but a few small kinks
held it back in this year's shoot-
out. The lack of refinement in the
CRF's powerband limits overall
rideability and requires the bike to
be ridden in the top-end power,
making it difficult to suit riders of
all skill sets. Having to slow down
to operate the on-the-fly map
switch (it has to be at idle) is an-
other minus compared to our top
two. Unfortunately these minute
characteristics hinder the bike's
results and shuffle it from being a
front-runner to a midpack finisher.
4
th
Place
HONDA CRF250R
NOTABLE FEATURES
•Electric Starting
•Handlebar Map Switch
•Dual Exhaust System
•Titanium Fuel Tank
•DOHC Engine
•Showa 49mm A-Kit-Style
Coil-Spring Fork
•Tapered Aluminum Handlebar
IMPORTANT NUMBERS
Weight: 238 lbs. (wet)
MSRP: $7999
