Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126474
well-proven Fox AirShox with easily adjustable damping and two -stage air springs. Once the production CR has good rear shocks holding it up, rear suspension can be improved even further with addition of a stronger and lighter aluminum swingarm to replace the stock steel flexer, Mugen offers complete swingarm kits for both 250 and 125cc models which go for $250 each. A Fox Factory Swingarm is ava ilable for 250cc model CRs and is $195 . Both swingarms from Mugen and Fox are welded up box section designs similar to Honda factory swingarms. They are built of aircraft quality aluminum which is heat treated after welding and are extremely rigid. Once you've gotten handling squared away on the CRs , they're pretty good bikes . The CR 250R-80 could benefit from a longer swingarm to improve straight line tracking, even with the use of a Mugen or Fox swingarm, since the wheelbase is rather short at 57 .5 inches. E~en though Honda went to a longer swingarm on the CR 250R'80, they shortened the distance from front wheel axle to swingarm pivot in the process. Both Mugen and Fox should have longer swingarms ava ilable soon for this model. Some Pro caliber riders might be looking for a ' little more power for their CRs and it just so happens, with the tie-in to the Honda factory, Mugen has the hot line to improving performance. What they offer are complete engine kits for CR 125Rs and CR 250Rs to raise horsepower in these models. as well as the now famous ME · 360 kit which Marty Smith used in the 1979 AMA 500cc Nationals. It converts a CR/250R into a 360cc Open class bike. The ME-360 won't intimidate other Open class bikes with sheer horsepower, but it will run rings around them on a tight and gnarly track where quick handling and a strong. snappy, yet controllable powerband are important. With Mugen engine kits you're paying for limited production works bike -quality type parts and price ranges which begin at $450 for the ME-250 kit and go up as high as $850 for the Mugen-installed ME-360 kit prove it. With the ME ·125 and ME· 360 kits it is important to run entire kit assemblies if any benefit is to be gained since they are tuned as a unit, though Mugen will sell parts individually. With the ME·250 kit you can opt for just individual parts like the exhaust chamber for $130 and gain a worthwhile power improvement. The ultimate engine kit for CR 125R is Mugen's ME ·125 WI watercooled engine kit. With this, along with other Mugen suspension goodies, you can duplicate the bike Team Mugen'sJohnny O'Mara will be racing in Nationals. Team Honda will also be using the Mugen water- cooled engine kits , though it is not certain if their 125s will be Pro-Links or have conventional rear suspensions. Mugen is planning to build complete ME·125 water-cooled bikes in the United States this fall to dodge import duties of bringing ready-built bikes in from Japan. Besides a watercooled engine, the bikes will be tricked to the hilt with Showa works forks . Mugen swingarm and Ohlins shocks. The $3.995 price tag isn't too unreasonable, but the catch is they have to have your $1 ,000 deposit by September 1 . so don't delay! Mugen U.S.A .. 6878 Santa Fe Avenue East. Hesperia. CA 92345 . 7141244-6405. Price list on request . Moto·X Fox, 520 McGlincy Lane, Campbell. CA 95008 . 408 1371·1221 . Catalog 13. • ' . ~~ e: o 00 0'> Afteryearsof making some ofthe finest high-performance motorcycle lubricants you can buy, weve fmaIly managed to make an improvement: to our package. Which should tell you all you need to know aboutYamalubeproducts. That even after exhaustive testing by our own engineers, years of grueling roadracing and mud-slinging motocross, Yamalube has proven itselfa winner. Andyou don't change a winner. Yamalube 2 is still a balancedblendofpremium quality petroleum base stock mixed with special additives that protect high-revving 2-stroke engines. Yamalube 4·is still specially formulated for 4-strokes and their valve trains. When used in transmissions, it extends gear and clutch plate life too. Andforthe extra protection two-stroke racing demands, Yamalube R racing oil still featuresunique anti-wearadditives to reduce friction, giving you Subscribe and get your name on the front that critical edgewinners need. The only difference is,now all three Yamalube products look as slick as they perform. YAMAHA When you know how they're built: e of Cyde News. $_x __ = POSTAGE /10K) HANOUNG _ _ TOTAl. ENClOSED _ ==- Motorcycle Races 1/2MileDi~ Checks payable to : Trojan EnterprIz. . And moil to: TICKETS AT GATE: Topkea Gold Cup 8r SPECIAL RACE "'THE HONDA CHALLENGE"' 500cc 4-Cycle $1,000 Junior/Expert 'I ~/1~"'8 n 8:00 pm SAP NIGHT $10 $12 $14 DavIs Sportcycle , ., 4&06 S. Topeka Avenue Phone: (913) 862-1053 Topeka, Kansas 66609 NAME .c.r-. h~ SUNFJ"OWEIt STAn TOPEKA. KANSAS . , r:'E""X p •'O,. ' ' "_ _ AOORESS .--., _ CITY _ 31