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/126654
Q(') 00 0") T ... Can-A_ 250 liquid-crosser it ~in rJOU? By Karel Kramer Photos by Devid Edwllrds end Tom Corley With Can-Am's 1982 model year decision to cease production of motocross machines, everyone in motorcycling thought that they would trickle a few enduro bikes a year into the country and see if they could survive. In the face of the negative waves, the Canadian . Bombardier conglomerate made a deal with the English Armstrong company, makers of Armstrong road racers and Armstrong/CCM racing bikes, and announced an entirely new line with more models than before. . In the past, Can-Am's bikes equipped with their legendary 250cc rotary valve engine bave been the DeWl.aod.raaiDlstay ollh.u line. ~ • , now, with the Can-Am name back in the marketplace, the 250 has taken a back seat to its rock-spitting Open class two-stroke and charismatic 500 thumper siblings. And this in spite of the obvious success enjoyed by the 250 enduro model as soon as it was in the capable hands of factory rider john Martin. When we picked up the Gan-Am and made a mental list of its features, . we felt that the Can-Am might well be the best of the European 2505. Although the Can-Am boasts an ..Qblinksbockrd..rising·~JaUIlS·. pension, a liquid-cooled, rotary-valve inducted engine and the latest Marzocchi fork, as well as other topquality components; we must say that the 250MX LC suffers from faults - most of which could be corrected with work and patience - tbat keep it from being a contender for the best Euro-bike title. The list of components for the Can-Am starts with Akront goldanodized rims laced to Crimea hubs. The front wheel is attached to the Reynolds 53 I cbromoly frame by a Marzocchi Piffero fork. A chromoly swingarm holds the rear wheel to the frame and mounts to a "Quad Link" system of aluminum links, also goldanodized. Coolant for the Austrian-built Prestone-pumper is cooled in a radiator of japanese manufaetuh! mounted on the triple clamps. Coolant travels will'.} J A stamped-section ell.pansioD chamber and a h!buildable aluminum silencer pretty much fiJI out the . :w=~::.e~~~~~ ~~ list of mechanical notables. AlI of the plastic is Italian, as are the fork, the Pih!11i tires and the Magura levers and throttle. The fuel tank on our test machine was constructed of fiberglass, although we were told that later models will be plastic. Our Can-Am fired up readily and carbuh!ted fairly welI. The engine is quite torquey with a decent top-end rush. We did not have the bike long enough to do tOO many head-to-head stans, but we did seem to get good starts when there Wert! a lot of bikes together. In spite of that, we did not feel that the LC had a gh!at deal of power. With equal riders and tires, alI four of the japanese 2505 are faster. A couple of practice laps showed that while the engine has good torque for a motoero5Ser, fast laps required ~ I-IJnmJQ.lwc ulQ¥..1WoWPa Jda