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/126751
both changes reflecting the increased i!Dponance placed on accurate, secure turning ability thatLOday's stadiumstyle obstacles require. While the 12-inch-travel front fork received only minor damping modifications, the rear suspension gOt a thorough going-over. A longer Showa shock wi th in reased stroke ·works through a revised link similar LO the aftermarket Simons Link, a popular add-on last year. In response LO a problem that some '83 CR250 owners had with theoil reservoir line blowing out of the hock body, the ho e material and method of mounting to the shock have been improved. The rear wheel moves through 12.2 inches of travel, the ame as last year. The good new is that the multitude of changes add up to an even beller 250 Honda motocrosser for 1984. On the track. the Honda simply works.Iti oneofthoseraredinbikes that feels right from the moment you throw your leg over the seal. At racing speeds. confidence in the bike continues to grow. The ATACequipped engine - which puts out so much horsepower that a few years ago it would have been ranked a a fairly healthy Open-class threat delivers its power so smoothly tbat the rear Lire has an easy time hooking up, rather than jumping wildly LO thesideas many pipey-engined bikes are prone to do. Neutral best describes the CR's handling, whether launching off jumps or slicing through turns. No great amounts of body English are required to keep the bike in line, a plus at the end of a long moto. The one handling glitch we came across was probably caused by the tucked-in steering head. We LOok theCR out for a day of play riding, including a lot of fire roading. When slowing down from speed on the fire roads, we noticed a slight amount of head shake. Nothing drastic, just noticeable. We never encountered the problem on the moLOcross track; but the head shake could be a factor on long, fasl tracks. especially if the track is sandy. As delivered. the uspension was set up for a fast Intermediate-level rider. and throughout the test period we never felt the need to play with the 14 front-fork compression damping adjustments, Or the 16 compression and 22 rebound settings on the rear .shock. Although w 've heard repons of the shock fading in long moLO under hard riding, we never encountered the problem. About the only problem we had with the suspension was air pressure building up in the front fork tubes after a few hours of riding, which caused the fork action to become haJ'Sh. There is nothing harsh about the front disc brake. however. Without qualification. it is the best din bike brake we've come acros . Lever feel is good. control i easy and the brake stops the bike quickly with no fuss. The only minu to the brake is that the disc. dual-piston cal iper and accompanying hardware weigh slightly more than a conventional doubleleading-shoe set-up. Even that penalty IS offset by the fact that unsprung weight is reduced with the disc brake. And at a claimed 211 pounds dry. the CR can well aHord the few extra gram that the whole disc brake assembly adds. There you have the 1984 Honda CR250. A well-built, searingly fast mOLOcrosser that handles well and is easy LO ride quickly. The CR is the first new-model race bike that we've tested this year, so we don't know how it will stack up against the 250cc offerings from other manufacturers. We do know one thing, however. If those manufacturers used the 1983 . Honda as a mark to shoot for this year, they're already in big trouble. • Two of the CR' s strong points; its super-strong engine (left) and front disc brake (above). Specifications Engine Type Water-cooled. two-stroke single. Displacement 246cc. Bore x stroke _ _ 66mm X 72mm. Compression ratio _ 8.6:1. Starting system .......................•............ Primary kick. Ignition system C.D.1. Transmission _. Five-speed. Carburetor 36mm Keihin. Frame Type Front tire Rear tire Split cradle. 90/90-21. 130/80-18. Dimensions Wheelbase Seat height Dry weight (claimed) Fuel capacity Suggested retail price ' 58.1 in. 37.8 in. 211 Ibl. 2.1 gall. $2418. 11