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/127138
.. The all -new 1988 Honda CR250 is still available in limited quantities through som~ dealers. Test: 1988 Honda CR2S0RJ When being the best isn't good enough By Nate Rauba Photos by Kinney Jones Even thou gh th e 1987 Honda CR250 was considered the number one 250cc m otocrosser of the year, Honda engineers felt th e king of the class needed a change, and boy, did it ever get changed. Almost So what's new? , nothing went unchanged as There are many new Items on the , ' 8 8 CR250, but the most apparent . the engineers saw that the 88 change is the low routing of the CR250 got a mass lowenng of exhaust pipe. This rerouting not weight, engine modifications and chassis refinements. only sets the Honda visually apart from all previous models, as well as Routing the exhaust pipe low helps low er t he center of gravity and make t he m idsection of t he bike slimmer for easie r rider movement. 4 the competition, but it serves many other functions designed to improve the Honda as well. There are many advantages to this new design, according to Honda. Besides being designed to improve power characteristics, the low-boy pipe mounts lower on the frame, which in tum allows the overall center of gravity to be lowered The new, -Iig h ter two-core aluminum radiators have been lowered as well as the fuel tank, which is also now slimmer. This makes for a slimmer midsection and better riding position since there is no pipe bulge, thus making it easie r to move around on the bike. Honda also claims the new routing . helps improve shock cooling, and the airbox has been made larger to improve breathing. Since the pipe hangs so low and is an easy target for rocks and is more prone to come in contact with the ground in a crash, the wall thickness has been increased to resist denting. This also reduces noise. In order to get the gasses flowing into the redesigned pipe from the Nikasil-plated cylinder, the Honda Power Port exhaust valves have been recalibrated and port area increased. The exhaust valves now open earlier in the rpm range, and the valve stroke has been increased to expose a larger port area. Flywheelweight has been reduced to provide a quicker-revving engine, and a new four-petal reed valve and lengthened intake tract have been designed to improve power a nd throttle response. A larger lo wer-end bearing an d new piston were designed for increased durability. The five-speed transmission has different gear ratios designed to optimize engine power delivery. The diameter of the countershaft has also been increased for added strength. Once a~in the clutch has an easyaccess Side cover. An all-new frame is found on the '88 CR. It is ligh ter and, according to Honda, stronger than before. The downtube and swingarm pivot areas are now made of large, pressed-steel gussets welded together instead of tubes. A new, compact frame design promotes mass centralization and lowers the center of gravity by 25mm. It still has a removable rear subframe section for easier maintenance. The rear suspension is also allnew. A hybrid-construction swingarm isdesigned to keep unsprung weight low while maintaining rigidity, and the swingarrn pivot IS There isn't much low-end in the Honda powerplant, but when it hits the upper part of the mid-range'it hooks up and f lies.