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/127251
~ BOLLENB H ENGINEERING Contact Bo llenbach Engineering for New Ducatls, Performance Ports. Accessories and Expert service SEE US IN DAYTONA On the track, th e' CRI25 h~ plenty of po.-;er spread over a broad range, making it appea ling to a wide r range of ride rs. The suspension is still rat he r harsh, though. GARAGE #25 AT THE SPEEDWAY Stop by and introduce yourself and see the latest in Ducati Performance Products Honda CR125 Continued [rom page 49. riding position has al so been improved with 3mm wider Iootpegs which were also raised 3mm on th e frame. And to redu ce foot interferen ce, th e rear brake master cyli nder has been relocated to ins ide th e fram e, and th e rear joints for the removabl e subfra me assem bly have been moved inwa rd to reduce cont act with th e rider 's boot, Seat height has been raised 27mm via a 10% denser and th icker seat-foam material. H onda will a lso offer th e lo wer 19S9 seat as an o ption. Honda didn 't alter th e Pro-Link rear suspens io n linkage, but th e Kayaba shoc k has been revalved for a smoother ride. Rear whe el tra vel is 12.2 in ches and th ere ar e 20 compression and rebound damping adj ustme nt s. The rea r h ub has also been strengthened and the shape of the IS-in ch rim changed for added strength and durability. Whi le ma ny man ufact urers have switched to 19-in ch rear wheels o n their production . MXers, Honda stayed with IS-in ch rea r wheels on its motocross models. Honda feels that there's still not en ou gh of a selectio n of 19-inc h rubber available to the co nsu mer to m ak e th e swa p wort hwhi le. In 'S9 Honda had so me problems with chain ·derailing, so the chain guide was redesigned and strengthened to correct th e problem . nO n the track , th e CRI25 's chassis cha nges have resulted in a definite improvement. The front end no longer has an overw he lmi ng tendency to shake its head like it used to, and is very stable. With the increased rigidity of the inverted fork , the front wh eel tends to go wher e it's po int ed. Overa ll suspension performance is improved over last year , though still no t qu ite p lush eno ugh . The inverted fork ha s smoothe r action than last year's convent ional unit, although it 's still a Iittle o n th e harsh side. The sam e goes for the rear shock. T he suspension tends to bounce off bumps, especially sq uare-edged holes, ins tead of soaking them up as well as it could. It's better than previous models, bu t still too stiff for the average rider. The lower rear shock mount will need to be greased regularl y. The one on our test bike began to squeak after several rides . Although the suspension is a tad too harsh, the CR 125 still ha ndl es well. The-rider can either whip it through tight in side lines or rail outside berms with ease. Slowing the CR dow n for those turns is a cinch too. H onda once again has provided exceptiona l bra kes both front and rear. Up front there is ample sto pp ing po wer wi th a good, progressive feel th ro ug h the lever, while the rear brake is equally strong without locking easily. Bollenbach Engl.....ng Ducal PerIonnace '.oclncts 2 into 1 p ipes for 90.6 Paso 2 into 1 p ipes for 750 Sport 2 into 1 pipes fo r 750 Paso 851 Performance Chips ExclusIVe u.s. DIstributor for FBF Products Round 'em up H onda aimed at making the CRI25 easier to ride for all levels of rid ers and succ eeded. There is pl ent y of power for th e pros, but it's also spread througho ut the powerband so that no vices wo n't have a hard ti me util izin g it. Althoug h the suspension has been improved, in stock form it's still too harsh to be comfortable. Less experienced riders wi ll probably want to modify the valvi ng to improve the performance. Overall, th ough , the 1990 CR I25 has been changed for the better. CN • For C urre nt Retoll/Dealer Pricing. .Coll The Ducoll Experts ~ BOLLENBRCH ENGINEERING 296 Williams P la c e . Easl D u n d e e . I L 601 18- 2 31 9 ~- - .DU'~ ml Husqvarna (708) 428-2800 I VIS'I FAX(708)42~774 Write CrCoII For A Current Cotolog H onda CRI25 Engine type Liquid-cooled , two-stroke, sing le Bore x stroke 54x54.5mm Displacement I24.&c Compression ratio 7.S/ S.5:1 Carburetor 36mm Keihin Start ing system Primary kick Ignition COl Lubrication Premix Prim ary drive Straight -cut gear Final drive #520 chain Frame Semi double cradle Rake _ 26.450 Trail 4.7 in. Front suspension Showa . inverted cartri dge fork For k tube diameter 45mm Front wheel travel 12 in. R ea r suspension Kayaba single shock Rear wheel travel 12.2 in. Front brakes Disc Rear brakes Disc Front tire SO/I 00-2I Rear tire IOO/IOO-IS Claimed dry weight 192.9 Ibs Overall length S4.3 in. Overall width 32.9 in. Overall height 49.2 in. Wheelbase 57.4 in . Fuel capacity 2.0 gal. Ground clearance 14 in. Seat height 3S.2 in. Colors Red Retail price $3498 Malcolm Smith Motorcycles welcomes back Wayne Martin, multi-time SCORE off road class chsmpion. Come by 7563 Indiana Avenue in Riverside and have Wayne do the hot set up to your Yamaha, KTM, Husky or Cagiva or call him at 714687·1300. Wayne's years of experience on engine mods, shock mods and chassis work produces work you can depend on. WELCOME BACK WAYNE 53