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/127364
u nch anged. The CR is a revver and it likes to be ridden wide open a nd aggressively, mainly because it doesn 't have an overly abundant su p p ly of bottom end. Bu t th is doesn 't rea lly hurt th e CR's overa ll pe rformance as long as you keep the moto r o n the pi pe . If it does fall off th e pipe, don 't worry, beca use o ne qu ick fa n of the cl utch lever brings the m o tor to fu ll power instan ta neously. From midrange o n up, the CR p ulls and p ulls and p u lls. As you shift the CR through the gears, th e front end likes to cl imb into the air but in a very co ntrollable and predictable man ner. T he motor is impressive, to say th e least. We didn 't have any p roblems sta rling the motor nor did we experience fouled spark plugs, a problem in th e pa st. How ever , the CR is co ld -blooded a nd needs p lenty o f warm-up tim e befor e grabbing a handful o f thrott le. Be carefu l o f co ld seizures . Shifting is a piece of ca ke (what else is new ). Wi th or wi thou t the aid o f the cl utc h , the CR cl icks through the gears with precision; mi ssed shifts are rar e. As far as th e clu tch itself, we can ' t find a ny fla ws. The lever is' easy 10 The eR's slim and compact layout, and levers and grips are first rate. Specifications Honda CR250R ' Engine type Liquid-coo led, two-stroke, case-induction reed-valve, single Bore x stroke 66.4 x 72.0mm Displacement 249cc Compression ratio 8.5:1 Carburetor. : .'I 8mm Keihin Horsepower ' N /A Torque : N/ A Starting system Prima ry kick Ignition Solid state CD wi th electro nic adva nce Lubrication Prem ix Transmission Closs-ra tio 5-speed Prima ry drive Stra ight-cut gear Final dri ve : . #520 cha in Final drive ra tio .'1 .642 (51/ 14) Fram e Sin gle downtube, split double cradle Honda tossed away its usual Showa shock for a new Kayaba unit. The Showa inverted cartridge fork features many internal modifications. The 38mm nat-slide Keihin carburetor received the fine-tooth-comb treatment. Front suspension Showa, inverted telescopic fork, l4-way compression damping settin gs Fork tube diameter 45mm Front wheel travel 12.0 in. Rear suspension Kayaba single shock, 22- and 20·way com pression and rebound damping settings, swingarm Rear wheel travel 1.'1,0 in. Fron t brake Disc w/ two-pi ston caliper Rear brake Disc Front tire 80/ 100-21 Dunlop K490 Rear tire 110/ 100-18 Dunlop K695 Claimed dry weight. 2I.'1 .9 Ibs Wheelbase 58.6 in. Seat height .'18.2 in. Ground clearance 1.'1 .8 in. Fuel capacity (incl. reserve) 2.0 ga l. Colo rs Red Sugg ested retail pri ce $.'1 998 reach a nd pull is extremely lig h t, o ne finger opera ble for su re. This co mes in handy ~ hen blastin g o ut o f tight turns with th ose big and powdery . berms. Slowing th e Honda down for the tu rn s is, again, a breeze. Bo th fro nt a nd rear disc brak es a re as stro ng as ever, possibly the best in th e busin ess. T he r id e r has no exc u se for blow i ng th ro ugh a tu rn and ge ll ing co u rse banners wrapped arou nd his neck. At least he ca n 't blame it o n wi mpy brak es. . As far as detai lin g th ere's none better than th e H onda. Peri od . Fro m each spo ke to each a nd every n ut a nd bolt, th e CR radiates per fectio n. Everyt hing fit s into p lace like pieces o f a ji g-sa w puzzle, a nd performing maintenance o n th e bike, suc h as cleaning th e air filte r, adjusting the chain a nd repacking the alu minum silencer, is as si m p le as ever. Honda has do ne it agai n. There's no do ubt th a t the 1991 CR250R lives u p to its rep u ta tio n as o ne o f the fines t 250cc MXers o n th e track. The only q uestion mark hanging over the CR 's head is its suspension, it co uld stand some more im prove men t. O therthan that, th e new red and white CR is simply a blast to ride. The mot or sh reds, it turns lig h tni ng quick, it's extremely easy to flick arou nd o n th e ground or in the air, a nd the qual ity o f craftsmans hip has yet to be ma tched b y a n y o ther m anufa cture r ' s MX o ffering. T here's lot to be said a bo u t a co m pa ny that co ns ista n tly p u mps o u t q uality bikes like th e C R25 0R . And there' s a lot 10 be said about the CR. . But th e word awesome p retty much su ms i t up. tN *****