Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

change a good th ing? Last year's brakes were rat ed among the best in the bus in ess. Enough with th e technical stuff, what's it like to ride? St arting the bike see ms almo st effortless; one o r two stabs a t th e kickstarter brings the 249.3cc motor to life, but th e CR250 comes jetted too rich. Plan on fouling the stock Champion p lug o n your first outing. Even jetted rich ly, th e motor is awesome. The power comes on earlier than on last year's bike, yet the motor will still rev to the moon. Mid-range is the Honda's forte , and th e power is easy to use. While last year's motor fell on its face when it wasn't kept on the pipe, th e new engine produces a wide powerband. that is deceivingly fast. Even wh en lugging th e motor, one may find the front wh eel cla wing at th e sky. On the o ther hand, the motor is just as happy whe n ridden wide o pen wit h lib era l amou nts of clutch. As always, the H onda 's motor and clutch have a bulle tp roof feel. Slowing down the CR250 is a simple task. The new front brake offers an impressive amount of feel, and is as ' strong as they come when need be. The rear brake works well, and slows the middleweight CR down in a hurry . Although one test rider felt that it was grabby at first, the feel improved with wear . Ridden back to back with a stock '91 CR250, the '92 model handles worlds better. The fork is ultra plush . . . in fact, may be too plush. Wh en pushed hard, or wh en landing fro m larger jumps, th e fo r k will bo ttom. Faster or heavier riders will undoubted ly op t fo r st iffer fork springs. The fork's triple-taper design is more forgiving than last year's massive legs, and offers more flex than past upside-do wn fork designs. For those who aren't on a level with Stanton or (Above) The fenders, radiator shrouds, seat an d fork guards are fluorescent-red, while the gas tank, airbox and frame are white. The slim layout of the CR250 (left) is easy to maneuver on, and as usual, the CR will tum on a dime (below ). Bayle (that's all of us, isn 't it?), a fair amount of flex is desirab le in a fork , as for ks tha t don't flex can often send lesser experienced riders to the ground in awkward situations due to th e rig idity. Although the rear su sp en sion is better than that fo un d on th e '9 1 model, the rear end received no rave reviews . When the CR was ridden aggressively, the rear suspension soaked up everythi ng thrown its way in a predictable m a nner, bu t a t lower speeds the rear would spit sideways and buck like a rodeo bull. This was most noticeable wh en the bike was ri dden over smaller, square edged bumps. As a whole, the suspension works best when ridden hard. The Honda likes to be charged through obstacles; and is quite unforgiving when ridden in a lackluster manner. And yes, headshake rears its ugly head wh en decel erating if th e rider doesn't stay on his toes. The Honda is a stable flier: it leaves the ground predictably and responds well to midair corrections. Only when th e jump has a square edge o n th e takeoff does the rider need to take extra care . If th ere is an inside li ne in a turn, th e Honda will take yo u th ere. Like most H onda s of the past, th e CR250 carves true and will go wherever you poin t it. Rutted turns wit h holes in th e exits will give CR riders fit s, though, as th e rear end bucks violently when accelerating through th e bumpy ruts. Both in the air and o n the gr ound, th e Honda feels ex treme ly light. The new, sli m mer layout con tributes to th is feel , and the bike is very well balan ced. Ge tti ng used to the feel of the bike is a breeze, as everyt hing feels jus t right. Nothin g snags the rider's boots or leathers whe n man eu vering on th e bike; fro m the radiato r shrouds and side panels to the su bfra me bolts and brake ped al , every thing fi ts perfectly and offers a smooth surface. Detailing on the Honda , as always, is top notch . Basic maintenance is almost a joy to perform, as no bike is better tho ught ou't in its assembly. A IO-drawer toolbox is not needed to perform simple tasks. Changing th e rear tir e or tightening th e chain is made simpler with the additio n of a new axle shaft th at req ui res only one wrench to tighten. The wh ite airbo x is room y, and offers enough room for even the largest of hands to ins tall th e air filter with ease. We do hav e our doubts, however, abo u t how lo ng it will stay white, as the side s became scratched and blackened from boots in just one day . The new fluorescent-red and white col or combination is shocking at first; when we first caug h t a glimpse of the bike, thoughts of the fluorescent trend that swept the ATV racing scene a few years back came to mind. But just as last year's Suzukis did, the new Honda color sche me grows on you. Only time will tell , however, as to how long th e plastic will actually stay as bright as it comes from the factory . With a price tag of $4149, th e 1992 CR250 does no t come ch eap. And what do you get for th at? An aw esome motor, gr eat brakes, so-so suspension, and unmatch ed attention to detail, all wrapped up in a n eye -ca tc h i ng flu or escerit-red and white package. Is 0'1 it worth it? We say yes. , Specifications Honda CR250R Engine type Liqu id-cooled, two-stroke, case-induc tion, Reedvalve, single ' Bore x stroke 66.4 x 72.0mm Displacement 249.3cc Compression ratio 8.7:I Carburetor 38mm Keih in Horsepower : .. N/A T orque N/A Starting system Primary kick Ignition Capa citor discharge Lubrication Premix Transmission close-ratio 5-speOO, - consta nt mesh Primary Drive Straight-cut gear Final drive #520 chai n Final drive ratio 3.769:I (13/4 9) Frame Sing le downtube,. ' semi double cradle Fron t suspension .. .Showa , inverted telescopic fork, 14 and 17-way adjustable compression and rebou nd dampi ng settings Fork tube diameter .43m m Front wheel travel 12.2 in. Rear suspension Showa single shock, 20 and 22 way adjustable compression and rebound settings, swingarm Rear wheel travel 12.6 in. Front brake Disc w!two piston caliper Rear brake disc Front tire 80/100-2 1 Dunl op K490 11 0/100-18 Dunl op K695 Rear tire Claimed dry weight 212.8 Ibs.' Wheelbase 57.6 in. Seat height 38.2 in. Ground clearance 13.8 in. Fuel capacity 2.0 gal. Colors Flu orescent-red/white Suggested retail price $4149

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