Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

be ridden at a slower pace more easil y . than the Honda. To me, the KX had an electric type of power off the bottom . smooth and progressive - but by midrange, the pow er hit pretty damn hard. To me the white bike had the be st ergonomics, by far. Whenever I hopped on the KTM, I felt as tho ugh I ha d straddled the wrong bike; it felt like a 250, or even a 125 for tha t matter. The bike just felt lower, narrower and more comfortable than either the Honda or Kawasaki It didn't feel like and open class bike at all. All three bikes handled well, but, in my opinion, they all failed horribly when it came to headshake. For me, the Honda .shook its head more than the Kawasaki and KIM. They all shook the most when blasting down stra ights over sharp edged bumps and with the throttle no more than half open, just about the time you're slowing down for a tum. The only way to help prevent headshake was to keep the throttle wide open and the front wheel light, and squeeze the bike w ith you r knees as hard as possible. This technique wo rks well with all three bikes, but is a must on the Honda. I had no p roblems adjusting to the controls on any of the machines, but the Honda 's seemed the best overall. All of the bikes were easy to start for .open bikes. But - since I am right-handed • I wasn't too crazy about the left-side kickstarter on the KTM. I could still start it while on top of the bike with my left foot, but it was easier standing alongside the KTM and kicking with my right leg. After all was said and done, I realized I could live quite happily with any of these bikes. The KTM just feels more mellow than the rest; it handles well, and I thoroughly loved the ergonomics. I also enjoyed riding the Kawasaki; I especially how the power rolled on at the bottom end of the powerband. The only thing I didn't really care for on the KX was that it just plain felt big, and I always knew I was a riding an Open.class bike. In spite of the headshake, I had the •mos t fun riding the Honda. It quickly got me back into shape, and I found myself riding it more like a 250 than an open ·bike. I liked revving out the motor, and it seemed easier to flick around than the o ther two. To me, the CR felt li ke an ·extremely powerful 250. The Honda certainly suits my needs for the track, but since I also spend a lot of riding time cruising around on the trails, I would have to seriously consider the KTM , with its tamer engine an d ' comfy ergos. 1 Kit Palmer Age: 32 Height/weight: 6'1" / 160 lbs. Specialty: Off-road/Motocross Ski ll level: A/Vet Intermediate hile doing the test-riding for this shootout, I q uickly became conv in ced of one thing - nowhere in the fore seeab le fu ture will an open class motocross bike be filling space in my garage . I kn ow there are people out there wh o swear by them, and who lament the demise of the class in National competition, but I honestly see no use for the big-bores - at least no t on a motocross tr ack. In my opinion, th e only reason fo r buying open-classers is machismo; owners of these machines can boast to their friends about how much "faster " their bikes are than those "wimpy" 250s. That may be the case in the wilds of Baja, but I'd be willing to bet that most'of these same riders' MX lap times would be faster on a modem 250cc MXer. Now th a t I've infuriated eve ry bigbore fan in the country, I must admit that I d id mana ge to have a little fun, especially on the CRSOO. But I think that's beca use of the three bikes, the Honda was the most like a "real" motorcycle. As Donn so eloq uently p ut it, the CR feels like a very-powerful 250, and is thus the most fun to ride. I found the CR's mill to be the most versatile of the three bikes . Whether you choose to use the bottom end, the mid-range or the top, the Honda will be happy to oblige. It offers plenty of power without being violent, and shifts like a 125. I also liked the ergonomics of the Honda, again because they're similar to a CR250. A lengthy seat-to-peg relationship gi ves my gangly legs plenty of room, and all of the controls just feel W'I "right." The CR isn't quite as impressive in the suspension department, as the front end .sometimes deflects on sharp whoops. It wasn't too bad, though, and I felt that the awesome motor more than made up for this trait. Also, the Honda steered the best of the three bikes, whi le still retaining a fair amount of stability in the fast stuff. My second-favorite was the KXSOO. The big Kawie has a mellow powerband and prefers to be short-shifted. As long as you keep the motor in the bottom end of the pow erban d, the Kawasaki works ad mirab ly, b u t if you ge t anxious and s tart to rev it out, you'll be reward ed with a vibra ting, pinging, palm-blistering monster. While the KX's mo tor lacked the diversity of the CR, its suspenders were head and shoulders above the red machin e. Like its smaller siblings, the KX5OO's Kayaba fork and shock devour anything in their path, including whoops, G-outs, sky-shot jumps, ruts and braking bumps. The sp ring rates were right-on for my weight, and a minimum of fiddling was required to get the correct set-up. Stability is the forte of the Kawasaki's chassis, and I had almost no trouble with front-end headshake orrear-end swap. It does, however, require more effort to herd through a tight tum than the agile Honda. Ergos a re ra ther ca bby on the KX, which has a bulky midsection and an old-fashioned look. Still, I began to ada pt after a few laps on the green machine, and soon felt right at home. The KTM, on the other hand, is the most comfortable of all in the department of ergonomics (is that a new government bureaucracy?) Its sleek plastic bodywork and long, smooth sea t a re dow nright comfortable, feeling even more like a 250 than the Honda; it also looks the m os t modem. Once underw ay, ho wever, there will be no co nf usion as to w hat size bike you're on. Like the Kawasa ki, the KTM likes to be lugged, though it has less bottom-end power than th e KX. Keep a steady throttle hand and avoid the upper rpm range, and the M/XC can be made to go fast. I wasn't thrilled with the leftside kickstarter, but with a careful, smooth, full stroke - even with your left foot - the motor usually starts right away. Still, I much prefer the motor on the 440 KTM that we recently tested. The M/XC's suspension was simply okay. It wasn't great over any type of obstacle, but it wasn't terrible either. In most terrain, I was happier with the suspenders of both the Honda and the Kawasaki. Though they all had their faults, none of the bikes were bad (at least not for open-classers). For me, it was simple; the CR won by virtue of the fact that sometimes I forgot I was riding a 500. Hmm, maybe some day there will be an openclass MXer in my ga rage ...Yeah, right only if my roommate brings it horne. Chris Jonnum Age: 25 Height/weigh t: 6'3" /170 lbs. Sp ecialty: Off-road/Motocross Ski ll level: A/Novice While Cycle Neurs believes theforegoing test . reliable, it is the opinion of the reviewers only and should not be relied upon in determining the performance or safety of the oehiclete). The reader should make his or her own investigation. (Top) The Honda's Showafork would benefit from stiffer springs, bu t in stock condition delivers a good ride. (Above) The KTM WP fork feels harsh, transmitting even the smallest bumps u p through the rider's arms. (Left) The Kayaba fork that graces the Kawasaki won ou r votes for the best in th e class. 31

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