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/127676
Out back, Honda has finally followed the other manufacturers and made the swi tch from an IS-inch to a 19-inch rear wheel. Some will applaud this chang e, while o thers will no doubt be less enthused. A new swingarm has legs tha t are lOmm taller - at 75mm, and I m m th icker - a t 36mm. The axle area is redesigned, and is 5mm wider for increased rigidity. The linkage ratio is more progressive, like that used by the Honda race team in '93. Diame ter of the threaded area of the spokes has been increased from 4.1mm to 4.5mm, adding s tre n gt h at the cos t of addi tion a l unsprung weight. A 46mm Kayaba shock takes the place.of the Showa uni t, which was 3.5mm shorter. Shock sp ring rate is boosted from 5.4 to 5.6, to go along with the revised linkage ratio. The bearing on th e to p of th e shock has also been revised. In the engi ne department, Honda's go al was to imita te the stro ng, linear powerband and quick throttle response that Yamaha found a couple of years ago. In an effort to achieve this, Honda modified th e port timing by lowering ea ch port slightly . The spring rate on the exhaust valve governor was increased so that the valve will open later, and the volume of the expansion chamber was reduced (which also allows the pipe to tuck in more tightly). The reed valve's rib alignment is now horizo ntal, like on last yea r's 125, and the carburetor insulator featu res a wi der intake tract. Honda lightened the piston by six gra ms, altering the shape and adding an oil hole in the top . All of the engi ne gask et s are I I made from a different material, replacing the old asbestos pieces, which were hard I increased to 5.4. Takasago rims take the place of last year's D.LD units. (The '94 to peel off when working on the motor. . 250 already had Takasago hoops). The A new silencer is 35mm longer, and has a smaller ou tlet ho le. Honda cla ims the I carburetor pilot jet system is modified for I unit to be two decibels qu ieter than the better throttle response, and the air '94 silencer. intake boot has a different shape (volume Most ob vious on the list of detail is the same). The one-piece shift drum is changes (though perhaps least imporforged, and first gear on the countershaft tant) is the bike's new look. Purple radiahas a different tooth pitch. Incidentally, tor shrouds and a purple seat cover offset the motor is now silver, instead of black. the now-trad itional florescent orange The seat is identical to that of the 250, plastic. The seat is more narrow by the which is to say that it is 14mm lower unchanged fuel tank, an d uses a 12% than that of last yea r. This means that denser chunk of seat foam . The airbox is long-legged 250 riders will no longer be largely unchanged, though the bolt holes able to use the 125 seat as an option. on each side were relocated to accep t the Like its bigger brother, the tiddler got a larger fron t axle, beefier swi nga r m, new sidepan els. New, s tiffer radiator w id er tripl e clamps, updated rea r susshrouds are also incorpora ted (still no t wrap-aroun d vers ions ), an d a Yamahapension linkage ratio, 19-inch rear wheel, style front fender/ number plate combipla tform pegs, new plastic, throttle cover, handlebar, and carb vent slits. na tion is used. The lower fork guar ds have an extension on the inside. ApparNo t surprisingly, the 500 again sees limited updates for '95, w ith the excepently, riders of the European CRM (street legal) model had problems wi th gravel tion of a mo ve fro m Showa to Kayab a sus pe nsion. The for k and sh ock have bouncing off of the spokes and pitting the fork legs, resulting in leaking fork revised da mping rates, and the fork has a Teflon coa ting on the inside wall. The seals. While similar p roblems we re not encoun tered on the dirt-only CRs, Honda new, 46 m m s hock is 2m m longer at 16mm. The 500 does not share the widergave them the new guards anyway. A plastic front disc guard now comes stanstance triple clam ps of the 250 and 125, dard , as well. nor does it get the larger axle. The frame The CR now features monster threeis identical as well. The 43mm wide pegs are added to the ribbed pegs - a full 5mm wider than last year's already-roomy platforms; the extra 500, which is even bigge r news than on width was added to the front area of the the other bikes, since the '94 500 had tiny 32mrn units. Also added are the revised pegs. A higher grade of chrome-moly is fron t fender, front number plate, fork used for the handlebar, allowing a thinguards and front disc cover, though the ner tube material and a lighter weight. rest of the plastic is identical to how it Bend is unchanged. A new throttle housing cover is added, and the carburetor has been for years . The rad iator shrouds vent hoses now have slits added in the and seat cover are now purple. Takasago ends to prevent them from clogging. rims replace the D.LD units, and the rear wheel is still an 18-incher. Honda also The 1995 Honda CRI25 enjoys many add ed the throttle cover and pu t slits in of the same updates as the 250, bu t also ha s so me chang es o f its o wn . Mo st the carb vent hoses. The 1995 H onda eR80 gets no notable is the frame, whi ch receives largchanges at all, with the exception of the er members thro ughout. Half a degree of castor angle was added, so the bike has required bold new graphics. Price s were no t a vailable at p re ss more trail. The 125 ret ain ed its Kayab a time, bu t we will pass that information fork, but got a stiffer 39 fork spring and a on to you as soon as we receive it. Oi Tefl on coating. Shock s p ri ng r a te is (Left) A Kayaba shock now handles the rear suspension chores on the 250. The longer silencer is also new. (Below) Huge. three-ribbed footpegs grace all three fullsized machines. (Above) The CRSOO received minimal updates. though It did get the new Kayaba suspension. (Below) Apart from the requisite bold new graphics . the CR80 remains Identlc:al to las t year. 23