Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

1995 Honda CR1 25 By Donn Maeda 24' n the 125cc class, most people will agree that the motor is th e most ' } important ingredient in building a successful eighth-liter racer. Sure, the suspension and brakes are important too - but in the tiddler class, a so-so engine will leave you gasping and choking in the dust when the gate drops. In 1992, Honda had the most powerful motor in the 125cc class, and opted to leave it basically unchanged for '93. A different reed valve and intake manifold setup were the only changes mandated for the '93 bike, and that proved to be all that Honda needed to keep their 125 at the hea d of the class. In '94, revised carburetor venting was the highlight of the bike's list of engine changes, but still- the CR125 reigned supreme in the power department. This year, Honda engineers again decided to leave the engine alone, and concentrate ins tead on refining the rest of the machine. A reshaped carburetor boot, a different carburetor pilot jet circuit, and refi ned transmission components make up the changes to the '95 CRl25. So, you' re wondering - did the Honda g u ys do r ight? In our opinion - yes! Though we have yet to ride all four of the Japanese 125cc MXers, we feel that it's a safe bet that the Honda will again have one of this year's strongest 125ccengines. At first, the bike didn't feel qu ite as strong off the bottom as our '94 test bike had. This puzzled us , as Honda claims that the carburetor jetting and air boot changes weremade in order to improve throttle response. After replacing the stock 1469 needle with a 1467 and setting the clip in the second notch from the top, the familiar "this-bike-is-a-rocket" smile again crept over our d irty face s. Yep, there's no doubt about it - the CRl25 is one quick puppy. The CR125 starts producing power , down low and pulls hard and fast through the entire rpm ran ge. This is a bike that likes to be revved to the moon - there aren't any flat spots in the powerband, and the engine continues to produce good pow er even when the rev s reach the 11,000 range. While some may consider the CR's explosive powerband too abrupt for beginners, we feel that the Honda's engine is a plus for those not used to keeping a 125 on the p ipe. A han dful of throttle and few stabs at the clutch lever are all that 's needed to get a faltering rider back in line - some 125s m u st be downshifted se veral times to make up for lost momentum. But what about the rest of the bike? How does it handle? Rest easy - the '95 CRl25 handles as good as it roosts. For '95, Honda gave the 125 an all-new frame. Not only is the new frame beefier and claimed to be more rig id, it boa sts some different geometry a s w e ll. An increase in rake and trail translate directly into a better-handling bike on the track. Though headshake isn't as intimidating on a 125, it's still a sensation that any rider would be better off without. Thanks to the new frame and suspension settings (we'll get to those shortly), the new CR is much more stabl e in a straight , line, yet maintains its raz or-sharp turning characteristics. According to Am erican Hon d a's Bruce Ogilve, "The rela xed s te erin g geometry makes th e bike mo re s tabl e, while the rigid fram e resists flexing in the comers and allows the bike to comer as tight as it ever has ." Yeah, okay, Bru ce. On the track, the CRl25 does exactly as promised. Straight-line stability is improved greatly, and the bike is still one of the most precise turners in the business . Did we 'feel the frame flexing an y less? No, but what the heck - it worked! Last year, the big news was the Kayaba front and rear suspension. This year , a KYB shock and forks again adorn the machine, b u t boast stiffer springs and revised valving. The fork has a new internal teflon coating, tighter val ving and stiffer .39 springs. The compression adjusters were set at full in and out 14, while the rebound was set full in and out 9. A stiffer 5.4 spring is fitted on the revalved shock, which comes with the compression set full in and out 15, and the rebound set full in an d ou t 14. The forks on this year's CR are set further apart, thanks to a wi der set of triple clamps. In order to accommodate the wider stance, a new fron t hub and axle we re also required. 'The new axle is not only w ider, but larger in diameter as well. As we stated earlier, the CR handles exceptionally well . Last year, we felt that the forks were too soft, and because of the subsequent diving encountered when braking, the front end would twitch and sha ke when coming down from speed. Th is is a problem of the past. The new forks a re noticeably stiffer than last year's , and resist bottoming and di ving under braking. Thanks to the s tiffer springs, the forks ride higher in their travel. Square edges, as well as hard landings are gobbled up with ease. Out back, the shock performs equally as well. like the forks, the shock resists sagging, and under acceleration the rear end stays up, rather than squatting. As usual, the rear end can get a little twitchy at times , but only when the rider gets a little lazy over the square-edged stuff. All in all, both ends of the CR feel well-balanced on the track . After we had gotten used to the new bike and "broken in" the fork and shock, Honda's Eric Crippa tig htened up the compression a single click on both ends. Th e ch ange w as quite noticeable, and resulted in an even better ride. G-outs and large bu m p s could be attacked at speed, and the bike did an admirable job of resisting bottoming. Perhaps the mos t surprising result of the wider front end Ibigger axle is the incr ease in braking power. Already the industry standard in b raking performance, the Honda's front brake is now believe it or not - even stronger. Du e to the larger dia meter front axle, the front end stays more rigid, and less braking force is lost in flex. Be careful when taking your first few laps aboard a new CR The Red Rid ers fin ally gave in and jumped on the 19-inch rear wheel bandwagon. To tell you the truth, most of our testers can 't tell the difference betw een and IS-inch and 19-inch rear w heel on the track. Off the track, h owever, we must admit that we find a 19-inch tire much easier to change (due to the larger inner diameter), and over the years, a w ide selection' of 19-inch rubber has become available. And yes, for those of you with spare rear wheels, pre-1995 rear wheels will bolt right on. The fron t, however, is a different story, since the new hub is substantially wider. Though we feel the purple haze craze , is beginning to pass, we must admit that the new purple radiator shrouds and seat cover do look plenty cool. Though we were aghast at first sight of the new Hondas, the new color scheme grew on us quickl y. The new sidepanels are a blessing, as a few of our testers had problems catching their boots on last year's versions. Much like th e panels on Jeff Stanton's factory racer, the new pieces extend further down the airbox. The new Yamaha-style front num berplate looks trick, now that the odd YZstyled panels are a common sight. The new forks guards wrap further around the delicate fork sliders, and will do an even better job of protecting the expensive parts. A bright red front disk guard comes stock in '95. It reminds us of a big, cherry lollipop. Accenting the purple radiator shrouds are a set of purple "slash" decals on the fuel tank. Though they look pretty en ough when new, we had our doubts about how long they would last. Surprisingly, the stickers were unaffected by the gas fumes which seep through plastic tanks. "Th ey must have microscopic breather holes in them," joked Crip pa. Unfortunately, they d id n 't fare as well against knee braces. Five minu tes or five motes, whichever comes first.

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