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/127710
w ha t relaxed steering geometry . At speed, noth ing can faze the KTM. Headshake is almost no nexistent. The tradeoff, however, is lazy cornering manners. Getting the KTM to hug an inside line takes a lot of effort, but swooping, outside lines are easy to negotiate on the SX. On off-ca mber turns a nd straigh ts, though, the front end feels as if it could slip out from under you at any moment. Getting you r weight way over the front end was the only cure. The other three mach ines fall somewh ere in the midd le of the two extremes. For the past two years, the Kawasaki KX has given up its long, stable feel in favor of a Hond a-esqu e, cu t-and- thrust type chassis. The best way to d escribe the new-generation KX chassis is a compromise betwee n its stable chassis of yesteryear and typical quick-handling Honda manner s. Th e KX carves a pret ty goo d insid e lin e, and at th e sa me tim e stays under control at speed. The Kaw asa ki has the tallest feel of the five machines, perhaps making it a bit harde r to lean over in come rs. The Suzuki RM has an all-new feel for ' 95. Th a n ks to the mu ch-impro ved engine, the RM no longer spins the rear wheel and swaps across the track - now it hooks up an d drives forwa rd . Whether or not it is actua lly the engine or new chassis and suspension specifications that make the new RM more pleasant is hard to determine . Powering out of corner s on th e RM inspires con fiden ce, as the Suzu ki stays straigh t and true. Comin g d o wn fro m s peed ca n be scary, becau se, like th e Hond a, th e RM will shake its head if the rider gets lazy. The yellow machine is the only bike in the bunch that can rival the Hon d a in corners, as it can match the Hond a's every move. Knifing in the front end on sand trackswas more common onthe.Suzu ki. Our favorite Handling machine was the Yamaha YZ250 - h ands down. The agreed that the Yamaha was hard to bea t, but from ther e on, th ings were messy. Th ou gh th e Yamaha has th e sho rtest front and rear travel, everyone ag ree d th at it was not appar ent o n th e tr ack. Fork action was excellent, as the -Kayaba uni ts did a fine job of soaking up everyth in g fr om small brak ing bumps to square-ed ged poth oles. Our only complaint was that the fork was a tad on the soft side, but stiffer fork springs should d o th e tr ick. Out back , the KYB sh ock performs equally as well. In stock condition, rebound damping felt a bit slow for our tas tes, bu t the sensation went away with time. As a package, the YZ suspension can't be beat. Riders who we re familiar with Hond as lo ved the new Kayab a fork and sho ck that adorn th e new CR. Rid ers who weren't too familiar with that "ty pical" Honda feel didn't think that the KYB sus pe nders were much of an improvement over last ye ar's Showas. Th ough Yamaha has the best of both worlds sharp turning ability and high-speed stability . Never did the white and purple machine do anything unexpected, and every test rider agreed that the bike was extremely forgivi ng. In comers, the YZ felt equa lly at h ome d ow n low or u p high, and making a midtum line chan ge was eas ily acco mp lishe d. A low, lon g layout gives the YZ a superstable feeling on rough, choppy straights, and all who rod e the bike came o ff th e tr ack with smiles on their faces. SUSPE NSION Of all the ca tego ries, testriders d isagreed -t he most about the suspe nsion on the five bik es. Well; almost. Everyone 7