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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/127735
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Suspension duties in the rear are handled by a Showa piggyback shock and
Pro Un!< linkage, and, like the forks, the
shock has compression and rebound
damping adjustments. The shock piston
and rod diameter have both been
enlarged.
Enginewise, a new shift drum, rachet
pawl and pawl plunger are claimed to
improve shifting action and increase
durability, while a new low-boy exhaust
pipe not only lowers the bike's center of
gravity, but increases top-end power as
well. Gone is the cobby steel silencer of
the past, and in its place is a sano aluminum unit. According to Honda's Bruce
Ogilve, it's an older CR125 unit.
Oh, and we can't forget the new silver
crankcase color.
Stopping the new mini is a largerdiameter 220mm front disc brake. The
rear binder was left as is.
Mini riders ha~e finally gotten their
turn in the new-body-work department,
and the new CR80 looks just as modern
as its larger counterparts. Overall, the
new mini is a larger machine - the seat
height has been increased by 1.25 inches.
CR80 ExPERT
Aimed directly at the Kawasaki IOOOO
Big Wheel, the larger version of the CR80
has similar features. The CRBO Expert is
the same basic machine as the standard
version, but boa ts larger 19-inch front
and 16-inch rear wheels, a 30mm longer
swingarm, and revised external gearing
ratios. The front forks are mounted lower
in the triple clamps to compensate for the
larger front wheel.
The engine is left as is, and at the
moment, Honda has no plans to produce
a lOOcc big-bore kit for the Expert. As for
an incre,!sed trackside support program
for Honda mini riders, Honda reports
that bike sales will determine the extent
to which they will become involved.
"Additional riders may equal more
involvement," said Ogilve. For now,
Honda does post a healthy contingency
program for minis.
All the full-size CRs feature a new airfilter cage which has a longer locating pin
that is intended to make mounting the air
filter easier. ew handlebars, silver levers
and perches, and the aforementioned
new plastic round out the CRs.
CR250
The same new rear shock - with stiffer
valving, of course - is featured on the
CR25O, but a new set of forks graces the
front end as well. The massive 46mm
inverted Kayaba forks are designed to
offer even greater rigidity, and boast new
(Right) The Kayaba
Inverted forks on all
the new CRs have
new Internal valving
and spring rates.
(Below) The CR125
features a brandnew Kayaba shock
that features both
hlgh- and low-speed
compression
adjusters.
internal valving and spring rates in addition to their greater size. Adding to the
greater-rigidity theme of the front end are
a new set of triple clamps. The most
noticeable difference is seen on the lower
clamp, which has its pinch bolts located
at the rear, rather than on the sides.
Enginewise, the exhaust port was narrowed slightly to improve bottom-end
and midrange response, and the. Keihin
carburetor's bore was enlarged to
38.3mm for improved peak power.
Revised shift forks and a shorter shiftshaft rod improve transmission action,
and a stronger kick-start gear should
eliminate the kick-starter slippage prob-
CIU25
Honda engineers will argue what is
the biggest news in '96 for CRI25 riders.
Engine technicians will say that an allnew digitalized ignition system is the big
news, but suspension designers will
argue that an all-new Kayaba shock with
high- and low-speed compression adjustments is the highlight of the '96 bike.
The digitalized ignition is the first of
its kind to be incorporated in production
machinery, but has been used on the factory team's works bikes for several years.
Honda claims that in conjunction with
new porting, a lighter piston and a largervolume air-c1eaner connecting tube, the
new-style ignition makes the already
potent CRl25 engine even more powerful.
With more power comes more stress,
and in order to maintain the bike's excellent durability, first gear on the transmission mainshaft was beefed up and the
shift forks were surface treated. The
clutch-basket shoulder was also strengthened.
As for the rear shock, the KYB unit is
the first production OEM shock to come
with both high- and low-speed compression adjusters. The adjusters are located
in a concentric fashion, with a screw
inside a nut. As expected, new valving
and stiffer spring rates are featured, and
new one-piece spherical bearings and collars at the top and bottom of the shock
stay in place when the shock is removed.
Up front, the 43mm inverted Kayaba
forks now feature a larger-