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/127771
(Left) Several Int ernal changes, a new alrbox and rev ised exhaust system result In a signif icantl y improved motor for '96 . (Below) The newsty le frame is mu ch st iffer than last year's. The do wntubes are actu ally stamped f rom a sheet of aluminum. The bas h' plate Is beefier this year. ly away under the rear fend er, and is not ou tw ard lv visib le. Gas Gas claims that the new f~ame design is much more rigid, and yields a m ore precise feel with less chassis flex. Enginewi se, the cylinder has all-new port timing and the cylinder head features new volume and squis h characteristics. An all-new airbox with larger volum e and better airflow is mated to the same 26mm Dell'Ort o carburetor wi th ne w jetti ng specifications . A revised exhaust p ipe and new silencer handle the spent gasses . . As usu al, powe r is pu t to the gro und via a wide-ratio six-speed transmissio n and a su per-smooth hydrau lic clu tch. tion as wel l. Suspension acti on was excell en t as usual, as the Gas Gas fork and Boge shock soaked up tiny bu mps and huge hits w ith equal dexterity. Our '95 test bike was one of the ea rlier units th a t sti ll ca me e qu ip ped w ith Paioli forks, which pal e in comparison to the new Gas Gas-built legs. Though we scoffed at the new subframe design when we first took delivery of the bike, we must ad m it that the design seems to be more p ractica l than the old re movable subfra me. The o ld subframe was easily damaged in large crashes, bu t we've tossed ou r new bike sev er a l tim es a n d the rea r e n d ha s staye d straight and tru e. The sam e goes for the rear fend er. The delicate-looking (Below) The subframe Is hidden under the rear fender and Is less susceptible to crash damage. The longer silencer keeps thi ngs qu iet, yet doesn't restrict power . (Below right) Bette rlooking graphics and an Equus bicyc le computer grace the fr ont cowl. No, the compute r didn 't work for more than fi ve minutes. piece is actually qu ite flexible and resists breakage much better tha n last year's. As a wh ole, the new JTR250 sta nds head and shou lders above its predecessor. In America, trials ride rs often keep their bikes for several years, waiting for a bike with sign ificant improvem ents to come along before selling off their trusty steed . Well, it' s about that time . Gas Gas m otorcycles are im po rted in to th e United States exclusively by Gas Gas USA. For m or e inform atio n, contact them at 7801 NW East Side Dr., Kan sas City, MO 64152, 816/ 741-7615. Ga s Ga s-mad e conventional fo rks gr ace th e front o f th e machine, and are held in p lace b y a se t of for ged alu minum tripl e clamps. Japan ese-made sea ls repl ace the lea ky Spani sh se als of ' 95. Revised valving in the Boge s ho ck round s o u t th e s us pe ns io n package . Cosmetically, the JTR is changed considerably. In addition to the trick-lookin g frame, th e p lastics h a ve b een stream lined and also boast less-gaudy graphics. The fuel cell is lower in profile, thou gh it ha s th e sa me 1. 0.4-gallon capacity, and the cowling that covers it is sleeker as well. Tiny radiator shrouds allow air to pass th rou gh the radiator more free ly. The rear fender / seat cowl is 2 centi me ters lower than las t year' s and appears to be much more flexy than its predecessor. More flex equals less tende ncy to break. The rest of the machine is composed of the usual AJP hubs, wheels and brakes, Megamo handlebars, Michelin tires and a n Equus b icycle-style speedometer/ odometer computer. Wh ile Cy cle News believes the fore gOing test reliable, it is the opinion of the reviewers only and should not be relied upon in determining the perf ormance or safety. of the v ehicle. The reader should make his or her own investigation . REMARKABLE REPLICA There' s no doubt that the new JTR250 is much improved in comparison to last year's JT250. The engine delivers a snapp y, ye t tractabl e power th at instills greater confidence in even the mee kest of riders. Low-e nd and midrange power is improved consi derably , lea di ng one to believe th at the bike is actual ly larger in displacement. The motor chu gs along happily at low throttle, yet comes to life when higher rev s are needed for steps or splatters. Torquey or explosive - the JT-R motor can easil y be d escr ibed as both - it all depends on yo u r throttle control. Though it .is unchanged, the clutch - delivers a better, more progressive feel than last year 's. Getting the bike to hook up in low-t raction situations requires only a sligh t slip of the clutch a nd a careful twist of the throttle. As delivered, the bike was jetted per fectly for our sea-level Southern California locale. Throttle response was crisp and quick, and the bike never loaded up or fouled a spark plug. Oas Sas JTR250 Specifications Ust Price Displacement . _ Engln. type Transmission action was actu ally bet ter than last year - it wasn't a hu ge task find ing neutral while the bike was running. We had problems with last year 's bike jumping out of second gear when the bike wasn't shifted into firs t, then in to second - but the new JTR seems to han dl e a direct shift from neutral in to second with ease. As claimed, the new chassis is quite a bit stiffer. Hopping the front end on the new bike came much easier than on our older JT250, and the bike had a more precise feel in almost every other situa- $5349 237 .9cc Transmission speeds Starting system Fuel capacity 6 Kick 1.04 gal. Uquid-cooled. single-cylinder two -stroke Bo.. " stroke 71 x 60mm Carburetlon 26mm Dell'Orto Ignition Electr onic WheelINI_ Seat height F..-t tire Reertl F..-t wheel _vel A_r wheel _vel Front A 1"'_1 drive ClaImed dry _Ight 52.0 in. 27.7 in. 2.75-21 .4.00ยท18 6.8 in. 6.8 in. Disc Disc Chain 171.6 Ibs. 21