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) A rad iator filler cap was added to the front of the Section's frame. (Right) Craig preferred the power valve in its most radical sett ing. (Above) The new Se ction has an aluminum-reinforced subframe thaI's much stronger than last year's plas tic version. (Right) Team Honda of Troy/Sinisa lo motocr osser Mike Craig is the latest trials convert. service. The frame welds are of highe r quality, and all of the plastic bo dywork fits as it sho u ld. A tw ist of a single Ozu s fas tene r yields easy access to the air filter. Th e a lu m in u m rear s u b fr a m e a p p ea rs to b e su per-stro ng , and su pports a thinner version o f last year's heavy-duty pl ast ic su bfrarne , Togeth er th e double-thick su bfram e is so st rong that we doubt th at even we cou ld break it. Well , m aybe... Bu t the bottom li n e is s im p le : The m in or refinements th at w e w anted to see on th e 1995 Section have been m ad e, y ie ld in g a vas t ly im p roved trials machine. Consequently, we have a feelin g that yo u ' ll be seeing a lo t m ore of them on th e loop this year . Want to get yo u r hands on a Faritic section? Th e official Ll.S, importer for Fanti c mot orcycles is Mill er' s M otor cy cles . They may be reach ed at 445-B Prad o Rd ., Sa n Lu is Obi sbo, CA 93401, 805/543-7358. rescent-ye llow pl ast ic and a silver frame and for k tu bes. Th e blue p arts of th e bike still spo rt th e "carbo n fiber" look, and blue g rip tape is affixed to ea ch side o f the fr ame . And d e sp it e all the " we ig h t training" that th e Section und erwent in order to make it more sturdy, th e '96 version w eighs in at 167.8 . pounds - just six-ten ths of a pound more than the '95. That's refinem ent for yo u . SECTIO N ONE From the m om ent yo u start the bik e, it is a ppa rent that th e Fanti c is different . The front-swinging kick starter is u nique to th e Secti on, and w e ac tually prefer th e easy-to-use lever. Our first impression of th e bike w as that it felt ta ll and had a sho r t wheelbase, but with time, th at sensa tion w ent aw ay . An other feel that we had to become accustomed to was the Section's quick stee ring . It feels as if the front end has a steeper rake than the res t of today's machines, but like the cha ssis feel - that sensation went away in tim e. Of all the trials m achines we've ridden to date, the Fantic Sections require the m ost getting used to. Once we were fam ilia r with it, however, w e were as comfortable on the Section as any other bike. The motor su r p r ised u s . La st year, Fantic factory rider Tommi Ahvala publicly complained tha t his b ik e didn' t have the power needed to conquer som e sections, bu t we honestly can' t see him complaining in '96. Thanks to the larger 'airbox and sm aller carbureto r, the new motor oozes low-end power . We initially ro d e the b ike with the power valve set in its stock position, and fou nd the power to be tractable and easy to control. The bike could be chugged through most se cti o ns in first, though w e preferr ed se cond . Under a load, th e engine produces an odd whirring noise, but it 's hardly an annoyance. The old-style rider in our testing staff preferred th e bike in ' this configuration. With the cable loosened up, however, the bike comes to lif e, and the power While Cycle New s believes the foregoing test reliable, it is the opinion of the reviewers only and should not be relied upon in determining the performanceor safety of the vehicle. The reader should make his or her own investigation. closely resembles that of the, Gas Ga s JTR250. Zippy and fast - a complete con trast to the slow se tt ing . Like th is, th e bike worked be st when rid den in second gear - so m etimes ev en in th ir d w h en se ctions included splatters or big ledges. . Needless to say, the motocross tester s in our grou p preferred this setting. The hydraulic clutch has a light pull and an exce llent feel, and the six-speed transmission has the most positive-feeling transmission of any tr ials bike w e've ever tes ted. The bike can be started in gear almost as easily as it can in neutral. The Marzocchi forks are a tad on the harsh side when new, an d several hours of riding are needed to br eak in the legs. On ce settled, the forks deliver perform ance th at is on par with anything out there. We really liked the rear suspensio n actio n. The back end soaks u p everything bu t the larges t hits with poise, and makes it easy to s to p a n d stick when splatting up on to rocks . The back end even held up to Team Honda of Troy / Sinisalo motocross racer Mike Craig' s aerial antics. Craig repeatedly launched the bike up a huge rock face, catching at least fiv e fee t of ai r above and bey ond th e top of th e b oulder before crashing down, and the su spensio n never faltered. Th e AJP brakes are among the best we've ridden on a trials bike. Though they are 'fro m the same manufacturer th at supplied th e brakes on our Gas Gas and Beta test bikes, they seem to be head and sh o ul d ers be tter. Go figure. The rear brake pedal is tucked w ell away fro m potential damage, and the tip is su pe r-easy to find with your boot. The overall fit and finish of the new Section is w orlds bett er than its predecessor. The inboard chain ad justers and rear brake ca liper are tucked well out of the. way, and at the same time easy to d~.,t'c ject'"'' 249 Specification U st Price Displacement Engine type . , , . .$ 5450 , , 249.4cc liquid-cooled. single-cylinder two-stroke Bore " stroke . , , .. 74 x 58mm Compression ratio , 10 A :l Carburetion .26mm Dell'Orto Ignition Electronic Transmission speeds 6 Starting system , ' . .Kic k Fuel capacity , . . , . , . , .. 0 .89 gal. Wheelbase Seat height Fronttlre Rear.tire Front brake Rear brake Final drive , Claimed dry weight 51.6 in. 24.0 in. 2.75 ·21 A .00·18 , .Disc Disc , .Chatn 167 .8 Ibs.