Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

ed little time in hi tting either. Afte r getting a taste of the 250 m y curiosi ty level began to rise, so I head ed stra ight to bed after dinner, anxious to rid e the 125 first thing in the morning. Because the C R125 fits my weight d ivision it d id not take long to get the sus pe ns ion d ialed in. Dirks set the sag and we played around with the d ampening for a w hile to sui t the track conditions. Like the setu p on the 250, the 125 jetting wa s d ialed in for the track before I' eve n arri ve d . The 250 had been lef t stock wit h the exce pt ion of raising the 'n'e e d le . More p r ecise cha nges w e r e made on the 125, and none of them had to be changed throughout the testing period. • The biggest challenge was getting Ii-sed to the five-speed gear box , since the rest of the 125s on the market today are six-speeds, but after misshiftin g for a whi le, it wasn't long before I was out for a' joy iide. It is hard to say which is mo re of an improve men t over last year's model, the 125 or the 250. The 125 definite ly und erw ent a power increase with the redesign of the motor, but it is still no t the fastest stock 125 that we have ridden over the las t couple of years . It lacks in engine response, though such cha nges as the relocated airbox obviously are an im provemen t fro m the 1999 mod el. Hon da p retty m u ch sta rted fro m scratch when they began developi ng the 2000 models. Some things, however, never change much, mainly their grea t attention to detail and hig h quality standards. The great thing about bot h bikes is that Honda took the weaknesses from years past and cha nged them d rastically. Develop ing a n alum inu m frame in the firs t p lace was a huge ga mble, and a t the same time was a breakthrough in technology. We now have a second-generation twin-spar frame created by the same company, and even though it is another hu ge ste p forward and a massi ve improvem ent, it is m in imal cornpared to the 2000 CRl25 and CR250 as a who le. If Honda wo uld have chosen to renter all thei r atte ntion on the fram e or all their attention elsewhe re , we s till would have had better CRs to rid e into th e millenium. Th e cool thing is th at they went big and improved all aspects of bo th mod els, which wi ll im prove the .way we rid e motorcycles. Ultimately , Ti m a n d Lan ce n e ve r made it to the track. They go t rerouted to Portland, Oregon, and. on the secon d day of our test ride they finally made it to the Eureka airport, where they got right .back on a plane and headed horne without ever getting the chance to ride the bea utiful track and the new bikes. They really missed out. _ The new layout of the 250 (above and right) was well thought ouL A slimmer overall physique and redesigned cockpit make both CRs easier and more comfortable to ride than previous years'. (Below) A forged-aluminum steering head replaces the machined units on the first generation of fra mes, making both bikes that much stronger. (Above) A new sw ingarm on the CRs provldeszs percent more rigidity, while the new linkage is raised 10mm to minimize ground contacL What's New? CR125/CR250 • Lighter second -generation twin-spar aluminum frame and swingarm • Redesigned body work including fenders. rad ia tor shrouds aod number-pla te s • 10-15mm narro wer profile in the seat to tank area • Larger airbox with 35 ·percent more volume and moved 15mm further forward for better engine response • Dual radiators to provide more surface area and improve heat dispersion over the previous single-radiator design • • • • • • ,.. • • • Forged-aluminum stee ring head to replace extruded piece Red esigned upper and lower triple clamps to increase steering precision Redesigned Pro-Link linkage. 3.5 ounces lighter and raised 10mm Rear-axle diameter increased from 20mm to 25mm Dual-piston front-brake caliper with steel pistons reduces unsprung weight by 2.8 ounces Rear disc brake with low-positioned caliper and thin . larg er-diameter 240mm rotor for maximum power and responsiveness Wider foot pegs Rubber mounted handlebar holders with three different mounting positions to match rider preference New Honda bend handlebar Front wheel with larger-diameter front axle and wide wheel-bearing span CR125 • Upgraded engine with a Revolutionary Control (RC) exhaust-valve design. providing exceptional power throughout entire rpm range • Revi sed power characteristics to provide smoother tow - and midrange power while prmrid ing great highrpm power • 36mm Mikuni TMX flat-slide carburetor to complement the RC valve 's performance for improved mid · to high-rpm delivery • New carbon-fiber reed-valve petals improve throttle response and engine performance '. Redesigned cylinder head with larger water jacket for better cooling performance • Cylinder 7.6 ounces lighter • N ew RC edlaust valve with a road racing-inspired rotary-flap exhaust- val ve des ign that provides smoother power transition between low and mid-range engine speeds. • Exhaus t valv e 7.1 ounces lig ht er . • N umber of clutch plates increased from seven to eigh t fo r more surface are a to handle en gin e's increased torque .... C lutch spri ngs beefed up to provide lighter clutch feel • Kay aba fork design min im izes aeration-indu ce d damping fo rce loss • Rear ~procket in cre ased from 5 1 to 52 teeth to take advantage of engine power deli very CR250 • Red esigned engine ports , air-i ntake tract and exhaust provi de excellent high w m outp ut. imp roved low rp and mid rang e power delivery, and mor e useabl e power throughout th e rev band • Ca rburetor i ns ulator fea tu res an internal ste p that smooths airflow draw n in to the eng ine . imp ro vi ng throttle respon se "- Six·peta l reed valve improves th rottle response and power delivery e • Reshaped CRV rotarylflap exhaust vaJv for more responsrve acceleration • Su b exhaust valve po rt raised 1mm to provi de sm oother. more re spo nsive power de livery at low- to mi dra nge rpm • Modified expan sion cham ber enhances the engine 's power output and delive ry r. Rear sho c k's dam per piston diameter inc reased from 46mm to SOmm for co nsistent performance • . . . . . .47.mm inverted Showa cartridge fork el 12.4 in. «tear. . . . Pre-Link Showa single shock R_hi!ellrayel 12.5in. B.rakes f ront Single 240mm disc with twin-piston caliper Rear Single 240mm disc Tue; F ront .... . . •.. . . .. . . . ... . . .... .80/I(](J.21 Rear Wheelbase Rake (CasterAngle) Trail Seat height Ground clearance Dry weight (claimed) Fuel capacity MS1U' .110/ 90-19 , 58.5 in. 1.7.73degrees 113.8mm .37.7 in. .13.1 in. .213.8 lbs. .20 gal. N /A en en en tD ~ CD .J:> E CD i:i. CD en 27

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