Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

BEST MOTOR: [J!J@[JiJ@&J If absolute power was the determining factor in this category, then the KTM would win. If a hard-hitting, quick-revving and aggressive motor were the determining factor, then the Yamaha would win. But when you take into consideration usability, versatility and tractability (and, of course, power) like we did, then the Honda wins. All of our testers agreed that the Honda, Yamaha and KTM featured the best motors of the group. That part was easy, but determining the best of those three was tough. Some liked the KTM's motor best because of its outright horsepower, while others liked the Yamaha's motor best because of its more explosive hit and quicker revs; they simply like the YZ's more aggressive and exhilarating feel. But the Honda's powerplant seemed to offer the best of both worlds - tons of power (like the KTM) with a bit of a hit (like the Yamaha). No matter how much some of our test riders liked either the KTM or Yamaha motors, they all agreed (for varying reasons) that the Honda's motor was the easiest to manage and the most versatile, giving it the edge over the others. Throw in the CRrs ultra-light-pull clutch and slick-shifting transmission, and we have an undisputed (well, nearly) winner in the motor department. One of our Pro testers said of the CR's motor: "It seems to offer the perfect blend of low-end to top-end power," and another Pro added, "It's a really great motor; a little stronger than the Yamaha, but not as quick or responsive. It has a smooth powerband and provides useable power." And as another Pro tester put it, "The Honda's throttle response is awesome, and the motor is smooth. When you want the hit. wham, it's there. The Yamaha has better top-end power." The Husaberg, boasting the highest displacement of the seven bikes we tested at 55Occ, churns out gobs of power, as well, but doesn't deliver that power quite as smoothly as the aforementioned three. The Husaberg's motor feels a lot like the KTM's mill, but it delivers power in a more coarse manner, prompting one tester to call the 'Berg's powerplant an "old-school four-stroke." Everyone agreed that the Swedish machine was fairly tractable and controllable and was a blast to open up on the loamy Honey Lake MX track. Overly heavy engine-braking, however, made the 'Berg a little hard to control on the track's steep and bumpy downhill, and especially on the icy sections of the Mammoth track. Some testers said that they had a hard time shifting the Husaberg. The Vor pumps out good power, too, though some of our testers felt that a little more oomph would be nice. One of our Pro testers called the Italian motor good, "but not as strong or as useable as the Honda, KTM, Yamaha or Husaberg." Some felt that the Vor's powerband was a little narrow, and that it was somewhat difficult to keep in the sweet spot. The Vor shifted well but lacked feel. Sometimes you just couldn't tell if you caught the next gear or not on the VOR, which made the rider feel a little anxious when changing gears just before a jump. We looked aU over the place for the Vertemati's power and finally found it way, way at the top of the powerband. And when we did find it, we knew it, because the bike really hooked up and, unfortunately, also started to vibrate. From bottom to mid, the Vertemati's motor isn't hugely impressive, though it does move you along well enough in that range that the rider can be tricked into clicking up another gear before you really get to the meat of the powerband. The Vertemati's motor would be more useful if the power came on sooner, but as it is now, you have to ride it much like a ported 125cc two-stroke to utilize the Vertemati's full potential. We'd like to try it with lower gearing_ "The Vertemati has pretty good overall power but is a little too slow out of the comers, requiring too much clutch [workl," one of our testers said. It should be noted that the Vertemati we tested had zero time on it when we took delivery, and toward the end of our testing session the bike started to loosen up and feel better. Still, broken in or not, the Italian bike likes to be ridden aggressively - period. The Cannondale was notably down on power compared to the rest of the bikes in this comparison. Although it would initially launch out of the tums okay, it would, as one tester put it, "wheeze" upon entering the middle of the powerband, and would never really accelerate hard again as it was clicked up through the gears. The lack of power, however, did not prevent us from having fun on the bike. "Yes, the power is a little flat, but the spread of delivery is really good," said one tester. "It's actually fun to make the Cannondale work, and since the power isn't arm-wrenching, you don't get as tired on it." You do, however, have to use a bit more arm strength to get the front end to lift over the holes and whoops, since there is less power on tap to assist you, and the lack of power means that such obstacles will obstruct your momentum more than on the other bikes. Despite having the second smallest displacement motor (440cc), the Cannondale seemed to produce the loudest exhaust note and made the most engine noise. "There's a lot of stuff going on down there," one tester jokingly said. But the Cannondale's motor does have a lot going for it. Its new electronic fuel-injection system is a million times better than before. Throttle response is spot-on, and no longer does the motor stall out seven or eight times while riding the bike from your truck to the track. The transmission works well, too, as does the clutch. Overall, the 'Dale runs well; it just needs more power. Motor Podium 1. Honda 2.KTM 3. Yamaha If you've always dreamed of owning a works GP bike, you can't get much closer than the Verternati. BESF SUSPENSION: WffJ[JfJiJ(il!DffJ There was very little arguing among our test riders in the suspension category, as the Yamaha won hands down. Everyone agreed that the Yamaha felt the most stable on the track and had the most well-balanced package. Both front and back ends felt plush, yet had enough spring to resist bottoming. "The Yamaha just doesn't have any bad habits," said one tester. "In fact, I hardly thought about the YZPs suspension at all, which I guess is a good thing." We had a wide range of test riders, varying greatly in riding ability, physical size and weight, yet everybody was able to jump on the Yamaha and ride without having to make major adjustments. "The Yamaha's suspension set-up is great. plush yet sturdy," said a Pro tester. Somewhat surprisingly, our testers rated the Cannondale second in the suspension department. Everyone liked the feeling of the American bike's Swedish-built Ohlins fork and shock, saying the bike felt supple and cushy over the bumps. "The back end never kicked," said one tester. "You could launch over jumps with lips without worrying about the Cannondale kicking out or doing something scary. I was impressed." None of our testers complained of the Cannondale bottoming, though some of the faster riders said that they probably could've used stiffer springs. The Honda squeaked on to our Suspension Podium. All of our testers liked the Honda's suspension, but a couple of them noted a slight "edge" or harsh feeling from the CR's fork. When it comes to the suspension on the KTM and Husaberg, it was a virtual dead heat, which came as little surprise, really. After all, they both share the same WP suspension components, including the PDS shock and non-linkage rear suspension system. At first, our Husaberg test bike had a "pogoey" feeling in the back, but when we slowed down both the shock's compression and rebound settings, the 'Berg performed much better overall, especially over rolling whoops. The forks on both the 'Berg and KTM are plush and work well, but some of our riders complained of a somewhat "uneasy· or "busy' feeling up front. "Sometimes the front end doesn't stay put," said one tester, referring to both the Husaberg and the Katoom. "It kind of moves around a bit, but the back end felt good on both bikes. For some reason, the PDS [suspension) just works better on the four-strokes than on the two-strokes; they're more compliant.' The suspension on both the Vertemati and Vor felt stiff. The Vor is overly sprung, while some of the Vertemati's stiffness can no doubt be attributed to its limited break-in time. Even the Vor reps agreed with us that their machine needs softer springs, which becomes painfully obvious on hard-packed tracks with a lot of square-edge holes. But at higher speeds with more rounded, rolling whoops, the Vor's suspension was far more tolerable. In faet. we actually liked the Vor's fork and shock on the Honey Lake track, though the braking bumps at the bottom of the downhill rattled our teeth. Still, the bike tracked straight and rarely swapped. The Vertemati's suspension softened up the more we rode it but never got close to being plush. But despite its overall stiff feel, we noticed very little stiction, which might be attributable to the special coatings on the special WP components. The high-end motor and firm suspension show that this is a serious bike for fast, aggressive riders, and the Vert' usually held a straight line over the whoops and rarely kicked. Suspension Podium 1. Yamaha 2. Cannondale 3. Honda "I REALLY LIKED THE VORJS ERGONOMICS J AND THE MOTOR HAD GOOD BOTTOM· END. I WAS PLEASANTLY SURPRISED BY THE BIKE.JJ cue I e netIVs DECEMBER 1 2, 2001 7

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