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/128167
Efrom cite cHip_ _ The Southern California desert can be a very inhospitable place in the middle of July; that is a fact. Another fact is that all of the new motocross bikes start rolllng into our hands about that time every year. The problem is that, in an effort to be timely - and due to our never-ending enthusiasm for new bikes - we drag ourselves out of our air-conditioned Costa Mesa offices in an effort to serve you, the Cycle News reader. We're always excited to break away from the confines of the same old tracks we seem to ride every week and try somewhere different like the Cyrus Canyon OHV Park at which Honda had us try out their new CR. Not only was the location quite different from our normal stomping grounds, but the terrain was quite different as well. Southern California isn't exactly know for loam - or anything resembling soft terrain for that matter - but this track was practically a sand track in some sections, so it was nice to get to ride something different. Last year, I took a liking to Honda's '02 CR250R and was able to spend a decent amount of time on it, and although I don't recall having any complaints with the motor, a broader powerband would do wonders for a novice like myself. That's exactly what Honda claims to have accomplished with the new '03 CR - more power from the bottom up. At times, it was hard to judge the bike's power output because of the power-robbing soft terrain, but once I got onto the firmer sections of the track it was apparent that the motor's top end was very similar to last year's (very respectable). The one place that the midrange was noticeable was coming off of some of the softer berms. The CR was able to pick up the revs easily from down in the midrange (where novices like myself tend to reside) coming out of the loamy comers. Despite the additional effects of the altitude, after making a jetting change the bike was much crisper and had a lot more pop than It did with the stock jetting (since the test, Honda has given us their newer, hot jetting recommendations for the bike, see below"). This, and the fact that clutch work was kept to a mlnimum, helped me to believe Honda's cIairns of an improved, broader powerband. As for the suspension, handling and chassis departments, the song remains the same (and it's a really good song, by the way); they are virtually unchanged from last year's significant overhaul of the bike. There were plenty of rough and choppy sections on the Cyrus Canyon track to put the suspension to the test and, just like last year's bike, it passed the test with aplomb. It may not be the quickest tuming of the 250s, but it is definitely one of the most stable of the crop through the chop. The chassis overall is hard to faull, as it works well in a wide variety of track conditions. One thing of note; due to the track's soft nature, a lot of the jump faces got completely rutted out by the second day of our test. This made flying through the air a sideways affair. Both Kit and I noticed that the CR250R was much easier to reel back in than the heavier CRF450R was - we both felt much more comfortable on the two-stroke in the air. (Honda also unveHed the '03 CRF450R at the Cyrus Canyon track, and we'll talk about that next week). Overall, I was again impressed with the performance of the CR250R. The bike is just such a good, all-around package - from the motor to handiing and suspension, to fit and finish, you really can't go wrong with it. Blake Conner "Jetting recommendations from Honda's Eric Crippa (CR media coordinator) 430 main, H272 needle (optional 2001 CR needle), 35 pilot, airscrew 1.5 out from max. ENGINE: _ Two-stroke single w/electronlcally controlled RC valve DISPLACEMENT: ...••.............................................249cc BORE x STROKE: .............•...........•.........•.......66.4 x 72mm COOLING: .............•.........•.....••........................Liquld COMPRESSION RATIO: 8.5:1 INDUCTION: .....•.........•..•..............Elght-petal crankcase reed-valve CARBURETlON: ...................•.........•...38mm Mikuni TMX flat-slide IGNmON: ...•....•.•... _ CDI with 3D mapping and electronic advance TRANSMISSION: ., ••••••.............................Close-ratio five-speed FRAME: Twin-spar aluminum RAKE/TRAIL:. •...•.••••••••...••••••.•.•..•••.•••••••. 26.73°/1 06.7mm FRONT SUSPENSION: .47mm inverted Showa cartridge fork with 16·position rebound and 16-position compression damping adjustability; 12.4 inches of travel REAR SUSPENSION: Pro-Link Showa single shock with spring preload, 17-position rebound damping adjustability, and compression damping adjustment separated into low-speed (13 positions) and high-speed (3.5 turns); 12.6 inches of travel FRONT BRAKES: ...•................ .single 240mm disc with twin-piston caliper REAR BRAKES: _•.......•..•........•.....Single 240mm disc FRONT TIRE: .....•..•..••.•......................•...........80/100-21 REAR TIRE: 110/90-19 FINAL DRIVE: ....•.......•...•.••.••.•..•..#520 chain, 13T (front)/48T (rear) WHEELBASE: .......•......•..•...•.•..•..••.........•......... .58.7 in. SEAT HEIGHT: .........•...•..•................................37.08 in. GROUND CLEARANCE: ...•......•.....................•...•......13.6 In. CI..AIMEI> DRY WEIGHT: 213 Ibs. FUEL CAPACITY: 2.0 gal. saGGESTED RETAIL PRICE: .. $5899 c U c I e n • __ os • AUGUST 14, 2002 15