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/128240
2004 250cc Four-Stroke MX Shootout Like the Yamah a, th e Honda has a new " grip py" seat cover and is further refined with the addition of Renthal aluminum handlebars (st eel bars are still used on the other three ). As you probably know by now, the Suzuki RM -Z250 and the Kawasaki KX250F are the same motorcycle except for the plastic color and graphics , of course. The two machines are the result of the alliance the two companies made last year, where they com bi ned resources in order to join the 250cc four -stroke market as quickly as they could. The RM -Z250 and KX250F roll off the same assembly line at the Kawasaki plant in Japan. The only parts that aren 't t he exactly th e same are th e radiator shrouds ; otherwise , choose your col or. In two years, Suzuki will produce its own 250cc th umper. A s far as design is conce rned, on e signi fi c ant di fference be twe en the Suzuk i/K awasak i and the oth er two bik es that we haven't alrea dy m en tioned is in the engine. The Kawazuki 's m otor does n't m ak e use of coun terbalancers to he lp sque lc h en gine vibration - the Honda and Yamaha do. A s you can see, the three.. . er four bikes in th is shootout are quite different on paper, but you will see as yo u read on that th e y are remarkabl y similar when it comes to what really counts - how well they perform on the track. We'll tell you right now; this was one of the closest shootouts we 've ever experienced. Ever. And one of the must fun. A s for the contestant s, you might say that the YZ250F wa s the bike by whi ch all of t he o t he rs in thi s shootout were judged, and it took on som e significant changes for 2004 . Yamaha's number-one priority was to make the YZ lighter this year, wh ich exp lains the new titanium footpegs and head pipe and many other small er weight-sav ing refinements found all ov er the bike. The forks are also significantly re wo rk ed for im pro ved performance, and they also get a new look, as the uppers tubes are now gold-anodized. A new non -slip seat cover is a nice added touch . The all-new Honda CRF250R is for all intents and pu rposes a "m ini" ve rsion of the popu lar CRF4 50R . Like its bigger brother , the CRF 250R ut ilizes a li ghte r SOHC design , wh er ea s th e other bikes here opt for th e more tradi tio na l DO HC co nfi g u ration. Th e Honda's m otor is also unique in t hat it is lubricated by a twin -sump sys tem , utilizing two different oil sources . The others tak e the dry -sum p o r sem idry -sump routes. The Hond a's motor is nestled in a tw in -spar frame that is constructed of al uminum - th e on ly aluminum frame of the bunch. Th e perimeter frames of the Suzu k i and Ka wasaki are con structe d of ch ro me-moly st eel , as is th e Yamaha 's m or e traditional sing ledowntube/backbone-type frame. The CRF250R is also the only bi k e of the group that is fitted with Showa suspension components, as the others use Kayaba. 26 NOVEMBER 12, 2003 ' Ell U C • e n e _ os