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/128360
Honda choosing to leave the suspension and frame alone. From our novice testers to our expert testers. everyone felt right at home on the '05 CR. And we all agreed that the CR doesn't just turn good - it turns great! The bike just has that right feel as you set up. lean over and power out of the turns. and a lot of this has to do with the supercomfortable. Renthal aluminum handlebars. the firm seat with the gripper cover. and the bike's neutral ergonomics. And when you throw in the CR's traditional. precise and smoothworking controls and awesome handgrips. you have a bike that inspires nothing but confidence. One tester. however. made the comment that the CR felt a little on the wide side for his taste. but on the flip side. another tester said that he especially liked the CR's wider girth. saying he could grip the bike better with his SPECIFICATIONS 2005 Honda CR250R $6199 249cc Liquid-cooled. single-cylinder two-stroke BORE x STROKE 66.4 x 72mm COMPRESSION RATIO 8.5: I CARBURETION ....38mm TMX flat-slide wi throttle position sensor INDUCTION Six-petal crankcase LIST PRICE DISPLACEMENT ENGINE TYPE knees and thus had better control of the bike through the corner. We guess we will simply store this in the "different riding style" file. Okay. so what can we say about the CR's brakes that hasn't already been said' Awesome. outstanding. excellent. a standard by which all others are judged - you get the picture. So. was 2005 CR250R worth the wait? So far. we think so. The motor still rips but is now complimented with more bottomend and even healthier midrange. making the CR more fun and enjoyable to ride for both the novice and expert rider alike. The chassis and suspension are still as good as ever. as is the bike's fit and finish that Honda has certainly become known for. So how does the Honda stack up against the other all-new 250cc twostrokes in 'OS? We·lI. we're still working on our '05 250cc two-stroke shootout. but we can give you a hint: really well. Yes. the new Honda is right in the hunt for this year's top honor. but. unfortunately. we even have some more waiting to do. eN The '05 CR retains its already-solid handling. reed-valve IGNITION CDI w/3-D mapping TRANSMISSION Close-ratio fIVe-speed STARTING SYSTEM Kick FUEL CAPACITY 2.0 gal. WHEELBASE 58.3 in. RAKEITRAIL 26.5°/109.8mm GROUND CLEARANCE 13.3 in. SEAT HEIGHT 37.1 in. FRONT TIRE 80/1 00-21 REAR TIRE I 10/90-19 FRONT SUSPENSION 47mm inverted Showa Cartridge fork FRONT-WHEEL TRAVEL .......... 12.4 in. REAR SUSPENSION ....Pro-Link Showa single shock w/spring preload REAR-WHEEL TRAVEL 12.6 in. FRONT BRAKE ........ Single 240mm disc w/twin-piston caliper It doesn't look much different, but don't let that fool you. REAR BRAKE .5ingle 240mm disc FINAL DRIVE Chain CLAIMED DRY WEIGHT 213 Ibs. CYCLE NEWS • JANUARY 12,2005 2S