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/128396
eave it to Honda to come up with a new idea: dual exhaust pipes. Okay, so it's not exactly an innovative concept. Husqvarna, for example, tried it for a while in the mid-'80s with its big-bore four-strokes, but that was a long time ago. So, it just seems like L it's a new idea. New dua/-muff/er system highlights the 2006 Honda CRF250R By 1HI C'Ycu NIws STAFF If you are like we were, you probably think that the whole idea behind going to two mufflers is to make the bikes quieter. After all, two mufflers must muffle twice as much, right? And since 250cc four-stroke motocrossers have been taking a lot of heat lately about being excessively noisy, it does make for a rational assumption. Assume again. As it turns out, noise was not the main issue, nor was it really an issue at all. And it wasn't even a power issue, really. Instead, it was all about handling. Yes, handling. Honda says it went with the dual-exhaust system to improve the CRF250F's already good handling traits. By going to two mufflers, Honda said it could make the cans significantly shorter in length (3.74 inches to be exact) and tuck them in closer to the bike to improve mass centralization. As a result, Honda claims it got a 2-percent improvement in roll characteristics, an IB-percent reduction in pitch figures and a 28percent improvement in yaw response. We don't know how they came up with these figures, nor do we know what they mean exactly, but we do know that the bike is supposed to feel lighter, respond better to rider input and have a more neutral feeling on the track than the previous CRF250R - a bike which, by the way, easily won our 250F shootout last year (2005). Dual mufflers weren't the only changes designed to make the '06 CRF handle better. Honda also made other significant changes to the chassis, which, of course, still utilized Honda's fourth-generation aluminum frame. Honda says that the dual-exhaust system does help a bit in the power department in that it boosts midrange and top-end performance, but most of the work to improve engine performance for '06 was made internally. TWICE THE FUN? Honda recently invited us out to the track to spend a few hours riding the new CRF250R, and we found it to be quite an improvement over the 'OS CR, and in just the places where you'd expect it to - in the motor and handling departments. On the track, the bike simply felt more stable. It seemed to want to stay put better and was far less reluctant to pop out of the ruts, especially while under heavy braking. Even on whooped-out sweepers, the bike felt remarkably steady, whereas last year's bike would have wandered around a bit