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/128637
Austrian manufacturer KTM continues to get more serious about motocross with each passing year. Its new "motocro ss-o nly" powerplant produces SlH»ercross-inclined bottom-end and midrange power. HONDA CR250R • Tw in-sp ar aluminum frame • 20 -in ch fro nt wheel av ailable as after-purch ase o pt ion • Solid-state d igital ignition with 3 -D m appin g and electronic adva nce • New cy linde r hanger for cl aim ed bett er str aight- li ne stabili ty • Updated shoc k and fork springs • New 38m m Mikuni TMX flat -slide ca rburetor • New exhaust pipe and muffler des ign HO NDA CR 250R The Honda j ust feels right when you swing a leg o ver it and plop your butt on th e ';" seat (some things just don't change) . Ergonomics hav e always been o ne o f th e CR's " strongest points, and th e same holds tru e this yea r. Th e handlebar has a neutral bend, the grips are as good as ever, and all of the controls are within easy reach and require little effo rt to operate. We can 't thi nk of any, except for the flimsy stee l handlebar. KAWASAKI KX250 Like th e Hon da , t he Kawasaki is a comfortable motorcycle. We couldn't decide ";" whethe r or not to mention the K)('s seat u nder "thu mbs up " o r "t hum bs down. " " Although some of ou r test riders m entioned that they noticed the wider saddle, th ey really didn't complain about it. In fact , some actua lly preferred the KX's wider stance, claiming they could grip the bike better with their knees , giving them better co ntrol. By flipping the handleba r clamps around, th e rider can buy a few extra millimeters of cock p it space if desi red . It is perhaps the wider seat that g ives the illusion that one is riding a bike with a dated chassis (come to think of it. .. ). Th e green -painted steel handlebar doesn't help any, either. • Honda clai ms an increase of three horse po we r overall • Standard half-w affl e grips • 7m m lon ger fork tubes (to accomodate 20 -in ch wh eel) • 47m m Show a fo rk KAWA SAKI KX250 • High -tensi le steel perim eter frame • 20- inc h front wheel availabl e as aft er -purch ase optio n • Digi tal COl ignition with K-TRIC • Keih in " sho rt y" Pow erJ et 38mm carburetor • Revised engageme nt dog s and engageme nt slots in transmi ssion for easier shifting • New exhaust pip e for more top -end pow er and lighter weigh t • Tw o-inch shorter silencer to cut weight • Weight of stee ring mechan ism cut by 1/ 3 poun d to low er th e center of gra vit y • New 27mm front-brak e piston s (22 _ 65mm in 2000 ) for m or e pow er • New main seals and countershaft seal reduce friction by 10 percent, for improved power KTM 250SX • New MX -only m otor • U nka ge-I ess rea r suspe nsion KTM 250SX As one of our test riders put it, " I' d seriously consider buying the KTM just for its .~'\..' [q uality) stock components." He was mainly referr ing to the KTM' s trick tapered ha ndlebar, which also has a lot to do with its " factory" feel. Sit on this bike for th e first time, and you feel as though you're sitting on sorneone's personal works race bike, per haps because of the tall handlebar, "shorty" Magura levers, hard seat, super-narrow layout, o r a co mbination of all t hese things . Th e KTM also loo ks " wo rks" with its new plasti c . A ll of t he bik es in th is co m pariso n have great brakes, but the KTM 's front binder is exceptionally powerful (at the expense of some feel). Even though the seat's padding doesn 't feel particularly hard to the tou ch , its ultranarrow design really m akes it feel that way. A few m ore millimet ers around th e KTM's waistlin e wouldn't hurt. Not only would this save your butt, so to speak, but it would also give your kn ees somethi ng to hol d on to. SUZUKI RM250 On the track, th e Suzuki feels th e li ght est and the most nimble of the five . T he ..'\., changes to the cockpit are welcome, as th e RM now has a flatter feel, not unlike the " YZ. Now, th e rider feels like he 's sitting "on" the bike, as opposed to "i n" the bike. It jumps well and is easy to throw around in th e air. All of o ur testers thoug ht th e RM's ergono mics were top-class . If you don't like the RM's graphics. you're in luck - they'll probably fall off before you get the bi k e hom e. Suzuk i decided to save a few bucks by insta lling cheap decals tha t ball up or tear after the first ride, reasoning that many people install aftermarket grap hics anyway. Have yo u seen the cost of afterma rket graphics lately? Apparently, Suzuki hasn't. YAMAHA YZ250N Everything . Nothing - well, a lm ost nothing . An aluminum handlebar would be nice, instead of cheesy steel. • • • • Ta k asago Ex cel rims standard Largest fro nt -brake disc of the bu nch Kokusan di git al 2 K- 4 ignition Hydrauli c cl utc h • Magura conical han dlebar sta ndar d • Nick el-plated exha ust pipe • 43mm WP for k SUZUKIRM250 • Onl y bi ke with co m ple tely new look thi s year • Weigh t cut throu gh ou t bik e (lig htest claimed dry weight of the bunch) • Shortest wheelbase of th e bunc h • Seat, tank and rear fender redesigned for a flatter riding surface and improved rider mobility • Eng ine sho rt ened fro nt to rear by 21.4m m • Eng ine weight redu ced by over 2 pou nds • Wat er pump reco nfigured • Fron t hub width redu ced from 102 to 82mm • Fron t axl e spacer cha nge d fro m steel to alu mi num • Keihin PowerJet carburetor now has a throttle-po sition sensor YAMAHA YZ2 50N • Reed -valve indu cti on sy stem • Keihin 38mm carburetor with throttl e-position sensor • New front-brake master cy li nder/ lever adj ustm ent syst em • Qui ck -adjust clutch perch • Higher compression ratio than last year • Revised cyli nde r/cylinde r head for better over- rev • Larg er bump rubber in rear shock for im pro ved ant i- bottoming • 46mm Kayaba fork cue ' e n eVIl's NOVEMBER 1 , 2000 19