VOLUME 58 ISSUE 39 SEPTEMBER 28, 2021 P107
weight reduction also play a big
part in this. And, without the dual
exhaust system, it's easier to
move around on the bike so you
don't feel as "boxed in '' as be-
fore. The bike is well-balanced,
agile, and cuts through lines with
ease. The same can be said in
the air. The Honda is very ma-
neuverable when not connected
to the ground, so it's easy to
position the bike where you want
for an upcoming turn right after
a jump.
Suspension is a big improve-
ment, as well. It feels plush while
still offering excellent bottoming
resistance. The Honda feels
planted in the ruts and just plain
easy to ride.
I wanted a little stability in
the deep loam, however, so I
dropped the forks in the triple
clamps a bit which helped, but I
went back to the stock position-
ing later in the day when the lines
burned in and track dried out. I
also played with the high-speed
compression damping settings
to reduce squatting under power
but eventually went back to the
base (stock) settings.
The look and feel of the blood-
red Honda is hard to not drool
over. However, first-ride tests
can be deceiving. The combo of
a new bike on a new track is an
easy way to fall in love quickly.
That's why we asked Honda for
some more seat time on more fa-
miliar tracks back home in SoCal.
We first took it to State Fair
MX, a tight and jumpy layout that
is like the Mountain View MX
track, only with deeper ruts and
a harder base. Once again, we
adapted quickly to the bike while
noting again how well it handled
through the ruts and how agile
it felt. It's noticeably lighter, and
the narrow chassis allows you
to easily throw the bike around
while using all edges of the
track. Much of this has to do
with Honda going back to the
single-muffler exhaust system.
