and very comfortable for all – really the ergos of
the new bike are quite remarkable. Then there’s
the associated excellent handling. The front end
is well-planted, has superb turn-in feel and is
generally accurate and confidence-inspiring. As
mentioned above this new 250 is not the lightest
in pure kilogram terms, but it does have a very
light, user-friendly feel and, in all honesty, this is
probably more important. A light bike with awkward
or heavy feeling handling is more tiring than a
heavier bike that feels much lighter to steer.
Along with the excellent chassis Honda has given
the CRF damn good suspension, the forks being
particularly good. Modelled on Showa’s A-kit forks
the new wire spring units (the same as on the 450R)
are plush, progressive and handle the big hits with
ease... what more can you ask for? They’re excellent.
The Showa rear shock is very good too and has
similar plushness and progressive attributes as the
forks, with the result being almost, but not quite,
as good. I always find that Honda/Japanese shock
springs settle a reasonable amount in the first few
hours of riding so it is well worth keeping an eye
on the sag regularly to start with and tweak it as
necessary to keep it where it needs to be. I’ve heard
some feedback that a few more millimetres of sag
on the rear pays dividends in high speed stability
without sacrificing the bike’s easy turning ability.
I like the brakes as they have decent feel and
strength with the rear being the better unit
overall for power/feel. Compared with other
brands they’re middle of the road, and so could
be described as average for the class, but to put
that into a reasonable perspective, I would have
killed for brakes this good when I started racing.
So, overall Honda’s new 250 is a beautifully built
machine that has ergonomics to suit a wide range
of riders, an awesome chassis, good brakes and
great suspension. The engine is certainly fast,
but the delivery is perhaps more suited to pro
riders who’ll be able to get the most out of it it.
However, while it’s not that easy to keep on song
at race-winning speed, it’s definitely easy for
the average rider to ride at reasonable speeds...
which kind of gives it a ‘best of both worlds’ feel.
This bike feels good to ride and if Honda can dial
up some low end power and punch next year,
the CRF250R will be in the hunt for a class win.
KIWI RIDER 51