the ‘18 model. All this said, it almost makes up
for this bottom-end weakness with excellent
tractability and ease of use. So, yes, the 2020
engine is fast – something that’s never been in
doubt. It has decent mid-range and the low-end
is better than it was.
Rideability is excellent and the way the bike
transfers power to the ground is as good as it
gets. To achieve the performance gains and add
to reliability, the 250R has had a host of updates.
The cylinder head, ECU and exhaust are altered
for improved low to mid power. The left side
radiator holds 5% more coolant for better heat
control. The clutch is larger with 18% more surface
area so it handles abuse better. Second gear is
taller, but the overall drive ratio is slightly lower to
reduce the gap between second and third and to
help ensure more consistent acceleration.
For riders with differing riding styles, there are
three power modes at the press on a button by
the left-hand grip. To be honest I didn’t find a heap
of difference between the modes, however they do
vary, offering a slightly torquier or revvy feel
depending on what’s selected. Just experiment until
you find what suits you and your riding style best.
It is perhaps surprising given the 250R’s excellent
handling that it shares the exact same frame and
swingarm as big bro CRF450R. By that I don’t
mean the 450 handles poorly, because it handles
great. But the engines are different weights, they
produce vastly different amounts of power and
stress levels too, so I’d assume some alterations…
however, they do feel quite different to ride – the
450 feels an altogether larger machine. But I
digress, back to the 250. The handling balance
is top shelf, complemented by extremely good
suspension action.
We took the CRF to MX Central for this test,
doing several warm up laps on the cross-country
circuit before hitting the super-fun MX track. The
tracks are distinctly different with the MX track
being very smooth with lots of great jumps and
the cross-country loop being absolutely
festooned with challenging square edged
acceleration holes that really beat up the rider if
the suspension action is poor or harsh. On both
tracks the bike was excellent. The steering is very
accurate and planted in slow or fast turns, while
40 KIWI RIDER