2010 HONDA CRF250R SPECIFICATIONS

ENGINE
Engine type: Liquid-cooled, four-valve, Unicam, single-cylinder four-stroke
Displacement: 249cc
Bore x stroke: 76.8 x 53.8 mm
Compression ratio: 13.2:1
Fuel system: PGM-FI, 50mm throttle body
Transmission: Five speed
Fuel capacity: 5.7 litres

CHASSIS
Frame type: Twin-spar aluminium
Front suspension: 48mm inverted Showa 16-position rebound and 18-position compression damping adjustability; 309.88 mm travel
Rear suspension: Pro-Link Showa single shock with spring preload, 20-position rebound damping adjustability, and compression damping adjustment separated into low-speed (18 positions) and high-speed (1.5 turns); 320.04 mm travel
Brakes (front / rear): Single 240mm disc with twin-piston calliper / Single 240mm disc
Wheelbase: 1493.5mm
Seat Height: 955mm

DIMENSIONS
Weight (claimed, ready to ride): 102.5 kilograms

PURCHASE DETAILS
Price: $10,990
Availability: November
Colour options: Red
Test bike: Honda Australia

Lites class Motocross is one of the most competitive categories on the market, with the big four Japanese manufacturers battling for supremacy, joined by Euro brands KTM and Husqvarna in that battle both on and off the track.

The 250cc four-stroke machinery continues to get lighter each year and the power is often boosted with it, making for a dream ride that riders from beginner level all the way to pro can have a blast on.

Next year sees fuel-injection hit a selected couple of the Japanese 250Fs just a few years after it first graced the 450s, and for Honda, the addition of EFI has hit the CRF250R just one year after being introduced to its big brother CRF450R last year.

Testing for the 2010 Motocrossers is well and truly underway now and MotoOnline.com.au managed to get our hands on the all-new CRF250R, which is literally brand spanking new from the ground up.

Receiving the same styling changes that made the CRF450R sleeker last year, this year’s 250F from Big Red actually shares the exact same bodywork, bringing it in line with the Open class ride from Honda.

In fact, this year’s CRF250R is the first full revision of the bike since its release in 2004, reworked from head to toe and featuring many revolutionary (there’s that word again) changes to enhance its competitiveness in a very competitive world.

The big talk of the new CRF is the fuel-injection system, adopting Honda’s PGM-FI system and replacing the carburettor once and for all – also leaving the notorious bottom-end bog with it.

Fuelling is injected via a 50mm throttle body and 12-hole injector directly into the cylinder-head, designed to improve the throttle response and also making adjustments to the fuelling more precise.

What’s also revised is the automatic decompression system with a PGM-FI setting that takes away the requirement of using a handlebar-mounted hot-starter, although there is still a button on the throttle body for assistance when firing up from cold.

Like on the 450, the engine stop switch features an integrated LED pre-ride check indicator. This confirms the PGM-FI system is operating correctly, and looks the goods, too.

Joining the new EFI system is a brand new engine, which is smaller in size than the previous versions, retaining the single Unicam set-up, which is also smaller and further reduces the weight of the motor.

The engine has a smaller bore and longer stroke at 76.8mm x 53.8mm (was 78mm x 52.2mm in 2009) for a broader powerband while still retaining the same peak rpm capacity, largely thanks to  the valve springs having a different manufacturing process derived from MotoGP technology.

Steering is sharp and precise for 2010.

Valves are slightly smaller this year, with the intake valves still made of titanium, and the exhaust valves retaining their steel build. The compression ratio is up from 13.1:1 to 13.2:1, adding to the internal developments.

The top of the piston is thinner without reducing reliability due to a high rigid aluminium application, while the crank is lighter and crankshaft centre is 10mm lower in the engine, which is because the Reed Valve is placed horizontally instead of vertically. The cylinder is also angled back five degrees, for mass centralisation.

After a few years featuring a twin-exhaust system, Honda has reverted to the single-sided system for 2010, and the gearbox features internal changes that are designed for a close ratio, enabling the rear sprocket to be lowered from a 51-tooth to a 48.

Clutch wise, there are also some changes, with stronger plates and a Kashima coating on the baskets intended for added strength and reliability. Capping off the power enhancements is a revised air box with a bigger intake, which is more direct and offers a funnel-design route to the throttle body.

There are also larger aluminium radiators used to increase the cooling capacity due to the added power stemming from the host of engine upgrades.

As for the chassis, it also has many changes, all designed to further improve the handling of what was already widely recognised as one of the greatest handling 250Fs on the market.

There’s an updated twin-spar aluminium frame featuring a sub-frame and under carriage the same as the CRF450R, with the spar height reduced (70mm to 66), width narrowed (27mm to 26), and stronger down tubes enhancing front-end feel.

The rear shock absorber is similar to that from the 450, albeit revised for the 250, and the front fork has increased to 48mm from 47mm. The rear shock features 15mm more travel, and high- and low-speed compression adjustability along with the usual rebound and spring preload adjusters, while the fork is further developed to adopt a dual-bleed system.

Power is linnear with the EFI system.

What all this does is dramatically change the geometry of the bike. The rake is now 27.15-degrees compared to 27.9 last year, while the trail is now 116mm instead of 125. The triple clamp offset has decreased from 22mm to 20 – greatly assisting turning prowess in tight corners.

The fuel tank has shrunk from 7.2 litres to 5.7, the EFI making the bike more efficient, further lowering the bike’s centre of gravity and making the riding position slight more front-biased.

In the weight department, fuelled and ready to ride, the bike is half a kilogram lighter than last year as it weighs in at 102.5 kilograms, but keep in mind that it’s fuel tank is 1.5 litres smaller.

A compact twin-piston front brake caliper, anodized-aluminium brake pistons and a lightweight new 240mm new front disc is developed to increase stopping power, while a HRC works-style rear brake system adds a new 240mm brake rotor to its integrated rear master-cylinder and fluid reservoir – a set-up that eliminates the separate reservoir and hose.

That’s it for the changes, so you’re probably wondering what it’s like to ride once off the showroom floor and on to your favourite Motocross track… let’s just say, it’s a very, very, different ride to the previous incarnations.

There’s no doubt that the new styling of the bike looks unreal, featuring a heavily revised look (as does Yamaha’s YZ250F), signalling the new developments from the outset – even confusing some at our local tracks that it was the 450.

Upon start-up, an easy start at that, the exhaust is somewhat quiet compared to the Yamaha that we tested last month, although the addition of fuel-injection is instantly noticeable as each blip of the throttle is uncompromised.

In fact, once on the track, the throttle response takes some time to adjust to as it’s ultra responsive, with the slightest twist of the wrist bursting power out of the engine, with no sign of lag whatsoever.

This became more and more apparent as the hours on the test CRF were logged, proving a great improvement mid-corner, and especially upon jump landings when you get back on the gas.

The new CRF250R feels light out on the track.

From there it’s as smooth as you could imagine, with a linear power delivery making the complete powerband useable as you ride to the best of your abilities, but to the more experienced rider, the power could be deceiving.

It’s smooth from A to Z, but there is no real urge in the powerband from the seat of the pants feel, causing it to feel as though it lacks grunt, prompting our test riders to question the gearing drop in three teeth to a 48 on the rear.

The longer stroke probably magnifies this feeling also, but you can rest assured that its pulling strongly from th ebottom to top-end.

For the club-intermediate level rider, the power is exactly what you’d wish for in a bike, proving to be confidence inspiring as the sheer usability of the power is quite phenomenal.

Bottom-end response is good, you can still feel the power building in the mid-range, and the top-end feels as though it’s restricted at times, but we’ve got a feeling that an aftermarket exhaust would likely open the power up to a new level.

It keeps pulling constantly through the rpm range with a solid amount of over rev, just not in the raw manner that the Yamaha seems to, and as stated above, this can make the power on tap feel deceiving, although fast lap times compared with the previous model tell a different story altogether.

These improvements could also be attributed to the chassis as the steering prowess hits the design goals spot on in the tight stuff, while the HPSD stabiliser assists in retaining stability at speed despite the more aggressive geometry.

Steering is precise and sharp, while the rear wheel also has good traction, meaning you’re likely to be able to get in and out of the corners better than before, faster, and probably even easier.

It feels light when travelling at speed, with the low COG assisting in that feel in Honda’s development and design process.

The ergonomics are slim as Honda has purposely placed the rider’s seating position in relation to the narrowest part of the frame, and the 971 bend Renthal handlebars are back yet again to create a pretty high ’bar with minimal sweep. Your body movements don’t get caught up on the plastics anywhere, and there are plenty of options when looking to clamp your legs to the ride.

It’s more compact than the Yamaha, with a seat height that is 35mm lower than that of the YZF, meaning that it’s much more suited to shorter riders or Juniors in standard trim – especially for starts.

Brake feel is very good as usual on the CRFs, but you can’t necessarily notice the change in the rear brake. Well, not me, anyway! For me, the feeling has been retained from previous models.

Stability at speed is retained despite a more aggressive geometry.

In the suspension department, it actually feels incredibly soft at idle, and is soft in the first section of the stroke, but you soon realise that its bottoming resistance in the mid to lower parts of the stroke is high.

The initial soft feeling helps on the hard packed tracks when crossing the smaller bumps, maintaining a controlled feel without rebounding too quickly, and if you’re on a softer track with a lot of rolling bumps, the suspension remains almost as stable as you cross them as long as you aren’t on pro pace.

Some hard landings off of singles confirmed that the suspension is stiffer toward the bottom of the stroke than the top as it held up well, and the 48mm front fork feels solid for a 250F compared to the 47mm units from last year.

Like the engine, and typical of Honda’s CRF250R, the chassis is confidence inspiring in the way that it handles and makes you feel comfortable from the outset, urging you to push that little bit harder and take more risks without feeling too far out of your comfort zone.

Never does the Honda feel on edge apart from if you delve that bit too far ahead of your riding ability, and this also assists in riding for longer, with less fatigue due to the nature of the ride.

It’s a new era for the Lites class in Motocross, and this time Honda is at the forefront in the development of fuel-injection, while all of the manufacturers push hard to raise the bar in the handling stakes.

The big winner is us, the consumer, and after sampling both Honda and Yamaha’s 250 Motocrossers so far for 2010, it’s safe to say that this year’s going to be a benchmark year in Lites class equipment.