Honda Cr80
HONDA CR80
CYCLE WORLD TEST
The First Little Red Racer Has Plenty of Power and Not Enough Suspension.
Honda is the last of the Japanese giants to produce an all-out 80cc racer. The popular XR75, now an 80, has been around forever, but it never was intended for the track. Building a competitive motocrosser for the 80 class is more difficult than might be imagined. First is cost; just because it’s small doesn’t mean it is cheap to produce. A competitive 80 needs the same things larger racers need: horsepower, suspension, strong frame and wheels etc. Putting all these things into a package that is still affordable is no easy job.
When Honda finally decided to build an 80, the factory jumped into the act with both feet. The CR80 looks like larger Honda motocrossers right down to the red engine. And what an engine it has. It is a two-stroke Single with heavily finned cylinder and head. The cylinder has a chrome bore surface, with six ports. A 26mm Keihin carburetor feeds premixed fuel through a large reed valve and the exhaust is routed through an up and over expansion pipe and small silencer. The small lower end has a close ratio six-speed transmission and a large wet clutch. A CDI ignition ensures easy starts and primary kick starting makes the occasional stall less of a problem. Honda claims the potent little engine pumps out 16.5 bhp at the crankshaft. We didn’t dyno the CR80 but we did face it several times and it pulled other 80s in the straights.
The frame is a single front downtube design that branches into two tubes under the engine. The backbone is styled after other Honda motocrossers: a large main tube triangulated by a much smaller tube and supplemented by gusseting. The backbone forms a T under the seat, also like other Honda racers, and the ends of the T become the upper shock mounts. Seat rail tubing ends at the rear of the seat and a strong strap is bolted to them, providing a convenient lift handle.
Wheel sizes are normal for mini racers, a 17 in. front, 14 in. rear. Both have strong spokes and hubs with good brakes.
The suspension is modern with leadingaxle forks and canted aluminum-bodied shocks. The forks have air caps, the triple clamps have rear-set bar mounts and strong pinch bolts. Front wheel travel is 6.7 in. The rear shocks have aluminum bodies> and finned piggyback reservoirs. The reservoirs have a bladder separating the nitrogen and oil and add a serious look to the bike. Rear wheel travel is 6.3 in.
The little motocrosser would be identifiable as a Honda without any decals. The tank, fenders and side panels appear scaled down shapes from larger Honda motocrossers. Most of the pieces are properly shaped and sized and quality control is good. Overall dimensions are comparable to other minis, meaning the bike size fits the market it is aimed at. The only complaint we had was a shift lever that felt too short for our junior testers. We welded one inch to the length and cured the problem. Maintenance was straightforward and easy until it was time to clean the big foam air cleaner. It rests in a large airbox and its size means it won't have to be cleaned often, but removal is clumsy when required.
On the race track the engine delivers the power the figures promise. Nothing stock will outrun the Honda on smooth ground. And it zips through bermed or flat corners easily. The forks work well on all types of terrain. They soak up small ripples and large jumps with pride.
Unfortunately, the shocks don’t keep pace with the rest of the package. They work okay through rollers and react fine to small ripples and medium whoops but fail miserably landing from jumps: the back of the CR only moves a couple of inches before stopping harshly. Any quick or sharp blow to the rear wheel causes almost instant hydraulic lock. The rider receives a blow to his back and the bike shakes and quivers as it reacts to the sudden stop. Jumps are a normal part of motocross courses and a motocrosser should work well over them. Honda should have spent a little less time making the shocks look trick and a little more time dialing in the damping.
To race the bike successfully, and the CR80 is a full-blown racer, will require accessory shocks. Yamaha, Suzuki and Kawasaki 80s have shocks that are usable up to the pro level; even a novice will need to change the Honda shocks.
The engine is an easy starter. One or two kicks will do it but warm-up is slow when cold. Our test riders generally liked the CR80 but all of them thought the CR felt smaller than other 80cc racers. The measuring tape didn’t substantiate the feelings though; most measurements are close to the others. The seat height is about the> only measurement that differs; the CR seat is almost an inch lower than the rest.
HONDA CR80
$698
The CR uses more gasoline than other 80cc racers we’ve tested. It’s necessary to fill the tank between motos, even short ones, or the bike will run out. It also feels over geared. We installed a countershaft sprocket two teeth smaller, making it easier to keep on the pipe and generally improving performance. The lower gearing means less shifting and less clutch fanning. Top speed is still enough for fast tracks and the bike is easier to ride.
All in all, the CR80 is a great first year racer. Shock replacement is a must, but the rest of the bike is worth the added cost to the buyer, since he won’t have to spend money making the engine faster. S
