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HONDA CRM250 Dual-purpose dreambike

TO EXPERIENCED DIRTBIKE RIDers, today's dual-purpose models are under-suspended, underpowered and overweight. The recent trend towards more dirt-oriented dual-purpose bikes is promising, but still ....

How can the motorcycle manufacturers be so blind? Why not build

a modern version of Yamaha’s 1968 DT-1 dual-purpose bike, one with a snappy two-stroke engine, longtravel suspension and proper offroad manners? The answer is that they do, although you can't buy it here. In Japan, there are several such machines, and when Cycle World contributing photographer— and dedicated off-road rider—

Kinney Jones saw a picture of Honda’s CRM250 in a Japanese magazine, he had to get one.

Looking for all the world like a street-legal motocrosser. the brightred CRM250 now safely tucked in Jones' garage certainly looks more serious than U.S.-spec D-P bikes. Typical of the thorough way Honda does things, this bike is not just a CR250 that’s been made street legal. In fact, very few CR parts are used on the M. Its wheels, disc brakes, swingarm, headlight, levers and handguards appear to be XR250 transplants. The heavily gusseted frame is unlike the CR or XR. The narrow fuel tank is steel, and passenger accommodations include footpegs and a grab-strap, though the MX-style seat does little to encourage lengthy two-up rides.

The M's liquidcooled, two-stroke engine isn’t like any we’ve seen here, either. A rather small, roundslide Keihin carburetor supplies fuel to a case reed, and exhaust-control valves are operated via dual cables from an electronic box behind the cylinder head. An oil-injection pump eliminates manual mixing of gasoline and oil—the frame holds the oil and is filled by removing a plug just behind the steering head.

After taking the CRM for a short ride. I can attest that it performs well in the dirt. The engine is powerful and responsive, and a heavy ignition flywheel helps keep rearwheel spin to a minimum on slippery ground. The transmission shifts positively, but it has a notchy feel. Additionally, the tall street gearing and wide transmission ratios let the engine bog when upshifting on hills, though that could easily be fixed by changing the countershaft sprocket.

Soft, but well-controlled, suspension is provided by a single rear shock and conventional fork with 43mm stanchion tubes. When loping down a trail, the suspension is comfortable and compliant on tree roots and rocks, yet it provides good control at fairly rapid speeds. Steering is slower than that of a CR. but it's still light and precise, and the bike has good stability in sand. Despite the use of many steel parts and its street hardware, the CRM feels light, agile and safe off-road.

On the flip side, the bike’s onroad qualities are poor: Its thin, narrow seat quickly numbs the rider’s butt, its agile handling is a little too quick and the disc brakes are marginal at highway speeds.

Still, hardcore, off-road-oriented dual-purpose riders would love a bike like the CRM250. We can only hope that American Honda can be persuaded to legalize the CRM250 for the American market. Then more of us can share in Kinney Jones' enthusiasm for a dual-purpose bike. &emdashRon Griewe