Diribikes 1993: Honda, Kawasaki And Yamaha

DIRIBIKES 1993: HONDA, KAWASAKI AND YAMAHA

NEW FOR '93

HONDA

AN ALL-NEW XR600R HAS BEEN EXPECTED FOR A COUPLE of years, but for '93 the big Thumper's only changes are new graphics and a larger-diameter front axle. Otherwise, it's unchanged, save for a slight price increase to $3999. Also unchanged for '93 are the XR250R ($3299), XR100R ($1699) and Z50R ($969).

The big news for the XR line in ’93 is the réintroduction of the XR80R and XR200R. The $1499 XR80R is mechanically unchanged since its last appearance, but the XR200R, priced at $2499, gets a new frame that reportedly lowers its seat height by some 3 inches, thus making the two-valve 200 an even better beginner bike.

A quick glance at Honda’s new CR lineup might have one believing that little more than the graphics and prices have changed. Closer inspection, however, shows that the 125 and 250 CRs are loaded with new or improved pieces.

CR250R-styled plastic components give the 125 a smoother, cleaner appearance. The new bike has a lower seat height and is slimmer through the middle, as well. This is made possible by an all-new frame that sports a steeper steering-head angle, and uses a larger-diameter steering stem and bearings. Engine refinements are said to further widen the 125’s already broad powerband.

Many improvements and modifications for 1993 are shared on the 125, 250 and 500 CRs. Thicker seat covers and 10-percent-denser seat foam improve rider comfort and extend seat life; inverted Showa forks feature revised valving and new upper housings; rear shocks (KYB on the 125, Showa on the 250/500) have 2mm-larger bodies and 2mmlarger shafts. These models also get new, smoother-operating throttles, 6mm wider (front to rear) footpegs, new handlebar bends and new fuel-cap baffles.

Modifications specific to the CR250R start with a stronger frame. To reduce flex, the steering head is more heavily gusseted and the metal in the area around the footpegs/swingarm pivot is nearly twice as thick. Engine improvements start with an ignition that’s hotter at kicking speed, a change that reportedly makes starting easier and reduces the frequency of cold-plug fouling. Like the new 125, the 250 has a larger airbox that features an insert that improves engine response by increasing the velocity of incoming air at low engine revolutions. A larger-volume air-intake boot lets the engine breath better at high rpm.

The CR125R’s price is up $100 to $3799, while the CR250R has gone up $2 00 to $4349. The CR500R and CR80R prices are unchanged at $4349 and $2249, respectively.

KAWASAKI

KAWASAKI'S 1992 KX125 AND KX250 WERE GREAT bikes, so it comes as quite a surprise that both bikes have been significantly altered for `93.

Heading the list of changes common to the 125 ($3699) and 250 ($4349) are all-new frames and revised swingarms. Refinement of the KXs’ Showa suspension, generally accepted as the best production suspension for the past two years, is directed at reducing weight and fine-tuning damping qualities. The fork on both bikes gets aluminum piston rods, lighter-weight main springs (the spring rate remains the same), thinner, lighter outer fork tubes and a more progressive compression bottom-out system. At the rear, shock fade is addressed by increasing the shock’s oil volume via a 2mm-larger-diameter shock body, and the Uni-Trak linkage arms are thinner and lighter.

The 125 and 250 engines haven’t been overlooked, either. The 250 gets a new guillotine exhaust valve that seals better at lower rpm and controls the port opening more accurately. A new cylinder head increases the squish area for better airfuel turbulence, and a reshaped combustion dome reduces the engine’s compression ratio to eliminate pinging. A new piston, minus the space-age coating of ‘92, fits more tightly in the cylinder bore. A wider, bridged exhaust port, larger intake port and Boyesen reeds, and higher crankcase compression combine with a lighter crankshaft and new ignition curve to increase engine response.

The 125’s head and piston changes are similar to those of the 250, but its cylinder ports are more radically changed and include redesigned exhaust and loop ports. Additionally, the 125 has a lighter crankshaft, a new expansion pipe and a new ignition curve. More power everywhere is claimed.

The KX500 Open-classer and the KDX250 are unchanged for 1993, with the exception of new graphics and price increases: The KX500 now goes for $4399 and the K.DX250 costs $4099. The KDX200 enduro bike gets one change for the new model year: an inverted fork with 41mm tubes, adjustable compression damping and 11.8 inches of travel. The KDX200’s price has jumped to $3249, a $250 increase.

YAMAHA

RESTYLED PLASTIC COMPONENTS, RESHAPED SEATS, PURPLEand-orange graphics, low-boy pipes and dog-legged swingarms lend a fresh look to the 1993 Yamaha YZ125 and YZ250. -

Mechanical changes shared by the $3699 125 and $4449 250 include new cylinder-port and combustion-chamber shapes, ceramic-composite-plated cylinder bores, an additional clutch friction plate, smoother-shifting transmissions and increased engine-coolant volumes.

Suspension improvements amount to larger-volume forkdamper cartridges, smoother-operating fork bushings, larger-diameter shock bodies and new shock-lever designs that no longer hang down below the frames.

Less obvious changes are larger airboxes and air filters, and air-intake ducts at the rear of the seats.

On the enduro/trail/playbike front, the WR250 and WR500 return mechanically unchanged and carry $4399 and $4499 price tags, respectively. The WR200 has been dropped.

As an added incentive for potential Yamaha buyers, Yamaha has announced a $4.9 million race contingency program for riders of 1991 or newer YZs and WRs. Additional incentives to purchase a new YZ or WR prior to November 30, 1992, come in the form of a $400 parts package that includes extra tires, a case of two-stroke oil and a top-end rebuild kit. A buyer of a new YZ80 ($2499) or YZ125 also gets a free aluminum work stand. And Yamaha is also offering a free one-day Rick Johnson Advanced Motocross Techniques Course to the buyer of any new YZ or WR. □