Honda Crm250

HONDA CRM25O

Evolution of EXP

Qui9ck Ride

WITH THE NOOSE OF ever more stringent emissions standards poised to strangle off-road mo torcycles as we know them, clean-burning two-strokes are garnering their fair share of headlines. And none more so than Honda's Activated Radical Combustion technology. But while ARC debuted three years ago on the EXP-2 prototype off-road rally racer, only now is it finding its way into produc tion. Honda's domestic-model 1997 CRM25O is the new flag ship of `stroker technology, and for the equivalent of $8000 in Japanese yen, it is the dual-pur pose bike to have.

Recently, we had an opportu nity to spend a day with a CRM. Remembering that the machine is essentially a street bike in dirt clothing, we took it out on our enduro test loop and threw in a few paved sections for good measure.

First impressions of the CRM are of a choked up two-stroke trail bike. If its exhaust is any indication, the bike is indeed clean-burning, because it doesn't load up and bellow blue smoke, even after it has been lugged around. The pinging and detonating sounds made by the EXP-2 aren't as prevalent on the CRM, but the pair's engine characteristics are quite similar. Power output isn't going to set any world records, but abundant torque is on tap throughout the rev range. There's a bit of a delay when the throttle is whacked open at low rpm, fol lowed by an ultra-smooth re sponse. After a short while on the bike you get used to this, however, and start opening the throttle earlier.

Compared to a 250cc mo tocrosser, the CRM feels slowrevving and lazy, but it does get up to speed eventually. The strange thing is that from about half-throttle on, turning the twistgrip has little effect. You can go from half-throttle to full, on and off, and the motor al most acts as if you're holding steady throttle. Hold it on long enough on a flat road, and the CRM will reach an indicated 145 kph (90 mph), and cruise there forever. Fortunately for those who will ride the CRM on the road, the bike's street perfor mance is as smooth and linear as a multi-cylinder four-stroke.

The CRM feels quite light for a dual-purpose bike, especially compared to the 225-350cc fourstrokes commonly seen in the U.S. Its suspension is soft, but it's progressive enough to have serious fun off-road. The invert ed fork is plenty rigid and makes for precise steering, though the rear of the bike sags a bit more than we'd like. Build-wise, the CRM does not feel as tight as a CR or XR, its brakes, clutch and transmission action a step below Honda's competition bikes.

Is there a future for the cleanburning CRM25O in the increas ingly environmentally conscious USA? Certainly not in moto cross, where instantaneous throt tle response is necessary. And probably not for strictly off-road use, either, unless Honda sees fit to give the CRM25O more dis placement, as on the original 400cc EXP. As it stands now, the CRM puts out only about as much power as a 125cc enduro.

:~l;:O'; "green" and easy-to-ride trail bike, however, might just find that the CRM fits the bill. Or will a bill make the CRM fit the trail? Jimmy Lewis