250cc Motocrossers

CW COMPARISON

NEW FOR MOTOCROSS '98

250cc MOTOCROSSERS

Honda CR25OR vs. Kawasaki KX250 vs. KTM 250 SX VS• Yamaha YZ250 vs. berms, jumps, whoops ruts and us

JIMMY LEWIS

WITH MOTOCROSS BIKES BECOMING MORE TECHnologically advanced each season, a rider could spend many years learning to master them. MX success requires flesh and bone to blend with metal and plastic, to become a single, purposeful entity capable of conquering anything in its path. And to do so faster than the 39 other entities circulating the racetrack. Deep, obscure, philosophical? Maybe not. An MX bike is, after all, just a bunch of raw materials formed into a finely crafted racing machine. And all you really want to do is ride it, right? But as the class of ’98 shows, theories on the correct way to produce a 250cc motocrosser vary. To find out which theory holds the most water, we assembled the four dirtbikes shown here: Honda’s CR250R, Kawasaki’s KX250, KTM’s 250 SX and Yamaha’s YZ250. (Suzuki’s ’98 RM250 was tardy, as was the first stab at a 250cc MXer from Spanish manufacturer Gas Gas, so these two machines will be sampled at a later date.)

Surprisingly, the most-changed ’98 MXer was the first to arrive on the scene. Austrian maker KTM’s allnew 250 SX brings with it a leap forward (or, arguably, backward) in suspension technology. The SX’s new Progressive Damping System (PDS) mounts a single, linkageless, dual-piston, needle-valve-controlled WP shock directly to the right side of the swingarm, making for a layout that is externally simplistic and internally complex. The spinoff is a lighter yet stiffer frame. The SX’s motor was most notably updated with a new KTM Torque Chamber exhaust power valve, which is easily adjustable using a screwdriver.

Next to arrive was the revamped Honda CR250R.

The ’98 CR may look like a simple case of Bold New Graphics, but a keen eye will detect the altered shock linkage and different, more workslike front fork. The motor is unchanged except for tuning details such as revised jetting and a different muffler.

Kawasaki, meanwhile, stole its race team’s graphics and performance for the ’98 KX250. New science is the use of progressively wound springs on the shock and in the fork legs. Proven science is the 38mm Keihin power-jet carburetor. And typical science are the updates to the exhaust powervalve (now larger) and cylinder port timing.

Honda CR250R Price $5749 Dry weight 223 lb. Seat height 36.9 in. A More trick features than even works bikes had just a few years ago A Limitless potential Downs ▼ High-and low-speed compressiondamping adjustments on the shock will confuse most riders ▼ The motor that won the horsepower category typically lost the usability category

Yamaha ripped off its race team’s bikes, not only in terms of color (neon blue, with high-quality frame paint that could grace the Royal Star), but in terms of performance, as well. The YZ250’s motor was souped-up so that it produces a “hit,” a characteristic that the YZ has lacked in the past few years. The chassis’ steering head was pulled in half a degree, and its handlebar moved farther forward, yielding quicker steering and a bit more front-end weight bias.

All right, so we know what’s been changed. But the big question remains: How do they roost? Ridden individually, each of these 250cc MXers could be easily adapted to, the rider feeling out the bike’s strong (and weak) points and learning to work with the machine. But as we’ve discovered in the past, certain characteristics fit a majority of riders better, producing an overall winner.

Last year, crowning the Best 250cc MXer was difficult, with the Honda and its new-age aluminum frame ever so slightly edging out the Kawasaki. The Yamaha, Suzuki and KTM were unceremonious-with no surprises good or bad. But this year, it’s a whole new deal.

Kawasaki KX250 Price $5649 Dry weight. 231 ib Seat height 37.0 in ups A Wins the award for the best use of a power-jet carb A Rippin’ top-end power A Set the sag and hit the starting line! Downs ▼ About 5 pounds too porky

Quick impressions show the KTM has a light, flickable feel that rivals even past Suzukis; is it the new supercross weapon? Kawasaki not only resolved last year’s bottoming blues, but the power-jet carb and new powervalve boost top-end performance out of this world. The Honda has been blessed with more real-world ridability; you no longer have to be a licensed Pro to conquer this bike (though it still helps). And the Yamaha was extraordinarily surprising, with a lighter feel, better handling and yes, that “hit” we’ve been waiting for.

In the motor department, the CR will win every horsepower tug-of-war. It’s crisper than last year and a tad easier to ride, though slippery surfaces demand more throttle control than most riders possess. Matching the Honda shift for shift is the KX-just in a more user-friendly way. The green bike may not be 100 percent as potent as the red one, but it’s way easier to ride, especially in terms of getting it to hook up. The KX feels flatter, but when it gets up on top and the power-jet shuts off, it has overrev capability that makes gear changes almost obsolete. Deep-sand tracks or long, loamy uphills are CR and KX territory.

The Yamaha, on the other hand, is crisp right from the first crack of the throttle, and pulls solidly through the midrange. But its top-end power doesn’t compare to that of the CR or KX; instead, the YZ begs to be short-shifted, pulling what would be a gear too high on any of the other bikes. The KTM is anything but slow, though for a lot of riders used to snappy, instant revvers, it feels a bit enduro-ish-especially since the Yamaha has livened up so much this year. KTM’s torquey approach to getting around a racetrack is now unique in this class.

Speaking of getting around the racetrack, some big changes transpired in the suspension and handling departments. First, the Kawasaki kept the super-plush feel of last year while adding the bottoming resistance it needed. It’s now a marshmallow over stutter bumps, and refuses to transmit direct hits to the rider. The progressive springs are spot-on for testers from 150 to 190 pounds (regardless of skill level), the advantage being that the suspension lets the bike squat down and get into the

squat get turns. Yet the KX still holds its height over bumps and jumps. Even the cushy seat adds to its plush feel. Overall, the KX’s suspension ranks as our favorite.

The Yamaha feels like a whole new bike in the suspension department. It has lost the dead and heavy feeling of past YZ250s, and now boasts a stout yet agile connection to the ground, plus the best front-end precision of the four bikes here. Also aiding the cause are the elastomer (hard rubber) bottoming bumpers in the fork, which are similar in design to a shock bumper. Why? Because metal-to-metal bottoming is hard on the wrists, that’s why. The YZ’s biggest drawback is the too-soft rate of its fork springs. We went to the optional stiffer springs (.44 kg/mm, from a stock .43 kg/mm) to keep the fork out of the harsh part of the stroke, making for a much plusher ride in the choppy stuff.

Compared to last year’s Honda, the ’98 CR250 is a huge improvement. But compared to the other bikes here, it still could use some fine-tuning. Lots plusher initially, the CR’s suspension still lets you know the exact condition of the ground. And it tends to bottom more frequently than the other bikes-something that never happened last year. The handling is ultra-precise-maybe even too good-with an agility that makes you feel like a hero when you ride it hard.

KTM 250 SX Price . $5698 Dryweight 230 lb. Seat height 37.0 in. Apps A Light, flickable feel A If you win on this bike, everyone will think you're a hero owns v The motor may need to be rebuilt before the shock breaks-in V Gray plastic turns white after a crash v Top shock mount comes loose

For KTM, ’98 will be a year of debugging the new rear suspension. We were told it takes 12 to 20 hours to break-in the shock, and ours never totally loosened up. The shock is very supple over smaller slow-speed bumps, but gnarly kickers exiting turns are its worst nightmare. And when landing from jumps, there’s a real solid sensation on set-down that doesn’t cause anything bad, it just feels weird. Suspension shops are going to go bonkers with this one. The fork is compliant, but bottomed a bit too much until we raised the oil level 10mm in the compression leg (the other leg controls rebound only); then, it was on par with the other bikes. Handling-wise, the KTM is super-flickable, feeling like a 125 until you twist the throttle. Though the scales say differently, the KTM feels 10 pounds lighter than even the CR on the racetrack.

On our testers’ evaluation forms, the ever-favored Honda brakes usually were ranked highest, but the Yamaha’s binders were right there, as well. The KTM and Honda clutches drew praise for feel and engagement, with the CR’s shifting proclaimed the best. Kawasaki topped the overall feel/layout category. But the most impressive fact may be that nothing on any of these bikes stood out as a problem that couldn’t be easily cured.

Graded on a 0-100 scale, the Kawasaki won on nearly every rider evaluation form, with an average score over 95. From Pro to Novice, its user-friendly power and suspension, plus an overall package with almost no nicks in its armor, just kept on winning.

It was super-close for second between the Honda and Yamaha, with the nod going to the YZ-most riders were surprised by how far the blue bike has

come in the last few years. The CR isn’t an Expert-only bike anymore-it just takes an Expert to get the most out of it. Its package is only flawed when lined up against the KX or YZ, and then by the slimmest of margins.

While all three of the Japanese bikes scored “A’s” on their report cards, the KTM earned a solid “B” by virtue of its inconsistent results. Some of our testers took the time to get used to its different feel and found it to be competitive with the other bikes; other riders couldn’t come to grips with the Euro steed and rated it lower.

Yamaha YZ250 Price $5599 Dry weight . 227 lb. Seat height 37.6 in. Ups A Ultra-precise steering A Works linkage really works A New aggro, teeth-bared attitude Downs Should come with stiffer fork springs v A bit cramped for larger riders

So, it appears that for 1998, the perfect 250cc motocrosser is cloaked in limegreen plastic. The green Kawasaki KX250 reigned supreme over the three other bikes we shot it out against, and we’d wager it will handle any other 250s thrown in the ring.

There are, however, a few other potential contenders in the race for 1998 Motocross Bike of the Year. There’s the much-anticipated Yamaha YZ400F four-stroke, a fleet of revised 125s, even a few foreign oddities. But clearly, the KX has cleared the first hurdle, setting a standard that will be difficult to match-let alone surpass. Only time, many more motos and a huge pile of worn-out knobbies will tell.