Secret Weapon

SECRET WEAPON

Summers Racing Components XR280

I WENT TO RACE A GRAND NATIONAL CROSS COUNTRY; the second-to-last one of the season, in fact, in Lisbon, Ohio. Scott Summers paved the way, putting me up at his training ranch for a week, letting me loose on his motocross track and cross-country trails. At my disposal was the technical expertise of tuner Fred Bramblett, the riding tips and strategies of Summers himself and my choice of motorcycles, including a replica of Scott’s mighty, national-championship-winning XR600.

I picked an XR250.

What, you say? A girl’s bike!

I beg to differ.

Yes, I sampled Summers’ velvet sledgehammer of an XR600, I roosted a bit on a powered-up XR400, but in the end I chose a 250 mildly modded by SRC (P.O. Box 93, Petersburg, KY 41080; 800/221-9752). I could ride it the fastest the longest, and in a three-hour GNCC, slicing through trees, passing lappers and fighting off fatigue, simply finishing is a large part of the game.

XR280 ingredients? Take a stock Honda XR250 and begin. The biggest change is to a Wiseco Pro-Lite piston, pumping the displacement to 280cc and requiring only a simple bore job. No cam change, valve work or the like. The carb needs a bit of jetting-a #145 main jet, a #48 pilot and one clip position richer on the needle. T-vented carb overflow lines guard against bump-induced blubber. As with Summers’ XR600 racer, it’s shocking how much of the XR250 motor is left stock.

Another alteration is an SRC fork brace. By clamping the fork stanchions, rigidity is increased and front-end precision improved, even with stock suspension settings. Next comes an Answer Pro-Taper handlebar, using a universal-mount kit that raises the bar 3/4-inch, better for big boys like Summers. SRC aluminum handguards with plastic shields are a Summers trademark. Also from the SRC catalog are footcontrol guards. Newly developed, these make it nearly impossible for a root, branch, rock or rut to grab and bend the brake pedal or shift lever.

Small but important touches are the Answer Radialite sprockets, Tsubaki #520 Omega O-ring chain, Braking rotors, and Pirelli MT44 front and MT16 rear tires (with Michelin foam inserts instead of tubes). A Twin-Air filter replaces the stock piece, and a Yoshimura tailpipe completes the package.

Out on the trail, the SRC 280 remains as fun, light and maneuverable as a stock 250, but is blessed with added torque, ear-drum shattering top-end pull and more confident handling at speed. You might expect the little XR to lose its friendly face in the transformation into a growling racebike. Not this one: Thanks to SRC’s work, it’s actually easier to ride than a stocker.

Overall, the XR280 was a perfect bike for my first cross-country race, even in the AA class. Every time I thought I wanted more power, my cramping thighs and pumped-up arms just laughed at me. Granted, back home I took some flak for racing a “girl’s bike,” but this Nancy Boy beat all but 19 of the fastest woods warriors in the

country on it.

Jimmy Lewis