By: For Shop
Submitted: 2009-10-22 01:30:02 | Word Count: 356
Every year, one or more classes of motorcycles vault to center stage. While tarmac terrorizers are experiencing a new wave of open-class sportbikes, in the moto world, 2004 is undoubtedly the year of the 250cc mini-Thumper. New challengers from Honda and a dual-badged Kawasaki/Suzuki are looking to lay waste to Yamaha's revamped YZ250F, which has enjoyed three seasons as the only mid-sized Thumper on the moto block.
Honda's much anticipated CRF250R broke cover in this country more than a year ago and won its debut moto during last year's all-Japan national motocross series, where Team Honda's Ernesto Fonseca beat YZ250F-mounted Chad Reed, no less. Finally, the Red Riders are unleashing the CRF250R to regular moto Joes.
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Sure, Honda's 250cc four-stroke may be late to the party, but is well dressed for the bash and comes with lots of personality. Although it shares some architecture with the CRF450R, the tiny, jewel-like, 52.7-pound 249cc engine was not developed in tandem with its bigger sibling. In fact, CRF250R development started after CRF450 development ended. Nonetheless, the 250 showcases the latest Thumper design-think.
It follows the 450's lead in featuring a compact, weight-saving single-overhead-cam design. Its bump stick directly actuates a pair of titanium intake valves and a forked rocker arm to open steel exhaust valves. A forged, 12.9:1, slipper-style piston does its business inside a Nikasil-lined cylinder. A flat-slide, 37mm Keihin with a throttle-position sensor takes care of mixing chores. Lightweight and efficient, a twin-sump lubrication system, which has its pump built into the vertically split cases, has separate oil supplies for the power-producing components (crankshaft, piston and valve train) and the power delivery components (clutch and 5-speed transmission). More important from an everyday standpoint are the CRF's internal, auto-decompression system that makes for simple kick starting, a gear-driven counterbalancer to quell the little Thumper's vibes and rubber-mounted handlebar to ease fatigue.
The CRF has all of the right moto stuff, beginning with Honda's fourth generation, twin-spar aluminum frame and ending with all of the latest CR-model updates. Most notable are the high-zoot, low-stiction, twin-chamber, 47mm Showa fork More………….http://forshop.us/blog/2009/10/2004-honda-crf250r/
