1989 Honda Cr500r
1989 HONDA CR500R
CYCLE WORLD TEST
Horsepower doesn't have to hurt
IT'S OVER. PEACE TALKS HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL, TREAties have been signed, and at long last, a truce has been called. The Open-class horsepower war has come to an end. Manufacturers no longer will battle to see who can get the most horsepower out of a 500cc powerplant. Instead, the real contest from now on will be in taming those Open-class monsterbikes.
After all, trying to ride a 230-pound, 65-horsepower motocross bike with any degree of control isn’t something the average rider can do. In fact, only a handful of riders can do it properly. And that perhaps explains why only a handful of Open bikes is sold every year. The awesome power constantly pulls on the rider’s arms, the front tire spends more time airborne than on the ground, and leaving the throttle pegged for more than a couple of seconds is a genuine challenge. Even riding one of these missiles in wide-open spaces off-road requires a lot of concentration and muscle power.
But that’s all changed now. Because Honda claims to have redesigned the 1989 CR500R to be more ridable than any new Open bike in years. And we’re happy to report that this new racer is indeed a very controllable Opencrosser. Revised cylinder porting, a new combustionchamber shape and a mid-mounted pipe have flattened the power curve, with only a hint of typical 500cc violence remaining as the engine enters its middle rpm ranges.
CR500R
Traditionally, kickstarting an Open bike is as much fun as punching a brick wall, but again, Honda has eased the pain somewhat. The kickstart lever is substantially longer, and it folds way out so the kicker’s foot no longer hits the footpeg at the end of its travel. This much-improved lever is assisted by a couple of shallow grooves in the cylinder bore—about a half-inch wide and long, located just above each exhaust port—that bleed some compression away at kicking speeds. The grooves are too shallow to have any effect on engine operation at running rpm. Cold starting still requires several determined kicks, but warm starts are little challenge. Most of our long-time Open-class riders could actually start the bike on the first kick while seated.
Once underway, the new CR has electric-motor-smooth power that pleased every one of our test riders. Right off the bottom, the new engine is much less intimidating than its predecessors; it’s still a brute, but it’s now on a shorter leash than before. The powerband is incredibly wide, and the engine doesn’t require much gear-changing. Third gear, and even fourth, can be used to exit fairly tight corners. And like earlier CR500s, the transmission shifts smoothly and its ratios are perfectly staged.
This formidable engine is complemented by an excellent chassis and suspension. A beautifully made Showa upside-down fork features 45mm lower legs protected by thick, wrap-around plastic guards. Compression damping can be externally adjusted to 22 different settings, and for a change, the adjusters actually make a radical difference in the fork’s behavior. We found that five clicks from the strongest setting gave us the best results on today’s stadium-style motocross tracks, and eight or nine clicks out worked great for all-around off-road riding.
At those settings, small bumps, jumps and other rough stuff associated with off-road and motocross riding simply go unnoticed. Smoothness and control are excellent throughout the fork’s travel, and the rider is never aware of any bottoming.
But he is instantly aware of the CR’s steering precision. The huge fork never flexes or twists, and the front wheel goes exactly where the rider points it, regardless of the terrain.
Part of the credit for the steering precision can be given to the 500’s frame and swingarm, which are of the same design as those on the ’88 and ’89 CR250R. Massive gusseting is used around the swingarm pivot and steering head, and the bridged aluminum swingarm is extremely sturdy. These flex-free parts, along with a less-steep 28degree rake and longer, 4.8-inch trail (compared with 27.3 degrees and 4.5 inches on the ’88 CR500R), give the new 500 excellent straight-line stability, too. High speeds across rough ground find the CR tracking straight and true without any headshake.
Nothing is for free, however; even though the CR is still an excellent turner, it feels heavier and requires a bit more muscle than its ’88 predecessor. But some riders actually prefer this slower feel to the 250-like quickness of the ’88 500.
There is no debate concerning the new side-reservoir Showa shock, though: Every rider loved it. Control, comfort and fade-resistance are great. And as with the fork, adjusting the shock settings via the external damping knobs changes the damping considerably. So, forget about shock revalving if you’re going to compete off-road; simply turn the compression screw four or five clicks softer from the stock motocross setting and quicken the rebound by one click. Even a picky rider should be happy with the CR’s suspension at those settings.
CR500R
Same goes for the brakes and wheels. The excellent front wheel and brake are unchanged, but the rear is new. The disc rotor is of the same size and material, but has only half as many holes, which Honda claims increases brakepad life. Although the leverage ratio in the rear brake master-cylinder is changed this year, brake feel and strength are basically unchanged. The brake is strong and progressive, and feedback to the rider is good.
The die-cast rear hub is new, as well. Honda claims it’s stronger even though it’s smaller, crediting a change in manufacturing technique. The CR also has a 32-spoke
rear wheel in place of the normal 36, which helps reduce rear-wheel weight by a full pound. We questioned the wisdom of reducing the number of spokes, but Honda’s Roger De Coster said his Pro test riders hadn’t broken any wheels. And we had no problems with breakage or excessive spoke loosening during our testing.
In fact, we had no problems with any part of the new CR500R. Well. . . okay, so the stock chain is of questionable quality: It never stops stretching. But that’s hardly a major complaint. Otherwise, the 1989 CR500R is marvelous. Its smooth, powerful, electric-motor engine, wonderfully tunable suspension and fine handling will be hard to beat on or off a motocross track.
But of course, it had better be good. Honda’s prices this year are formidable, to say the least, and the big CR carries a suggested retail price of $4098.
We can’t say if any MX bike can justify that kind of price. But if any bike can, this one is it. gj
1989 HONDA
CR500R
$4098
