Charge of the Lites Brigade
HONDACRF250R KAWASAKI KX250F KIM 250SX-F SUZUKI RM-Z250 YAMAHA YZ250F
CW COMPARISON
Charge of the Lites brigade
RYAN DUDEK
DON'T LET DISPLACEMENT FOOL You: NOT only have 250cc four-stroke motocrossers edged 125cc two-strokes out of the picture. they've pretty much created a class of their own. Sure, the Lites class still is full of the youthful spirit associated with 125cc bikes of the past, but the level of performance is higher than ever, thanks to faster engines, lighter chassis and top-shelf suspensions. We now have bikes that are fiercely competitive for fast young racers yet easier than ever for anyone to ride regardless of age, gender or experience.
Honda and Suzuki have added a bit of excite ment to the class for 2010 by equipping their Lites machines with fuel injection-a first for 250cc motocross bikes. Yamaha, meanwhile, stepped up
with an all-new chassis, Kawasaki improved what had already been a top contender, and KTM stuck to its guns, making only small improvements to its entry's engine and suspension. All this makes for a high-flying recipe that allows riders to get around the track faster and smoother-and have more fun!
We had no choice but to round up these five fabulous 250s and twist throttles until our hands were blistered and our butts chafed; it took that kind of dedication to figure out which one is the best Lites bike of 2010. Associate Editor Mark Cernicky even soil-sampled every bike here. So, if you'll excuse a few bent levers, slightly stretched throttle cables, overheated brakes and worn tires, here is the rundown...
5th PLACE: KTM 250 SX-F
If you want to talk fast, look no farther than the 250 SX-F. The orange bikes from Austria are the most recognized in the enduro world, and they bring some of that character to motocross. For example, the SX-F is the only bike here with a six-speed tranny, good for versatility if you don't want to be limited to short-circuit MX. And saying that the KTM is the fastest bike in the group is accurate, but finding the power is another story. Bottom-end delivery is completely flat, with no immediate hit; the engine only starts doing seri ous business way past the middle of the rpm range. It's such a rev-happy engine that you have to "ride it like you stole it' keeping the throttle pinned wide-open and remaining at
higher rpm as much as possible. It does have the best over-rev of the group, so it will pull farther than expected in every gear, which means you usually don't have to shift as often. That's not the only way in which the KTM is considerably different than the four Japanese 250s. All our testers commented on the SX-F's individuality and rated it the hard est of the five to get comfortable on when switching from bike to bike. Their complaints ranged from awkward radiator shrouds to an unpleasantly hard seat to not being able to find an acceptable riding posi tion in the cockpit.
Among the slight changes to the SX-F for 2010 are a new triple-clamp said to improve overall handling and revised fork settings. Despite that claim, the fork was deemed too soft by all testers who weighed more than 165 pounds. Nevertheless, the KTM's highand low-speed stability is healthy, with decent front-to-rear balance in rough condi tions. But the SX-F feels the heaviest of these five bikes, and its reaction to rider input is sluggish, so changing direction requires more effort than it does on the other 250s.
4th PLACE: YAMAHA YZ250F
It was nine years ago that the YZ250F burst onto the scene as the first four-stroke to compete against 125cc two-strokes in what was to become the Lites class. Although that 2001 YZ250F deserves kudos for its groundbreaking achievement, the 2010 model falls a bit short of contending for awin here.
The 250's all-new bilateral-beam frame (like used on the 2010 YZ450) and heavily updated engine impressed us dur ing our first ride; after all, those are big improvements over last year's model, as is the styling. So, it was no surprise that our testers felt the YZ-F raised their confidence levels. The chassis and motor work nicely together and result in a very predictable ride. Picking lines and staying in selected ruts comes almost like second nature.
But the YZ doesn't quite cut it in the power department,
needing more oomph everywhere. The motor is smooth, responsive and revs a lot but doesn't have the power of the other bikes here; turning the twistgrip farther changes the exhaust sound more than it increases the power. Though the jetting was spot-on, the carburetor caused the engine further problems, allowing the YZ to bog on hard jump landings. This was a problem on the KTM, as well, but the injected bikes had no such issues.
No complaints with the chassis other than being rated as "average" by several testers. At 217 pounds, the Yamaha ties with the Honda as lightest bike, but it doesn'tfeel nearly as light. The YZ takes more effort to get turned but does offer a good combination between turn-in and stability.
Really, though, there is nothing that makes the YZ stand out in any area. It's a bike that does everything well but noth ;a~~; ;;~;:~n~ Taper handlebar, adjustable triple-clamps and wide footpegs that contribute to the YZ having the most comfortable cockpit. Plus, it and the KTM are the only bikes with warranties, even if they are only for 30 days.
3rd PLACE: KAWASAKI KX250F
Since its introduction in 2004, the KX250F has been no stranger to winning, as witnessed by its multiple champi onships. For 2010, the KX-F has been subject to a lot of updates, but they have not changed the bike in a significant way compared to the previous model. That's okay for the most part, because a lot of those changes are for improved durability while others simply take a good thing and make it better.
In engine performance, the KX-F has excellent midrange and top-end power but lacks a little punch right off the bot tom where it lugs instead of having an abrupt pull. It has good over-rev, though, so the Kawi prob ably won't need to be shifted as often as the other three Japanese bikes. The Kawasaki's carburetion is the best of the jets-and-needle bikes, but its power delivery still isn't as crisp and deliberate as it is on the Suzuki or Honda, the only two injected machines in this test.
Testers had mixed
reviews about the KX's shifting. The gears engage fine when downshifting, but some of our riders complained of the tranny going into a false neutral if their foot remained on the lever after shifting up.
Our testers all agreed, however, that the Kawasaki's ergo nomics fit them perfectly and that the new seat foam pro vides a nice combination of comfort and support/feedback. The chassis is very well-balanced, despite the fork being a tad on the soft side. New titanium-coated lowers keep fork action smooth while giving the bike a classy look. High marks also go to the Kawasaki for straight-line stability, and for coming home second only to Honda in terms of having a lightweight feel that gives its rider the impression that he always is in control. Making direction changes is an easy task but front wheel tracking through cor ners is not the best. Overall, though, the KX250F is an excel lent motocross bike that just fell a few points short of coming out on top of this com parison.
2nd PLACE: SUZUKI RM-Z250
Evidently, EFI is a very important factor on 250cc moto crossers because either of the two injected bikes in this test could easily have been the winner. Given Suzuki's struggles with the faltering economy and its complete absence of 2010 street models, we were happy to see the company announce a new RM-Z250 motocrosser and even more pleased when we found out how good the bike really is.
Suzuki was the first company to employ fuel injection in the 450 class since the demise of the short-lived Cannondale and has fitted a similar system on the 250. It's a batteryless arrangement that uses a 43mm throttle body and a progres sive throttle linkage. Suzuki has reworked the rest of the engine, too, to bolster low-end and midrange power. Other improvements include a redesigned frame and revised sus pension settings. _________
On the track, the RM-Z has the best engine, hands down. It pounds out strong bottom-end punch with zero hesitation, and the power stays potent all the way to the very top of the rev range. No wonder all the testers climbed off the Suzuki after their first ride with big smiles on their faces. Okay, one tester complained that the engine was too abrupt in its on/off throttle response. Sissy! For quite some time, RM Zs have been noted for their
exce1leif~ftirii1n1r ábiiit~and tI'e 2010 thódëTcOntinues that valuable trait. In fact, of these five bikes, the Suzuki is clear ly the best turner of the bunch. It has a balanced chassis and a certainty in its front-end feel that allow the rider to corner with precision and speed. The front tire sticks and the RM-Z finishes corners with confidence-inspiring predictability.
In terms of overall handling, the Suzuki is quite good. It sometimes can be a little twitchy on high-speed straights, but given its outstanding turning ability, this is a compro mise that can be lived with. For the most part, the RM even stays completely straight on rougher tracks, causing those "oh. boy!" braking bumps to pose little threat.
m, çy• But it's not all praises and accolades here. In a class where grams count, the Suzuki loses valuable points due to its weight. It's heavier than the others, which prevents it from offering the easy flickability that is so important in Lites competition. Poor shift action also helps to keep the RM-Z250 out of the numberone spot; and when you mix notchy shifting with the heavi est clutch pull of the bunch, it's a recipe for a rider making mistakes all around the track. This is a terrific motorcycle that has some of the best performance qualities in all of Litesdom, but a few of its other traits are just enough to keep it off the top step of our shootout podium.
1st PLACE: HONDA CRF250R
With its new frame, engine and suspension, the CRF250R really defines the term "all-new." It also is the second Honda motocrosser to switch from a carburetor to electronic, bat teryless fuel injection. Amazingly, Honda was able to make the change to EFI without any weight increase, and just as impressive is the fact that the 2010 CRF250R actuallyfeels lighter than the previous model. When riding the bike, you almost get the impression that it can be flicked around like a BMX bicycle.
This is why direction changes on the CRF are the easiest, allowing the rider to react to input almost instantly and make quick deci sions. The Honda also has accurate steering and tracks around corners very well, though the front wheel doesn't feel completely glued to the ground as it does on the Suzuki.
Neither does the Honda have the fastest or meati est engine here, but it is deceivingly quick and has the best power delivery. Fueling is unsurpassed, allowing the engine to be crisp and responsive, with the bottom-end and
midrange output providing really stout acceleration. The power falls off on the top end, but the engine revs there so quickly that you almost don't mind, even though the com parative lack of over-rev means you might have to shift a little more often.
Really, the only thing holding the CRF back from utter perfection is its sometimes twitchy behavior on high-speed straights. But at least its suspension helps compensate for that behavior everywhere else on the track. It's hard to accu rately describe the level of plushness to which the Showa fork and shock soak up chuckholes off jump faces or how the rear tire continues to track over acceleration bumps. And big jump landings on the Honda feel more like you're touching down on a bed of feathers.
That level of compe tence and refinement is what this red racebike is all about. Its responsive power, accurate turning, plush suspension, effort less clutch pull and buttersmooth shifting combine to make the Honda stand out as the easiest and the most fun on which to turn fast laps. No wonder it's the best Lites-class moto crosser on the market.
cycleworld.com/250mxshootout VIDEO AND PHOTOS OF 250 FOUR-STROKE COMPARISON
SPECIFICATIONS
KTM 250 SX-F
$7498
KAWASAKI KX250F
$6999
YAMAHA YZ250F
$6999
HONDA CRF250R
$7199
SUZUKI RM-Z250
$7199
The Official Fuel Partner of CYCLE WORLD.
VPowe,0
www.ktmusa.com
www.kawasaki.com
www.yamaha-motor.com
www.powersports.honda.com
www.suzukicycles.com
