The following is from Cycle News Digital Edition
New But Improved?
As good as it was, Honda didn’t sit back and ignore the CRF250R for 2012. The bike was already a favorite among many of those who rode it, including us, and Honda could very well have taken the 2011 CRF250R, slapped some new graphics on it, and let it run with the pack again for 2012, and, you know, they would have gotten away with it. It was that good.
Despite gaining some weight over the past couple of years, the 2012 Honda CRF250R still feels light and agile.
But this is the 250F class and the competition is ultra tough, so Honda was wise not to kick back and let its guard down. Instead, Honda made some strategic tweaks to both the CRF250R’s motor and chassis. And we’ll tell you right now that they were all the right ones.
Broadening the powerband was Honda’s first priority with the 2012. The previous CRF250R already had pretty impressive top-end and midrange performance from its 249cc Unicam four-valve Programmed Fuel- Injected motor, but Honda felt it could have used more pop off the bottom and even more midrange torque, for that matter. But the tricky part for Honda engineers was getting these things without compromising power on top, something you certainly don’t want to do in this class. Honda’s answer was three-fold: re-work the cylinder head, fit the intake system with a smaller 46mm (formerly 50mm) throttle body and re-adjust fuel/ignition mapping.
Did these changes work? Amazingly so.
We can say with confidence that these changes were definitely noticeable on the track. Our test riders said they could easily feel the more aggressive bottom-end and torque the first time they rode the bike, further saying that the transition from low to mid is very impressive now. And, what they said was really nice was that the motor still revs to the moon – in fact, it may have picked up a few more revs up there, as well.
Thanks to its juicier bottom end, the powerband feels much wider now, making the whole motorcycle easier, and a bit more fun, to ride. Need instant power? Just grab a handful of throttle and the CR responds instantly, even if you’re short a few RPMs. One quick fan of the clutch and the motor is back within the power-developing rpm envelope, which is easy to find since the powerband is wider now.
However, the motor still produces a somewhat flat-feeling power delivery, something most 250s have been dealing with ever since going to EFI, but the Honda’s powerband certainly feels more robust than the previous model.
A redesigned cylinder head and smaller throttle body were just what the doctor ordered.
Throttle response is just like it always has been since going to EFI, instant and clean, with never a tell-tale sign of hesitation or bogging anywhere.
Visually, the 2012 CRF250R doesn’t look much different, but it sure feels different on the track.
Every year, the Honda seems to get quieter and quieter, and this year is no different, though it really is just as quiet as it was last year, it just seems quieter, despite retaining the same redesigned muffler it got last year. You don’t need machines to tell you that the Honda easily meets the new 90 db standard and does so without sounding overly chocked up or muffled. It still is a good-sounding motorcycle, just a really quiet one.
Our only gripe about the motor is that it can be finicky to start when hot, especially after a stall. You can always count on at least a few kicks no matter what. It seems to start a little easier when cold.
Honda also made changes to the suspension, most notable adding a longer linkage arm, which really makes a big difference in the way the Honda handles and feels as a whole. Before, the bike rode quite high in the back, putting more emphasis on the front end and giving the bike an unbalanced feeling. Now, the bike rides flatter and feels much more stable at speed, since there is less weight riding on the front end. And there seems to be less headshake, as well, and less diving when setting up for the turns. The longer linkage could be the single most improvement over the 2011 CRF250R.
In a nutshell, the new Honda is a much-improved handling machine.
We found that the new shock and fork valving provides a more sensitive and smoother ride over the smaller and squared-edge bumps but still does a good job resisting bottoming. It still takes quite a jolt to get the Honda to run out of travel at either end. Honda recommends about 105mm of rear sag, but we felt a little more comfortable at 103mm.
Better bottom-end gets the Honda out of the turns quicker.
On rough tracks, the back-end does an excellent job soaking up the acceleration bumps and keeping the rear wheel on the ground and hooking up when hard on the throttle coming out of the turns.
As always, the Honda is extremely comfortable. Your confidence immediately grows when you just sit on it. The Honda’s ergos are hard to fault. The aluminum Renthal handlebars have a neutral bend and are positioned at just the right height. The seat is firm and comfortable, and the twin-spar frame rails and fuel tank provided excellent places for your knees to grip. And the wider footpegs are a huge improvement over last year. They provide much better support and grip.
Plus, all the controls have high-end feel and operate smoothly. Clutch pull is light and offers precise feel, as does the front-brake lever. Braking performance is as strong and as articulate as usual.
Even shifting is light and accurate. As long as your left boot is anywhere near the lever, you’ll catch the next gear without any problems.
Although the bike has gained a few pounds since being fitted with FI, it’s still one of the lightest in its class at a claimed 228 pounds ready to race, and it feels that way, too. It doesn’t take much persuasion to get the Honda to do what you want it to on the ground or in the air.
Although the 2012 Honda CRF250R isn’t radically changed over the previous edition, we can safely say that it is definitely an improvement overall. Every change Honda made to the ‘12 CRF250R – from the smaller 46mm throttle body, to the redesigned cylinder head, to the new linkage, to the new Dunlop tires and to the larger footpegs – made it a better motorcycle as a whole. Many times, when manufacturers make changes, there are trade-offs, but there are no trade-offs when it comes to the new CRF250R. It’s just a better bike. Period.
SPECIFICATIONS
2012 Honda CRF250R Specifications
ENGINE: …………………249cc liquid-cooled
4-stroke, single
VALVE TRAIN:………………Unicam, 4-valve,
30.5mm titanium and 25mm exhaust steel valves
BORE x STROKE: ………….76.8 x 53.8mm
COMPRESSION RATIO: …………………13.2:1
FUEL DELIVERY: ………. Programmed Fuel Injection (PGM-FI), 46mm throttle body
CLUTCH: ……………..Wet multiplate; cable
TRANSMISSION: …………….Close ratio, 5-speed
FINAL DRIVE: …….. Chain; 13F/49R teeth
FRONT SUSPENSION: …………………Showa
48mm fork; 16-position compression and 16-position rebound damping adjustment
FRONT WHEEL TRAVEL:………..12.2 inches
REAR SUSPENSION: ……………………Single
Showa shock, 13-position low-speed and step-less high-speed compression damping, 17-position rebound damping and adjustable spring preload
REAR WHEEL TRAVEL: …………12.3 inches
FRONT BRAKE: …………………240mm disc,
dual-piston caliper
REAR BRAKE: ………… 240mm wave disc, 1-piston caliper
HANDLEBARS: …………………………. Renthal
FRONT TIRE: …………… 80/100-21 Dunlop
Geomax MX51
REAR TIRE: …………….. 100/90-19 Dunlop
Geomax MX51
CURB WEIGHT: ……………………….. 229 lbs.
SEAT HEIGHT: ……………………………37.4 in
WHEELBASE: ……………………………. 58.6 in
GROUND CLEARANCE: …………………12.7 in
FUEL CAPACITY: ……………………….. 1.5 gal
COLORS: ………………………………………..Red
MSRP: ……………………………………….$7420
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