Piping Hot!
By TMX Archives on 21st Sep 05
We were in for a few surprises when we rolled up at Lierop the day after the GP for the test of the new Hondas - a couple of major ones in particular!The main focus was on the 250 four-stroke this year as it's undergone quite a few major changes We were in for a few surprises when we rolled up at Lierop the day after the GP for the test of the new Hondas - a couple of major ones in particular!The main focus was on the 250 four-stroke this year as it's undergone quite a few major changes - the biggest being the twin tailpipes that Honda managed to keep under wraps right up until the launch. Okay, so we'd seen them on a HRC bike at the Japanese GP - but not many people were expecting twin tailpipes on the production bike for '06.I was intrigued to see how the 250F has changed with the drop to 96db. You'd expect that to come down a couple of decibels would result in a decrease in power but Honda have worked hard to get around this.To be honest I couldn't hear any difference in the noise level compared to this year's machine but that's no big surprise - it's a difference that needs to be measured electronically rather than be detected by the human ear - although the twin pipes did give it a slightly different tone.The test was on the track at Lierop the day after the GP. I've been fortunate to ride a few Dutch GPs during my motocross career but I've got to say that full credit must go to the riders at Lierop the previous day - I've never seen a track so rough in my life. They'd managed to smooth out a line for us for the test but it was possible to get into the really rough stuff which made it tough for the testers and even tougher on the bikes.With the sand being so deep it really does sap the power but the 250F dealt with the testing conditions very well. I found myself changing gear a lot more than I had to with the '05 bike. My first thought was that the rev limiter was coming in sooner but they've apparently actually raised it by a few hundred rpm. It feels like they're possibly running a lighter flywheel that lets you get into the revs more quickly. To overcome this I was pulling a higher gear sooner but the engine was strong enough to do this right the way from the bottom to the top.It feels more responsive on the bottom-end and this feel carries through to the mid-range. Top-end feels stronger than this year's machine - I wouldn't say it's loads and loads better but there seems to be a lot more traction compared to the '05 250F.During my first session on the 250F I found that when landing off some of the bigger jumps the bike was bogging a little bit. I spoke to the technicians and they made a couple of changes to the fuel screw which sorted everything out.I also went for a couple of practice starts and second gear felt a lot torquier out of the gate than this year's 250F.The chassis has had quite a few changes - among these there's a shorter front fork outer tube and the radiators are mounted lower to bring the centre of gravity down. But on the circuit it felt pretty much like the '05 although it's definitely a little sharper. As the day went on the suspension bedded in and as the track got rougher it had to work harder and felt better.The riding position feels the same as the '05 and the controls haven't altered - they've never been questioned so I guess there's no need to change.The twin silencers fit really neatly under the rear mudguard and sidepanels but this is hardly a surprise coming from a manufacturer like Honda with such a great reputation for the standard of their engineering. I feel the twin tailpipes are a smart direction to move in - with all the extra packing after, say, a 40-minute moto they should be more likely to remain close to 96db. Obviously, this isn't a fact, just my opinion.While Honda seem to have concentrated their development efforts on the 250F it hasn't been at the expense of the 450 which has also come in for some changes.For '06 they've moved the engine positioning slightly - 5mm forward and 5mm lower - to bring the centre of gravity down. It doesn't sound a lot but it can completely change the characteristic of the chassis.The '05 model I felt was a bit too strong which meant not all the power was usable. Next year's engine is definitely more fun to ride than the '05 - it's a lot easier to use the power although, saying that, the power is still strong. A good test was to fire the 450 into some of the deeper berms and there was no point I felt I needed any more oomph.You can have all the power in the world but it's no good if the back wheel's just spinning and what you do get with the new 450 is loads of lovely usable, tractable power. And just like with the 250F, the drop to 96db wasn't obvious - it certainly didn't sound any quieter.The '06 handling felt a bit more forgiving than on this year's 450. It's easy to make mistakes on a track like Lierop but the way the suspension worked with the motor inspired confidence. The track has an evil set of concrete whoops - and they're something that can be hard to deal with when you've got short legs like me and can't hang right back over the rear end - but I managed to carry quite a bit of speed through them without any nasty moments.I did have a go on the '06 250 two-stroke which is exactly the same as this year's machine. But it wasn't a waste of time riding it as it provided a good opportunity to compare the quarter-litre stroker to the 450.For example, approaching the first tabletop the ground was so soft it seemed to sap power and pace from the bike and I was struggling to get over it on full gas with the two-stroke. But when I jumped on the 450 I didn't even land on the downslope - I ended up way past this on the flat. This just shows how much extra traction you get with the four-stroke.I like to get back on a two-stroke - it makes you feel like you're riding faster because you need to be more aggressive and carry more corner speed - but the four-stroke is definitely an easier bike to ride.CRF250RCapacity: 249ccBore and stroke: 78mm x 52.52mmTransmission: Five-speedCarburettor: Keihin FCR40mmFront suspension: Showa USD 47mm (315mm travel)Rear suspension: Showa (315mm travel)Front brake: 240mm discRear brake: 240mm discWheelbase: 1479mmSeat height: 965mmFuel tank: 7.3 litresDry weight: 93.3kgCRF450RCapacity: 449ccBore and stroke: 96mm x 62.1mmTransmission: five gearsCarburettor: Keihin FCR40mmFront suspension: Showa USD 47mm (315mm travel)Rear suspension: Showa (320mm travel)Front brake: 240mm discRear brake: 240mm discWheelbase: 1491mmSeat height: 955mmFuel tank: 7.2 litresDry weight: 99.7kgWords by Tony Marshall Photos by rayarcher.com