Hey, bikes don't weigh what...
Hey, bikes don't weigh what they say they weigh, and they don't feel the way they really weigh.
In the April issue you had an article on 250 four-strokes from Honda, Yamaha and Husqvarna. The ready-to-ride weight (without gas) of the Honda was listed at 250 pounds and 252 pounds for the Yamaha. I am writing to verify that these weights are correct. The specs list the CRF250X at 226 pounds and the WR250F at 232. It is hard to imagine that oil, radiator fluid, Bark Busters and a skid plate would add that much weight to the bike. My guess is that you are correct, but I just want to be sure. I was quite interested in buying one of these bikes because they are so much lighter than my 450 EXC. With your data, it doesn't look like I will gain much. --Dave Marvin
Our weights are correct, Dave, and on the same two-pad, digital scale, your 450 is about 255, or about 260 with hand guards and such. The 250s will certainly feel lighter, but in reality, the difference is roughly 10 pounds. You can go lighter by starting with a kickstart-only bike, but our 24-hour test showed that even lightweight moto bikes are fairly portly after they are set up for off-road. -Karel Kramer