Bike: Honda CRF250R
Rider: Bobby Kiniry, #54
Mechanic: Larry alexander Alexander
Sponsors: MotoSport, MDK, MSR, Honda, Renthal, Dunlop, Pro Circuit, RG3, ASV, Spy, Gaerne, Factory Effex, Pivot Works, VP Fuel, Pro Honda Oils, Hinson, 661, Acerbis, Mechanix Wear, Twin Air, Lightspeed Racing
On the day of our Almost Factory test, while waiting for Chris Tedesco to finish shooting the static photos of the bikes, I had a few minutes to talk with Larry Alexander, the main mechanic for Bobby Kiniry's CRF250R. As I sat waiting on the #54 Honda, I mentioned to Larry that I wrote the test a year ago on Steve Lamson's CRF, and I was pretty curious as to what changes and improvements the team had made in one year of racing. He let out a huge belly laugh and said, "This bike is light-years better than Lamy's 2005!" A bold statement, for sure, but there was a good bit of truth to it. You see, when we tested Lamson's MotoSport bike last year, it was unanimously decided that the bike was a ripper. From this perspective, to say that there was much to improve on would be difficult. But on the same note, a year of racing and testing definitely brought on certain developments, which-when combined with Kiniry's personal preferences and settings-made for one impressive race bike!
I have ridden a few of Pro Circuit's race motors before, and Kiniry's CRF250 is no different: It's insanely fast. Like Lamson's bike, this ride makes power, power and more power-there are no dead spots in the engine. The most notable segment of juice was the incredible off-idle throttle response, which seems to be the result of perfect jetting and PC's meticulous head work. But the bike didn't stop there, lurching into a powerful mid- to top-end surge that required an iron grip to handle. Compared with the MotoSport bike we rode last year, this offers a more stretched-out powerband, taking just a bit longer to rev. With a 50-tooth rear sprocket, Kiniry's bike didn't mind being rapped out through the straights.
The RG3 suspension setup on #54 had a unique feel to it, with the increasingly popular low-in-the-back stance. When asked if this was a sand-specific setting, Alexander replied that Kiniry isn't the tallest rider on the circuit, and that he actually always likes his bike to have a slightly lower bearing in order to suit his weight and riding style and to give his Dunlops a planted feeling in the rear. Kiniry and I both weigh around 155 pounds, and I could definitely feel how the suspension was supposed to work in rough sections-the bike could charge right into the biggest of bumps, and the rear end never ceased to hook up. While Lamson's 2005 Honda had a supercross feel to it-staying on top of massive holes and skimming across chop-Kiniry's 250F seemed to have a much more continuous traction in the rear and liked to be pushed through rough sections with the throttle wide-open. Part of the planted feeling of the rear end may have something to do with the light spring riding more in the middle of the stroke, which invited traction while at the same time refusing to bottom out over big nasty holes.
Like most almost factory setups, this CRF was much happier when pushed hard. The suspension worked perfectly in corners, with the straight-line stability complementing the bike's turn-on-a-dime front end, and there was no abnormal pushing in the steering. Not being the most experienced National track rider, I came into more than one turn a little too hot, and I was surprised with the fork's ability to remain balanced while hitting bumps at super-odd angles. The RG3 suspension was equally impressive over hard landings, and I would be curious to see what this bike can do on a supercross track.
Of course, Kiniry's 250F did have a few small quirks related to personal preference. On top of the bike feeling taller than stock, I noticed that the Lightspeed footpegs were extremely sharp, a helpful thing to have in fourth-gear ruts and whoops. The levers weren't too wild, though their higher-up positioning is dictated by the butt-over-the-rear-fender riding style that is commonplace among fast riders with low-sitting bikes, and both brakes were astoundingly responsive and sharp. All in all, this sweet CRF was fast, stable and impressive, and aside from the fact that it is usually ridden at warp nine- approximately seven warps faster than I was willing to go-I thought that we really got along well.
Opinion
The first thing I noticed about this bike was that it felt small. The bar was back in the clamps, and the shortened subframe was noticeable to my 5-foot 10-inch frame. The small feeling actually gave me some confidence to push the bike a little harder, and I was impressed with the RG3-modified suspension. The Pro Circuit motor was also impressive and pulled hard right from the bottom with no unusual hits. -Ryan Orr