Playbikes With Racer Hearts

If you've been riding with a paper bag over your head, you might not have noticed that dirt bikes are totally hot sellers at the moment. Even if you pride yourself on your powers of perception, feel free to forgive yourself for not knowing that playbikes are the fastest-growing segment in dirt riding. When Yamaha introduced its TT-R125, it called the playbike sales numbers the "invisible market." The tally on the bikes is huge, but if you are a serious and dedicated rider, chances are you aren't riding where these (mostly) new riders are adventuring into the sport.

Yamaha's TT-R125 was a sales home run that motivated Honda to upgrade the venerable XR100R, and Suzuki (and, through their alliance, Kawasaki) responded with the DR-Z125. The revamped XR100R was too little too late, though, so Honda embarked on a two-pronged attack. For both the TT-R and the DR-Z/KLX, the larger-wheeled versions are the hot sellers, so Honda dropped a performance bomb on that class in the form of the CRF150F, then Big Red replaced the XR200R--the best small-bore trailbike made--with the CRF230F. These bikes capitalize on the looks of the factory Honda MXers and are packed with features and performance. The powerplants in both machines bear a strong family resemblance to the XR200R engine, but it is only a resemblance. The motors top anything in the category performancewise, and the same is true of the chassis. These bikes still aren't the full-race two-stroke chassis/four-stroke trail motor combos the Langtown loonies and BBR berserkers have been asking for, but they are the closest thing from the factories yet.

CRF150F

When Honda redesigned its XR100R, it made a big stink of how heavy the TT-R125 was. But now that it has shown its hand, Honda has basically said, "We'll call your 20 pounds and raise you 20 pounds." At a claimed 218 pounds, the CRF150 weighs 16 pounds more than the full-sized Honda CR125R motocrosser and nearly the same as the CR250R. When the 150 was parked next to the Suzuki DR-Z125L, it dwarfed it. In spite of those facts, we asked five-foot-two-inch Nick Nowak, Chad Hartley and five-foot-three Stacy Bremner to be our test riders. Nick and Chad normally ride Honda CR80Rs, and Stacy races a Yamaha YZ125 in the women's novice class. Naturally, we couldn't keep the dads at bay, so we had pilots as heavy as 220 pounds on the bike as well.

All were impressed with the solid feel of the chassis and the stable handling. Chad and Nick (at less than 90 pounds) felt the 150 was a great trailbike and much more forgiving on the hills with its torquey power delivery. Chad even spent a good deal of time on the mini motocross track at Hungry Valley OHV's Quail Canyon. In the morning when the track was freshly plowed he noticed the weight, but as the track wore in, he felt he could go every bit as fast as he could on his 80. He said bottoming wasn't a problem either. The boys also thought the reach to the ground on the 150 with its 16/19-inch wheel combo was roughly the same as on their small-wheel (14/17-inch) 80s.The CRF150F is a lot more motorcycle than Honda's XR100R was, and it raises the bar in the class. If weight isn't an issue, then the CRF is a winner.

CRF230F

After a day on the CRF230F, Stacy decided she was happy with her YZ125, but she still praised the 230F's power and handling. She just wanted more suspension--but she's a pretty serious rider. We also had some regular XR200R pilots like Maya Foos ride the CRF. It doesn't matter whether you have the late-model short-travel 200 or the earlier one with long travel, the 230F has more controlled suspension and a much more solid and planted-feeling chassis. Engine performance seemed roughly the same; then again, weight is close to 240 pounds--heavier than the Honda CRF450R and 15 pounds up on the old XR200R. The seat height is very low for a bike with full-size 18/21-inch wheels, though, and most riders felt the electric start was worth its weight.

The 230 fills a gulf between the 125/150 four-strokes and the 250 off-road thumpers that has been occupied only by the far more pedestrian Yamaha TT-R225. The Yamaha has a great motor and the magic button, but that comes with dated ergonomics and weak suspension in a 266-pound package. Clearly the Honda is the choice for more serious riders. The 230 has a far lower seat height and a lower weight than any of the 250 trail-oriented four-strokes and even matches weight with the racy Kawasaki KDX200/220. The KDXs are far taller and more serious bikes, but they are a bit limited in appeal for short riders. We predict the CRF230F will be a sales winner as well.

What's Hot!
Strong frame with large-diameter tubing for flex-free performance
More than nine inches of suspension travel front and rear
Aluminum rims and swingarms
Front disc brakes
Decent forks with 35/37mm tubes and rebuildable shocks
Easy kickstarter on 150 and electric-starting for 230
Modern-feeling, MX-inspired ergonomics
Off-road-legal in all 50 states

What's Not!
Both bikes are on the heavy side
for the class
Brazilian Pirelli tires are slippery on
hard-packed dirt
Neither fork nor shock have adjustable damping