Honda CRF250R, Works Bike You Can Buy

As we lined up for group photos, it struck us as funny to see most of the Dirt Rider staff at Raceway Park in fresh gear riding state-of-the-art racebikes on one of the best tracks in the nation. These are the bikes we usually glimpse from behind a fence, racing by at speeds we all dream about. But one question always surfaces: How good can a privateer bike really be? After hosting the Dirt Rider East Coast Ride Day in Englishtown, New Jersey, we stayed a second day to test some of the top privateer satellite team bikes to see just how good they are. We roosted Steve Lamson's MotoSport Outlet Honda CRF250R, Josh Summey's Samsung Honda CRF250R, Joaquim Rodrigues' Amsoil Factory Connection Honda CRF250R, Jason Thomas' Subway Honda CRF450R and Ryan Morais' WBR Suzuki RM-Z250. Unlike factory bikes with unobtainable parts, these privateer racers are built with components available to anyone willing to dish out the bucks.

Although factory teams get trick components that may never be available to the public, in this era of racing, aftermarket manufacturers work magic into bikes straight from the showroom floor. Race teams force these companies to do extensive engineering to produce trick hardware that works. Today's privateer bikes are far closer to what a works bike is, mostly because they fit the riders for whom they are built. We feel any of the bikes tested here are more than capable of winning races. Since they were set up specifically for each team rider and setups were not changed for us, some things just didn't fit us as well. It takes testing and time to make all these trick parts work in unison, and only a select few riders can really push these bikes to the limit. But that didn't stop us from trying.

Steve Lamson'sMotoSport Outlet Honda CRF25ORBuilding a racebike for a former National champion is no easy task. On top of meeting the normal standards of durability and function, the motorcycle has to go above and beyond the call of duty, performing with the same power, determination and ability the rider himself embodies. This is exactly the challenge Team MotoSport Outlet was faced with when building a CRF250R for 1995 and 1996 National Motocross Champ Steve Lamson. But through many hours of hard work, testing and spinning wrenches, the team was able to produce a CRF with the same fierce attitude and personality as the talented rider who would be racing it.

I was very impressed by Lamson's CRF250R. My first thoughts were that it feels more like a supercross machine than an outdoor bike. The powerband is very short-all it takes is a quick twist of the throttle to be at the top of the revs. The motor on Lamson's steed feels strong everywhere, with abundant off-idle power that carries well into the midrange. Throttle response is excellent, and there's a distinct bark to the engine that makes short work of loamy corners and tight rhythm sections. It's obvious Lamy really likes to ride on the pipe, seeing as there are no holes in the power.