We finally decided it was time to tear down the little bike again and see how it was holding up. A close look at the top end revealed a well-worn piston with a noticeably abused ring, testament to the harsh detonations that seemed to abide in the engine all year. Some of the aluminum piston pieces had worked their way into the ring area, and the ring was almost stuck. The cylinder and head were both in decent shape, and by the looks of the spark plug, the fuel mixture and jetting were both in the right spot, if not a little rich. Even with some evidence of errant metal in the top end, the crank felt fairly tight and the piston was still usable, but for a high-performance bike, we'd replace it.
All in all, I am very impressed with how this bike performed throughout the past year. Being a small-bore two-stroke, the 144 has definitely made me a lot more aggressive rider and helped my cornering speed much more than a 250F ever could-proof that two-strokes can still help your skills. The engine did take some tuning to get right, and further testing showed that the bike was only happy on at least a 50/50 blend of high-octane pump gas and VP C12 race fuel, which isn't cheap. Looking back, it might have been wise to keep the motor a 125cc and just fiddle with the tuning, since we didn't race it every weekend. But how many bikes do you know of that can go a whole year on the stock suspension, handlebar, chain, sprockets, plastic and graphics? The Honda's impressive chassis durability almost made up for the cost of the engine mods, and I am stoked that she held up to our best abuse.
From even before my first Long Haul update, I was curious to see how the 144 would hold up against the growing army of thumpers. The verdict, after hours and hours in the saddle, is that the mod two-stroke is both better and worse than a 250F-and it's just plain different in a lot of ways. The argument can be made that the 144 won't ever have the power spread of a stock four-stroke-it just has more peak power. You could also say that the hard-charging revs of the two-stroke are infinitely cooler than anything else on the track these days. It will be nice to make the switch to a 250F Long Haul this year; however, I am not looking forward to the complex motor and comparatively lazy riding style that I might encounter in the process. The Honda CR144R has been one of the better race bikes that I have ever ridden, and as it is inevitably part of a disappearing breed, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't going to miss it.
Running Tally
Hours on Bike: 48
(7 since last update)
Modifications: $1850.80
Maintenance and Repairs: $923.70
(not including tires)
Rear brake pads: $39.16
8 clutch plates: $10.91 ea.
Exhaust spacer: $5.44
2 fork seals: $14.69 ea.
Rubber silencer mount: $11.76
Base gasket: $6.25
5 gal. VP C12 race fuel: $49.99
2 bottles HP2 premix oil: $6.99 ea.
2 bottles Bel-Ray Gear Saver trans oil: $6.95 ea.
Dunlop D756 rear tire: $99