Not everyone was 100 percent sold on the 2009 CRF450R's Kayaba suspension performance or overall handling balance of the chassis. And from the beginning it was clear that the big-bore CRF was picky about sag and suspension clickers. But the Showa components on the 250 seem to be working flawlessly. They really should since the package consists of an all-new 48mm fork and "shorty" reservoir rear shock. It's some fancy stuff we get on our bikes these days. We're running 102mm of sag for 165 to 180-pound riders and leaving clickers alone. We're even leaving the clickers alone when slower, lighter riders climb aboard and hearing no complaints. The same goes with lighter faster guys. It's just working. At the very most we've slowed the shock a click for some fast downhill sections but nothing else. We hope the user-friendliness continues as the bike clicks off the hours.
Guess what? We found something to complain about. After riding on the Dunlop Geomax series of tires, we're not sure why Honda went with the 756 rear and 742FA front. True, the 756 will give some more soft-condition performance, but the MX51 front and rear combo is so good everywhere we missed it almost immediately. For most riders, the front Geomax truly puts the 742FA to shame. We experienced some drifting of the front we feel could be eliminated with a tire swap, especially on dry, hard-packed surfaces.
From our first 8-10 hours, plus what we learned from a good race session, we're sure this bike can easily keep up with any 250F in the class from last year. We've already sneakily begun comparing this to other 2010 models and are getting ready for the most exciting 250F shootout since the very first one. Can Honda take the crown? Oh, who knows...we'll have to wait and see.
Specifications
MSRP: $7199
Weight (tank empty): 217 lb
Seat height: 37.4 in.
Seat-to-footpeg distance: 21.3 in.
What's Hot!
Amazing throttle response
Sharp handling makes tight corners a joy ride
Light weight feel
Suspension is versatile and impressive
Starts easily and sounds cool!
Power pulls forever
What's Not!
Change the oil often: shifting crispness can go away if you stretch it
How good are you at sticking on tiny numbers?
| SETTINGS |
| Jetting |
| Ha ha ha ha |
| Suspension |
Stock |
DR |
| Fork |
|
|
| Compression |
11 |
Stk |
| Rebound |
7 |
Stk |
| Shock |
|
|
| Low speed compression |
8 |
Stk |
| High speed compression |
1 1/4 |
Stk |
| Rebound |
11 |
Stk |
| Sag (mm): |
102 |
Stk |
Pete Peterson
5'10"/160 lb
Vet Novice
Honda and fuel injection have finally made a four-stroke that can pry me away from my two-stroke. The throttle response of the 2010 CRF is so crisp and immediate that the thumper loses that "lumbersome," heavy feel. I could move the bike with my right wrist instead of my arms, making it less tiring to ride, and I gained confidence each time the bike responded exactly as I'd asked. Everything else good about the bike follows from this responsive engine, and everything else includes a super-nimble chassis that never got upset, a short-wheelbase feel in the corners and suspension that never seemed out of sync front to rear, even when dumbly going right through the deepest braking bumps. I found myself getting on the throttle earlier lap after lap and didn't want to give the bike back. The four-stroke trade-off has always been faster lap times for a bike less fun to ride. Not anymore. Turn sharp, jump predictably, find traction and giggle like a doofus. FI rules. Don't tell my 125, but I'm going to cheat on it every chance I get with this sexy new redhead.
Kris Keefer
5'11"/160 lb
Pro
Riding the 2010 CRF250 made me want to go back and ride a 250F full time again. It was that fun. The fuel injection works flawlessly without giving up the pivotal bottom-end response that we all like on 250Fs. The bike had great instant throttle response, and the low-end pull was amazingly good. Going in I was skeptical about the bike being "too smooth" feeling, but the new CRF had great pull from mid to top. It could be revved out in third, and shifting a little early into fourth was not an issue at Perris Raceway as the bike pulled the taller gear just fine. Top-end was great, and the bike felt really snappy and fast everywhere on the track. The bike felt really light and nimble and could be cornered very well. Initial lean was great coming into corners, and I could start my corner sooner on the CRF. The fork and shock felt balanced, but the track did not get too rough so we will have to check more into the suspension on a rougher track day. The only things I did find that I did not like were the front tire and grips. The Dunlop 742FA tire pushed once the track dried out slightly. The grips left me a funny blister on top of my thumb. Weird. Overall it is one of the most fun 250Fs I have ridden yet!