Enduro from the past: Honda CRM250R. Hurry up for a ride, there won't be any more like this

After riding a 4-stroke enduro 250 for a couple of seasons, you willy-nilly begin to think about a more powerful motorcycle, perhaps even a motocross bike. But don’t rush, there is still a motorcycle that will give you drive and, at the same time, be mobile for every day. We will talk about the universal Honda CRM250R.

Appearance

The Honda CRM 250 looks very similar to a cross-country vehicle. In a word, a typical enduro. You can feel, however, the weight, and the fact that this model will definitely cope with off-road conditions. There are no special frills in the design. It's brutal and shows the tough nature of the bike and the fact that it can overcome a lot.

One review says that this bike has a unique design. But it is possible to agree with this only regarding the colors. The last two years' version features a striking appearance with a funky combination of white, black and red colors, as well as an orange flame design on a black background. However, many connoisseurs of class, judging by the photo and even the description, say that they would like more modesty in the design.

Advantages

To date, few enduro motorcycles with two-stroke engines are produced. Mainly “hard enduro” for competitions and training by European manufacturers. And the Honda SRM 250 belongs to the “soft enduro” category, it is good for both the city and outdoor riding.

Due to the two-stroke engine, the Honda SRM 250 is one third more powerful and lighter in weight than the same four-stroke soft enduro. Therefore, it can be compared in terms of power and acceleration with 400cc four-stroke enduras. Of course, the traction at the bottom loses, but the relatively light weight and high power make this motorcycle attractive even for experienced riders.

Comfort

Judging by the reviews, the ride is comfortable, but you shouldn’t drive into too impassable mud. At the very least, you should not travel far through such territory from a more or less dry area. Otherwise, the bike may start to lose power in the middle of such a “sea”, and this will be a problem.

Looking at the photo and even the video, it is possible to assume that sitting in such a car is uncomfortable. The motorcycle seems narrow. But the saddle here is both wider and more comfortable than on cross-country equipment. Of course, this car cannot be compared with road vehicles, much less with cruisers. But for enduro the landing is comfortable. Maintenance is not difficult, although parts can be difficult to obtain.

Tips for choosing

According to the owners' reviews, the motorcycle is worthy of attention. It is reliable, and in terms of acceleration and handling it is not inferior to modern soft enduros. But due to problems with spare parts, look for the CPM 250 initially in good technical condition. And you will ride for a long time without problems and headaches.

Suitable for both beginners and experienced riders who want to switch to a more powerful enduro and try something new.

I recommend watching this video:

Dimensions and weight

Of course, there is high ground clearance here. The seat height is also quite high, which combines an enduro with a motocross motorcycle. The bike is tall and medium in width. In a word, a typical representative of its off-road class, which is perfectly suited for driving on rough terrain.

Dimensions:

• tank – 11 l;
• ground clearance – 320 mm;
• curb weight – 127 kg;
• height – 1215 mm;
• width – 825 mm;
• length – 2195 mm;
• seat height – 895 mm.

Despite the fact that the bike looks heavy, the curb weight is pleasingly small, not to mention dry. So, even if the bike gets damaged on some crazy cross-country ride, it won't be that difficult to guide it back by hand. And for such a class this is important.

Model history

1989 - start of production and sales. The first generation is MK1. Model: Honda CRM250 (Japan). Frame number: MD24-100XXXX. Factory designation: CRM250R.

1990 - no significant changes. Model: Honda CRM250 (Japan). Factory designation: CRM250R.

1991 - restyling of the model. The second generation is MK2. Model: Honda CRM250 (Japan). Frame number: MD24-120XXXX, MD24-130XXXX. Factory designation: CRM250R.

1992 - no significant changes. Model: Honda CRM250 (Japan). Factory designation: CRM250R.

1993 - minor changes to the model. Starting this year, the wings and saddle are painted the same color. Model: Honda CRM250 (Japan). Factory designation: CRM250R.

1994 - restyling of the model. The third generation is MK3. Model: Honda CRM250 (Japan). Frame number: MD24-140XXXX. Factory designation: CRM250R.

1995 - no significant changes. Model: Honda CRM250 (Japan). Factory designation: CRM250R.

1996 - no significant changes. Model: Honda CRM250 (Japan). Factory designation: CRM250R.

1997 - restyling of the model. New generation - Honda CRM250AR. Model: Honda CRM250AR (Japan). Frame number: MD32-100ХХХХ, MD32-110ХХХХ. Factory designation: CRM250AR.

1998 - no significant changes. Model: Honda CRM250AR (Japan). Factory designation: CRM250AR.

1999 is the last year of production. Model: Honda CRM250AR (Japan). Factory designation: CRM250AR.

Specifications

The parameters are average, but considering the cost of the equipment, they are justified. The suspensions, like the brakes, meet modern standards. Many will be pleased that the gearbox here is not five, but six-speed. Chain drive is a rational solution for this class.

Acceleration to 100, as well as top speed, are average here. However, nothing more is required from enduro. Power and torque are also not satisfactory. As for fuel consumption, it is worth noting separately, because it is very low, especially for such a motorcycle.

Main disadvantages

• — difficulties with spare parts, especially for the latest model SRM 250 AR
• — soft suspensions, no matter what you do with them, they won’t become any harder
• - no electric starter
• — the power valve requires regular maintenance, and if this is not done, the control unit burns out
• - if you miss the oil pump malfunction, the engine will jam. To avoid this, it is better to always mix a little oil into the tank
• — after riding, clothes leave a persistent smell of exhaust
• — it is believed that the engine life is less than a four-stroke, but this is a controversial issue. A four-stroke engine will work less than a two-stroke engine if it is not serviced in a timely manner.
• — the motorcycle has a dense layout, so not all components and assemblies are easy to access
• — when driving aggressively at maximum speed, high fuel consumption

What do the owners say?

It is not recommended to purchase such a bike for those who want a quiet ride or are new to the class. Not to mention those who are not very familiar with motorcycles at all. It is better to switch to this car after a weaker enduro with a calm character. Even if a person has been driving road motorcycles well for many years, such a bike will still be unusual and difficult for him to control.

As an enduro bike, the big disadvantage of this bike is the following: when riding in mud, traction begins to disappear. The overheating light comes on quickly. There are also significant advantages. For some, this means free access to a spark plug. So you don't have to remove the seats and tank to replace them.

IMPORTANT! Significant vibration is noted after 100-120 km/h. It’s one thing if a person is used to this, and quite another if he’s previously only ridden a sportbike on flat roads. So, if it’s your first time riding an enduro bike, it’s better not to accelerate so much. At least on this model.

Among the negative aspects, gasoline consumption is also noted. However, for enduro these are acceptable indicators, although not optimal. But for some, this shortcoming is completely compensated by the sound of the engine, which evokes nostalgic feelings from the eighties. After all, many Soviet tales of that time sounded approximately the same.

The CRM 250 is a good enduro, although not without its drawbacks. The latter can be found on almost any motorcycle of any class, except for some legendary models. If you need a vehicle with good cross-country ability and reliability, this model will be an excellent choice, although not the most economical.

After purchasing Big Red, I immediately began, like any normal adequate person, to get into all possible knots to understand whether this motorcycle would kill me or not. I found a couple of rather weird things, and immediately parked the bike and began to figure it out. What I found may be useful not only to other CRM managers, but also to any other lovers of tinkering with old equipment for which there are few spare parts. So here it is. As soon as I bought the motorcycle, I immediately ordered fresh pads forward and backward, because the rear ones were completely worn out, and the front ones had very little life left. By the way, I also ordered fresh wheels, but more on that later, because they have not yet flown out of the UK.

While removing the old pads, I began to press in the pistons of the front caliper and could not. At all. Well, one moved somehow, but the second froze tightly. Ok, I decided to try to squeeze out the pistons and clean everything thoroughly. No problem - one piston came out, the second one didn't move.

I tried to get the second piston out in different ways (using pliers through a piece of the tire tube, all that happened was the piston fell apart). The caliper seals were damaged 10 years ago, apparently. Everything is coated with oxide, apparently the brake fluid has not been changed very often. Well, judging by the photo below, Hulk was servicing a motorcycle

So, the caliper is kirdyk. The repair kit will cost about 2 thousand, if you're lucky. You go to eBay and almost no one sells calipers for Honda CRM - this is a Nissin KS6 caliper, judging by what I found on the Internet. You go to Drom - and the same thing. Just drought, desert, no damn calipers! And if there are, then they are rusty and they want 5000 each + shipping from Greece or somewhere else.

But there are plenty of calipers on Honda CR, XR, and so on from the 90s and 00s. On the VitalMX website I came across a post from an old motorcycle racer who said “almost all brakes on 90s Hondas are the same, regardless of the model,” which just started the thinking process. I went to the excellent resource CMSNL.com, this is a spare parts store, but its main feature is a huge catalog of OEM parts from all Japanese manufacturers and not only, with catalog numbers of these parts and a cross-reference of the models on which they are installed, plus the so-called supercession. Supercession is when a new part is released and installed in place of the old one, i.e. they are analogues.

Just like this supercession, I found that the caliper bracket on the Honda CRM was seemingly replaced with a bracket that is installed on the Honda CR, XR, XLR, and so on. Based on this idea, it is logical to assume that since they are analogues, then the caliper that is hung on this bracket is also an analogue. And this, according to the logical chain, means the entire mechanism can be easily transferred to the CRM fork and everything will stand up and work.

So, I ordered a caliper from a 2004 Honda XR250R - the condition is practically zero, the price is 4,500 rubles. The caliper is more massive, it has fins for cooling, and most importantly, the pads are the same ones that I already have!

I'm glad to report that everything worked out perfectly. 20 minutes of pumping fresh fluid, and the brakes work!

Oh, yes, I completely forgot - I promised to tell you about the brake discs. So, when inspecting the front brakes, I found radial cracks on the disc, from the outer edge of the disc to the hole for cooling. I turned a little pale, because I had already slowed down on this motorcycle with the front brake at 80 km/h, but what can you do - apparently the guardian angels are watching for now.

As soon as the discs arrive, I will install them and fresh pads all around, and perhaps there will also be some kind of problem in the rear caliper that will have to be repaired. But I hope not. Thank you for watching!