I bought a new 2004 CR250R for a project bike. I have an ’03 CRF450 that is fairly tricked out for my race/play bike. For reference, it has Kibblewhite stainless steel valves, FMF Q Silencer, BRP 20mm offset triple clamps., ProTaper bar, GPR V.2 steering damper, 51 tooth rear sprocket, some modifications to the suspension using Race Tech components, 9 oz. flywheel, Zip Tie fuel mixture adjusting screw, Cycra hand guards, E-line skid plate, Devol Radiator guards, and more, you get the idea. I like this bike a lot, and it has proven competitive in both hare scrambles and enduros, but I was looking for a lighter weight bike with good power characteristics just to make a comparison. I thought seriously about the RMF/KXF as well as the CRF250R. If I had gone that direction, I was going to put a big bore kit on it to pump up the power.
I decided on the CR because, they are a pretty good bargain right now, they are light, have a good build quality, and there are a lot of aftermarket items you can get to customize it. My biggest concern was the power characteristics which have been described as no low end power, and a pretty good high RPM hit. Before I even rode the bike, I sent the barrel and head to Eric Gore for his low to mid power porting work. I also purchased an FMF Gnarly pipe and a Q spark arrestor. I also did mods such as a Scott’s steering damper, Fat Bar, Acerbis Pro Rally guards, E-line skid plate and pipe guard, DID X-ring chain, etc.
I now have two rides on it after breaking it in, and I think it is going to replace my 450. The second ride I had on it was with two friends who ride enduros with me. They are good riders who keep a pretty fast pace. One guy brought his ’05 KTM 300 EXC which has the full on Dick’s suspension mods, and 18mm offset triple clamps. The other guy rode my CRF450. We rode 64 miles changing bikes for evaluation about every 15 miles or so. Our first session, at a riding place called Stonyford in NoCal, started at the staging area called Wolfe Creek. One of the access trails from this area is a wide single track which snakes up and down the hills with some moderate climbs/decents over whooped out terrain. Mostly, third, fourth and fifth gear terrain. We took a left on to trail 28 which takes you to a fairly difficult climb from a narrow canyon that had more than a few A riders stuck in an enduro a few years ago. The climb starts virtually without any run and gets steep quickly, over some rock steps that were pretty muddy from the recent rains, with good size ruts paralleling the steps to make it interesting. Then the climb angles to the left at about the same steepness, but the soil changes to loose shale with rocks thrown in. This goes up for about 3 to 400 yards before leveling a bit, then up again on a quad wide trail blocked in with chapparal with several deep ruts to catch you. Oh yeah, more rock steps about two feet in height to get over that have been dug out by bikes not making it the first time. My 450 has always made this hill, but I have had to work to keep the front end down at times. That bike does not lack for power. I had stopped at the bottom of the hill, riding my new bike of course, to make some adjustments, My buddies, on my CRF and the KTM went on up. I could hear the motors working hard and the revs building and dropping as they hit the rock steps and worked around the ruts and loose ground. I wondered how the 250 would handle it.
I started up the first section hitting the rock steps about 2/3rds the way up. I was in second gear and as I hit the first step I dropped off the pipe. This is where I found out how good Mr. Gore’s porting was. Rather than stall, the bike kept grunting, and with just a little clutch work, I was over the steps and accelerating. When I hit the second section I was back on the pipe and the bike was accelerating like a demon. With its light weight and stable chasis, I was able to move from one side of the hill to the other at will. Drop into a rut? No problem, just unweight a little and move the bike out of the rut to another part of the climb. Definintely fun. Not necessarily better than the 450, but a completely different feeling. On the 450, I would usually pick a line and ride it out using the power, and smooth suspension to overcome obstacles.
There is a section of tight trail that I like that has many tight turns with trees close enough to hammer your bar ends consistently. I use 29 inch bar width for reference. There the 250 was at its best. With the ability to use low end power, or snap it up on the pipe if necessary, I could squirt from turn to turn without much effort at all. On the 450 more anticipation is necessary to get through this section close to the speed the 250 did. I was really impressed with the 250 when comparing it to the KTM. I have had three 300 EXC’s in the past, so I know a little about the bike. Definitely, the 300 has more power throughout to work with, but the 250 is pretty close. The suspension on the 250 is just about as good as my friends high zoot modified suspension, and I think the Honda steers a bit better. These differences are small however.
I took a stint on my 450, and it took me about a mile to get used to it again. It felt heavy, and a little ponderous, but after a while I got the rhythm back and it worked pretty good. In all, I felt the 250 did all the 450 could do and a little faster. I didn’t feel any more fatigue than a ride on the 450. The two things that made the 250 work so well was the porting and the 10 oz. flywheel. In all, I am quite pleased with the outcome. Mr. Gore’s porting modifications are every bit as advertised, and make the 250 into a well qualified woods bike. His service was excellent, getting the parts back to me a day before expected, and at a price that no one could beat. I highly recommend him to anyone.
I decided on the CR because, they are a pretty good bargain right now, they are light, have a good build quality, and there are a lot of aftermarket items you can get to customize it. My biggest concern was the power characteristics which have been described as no low end power, and a pretty good high RPM hit. Before I even rode the bike, I sent the barrel and head to Eric Gore for his low to mid power porting work. I also purchased an FMF Gnarly pipe and a Q spark arrestor. I also did mods such as a Scott’s steering damper, Fat Bar, Acerbis Pro Rally guards, E-line skid plate and pipe guard, DID X-ring chain, etc.
I now have two rides on it after breaking it in, and I think it is going to replace my 450. The second ride I had on it was with two friends who ride enduros with me. They are good riders who keep a pretty fast pace. One guy brought his ’05 KTM 300 EXC which has the full on Dick’s suspension mods, and 18mm offset triple clamps. The other guy rode my CRF450. We rode 64 miles changing bikes for evaluation about every 15 miles or so. Our first session, at a riding place called Stonyford in NoCal, started at the staging area called Wolfe Creek. One of the access trails from this area is a wide single track which snakes up and down the hills with some moderate climbs/decents over whooped out terrain. Mostly, third, fourth and fifth gear terrain. We took a left on to trail 28 which takes you to a fairly difficult climb from a narrow canyon that had more than a few A riders stuck in an enduro a few years ago. The climb starts virtually without any run and gets steep quickly, over some rock steps that were pretty muddy from the recent rains, with good size ruts paralleling the steps to make it interesting. Then the climb angles to the left at about the same steepness, but the soil changes to loose shale with rocks thrown in. This goes up for about 3 to 400 yards before leveling a bit, then up again on a quad wide trail blocked in with chapparal with several deep ruts to catch you. Oh yeah, more rock steps about two feet in height to get over that have been dug out by bikes not making it the first time. My 450 has always made this hill, but I have had to work to keep the front end down at times. That bike does not lack for power. I had stopped at the bottom of the hill, riding my new bike of course, to make some adjustments, My buddies, on my CRF and the KTM went on up. I could hear the motors working hard and the revs building and dropping as they hit the rock steps and worked around the ruts and loose ground. I wondered how the 250 would handle it.
I started up the first section hitting the rock steps about 2/3rds the way up. I was in second gear and as I hit the first step I dropped off the pipe. This is where I found out how good Mr. Gore’s porting was. Rather than stall, the bike kept grunting, and with just a little clutch work, I was over the steps and accelerating. When I hit the second section I was back on the pipe and the bike was accelerating like a demon. With its light weight and stable chasis, I was able to move from one side of the hill to the other at will. Drop into a rut? No problem, just unweight a little and move the bike out of the rut to another part of the climb. Definintely fun. Not necessarily better than the 450, but a completely different feeling. On the 450, I would usually pick a line and ride it out using the power, and smooth suspension to overcome obstacles.
There is a section of tight trail that I like that has many tight turns with trees close enough to hammer your bar ends consistently. I use 29 inch bar width for reference. There the 250 was at its best. With the ability to use low end power, or snap it up on the pipe if necessary, I could squirt from turn to turn without much effort at all. On the 450 more anticipation is necessary to get through this section close to the speed the 250 did. I was really impressed with the 250 when comparing it to the KTM. I have had three 300 EXC’s in the past, so I know a little about the bike. Definitely, the 300 has more power throughout to work with, but the 250 is pretty close. The suspension on the 250 is just about as good as my friends high zoot modified suspension, and I think the Honda steers a bit better. These differences are small however.
I took a stint on my 450, and it took me about a mile to get used to it again. It felt heavy, and a little ponderous, but after a while I got the rhythm back and it worked pretty good. In all, I felt the 250 did all the 450 could do and a little faster. I didn’t feel any more fatigue than a ride on the 450. The two things that made the 250 work so well was the porting and the 10 oz. flywheel. In all, I am quite pleased with the outcome. Mr. Gore’s porting modifications are every bit as advertised, and make the 250 into a well qualified woods bike. His service was excellent, getting the parts back to me a day before expected, and at a price that no one could beat. I highly recommend him to anyone.
Last edited:
