Had '00CR250-> '02 CR or YZ250 next?

[Wild Hare]

I'm coming off an '00 CR and am going to buy an '02 CR or YZ250.
( No local support for Green or Yellow bikes )

I loved the handling, ride and Honda quality....but I rode a '97 YZ and thought it had a better motor for me. More grunt, more "forgiving", better "roll on" power. The '97 was good and I've heard the '01 and '02 motors are GREAT.

I LOVE the look of the Honda and it fit me better, but now that Yamaha opened up the cockpit they feel fine as well. What I'm looking for is a more forgiving motor with more low end pull.

I read everything printed on both....the rags are no help....both are the "best production 250 ever" in one mag or another. Both get a "C" in one mag or another....

Okay those of you that have RIDDEN or BOUGHT an '02 YZ or CR250. Ideally I'd love to hear from people that have ridden both back to back:confused:

I'm 6'4" 215 Vet "Novice". I'm a normal Novice, I still come out of corners in the wrong gear sometimes...I come up short....I get tired and want a bike that will help to mimimize my mistakes. I don't care what works for PRO's...I want the best bike for us "mortals".

So if you had 6K burning a hole in your pocket....what would you buy!:eek:

(Before somebody asks...I love my 520 for desert and off rode...but wrestling a 250 lb motorcycle on the track isn't my idea of a good time...and 4 four strokes jump "funny" :eek: )

 

[MXP1MP]

I'd go for the YZ myself, so far everything I've heard the yz has better bottom. The yz is also alittle taller in the saddle so that might feel better for ya also. Sure the CR is the techno gizmo of the class but so what?! that new power valve isn't any different than before really in how its operating. Honda isn't taking advantage of the technology really yet. I'd also take into consideration what happens "IF" that eletronic power valve fails how much will it cost to fix? I feel that both bikes are going to be very equal in performance in all areas. I don't feel that the honda is more quality built than the yamaha. So my vote is for the YZ I'm sure lots will disagree but thats what so great about this place :confused:

Joe
'02 YZ125
'01 CR125

 

[slideways11]

I agree with MXP. I had ordered an 02cr250 but after I checked it out decided to switch to Yamaha's for this season.The 2 things that made me change were the power characteristics and the turning ability of the Yamaha.
01cr250 02yz250@125

 

[Dwayne]

I own a 02 cr250 and thinks its an awesome bike. I've owned yamaha's and kx's and personally think its up to an individuals preference. What really helped me decide was I went out to my local track and met some friends who purchased these bikes and asked them what they thought . I even got to ride a new yz, rm and cr and made my choice that way. And as far as the reliability of the new techno gizmo's I think that Honda is pretty good in that department, they don't want a reputation for putting out junk, but time will tell. Good luck in your choices. :)

 

[Wild Hare]

Dwayne, how much do you weigh and what class rider are you? Hope you don't mind the personal questions :)

What did you think of roll on out of corners on the CR and YZ...which had better bottom? Was the CR harsh? TELL ME MORE!!

THANKS!:)

 

[Wild Hare]

'02 YZ vs. CR SHOOTOUT!!!

NOBODY ELSE AROUND HERE HAS AN OPINION!:eek:

I find that hard to beleve! :scream:


'02 owners lets hear from you on the DRN CR vs. YZ shootout!

 

[cr-man]

Wild Hare I bought an 02 CR250 and I love it, but I think for the power that you want the YZ250 might be a little more forgiving. The Honda has good roll-on part of that is do to it revving fast and it also has a hit in the powerband. For me the CR's handling is excellent it is the best bike I have ever owned I'm already riding faster and more confident on this bike. I think the CR easily could be made to work for you, but you would have to spend a little money as the YZ would probably suit you more out of the box. The best thing to do would see if you could ride the CR first and find out if you like the way the power is I think you'll like the chassis. The Honda is the best built bike out there I know I've owned them all if you like Honda's you'll like this bike!

 

[JTT]

I recently got to ride an '02 CR250. The motor is very smooth and revs fast, but I would not call it "real grunty". CR man is right in that I am sure you could make the motor work for you, but it may not be "exactly" what you are looking for out of the box. But, the weight!....wow! I got back on my '00 and it felt like a 500. I couldn't beleive that I would actually notice th weight difference so much. The suspension on the '02 is very plush (you'd definitely need springs). Much of the fork harshness of the '00 and '01 are gone, but not forgotten.

On a negative note, I think Honda went the wrong way moving the bars back though. At 6'1" I felt slightly cramped, but this is with someone elses bars (too much sweep and rolled back too far, for me). I use the 125 clamps (forward) on my '00CR and like the room.

As for the YZ, I can't comment, sorry.

 

[motometal]

Although I love my '01 CR, after riding an '02 the bike defintely feels lighter. The blue ones have some catching up to do in this department...SEVEN pounds lighter...wow!

I'm still getting used to the new motor, not that I don't like it, but my '01 rips, and the '02 rips but just in a different way. Lots of response, revs quick, didn't seem to have quite the top end of the '01.

 

[smarttoys]

I sold my '00 CR250 and I bought a '02 YZ250 about a month ago and really like it. I rode the '02 CR also and think it's a great bike but I'm happy I bought the YZ. The handling is smooth and controllable and I was able to go much faster in some places on the track than I was able to on my '00 CR. The motor is great also. This is the first bike I've had that I didn't feel like I needed to modify the motor.
What's funny is that when I first rode the YZ I noticed that it felt a lot lighter than my '00 CR did.
Now that I have taller seat foam and taller handlebars on the YZ it's even better. I would have had to make the same changes on any bike I get though.

 

[Wild Hare]

Thanks Smarttoys, Did you see the PM I sent you?

Great info from EVERYONE!:cool:
Everybody else, keep'm coming!:)

 

[teamgrn84]

02 cr250 nis a missle

i have been a kawi riders for years, i just bought a 02 cr250 , just broke it in today 10/13/01. The bike is all around awesome motor is so powerful, and has low end to good top end, suspension is awesome i am 5'11" 220 pounds i was jumping this bike farther that i was my last kx. a buddy of mine has had rm's and has a a2001 cr250 he fell in love with my 02 cr250, he has to get one he says I have finally arrived he loved the bike as much if not more than i did, he is 6'0" 180 lbs. the bike is an all around weapon, it is awesome it was hard for me to go to honda firtst one ever but i am truly happy the bike is so light and flickable, awesome power, handling, this will be the bike to beat in the upcoming reviews, hope this has helped!!!!!

 

[teamgrn84]

02 cr250 is a missle

i have been a kawi riders for years, i just bought a 02 cr250 , just broke it in today 10/13/01. The bike is all around awesome motor is so powerful, and has low end to good top end, suspension is awesome i am 5'11" 220 pounds i was jumping this bike farther thani was my last kx. a buddy of mine has had rm's and has a a2001 cr250 he fell in love with my 02 cr250, he has to get one he says I have finally arrived he loved the bike as much if not more than i did, he is 6'0" 180 lbs. the bike is an all around weapon, it is awesome it was hard for me to go to honda first one ever but i am truly happy the bike is so light and flickable, awesome power, handling, this will be the bike to beat in the upcoming reviews, hope this has helped!!!!!

 

[Big Tuna]

I would recommend the 02CR250. I'm coming off of a '98 YZ250 which was a good bike, but the CR is great.
My YZ could be lugged more, but as long as you keep the revs up on the CR there's heaps of power.
I know Yamaha changed the ergos, but they still won't come close to the Hondas', it's very easy to move around on, and manipulate.
Then like mentioned before, the weight issue the CR not only is light it feels light!
My only beef is that the shifting seems to get a little notchy, especially when things start to heat up(hopefully just a break in prob.)anybody else notice this? I'm going to try and use Gear Saver 80w and see if that makes a difference.

 

[grunk250r]

I have about 3 hours on my 02'CR250 and like it MUCH better than my last 2 bikes. (00'CR250/01'RM250). The harshness my 00'CR had is GONE. I do feel that the jetting can be fine tuned....seems a bit rich on bottom but yet doesn't burble after warming up/clearing out. Very comfortable and feels SO light....if that 450F really feels just like this, that thing is gonna ROCK. I still feel a bit of vibration through the bars and pegs but it's minimal. The motor has no stalling tendancies but yet revs QUICK. Quick revers usually waste alot in wheelspin but this bike seems to hook up. I won't need a flywheel weight and I race woods (enduro/h.s.)
On the other hand, I have not ridden an 02'YZ yet, but have friends who own them and say they ROCK....i'm sure they're awesome too. Flip a coin dude.

 

[89vett]

Both are fantastic bikes,but I would get the Honda for the following reasons:
1.Aluminum Frame-something about these bikes feels lighter than the others.
2.Fit and finish-Honda is #1 here.
3.Resale value-the honda will be worth more if you decide to sell it.
4.You are familar with the CR and getting used to the 02 won't take long.
5.Longevity-Honda's last a long time!
I recently switched to a Honda and I could not be happier.I have a 1997 KDX 220 and the 2000 CR125r side by side at the house and the Honda does
seem to have a better fit and finish.They really pay attention to the small
details.Now all that being said,if you can steal the yamaha then go for it.
All the new 250 motocrossers are great bikes.
89vett
2000 CR125r

 

[Wild Hare]

No doubt that both are fine bikes....but I went with the YZ.

It's the motor, period.

I love everything about Honda's, the look, the Quality.......and for
somebody at a skill level that can keep it on the Pipe, its a great bike.
I found the motor in the YZ had more "grunt" and better roll on power and
for me and that's what I needed. It also helped that Yamaha opened up the
cockpit this year, the bike felt much like my '00 CR250! The '02 CR felt
cramped, yes I could fix it with some CR125 bar mounts and different bars.
I'd also heard some "grumbling" at the track about problems with the '02 CR shifting and airbox sealing. The YZ is really a pretty "mature" design. In the end, my choices were go 4 stroke or YZ. I thought about it for a long time ( I own a KTM 520MXC as well)...but I just love the light weight, handling and
instant power of a good 250 two stroke on the track! I'll probably go 4 stroke for the track in a year or two but this bike was to good to pass up!

Thanks for all the replies, judging by the "views" there are alot of people
trying to make this choice! ;) And I don't think either is a bad choice,
you just have to pick what fits you and your abilities..... Now if I was a
Guy named Ricky.... :D

 

[Coop37]

Originally posted by 89vett
Both are fantastic bikes,but I would get the Honda for the following reasons:
1.Aluminum Frame-something about these bikes feels lighter than the others.
2.Fit and finish-Honda is #1 here.
3.Resale value-the honda will be worth more if you decide to sell it.
4.You are familar with the CR and getting used to the 02 won't take long.
5.Longevity-Honda's last a long time!
I recently switched to a Honda and I could not be happier.I have a 1997 KDX 220 and the 2000 CR125r side by side at the house and the Honda does
seem to have a better fit and finish.They really pay attention to the small
details.Now all that being said,if you can steal the yamaha then go for it.
All the new 250 motocrossers are great bikes.
89vett
2000 CR125r

I hope these are just your own opinions ? As there are no facts to your opinions.
All the bikes have great fit and finish.
Resale is controled by the area's in which you ride in (what dealerships are in the area)
Longevity has nothing to do with brand names.( It is how you maintian your bike, decides longgevity)

 

[Big Tuna]

Wild Hare, what have you heard about the air box on the CR's; I just want to know what to look on my bike.
Thanks
Congrats on the new bike!

 

[Wild Hare]

I have a friend in AZ that owns an accessories shop. He was all set to buy an '02 CR but had a couple of customers that had problems with the air boxes sealing the air filter and cage against the airbox. The one he saw you could slip your little finger in the gap. He then bought an '02 YZ instead.... HE saw it first hand, I have not. But it was enough to put me off - FWIW.

If I owned one, I'd be checking it carefully!

 

[Big Tuna]

Thanks for the tip.:cool: I'll be checking VERY closely.:scream:
How about a report on the YZ.

 

[89vett]

Coop 37,
Actually my response was a little bit of both-fact and opinions.The Honda's
DO have a little better fit and finish and attention to detail than the other
Japanese bikes.I base that on the FACT that I have seen all four major bikes
side by side at the dealership and it is obvious(even to Ray Charles)that
Honda pays a little more attention to the little details.Even every major
dirt bike publication thinks so,and they test bikes for a living.And I do have
a Kawasaki that is parked RIGHT NEXT TO my honda in my garage and the
Honda DOES have a better fit and finish.The rest of my post was my opinion
of the YZ 250.
Hey I don't have any bias towards any particular bike,I just stated some
opinions I had along with some FACTS.
Sorry if it offended you,but that's really not my problem.
89vett
2001 CR125r
1997 KDX 220(brothers bike)

 

[Coop37]

89vett, i have no problem with facts, but lets face it, these are yours and my opinions. not facts.
In my opinion, I have lined all the bikes up, and they look fine, to me. this is not a fact, just my opinion.
Facts are air boxes not sealing, if you can account for them. (which also could be a fit and finish problem?)
Anyway you are intitled to your own opinion, just dont make them sound like facts, because it is pretty hard to prove the fact of fit and finish.
I just get tired of people saying how great the fit an finish on a honda is compared to the others, and frankly I dont see it, and I have worked in the motorcycle business for 25yrs, so this is what I am basing my opinion off of. Anyway no hard feelings o.k

 

[grunk250r]

COOP the airbox sealing thing has NOTHING to do with the airbox on the 02'CR250...it's the new filter design. Honda has had the same filter FOREVER so people are just ASSUMING they can throw a previous year filter in an 02'...BAD NEWS....it don't seal right. So this problem is NOT a manufacturing problem or anything of the sort.

 

[Coop37]

Thanks grunk250r, thats good to here.