Here's the page where we lump all of your responses, rumors, rants, raves and insight into the world of dirt bikes. Click here and email away.

Every once and a great while we get one out of the blue - that has nothing to to with anything we do here at ORC

08/04/2002

can you guys make a dirt bike race arena around glendale or burbank and let the kids race with honda xr80r's and the 1st place winner will get a full sponsership the 2nd place winner will get $5000.00 worth of dirt bikeparts and the 3rd place winner will get $2500.00 dollers of dirt bike parts

Sure! We'll get right on that... not!

08/05/2002

There is nothing wrong with this article. My anger is directed to Honda. I think that it is great that they replaced the XR 200. But why would they call their new bike a CRF. It is not a race fourstroke it is a XR. This will just fool some litle kid into thinking that he has a somewhat capable motocross bike. This kid will be time after time let down.

Just between you and me, when I first saw this model that is exactly what I thought, haven't changed my mind either. What can I say? I'm not in marketing...

Why not call it an XR230E or some such? It's wonderful to put an electric starter on the one bike Honda has aimed at the play market. However - It used to be that the XR200 was a pretty serious 6 speed off-road tractor (83 - 86) and that is what I still pine for... You still can't buy one of these old XR's for a reasonable price, they're too rare.

Thanks for the feedback! - Editor

I agree completely. But have you seen their latest commercials that show Ricky giving what appears to be a rider clinic to a bunch of new riders with their parents watching. This is done on a motocross track setting with all the riders on XR's of all sizes doing small jumps. Not one genuine CR anywhere except the 250 Ricky does a huge clicker with. I see it as Honda attempting to change their idea of what an XR is intended for.

MX Tuner

08/15/2002

no comment from you about the weight???? this things a pig.

Pierre

Nope! Whadaya want? It's a low displacement 4-stroke with electric start!

08/09/2002

"significantly reduced weight"

OK, what is "significant?" I know Yamaha won't print it, but for your mag to have any value, you need to have some item of info or opinion that isn't on the Yamaha website. You must be talking to Yamapeople. Somebody must be leaking info. Give us an estimate of tank empty weight. Just because Yamaha is being typically bogus about it, doesn't mean you have to.

Duncan

Ow! Hostility... You need to cut back on the caffeine dude...

Honestly, we don't know, the rags don't, Yamaha damn well knows and is keeping tight lips about it - wish the White House could do as well. We'll find out when the rest of the world does - when Yamaha discloses it. We expect to test this baby when it hits the showroom floors in December - Mike Hobbs is trading the faithful XR650 that took him all over Baja for Yamaha blue.

08/09/2002

Pleasantly written, but there was essentially zero new information. As such, it was a waste of my time. You said it was reliable. Great. Can you quantify that? How often did you change the oil? Adjust the valves? Replace the chain? Change coolant? Did you take any pictures of the cams during your last valve adjustment? Do you have any information?

Duncan

You again? OK! I sense a pattern here, frustrated engineer, editor wannabe. Am I right? You can wear my hat - you win!

We're just a dedicated group of dirtbikers who have "real" jobs during the day, write until the wee hours of the night, and live to ride/race on weekends. Occasionally, we can spend some money for a project. We don't carry micrometers around. Mike wrote several articles concerning maintenance - he was not excessive about the maintenance - nothing unusual happened - the bike ran 4000 miles without a problem.

If you are not totally satisfied - we will happily refund the cost of your subscription... $0. You need to check into that caffeine problem dude...

08/27/2002

Just a quick note to say we have found, in very dusty conditions such as ours (Central Australia), that by creating holes in the airbox cover the aircleaners stay cleaner for much longer. The the air is drawn from the side of the bike instead from under the rear guard where the rear wheel churns up a dust cloud!

Cheers!
Michael vroom

Thanks! Mike has a tech article out on the modification. Check our Search Engine for more info.