2022 Honda CRF250R First Impression

The media hasn’t been to a fly away introduction since pre pandemic times, so it was nice that Honda invited all of the media to Mt. View motocross park in Sandy, Oregon to try out their new 2022 CRF250R. I mentioned in Racerhead last week that there is always one bike that is the most anticipated of each model year release and this year it was the new CRF250R. Honda made significant changes to the CRF250R’s engine, chassis, a weight loss program, as well as suspension settings, but changing a bunch of things doesn’t always mean that it’s better right? Instead of flying out there for a couple days, I decided to make a road trip out of it and bring my son as well as a couple friends for a few days to enjoy the cooler temps of the PNW. Getting to ride in the Pacific Northwest in the summer is much better than riding in the Southern California inferno. so thank you Honda for getting us out of Hell’s Kitchen! Here are ten things you need to know after riding the CRF250R up in the pines of Oregon. 

Engine: The 2022 Honda has more bottom to mid range torque, which makes it a much more friendlier vet 250F machine. I am a huge proponent of using third gear in corners and that is one of the reasons why I love the Yamaha YZ250F so much. The Honda is not quite on par with the Yamaha down low, but it is much closer than before. The CRF250R has an exciting low to mid rpm response and pulls far through the top end. It almost has as much top end/over-rev of a KTM 250 SX-F, yet pulls harder down low than the orange bike. If the Yamaha and KTM had a baby, the Honda CRF250R would be born. Its power is a blend of both machines and much more fun to ride than previous red models. The Honda also has more of a free revving feel to it (similar to a KTM) and is easier to get back into the meat of the power if you make a mistake.

Chassis: We all know Honda has one of the best cornering chassis’ out there, but it wouldn’t hurt to get some added compliance and straight line stability from the Honda right? The 2022 gives you a little more of a forgiving feel on throttle while leaning. Think of a time where you need to go wide into a corner and then start angling back to get to the inside. This is where this updated 2022 chassis is better than previous years. I get some added contact feeling on lean angle that I didn’t have with the older chassis, which I find important if you want to keep momentum on a smaller cc’d bike.

Suspension: With the added power and lighter weight the suspension has been revised and to me has slightly more comfort, but that could be some of the newfound chassis comfort talking as well. Even though the Mt. View track wasn’t the best to test suspension on, but I did manage to get a feel of what we think could be a setting to leans toward. The front end wasn’t as soft as I expected it to be for my weight (170), but I did go two clicks stiffer on the fork and this helped keep the front end from diving too much on de-cel. This only worked if I dropped the sag setting to 107mm and turned in the high speed compression in a 1/4 turn. After these adjustments were made the balance of the motorcycle was much improved and the CRF250R settled into corners even better. 

Cooling: The thicker water pump propeller as well as the new radiator louvers cool down the unit much better than the 2021 bike! Not once did I see coolant puking out of any test bikes during the time I was at the introduction. I couldn’t have said that in previous years

Clutch: The nine plate clutch system holds up way better to abuse than the old eight plate system. Don’t tell Honda this but I was more abusive towards the cutch when I went out then I needed to be just so I could see what damage (or heat) I could do to the clutch. It held up fine and the bike was in a constant state of rotating between riders for six hours with minimal fade. I couldn’t say that last year. 

Weight Feeling: With the claimed eight pounds that the 2022 lost, you can definitely feel some of that when you start your lean into corners as well as when you want to stand up around the whole corner. I have always felt like I could stand up more on the Honda than other machines (besides the KTM), but the 2022 just gives me that feeling even more. Maybe this will not grab your attention that much, but it’s nice to have that lightweight feel while trying to maneuver you and your bike in ruts while standing.

Tires: Having Pirelli on an OEM is huge news. Dunlop has dominated OEM’s for years, but with weight in mind, Honda decided to try the Pirelli MX32 Mid-Soft tires n the 250R and they work well. I do wish that the 1.85 rear wheel came equipped with a 2.15 and a 110 rear tire, but I am fine with the performance of the Pirelli. The carcass feel of Pirelli’s rubber absorbs a lot of the track before it gets to your suspension and I like that feeling out here on the west coast. I do know that the Pirelli carcass will not last as long as the Dunlop, but these tires are built on performance, not durability.

2021 Honda CRF250R Baseline Settings/Top Five Mods

My son Aden and I have been riding/racing the 2020 Honda CRF250R for over a year now and since Honda left the 2021 Honda CRF250R unchanged, I decided to get you some notes on some baseline stock settings, as well as some mods that you can do to improve your CRF250R. Some of these settings/mods have evolved since last year as we learned more by going to a wider variety of tracks. 

Suspension: 

In stock form the Showa suspension on the 2020-2021 Honda CRF250R has decent comfort on de-cel bumps, but lacks a little hold up for riders ranging from 160-190 pounds. If you’re over 190 pounds going up a spring rate on each end is your ticket to a better handling CRF250R. After riding with this setting below at more than three different tracks, more than one time around, I figured out that this baseline suspension setting gave the 2020-2021 Honda CRF250R the most “track toughness”. If you happen to feel like the fork is harsher (through the mid stroke) with this setting, simply open up the rebound (faster) back to stock setting. This will help free up the fork slightly under front end load (off-gas). The shock needs just a little more hold up under acceleration so simply going stiffer/slower on low speed compression/rebound gives the rider more comfort and added traction out of corners. I tried experimenting with high speed compression, but the Honda is finicky with high speed. Going stiffer on high speed compression (shock) put too much weight on the front end (fork) creating a harsher feeling front fork.

Fork: 

Height: 3mm (Stock is 5mm)

Compression: 6-7 clicks out (Stock is 9 clicks out)

Rebound: 10 clicks out (Stock is 11 clicks out) 

Shock:

Sag: 102-103mm

High Speed Compression: 2-5/6

Low Speed Compression: 9 clicks out (11 clicks out is stock)

Rebound: 5 clicks out (6 clicks out is stock)

Chassis:

As of right now I prefer the stock engine mounts torqued to the OEM/manual settings. Some bikes react better to aftermarket engine mounts than others and as of right now I feel the best settings (for comfort) come from the stock engine mounts. Another way to get more compliance is to torque the swingarm pivot bolt to 52 ft.lbs. for increased flex/comfort under throttle, while leaning. If you feel like the rear end is planted and doesn't deflect under load on chop please leave it at the OEM/manual torque spec. If you feel like the Honda is standing up through mid corner simply go back up to 5mm on fork height with the above suspension specs to help mid corner lean.

Gearing: 

I went back and forth between the stock 13/48 gearing and 13/49, but ultimately decided on sticking with the 13/49 on softer tracks. Why? I felt the 13/49 gearing made second gear less usable, but helped me get into third gear quicker. If you’re riding a tight track and suffer from bad corner technique going to a 13/49 could benefit you more. Decide which tracks you ride the most and what type of rider you are in order to decide which way to go with your gearing. 

Steering Head Nut:

Do yourself a favor and tighten up the steering head nut a little on the 2020-2021 Honda CRF250R. The steering comes too loose from the factory and can cause some knifing in corners and can give you slight head shake on de-cel. Simply tightening the steering head nut a little makes the Honda’s front end feel more planted (less loose feeling) when performing corners/initial lean/turning the handlebars. This is a simple modification, but really helps the Honda’s ride attitude around the track. Sometimes it’s the simple/easy things in life that make a difference. Dirt bikes are no different. 

ECU Map Switch:

I like map three the best for most tracks around these parts and for more torque out of corners. Even though Honda improved their torque for 2020-2021, it still lacks some pulling power out of corners, compared to the Yamaha. Running the 2020 CRF250R in map three will benefit you the most in this situation. This is my preferred map, but map one is also very usable and can pull pull you farther in second/third gear. 

Clutch:  

Going to a Rekluse Torque Drive Clutch Pack will give you better clutch lever feel as well as clutch life. The engagement of the lever ratio doesn't change, but it lets you put more of that horsepower to the rear wheel, without slipping, when hard on the throttle in soft dirt. This is simply a clutch pack and not the complete system. You use the stock OEM inner, outer, basket clutch pieces with this kit. 

Cooling:

I am not going to sit here and say that Honda fixed ALL of their cooling issues with the radiator change they made for 2020-2021. The Honda CRF250R still runs hot and will puke some radiator coolant out of the overflow when riding in the higher RPM’s during a long moto (20-30 minutes). Just keep an eye on your coolant level if you’re riding in hot an or deep sandy conditions. I had to add a little coolant to the radiator on longer, hotter days here in Southern California. Don’t be lazy and you’ll be fine. Oh and don’t sit there in the pits, talking to your buddies while your CRF250R idles. IT WILL PUKE OUT COOLANT! See below for a band aid fix. 

Another Inexpensive Way To Get Less Rigidity:

Renthal Fatbars come stock on all CRF’s and while we like the strength/bend of the new bar, I still feel like they are stiff on slap down landings/square edge. Going to a Pro Taper EVO handlebar will take away some rigidity as well as give you less vibration to your hands. The 4mm wall thickness of the Pro Taper EVO bar is something I have tested back to back against the Renthal Fatbar. Even if you painted both bars black and sent me on a blind test, I would come back within a lap and tell you which bar was which. It’s that noticeable. If you like the stock bar bend try the Pro Taper EVO SX Race bend as that is the closest bend to the stock 839 Honda Fatbar. 

Renthal 839 Fatbar    (L) 802 (H) 91 (R) 51 (S) 51 (mm)

Pro Taper SX Race    (L) 800 (H) 87 (R) 54 (S) 54 (mm)

Top Five Mods:

Clutch:

Going to a Rekluse Torque Drive Clutch Pack will give you better clutch lever feel as well as clutch life. The engagement of the lever ratio doesn’t change, but it lets you put more of that horsepower to the rear wheel, without slipping, when hard on the throttle in soft dirt. This is simply a clutch pack and not the complete system. You use the stock OEM inner, outer, basket clutch pieces with this kit. 

Steering Head Nut:

Do yourself a favor and tighten up the steering head nut a little on the 2020-2021 Honda CRF250R. The steering comes too loose from the factory and can cause some knifing in corners and can give you slight head shake on de-cel. Simply tightening the steering head nut a little makes the Honda’s front end feel more planted (less loose feeling) when performing corners/initial lean/turning the handlebars. This is a simple modification, but really helps the Honda’s ride attitude around the track. Sometimes it’s the simple/easy things in life that make a difference. Dirt bikes are no different. 

Chassis:

Just like I mentioned above, I think the stock engine mounts are the best for feel on the track, but you can drill a 5mm hole in the middle of the top engine mounts if you still feel like you need more chassis compliance on square edge choppy tracks. This is a “FREE” mod that does help! I have learned this with the 2020 Honda CRF450R and this can also apply to the CRF250R

Boyesen Supercooler Kits:

The Boyesen Supercooler flows more water than the stock water pump on the 2020-2021 Honda CRF250R. Boyesen has been working on water pumps since the 90’s and the switch to four-strokes has only made Boyesen’s effort more important. The Honda CRF250R runs very hot. The Boyesen Supercooler can reduce engine temperatures by as much as ten degrees, as confirmed by tests at Team Geico Honda. How does the Supercooler achieve this? Hydrodynamics. Boyesen’s investment-cast aluminum water pump cover has bigger water inlets, a sculpted design, no casting seams, less restrictive corners, a more efficient impeller and less cavitation. Stock water pumps aren’t very hydrodynamic. Their internal shape and impeller can create excessive amounts of air bubbles in the coolant. Air bubbles lessen not only coolant flow, but the amount of coolant per cubic gallon. Boyesen’s Nautilus-shaped cover and impeller increase pump capacity. Boyesen’s water inlet has an increasing diameter and curved shape. This is a big improvement over most stock inlets, which decrease in diameter as they near the impeller and have a 90-degree bend at the pump. Boyesen’s patented impeller design is 25 percent more efficient at moving water than the stock Honda CRF250R design. While I don’t get much overheating in Southern California dirt, I have experienced some of those problems in deeper east coast dirt. Installing this Boyesen product has relieved some of the heat stress on the Honda and has allowed me to go more than one moto without having to add coolant to the Honda’s radiator. 

Yoshimura/FMF Muffler Systems:

Either one of these systems will give an increase in mid range pulling power (compared to stock) as well as some added low end recovery. The FMF has more snap off the bottom than the Yoshimura system, but the Yosh system will give you a little more mid range meat. Compared to the stock system either one of these systems is an improvement to me. The FMF mufflers are considerably louder than the stock system and the Yosh mufflers have a deeper tone in comparison to the stockers. For the money that you will spend on mufflers just know that you will NOT be getting a drastic change in overall power character. Both of these systems alter the engine character some, but don’t expect it to be a mind blowing experience after bolting either one of these systems on. Some motorcycles react better to aftermarket muffler systems than others. 

** Aden (my son) preferred the FMF system on his race bike as he felt more excitement from the FMF system compared to the Yosh system. 

Optional More Expensive Way To Get More Pulling Power:

The Vortex ignition mapped by XPR Motorsports or Twisted Development will give you more low end grunt as well as a pulling power that will increase the length of each gear. The maps that Chad at XPR and Jamie at Twisted have created will allow the rider to lug a little more without the Honda falling off as easy (AKA, more recovery). The down side is that it will cost you around $800.00 to get this mod. However, the plus side to this mod is that it will give you more overall pulling power than an aftermarket muffler system. 

Race Tech Re-Valved Suspension: If you’re looking to get your suspension re-valved for your ability and weight, Race Tech has great settings for Honda CRF’s. Some of the best suspension that I have tried on any late model Honda has been Race Tech. The stock Showa suspension is very good, but for my 170 pound frame it can be a little soft. Getting the Honda re-sprung as well as adding Gold Valves to my fork/shock has dramatically improved how I can push around the track when it gets rough. This mod is not for everyone as some can simply get away with stock suspension, but for those that are competitive and want to push harder into corners, Race Tech can be a great option for you Showa bump sticks.

If you have any questions about this test or the Honda CRF250R please feel free to email me at kris@keeferinctesting.com