1980 XT250 Review

By Naaman



The first dirt bike I ever had was a Yamaha 1980 XT250 It was the time that Yamaha made things that never stopped and it runs to this day. This dirt bike is the thing that people would be use to have adventure on groomed trails for rides or for fun in the mountains. The suspension is good and its tires are older but they work and it has passenger pegs that helps beginners to see how it is to have a nice ride.

1989 XR250R review by Tanner

THE GOLD STANDARD

BY TANNER

     The Honda XR has been the top of its class for a long time. They were built to be a reliable, comfortable, trail worthy machine. I truly believe that Honda succeeded in creating one of the best trail bike in history. To this day you will see these 25 year old bikes keeping up with the modern day race machines. The XR250R boasts a 250cc air cooled 4 stroke RFVC engine, which produces a peak horsepower of roughly 27 ponies stock. Though it may not accelerate as fast as a modern bike, it will torque and tear it's way through most any terrain. This is a great beginner/intermediate bike for a large rider. The suspension is stiff in the back and soft in the front. You will most likely need to adjust the rear to meet your size. this bike has an unfortunately heavy feel. At a 240lb dry, it can drain the energy out of your arms in a hurry. Though it may sound like a slow pig, it really is a pretty aggressive bike. If you want a do it all, inexpensive, trail machine that can easily be made into a dual sport bike, this is the bike for you. These are specs from Total motorcycle.com, they claim it has disk brakes in the back, this may be true for some, but mine does not have that.

 1989 Honda XR250R

Manufacturer - Make - Model - Year: Honda XR 250 R 1989
Motorcycle Style: Dual-Sport

Engine Type: 249 cc, 4-Stroke, Air Cooled, Single
Engine Bore and Stroke: 73 mm x 59.5 mm
Compression Ratio: 10.2:1
Valves OHC, 2 valves/cylinder
Carburetion: PD05A
Ignition System: CDI type magnetic Ignition System:
Claimed Horsepower: 30 hp (22.4 kW) @ 8000 rpm
Maximum Torque: 24.5 Nm (18.7 ft. lbs) @ 7000 rpm

Transmission type: 6 speed
Final Drive: Chain

Tire - Front: 80/100-21
Tire - Rear: 110/100-18
Brakes - Front: single disc with 2-piston calipers
Brakes - Rear: single disc with 1-piston calipers

Overall - Length: 2100 mm (82.7 inches)
Overall - Width: 910 mm (35.8 inches)
Overall - Height: 1225 mm (48.2 inches)
Seat Height: 925 mm (36.4 inches)
Wheelbase 1425 mm (56.1 inches)
Fuel Capacity: 9 l (2.4 Gal)
Dry Weight (without fluids): 108 kg (238.1 pounds)
Total motorcycle

The XR250R set the standard for air cooled 4 strokes for over 20 years. In my mind, they are the gold standard for trail bikes.

2008 Honda CRF 150R

By Sam

The CRF 150r is a great bike for riders interested in motocross and also contributes as a great trail bike. Its 4 stroke motor gives it really good torque and low end power which is great for climbing hills. This bike is really good for riders looking for a lot of power in a smaller frame.

Being 5'10 I feel this bike is a little too small, but is still fun to ride. I bought this bike 3 years ago and eventually outgrew it. I would say it would fit a 5'6 rider perfect but anyone around that size would still be able to ride it competivly.

This bike in my opinion is the best of it's class, and is also the only 4 stroke running in it. Compared to the 85cc (2strokes).

Model:	CRF150RB-Expert / CRF150R
Engine Type:	149cc liquid-cooled single-cylinder four-stroke
Bore and Stroke:	66mm x 43.7mm
Compression ratio:	11.7:1
Valve Train:	Unicam, four-valve; 26mm intake, steel; 22.5mm exhaust, steel
Induction:	Keihin 32mm flat slide with throttle position sensor (TPS)
Ignition:	Solid-state CD with electronic advance
Transmission:	Close-ratio five-speed
Final Drive:	#420 chain; 15T/56T(CRF150RB-Expert) / #420 chain; 15T/50T (CRF150R)
Suspension	Front: 37mm fully adjustable leading-axle inverted Showa cartridge fork; 10.8 inches travel Rear: Pro-Link fully adjustable Showa single shock; 11.5 inches travel (CRF150RB-Expert) / 10.8 inches travel (CRF150R)
Brakes	Front: Single 220mm disc Rear: Single 190mm disc
Tires	Front: 70/100-19 (CRF150RB-Expert) / 70/100-17 (CRF150R) Rear: 90/100-16 (CRF150RB-Expert) / 90/100-14 (CRF150R)
Wheelbase:	50.6 inches (CRF150RB-Expert) / 49.6 inches (CRF150R)
Rake (Caster angle):	27o48' (CRF150RB-Expert) / 27o02' (CRF150R)
Trail:	96mm (3.85 inches) (CRF150RB-Expert) / 78mm (3.07 inches) (CRF150R)
Seat Height:	34.1 inches (CRF150RB-Expert) / 32.8 inches (CRF150R)
Ground Clearance:	13.2 inches (CRF150RB-Expert) / 11.9 inches (CRF150R)
Fuel Capacity:	1.14 gallons
Color:	Red

VITAL-MX

2003 Honda XR 100R Dirt Bike Review

                          

by Josh

This is my first bike which I bought in the fall of 2009 when I was 12 years old.  It is a small motocross bike that is great for beginner and intermediate riders.  I still own this bike because I plan to keep it for my little brother and because my friends and I still like to ride it around.  The size of this bike is best for about a 5' tall kid, but my 6' tall friends and I ride it without any problems. I really enjoyed this bike until my skill level started to outgrow the bike and I didn't think I could advance any further with it.  

For a 4 stroke this bike has a lot of bottom end power along with decent top end power. 

I bought this bike for $1,000 and spent about $20 to get it jetted.  It usually starts on the first or second kick.  For a 4-stroke, this bike has a lot of bottom-end power along with decent top-end power. After three years, it still runs like a top and like most XR's, it will probably keep running like this for 20 more years.  

Here are the specs on my bike from the MOTOPROFI website:

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION
Model ID
Manufacturer (Make)	Honda
Model Name	XR 100 R
Year	2003
Category(class)	Motocross / Dirtbike
Engine
Engine Capacity (Displacement)	99.2 ccm (6.05 cubic inches)
Engine Type	1 cylinder
Bore x Stroke	Ø53.0 mm x 45.0 mm (Ø2.09 inches x 1.77 inches)
Bore/Stroke Ratio	1.18
Stroke	4
Powertrain
Gearbox	5 speed
Chassis/Suspension/Brakes
Front Brakes	Drum
Rear Brakes	Drum
Dimensions
Overall Length	1899 mm (74.76 inches)
Overall Width	816 mm (32.13 inches)
Seat Height	775 mm (30.51 inches)
Dry Weight	75 kg (165 lb)
Fuel Capacity	5.6 litres (1.48 gallons)
Performance
Top Speed	-
Acceleration (dart, speedup) time
·  0-100 km/h	-
·  0-60 mph	-
·  1/4 mile	-
·  60 to 140 km/h, highest gear	-

Overall, the Honda XR100R is a great bike for its price, which I would recommend for beginner and intermediate riders who are looking for some fun at an inexpensive price. 

Dirt bike review of 1981 DT100 from Tanner

By Tanner

As I explained in my bio, my first bike was a 1981 Yamaha dt100. The DT100 was a small dual sport bike that for some reason runs for a very long time. It has a 100cc 2 stroke air cooled engine, dual suspension in the rear, and sometimes features lights, signals, and a horn. The frame is definitely built for the little guys. the seat height is much lower than your average 100cc. Though it it small and has dual suspension, it rides pretty well. This is no a race bike, but it will pull you around. The bike is pretty heavy by today's standards, somewhere around 200lb, but it feels like a feather while riding. The bike has an oil injector, which I found to be a pro. Being a 2 stroke, the power is very exciting in the power band, and frustrating everywhere else. This bike will pop wheelies all day long, but unless you are child sized, the hills will be a problem. This bike is a classic that can do everything on a budget. I bought my bike for $250, and it is still running strong for my friends little brother. If you are looking for a cheap way to get your child into the sport, I would recommend this. Most of the DT100s left are collectors bikes, the bikes that have been used for street or that have never been used. These collector bike are much more expensive. As with all bikes of this age, you are taking a risk when you buy one, you don't know how much longer it will run. This bike is perfect for a small person who rides roads and some dirt, or for a beginner. I hope that this answered some questions and please post your kind comments and further questions.  

specs at a glance.

size-small, OK for anyone under 6'

power-Great in the power band, lacking much torque

suspension-OK for age, not for jumping or fast riding, only has a few inches of travel

weight- 200lb but feels light when riding

reliability-Mine was a first kick start every time, depends on condition.

overall thoughts- Great little beginner bike, take care of it and your little guys can ride in forever.

smaller red bike is DT100.