cycle.news
MikeLaRocco_B
Honda Factory Connection Racing Machines
"The new bike is awesome," says Mike LaRocco. "I didn't realize there was this much room for improvement because the bikes were good last year, but the first time I rode a production 2000 CR250R I could go into a turn 5 or 10 feet inside where I could on last year's race bike." In fact, LaRocco figures the new-from-the-dirt-up 2000 CR's higher performance may be exactly what he needs to put a number one plate on next year's bike.
The new CR250R really is new from the dirt up. From details such as a new Pro-Link¨ suspension linkage that's 3.5 ounces lighter to a 16-bit digital processor in the ignition system that calculates the engine's spark data faster and more accurately, every detail of the latest CR has been honed to exemplify the cutting edge of modern motocross technology. The twin-spar aluminum frame and swingarm that shocked the motocross world in 1997 have been totally reworked for 2000, creating an entirely re-tuned package that puts rigidity right where it's needed. The result is a chassis that responds precisely to the rider's command. In the power department, all-new porting specs in the 249cc, liquid-cooled two-stroke engine along with optimized intake and exhaust parameters, improve low- and mid-rpm power delivery for vastly improved acceleration everywhere on the track.
According to a codicil of the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) rulebook added in 1992, the racing machines fans see on the track every week must be based on production motorcycles. The idea is to keep racing less expensive and more accessible, leveling the playing field for grass-roots competitors and factory teams alike. As an added benefit, lessons learned on the race track trickle down more directly to the production CR125Rs and CR250Rs sold at local Honda dealers.
LaRocco's mechanic, Paul Dellaurier, is allowed to make a series of subtle modifications to Mike's bikes, such that the finished product doesn't weigh less than the AMA's prescribed 216-pound minimum. LaRocco's CR250R makes upward of 50 horsepower in racing trim.
So what's it like out on the track? "I raced the standard 2000 CR250R in Germany and again in Japan before the U.S. Supercross season, and it has no negatives. Our race bikes are better for me, but the fact that I'm comfortable with it right out of the box is a big bonus. What's best about the new bike is that the chassis is forgiving enough to let you set the front end stiff, which I like for attacking the track. This year I can set-up that way and still be able to turn the bike the way I want to," LaRocco says.
MikeLaRocco_B
Honda Factory Connection Racing Machines
"The new bike is awesome," says Mike LaRocco. "I didn't realize there was this much room for improvement because the bikes were good last year, but the first time I rode a production 2000 CR250R I could go into a turn 5 or 10 feet inside where I could on last year's race bike." In fact, LaRocco figures the new-from-the-dirt-up 2000 CR's higher performance may be exactly what he needs to put a number one plate on next year's bike.
The new CR250R really is new from the dirt up. From details such as a new Pro-Link¨ suspension linkage that's 3.5 ounces lighter to a 16-bit digital processor in the ignition system that calculates the engine's spark data faster and more accurately, every detail of the latest CR has been honed to exemplify the cutting edge of modern motocross technology. The twin-spar aluminum frame and swingarm that shocked the motocross world in 1997 have been totally reworked for 2000, creating an entirely re-tuned package that puts rigidity right where it's needed. The result is a chassis that responds precisely to the rider's command. In the power department, all-new porting specs in the 249cc, liquid-cooled two-stroke engine along with optimized intake and exhaust parameters, improve low- and mid-rpm power delivery for vastly improved acceleration everywhere on the track.
According to a codicil of the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) rulebook added in 1992, the racing machines fans see on the track every week must be based on production motorcycles. The idea is to keep racing less expensive and more accessible, leveling the playing field for grass-roots competitors and factory teams alike. As an added benefit, lessons learned on the race track trickle down more directly to the production CR125Rs and CR250Rs sold at local Honda dealers.
LaRocco's mechanic, Paul Dellaurier, is allowed to make a series of subtle modifications to Mike's bikes, such that the finished product doesn't weigh less than the AMA's prescribed 216-pound minimum. LaRocco's CR250R makes upward of 50 horsepower in racing trim.
So what's it like out on the track? "I raced the standard 2000 CR250R in Germany and again in Japan before the U.S. Supercross season, and it has no negatives. Our race bikes are better for me, but the fact that I'm comfortable with it right out of the box is a big bonus. What's best about the new bike is that the chassis is forgiving enough to let you set the front end stiff, which I like for attacking the track. This year I can set-up that way and still be able to turn the bike the way I want to," LaRocco says.