I would like to know how these two compare in performance (acceleration, top speed, wheelie's, ect...), jumping ability, and reliability. I would like to know because I will be turning 16 in a year and 1/2, and am saving all my money to buy a dirtbike to convert to an on/off road motorcycle via Baja Designs, as I've always wanted to do this. Just so everyone knows, I used to have a fully-moded xr200 (which would blow a 400ex out of the water), so the dirtbike transition isn't an issue. Needless to say, top speed is an issue as it is going to be an on/off road bike. I will use it as my main source of transportation, except for in the winter, and in the rain.

P.S. I'm used to the attention dual-sporters recieve, but I guess anyone who drives a bright green moped with chrome everything (wheels, handlebars, ect...) and a straight pipe would be.

 

I have a 91' XR250R and it does 70MPH or so stock, I can hang with all my friends with CR500R's with it, just huge hill climbs is the only power drawback. I would put the baja designs steet kit on yours and put a one tooth larger front sprocket and hit the pavement!

 

You're not even remotely implying that a stock XR250 is ANYWHERE near the same power level that a CR500 develops even at idle, are you?

 

An XR 250 hanging with a CR 500??? Maybe in the very, very tightest of woods. An XR won't even hang with a CR125 in a drag or MX race. Either that or the CR rider is totally inept.

 

thats all we have around here is tight woods, but even on gravel roads my friends on CR250's and 500's hammer it and get to 55MPH or so(as fast as the loose gravel allows) alot faster than me, but I never am more than 200 feet behind. and yes, rider skill plays a roll

 

A few buddies of mine and I bought a '86 CR500 for $400 recently. It runs but needs work. The kickstart is broken on it and the pipe is dented all to hell. Took it riding the other day in spite of this. Basically, I never got the thing past 3rd gear and it scared the hell out of me the entire time. Waaaaaay more power than I needed or expected. lol I can't imagine what that thing is going to be like when we tune it and install the new pipe. An XR250 sounds pretty good to me actually....LOL

The funniest part was I had to keep the bike running because it was so hard to get it started without the kickstarter.....kinda hard to drop start in sand after all.....

I was completely wore out by that bike.

Regards,

MrMan

 

Sorry to say, but the XR250R will lose to a CR80.
XR250R isn't made for dragracing or mxin'. In fact, I don't know what it is made for. Maybe just plain riding. Chillin' down the trails. Good power is in the big 250R. But, not enough for a fat guy like me. I had a '86 XR250. Which is the same as the '91 XR. They were unchanged from '86-'90 and still didn't get changed enough to care. Even to this day!

But, I would get the XR250R over the 400EX ANYDAY.

 

honda has been trying to tame down the CR500R ever since they came out with that motor in late 85' The 85 to 87 modles had the power hit like a light switch, everything all at once or nothing at all! I had a 98' CR500R for a year or so and while you could dig a trench down every strait away I find after a few hours the XR is way more fun to ride and is so stupidly easy to handle that I can ride it just as fast in the tight stuff and still have energy to do the night ride I wasnt implying that the XR can be right next to the CR on a strait away, my friends leave me with a lap full of 4" rock every ride...but when they get in the tight stuff, wreck or run out of fuel (major problem on long rides with motocross bikes) My XR is in the lead again

 

JRM,

What you say/said makes sense and I wasn't doubting you. I gave up on open classers a few years ago (I had a 97 KX500). I personally go alot faster around a track on my KX250 than I used to on my KX5. The big bore wears you out from the vibration and from the shear terror of all that power. Mine would load up and foul a plug quickly when I rode in the woods since I wasn't man enough to keep it on the pipe.

If you drag race and you have traction, however, every other bike around takes a backseat to an open class two stroke.