No, I wasn't referring to the fourstroke 250F and 400/426/450F......I was referring to the 1998 YZ250 and 2002 YZ250.

The CRF450 uses a GenIII frame.....it will also have this frame for 2003. Only the CR125 and CR250 got the GenIV.....so far anyway.

I would figure that the new CRF250R will get the GenIV, but no one will know for sure for two more months.

 

CRF250R?? i know they will have one, but there's nothing on their web site showing this bike. i'm not disagreeing with you, just saying that 2-strokes are gonna be extinct, sooner or later, but one things for sure these new four strokes aren't as hard hitting as the 2-strokes, but they do get more traction

 

Rincon,
If you think the 4 stokes don't have a hit, you haven't put you azz on the YZ426. When you get it off idle a ways it hits like a sledge hammer and pulls to the moon. It's no drag ported banshee motor or a 125 two stroke, but it's hits and hard. The trend in 4 strokes is to take that hit and mellow it so the traction is better, as anyone in the know can tell you...it's hard to go anywhere when you're just spinning your tires. The mfgs have been trying to take the "hit" out of 2-strokes for years and broaden the powerband with the use of powervalves, as far as I know every mx bike out there has one, with the exception of the now-defunct CR500 that Honda foolishly stopped producing (I guess they know better than me on this one). Even the Kawasaki T4 had one back in the day..another 15 year old quad that would spank anything but a Cdale or MAYBE a shee. I love 2 strokes and would love to see a two stroke quad, like a 2003 Honda TRX250R with an up to date motor and super light weight componentry coming in around 220-30lbs wet, but I don't see that happening. A four stroke motor can be made have a hard hit and huge peak horsepower, but that is opposite of what makes a fast machine. When you tune a 4 stroke for peak HP only it's peaky and has a huge hit, like a 2 stroke.

 

a four stroke is more of a mellow hit, I know the 426, now 450F, hits hard, but not like a two stroke. the four stroke produces more tractable power, like you said. the CR 500 was too big and awkward to use in tight MX tracks, it was just too much. My brothers CR hit's harder than any four stroke, the 4 stroke hits this way because of the way a 4 stroke motor works. the same as the RC-51, it's a big twin superbike, which hits like a YZF, and the CBR, which hits like the CR250.

 

Before you say the CR500 is too much, you should take into account that many of them seldom, if ever, see a mx track. You can lug a big 2 stoke like its a four stroke. These motors turn maybe 6-7000rpms max in stock form. Its the best of both worlds, you can lug it or run it out (if ya got the seeds to run it out)

 

I thought this was a ATV forum. Although I would enjoy discussing dirt bikes, I will answer this in the form of ATV's. Kawasaki & Suzuki have the best lineup hands down. This is only the beginning of their killer come back. They have put their money to good use, and as long as they continue to kick @$$, I will be a customer. I love Kawasaki & I bought a CR dirt bike because Kaw had fallen behind in the moto war. I think by '04 they will be back in the race. I plan to purchase a KX when they get back to kicking @$$. For now, I will keep my '01 CR. I think it is the best 250 to date!

 

Sorry to get off topic.

 

a little bike talk will never hurt anyone. that's what i meant the CR500 is more suited for enduro ride'n