Year of the Splash
YEAR OF THE SPLASH
NEW FOR '91
1991 MOTOCROSSERS: DAY-GLO DAYS AHEAD
WHAT A DECADE. THE LAST 10 years have added one outrageous chapter after another to the Great Book of Motocross History. It was the decade of liquid-cooling, disc brakes, progressive-rate suspension, exhaust-control devices, upside-down forks and on and on. So now that 1991 is right around the corner, what new chapter will be added? Well, 1991 may well be remembered as the year that motocross became fashion conscious.
In short, 1991 will be the Year of Graphics. Actually, Kawasaki started it earlier this year with splashes of pulsating pink highlighting the cur rent KX line. Now Suzuki, Honda and Yamaha have joined in with pig ments that comic books would be bashful about. We have wild YZs, scintillating CRs and arresting RMs.
HONDA
Honda was in the driver's seat in 1990. The entire CR line worked, and everyone knew it. But that didn't stop everyone from complaining, anyway. The suspension was the weak point on all three full-size models. So Honda made an unusual move by switching from Showa rear shocks to new Kayaba units-unusual, because the forks still are made by Showa, although they’ve been redesigned. The only significant engine change is the use of later-model Keihin carburetors. Little else is different on the 250, but the CR 125 and 500 both get the larger airbox that was new on the 250 in 1990. Honda probably has the least changed MX lineup to come out of Japan. But that's really not very surprising. Frankly, the CRs didn’t need much.
KAWASAKI
This year, Kawasaki hogged the spot-light with the perimeter frames that came on the KX250 and 125. For next year, the KXs are laying low, waiting to see if anyone else will follow. So far, no one has; not even Kawasaki: The KX500 still has a conventional frame. But all three full-size KXs did get larger-diameter Kayaba forks, stronger front brakes and lighter wheels. Additionally, the 125 and 250 got stronger swingarms, lighter subframes and digital ignitions. Both models are claimed to have broader powerbands. The 125 got a revised rear-suspension rising-rate ratio and the 250 got a new exhaust. None of this is earth-shattering news. But the way Kawasaki looks at it, the company did enough earth shattering in 1990 to last for a while.
SUZUKI
Not to be accused of copy-cat designing, Suzuki went from a Kayaba rear shock to a Showa, while Honda did the exact opposite. Up front, Suzuki also made the switch, so both the RM 125 and RM250 have Showa suspension all the way around for 1991. Both models have a number of changes in the engine departments, as well. Suzuki’s exhaust-control devices have been altered, each bike’s dual radiators now are connected in parallel, rather than in series, pistons are lighter and the shifting mechanisms are changed. And on the 250, the reed valve now is a four-petal design, rather than a six-petal type. Odds and ends that are different on both bikes include new brake rotors and new swingarms. And, as for the past five years, the Open-classer isn’t changed—there isn’t one.
YAMAHA
For the first time in years, Yamaha had a good season in professional motocross. Factory hotshoe Damon Bradshaw has won a lot of races in 1990, and Yamaha claims to have learned a lot during the season, using that knowledge to make the new YZs better. The 250 gets a longer stroke and a smaller bore for 1991, as well as a reshaped combustion chamber and a new exhaust system. Likewise, the power-producing parts of the 125 have been revamped, with new porting and a different powervalve system. Both models get a new shifter mechanism and new suspension. As for the 490? Well, it finally ran out of rope. It had remained in the line, unchanged, for years. But for 1991, no new 490s will be imported, although big-bore fans should be able to find leftovers easily enough.
But beneath all the magenta and lavender, there are no startling new inventions; only details have been changed. And frankly, that might be a good thing. In past years, the overwhelming drive to produce radically different gadgets didn't always result in better products. But now, the marketing departments seem to be happy with new color schemes, and that might leave the engineers free to improve on the designs already in use. Refinement rather than changing just for the sake of change usually is a good trade-off.
At least that’s the theory. Whether or not it works in reality remains to be seen. For now, you can look. We’ll touch later.
