PHO

TOS

BY S

COTT

HO

FFM

AN

ith dirt bike prices knocking on $10,000, market forces are calling for a bike such as the SSR Motor sports SR250. Nev-er heard of it? Unless you’ve been a fan of Chinese-made minibikes and side-by-side ATVs, you probably haven’t, which isn’t surprising, but the SR250’s $3,699 retail price certainly is.

At first glance, the SR looks like a close facsimile of Honda’s CRF250X, alumi-num chassis and all. Power is provided by a nondescript four-stroke single that likely

serves duty in a multitude of other Chinese offerings.

Build quality is better than expected, though you can tell it isn’t quite as polished as the Japanese model it mimics. Electric starting brings the SR to life, while engine response is amaz-ingly peppy for a bike with a non-pumper carburetor. The cable-actuated clutch’s pull is a little heavy, but the engagement is smooth. First gear is low enough for trail riding, and the spread of the five transmission ratios is wide—a little more than

typical for a 250. Power is plentiful for pulling through the transmission gaps, but the bike revs a bit slowly, lacking the snappy and ag-gressive response of 250cc motocross bikes.

The front end feels raked out but provides a stable ride, which should be comforting to novices. Suspension is set up on the stiff side, but you can jump this bike and not worry about the landings, unlike with most other bikes in this price range.

Swapping out the heavy CST tires would improve

handling, while a couple of other small mods would transform the bike into a solid-performing machine. The SR250 already comes with an aluminum skid plate, but add a spark arrestor and the bike is ready for the trail. Other minor mods that would help would be a new seat (stock is too soft), grips, and better control levers.

However you feel about Chinese bikes, the SR250 is a fun motorcycle at a very at-tractive price, and it performs at a level typical of machines costing much more.

SSR MOTORSPORTS SR250Budget Berm Blaster By Jimmy Lewis

CW F I R ST R I D E

I G N I T I O N F I R S T R I D E

W

SSR MOTORSPORTS SR250

ENGINE T YPEsohc s ingle

DISPL ACEMENT250cc

FUEL C APACIT Y1 .7 gal .

SE AT HEIGHT38.0 in .

CL AIMED DRY WEIGHT260 lb .

PRICE$3,699

BERM SHOT:The SSR

SR250 blends

capable power and

handling with an

affordable price tag.

AMERICA’S LEADING MOTORCYCLE MAGAZINE

Posted with permission from Cycle World, April 2014. Copyright © Bonnier Publications. All rights reserved.#C27773 Managed by The YGS Group, 800.290.5460. For more information visit www.theYGSgroup.com/content.

APRIL 2014CYCLEWORLD.COM