Honda’s Ricky Carmichael and Yamaha’s Chad Reed, apparently, intend to ride 250cc two-strokes in the upcoming AMA Outdoor National Motocross series beginning next month. Both Honda and Yamaha manufacture excellent four-stroke 450cc motocross machines, but their star riders prefer to ride the two-strokes. Why is this?
Although Yamaha’s Doug Henry won a 250 Outdoor title on the YZ400F several years ago, it is no secret that both Honda and Yamaha would love to win another AMA Outdoor National 250 Motocross championship with one of their four-stroke 450s. Indeed, the number of Honda-supported CRF450Rs going to the line in May should be half a dozen, or so (including the one ridden by Kevin Windham).
With the coming sales war in the 250cc four-stroke motorcross market (Honda, Kawasaki and Suzuki all join Yamaha in this market this coming year), Yamaha would undoubtedly covet a four-stroke Outdoor title in the small-bore class this year, as well.
So far, with the exception of Henry’s championship, the two-strokes rule outdoors. When will this change? When Ricky, Chad and Bubba get comfortable on four-strokes? How soon will that be?
It will be interesting to watch these three riders, in particular, and see which one takes the leap into the four-stroke pool first. Ultimately, a manufacturer values a championship (whether achieved on a two-stroke or a four-stroke) more than anything else, but the Japanese manufacturers want their star riders winning on four-strokes as soon as possible. This is where the market is going (emissions’ regulations may largely kill two-strokes in the near future, except for closed course use).
