Tornado Review

When I began looking into doing my trip, I realised how little information there was regarding this particular bike, the Honda 250cc XR-Tornado, in terms of real life reviews. So, here we are, 6 months after the first stint of my trip (the bike is currently awaiting my return in a storage container in Mexico), and i'm writing a review I really should have put together over a year ago.

The Rider  

You could skip straight the the review if you like - however, to better understand my choices I thought it would be beneficial for you to read a brief summary of my background.

I have a road riding and enduro background. This was very handy in determining the bike I wanted; I wanted as a dirt bike, no question there. My reasoning was:

1/ I enjoy riding off road more than I do on road;
2/ There would be zero restrictions on my route due to bike choice; plus id be getting myself in less of a pickle because my bike, as I found out can pretty much ride over anything;
3/ I knew I could pick it up (trust me - I needed to), being 5ft5 and 60kg, I really cant pick up that many bikes without giving myself a hernia, and

4/ I know some mech stuff (seriously not much) about these particular bikes as I use to own the 400 and I did my first dirt bike trip in Morocco on the 250, so I've got good personal experience with the XRs - mostly being you can throw them on the ground.. alot.. and they always get up and go again.. unless you’re very unlucky that is..

In the beginning

I arrived in Santiago in January 2014. Having done my research, I knew I could buy the XR- Tornado NEW in Chile - now Brasilian made (with Japanese parts) even though though the last year the bike was sold in my home country (Australia at the time) was 2006. I was excited because a brand spanking bike goes for the equivalent of 5000USD in Chile (did I mention Chile was the cheapest country in SA to buy this bike? This is related to the super high taxes throughout the remaining countries as I learnt from various mechanics along the way).

I was still open to options though - the 400cc Falcon caught my attention until I saw the (physical) size of it and the face that it was less dirt bikey than the Tornado (being lower and bulkier). I checked out a few second hand bikes too. There was a Suzuki DR 250 available plus other Tornados - but they were really not far from the price of a new model which came with the benefits of free services/ breakdown cover/ warranty etc).

The universe conspired to help me and after maybe 2/3 days, I saw the bike in the first (and closest) bike shop I went into. Also the manager in there spoke perfect english which was a relief after id prepared myself for a long and arduous task of google translating ALOT of words. So, really not believing my good fortune myself, I forced myself to look in some more shops (as we do) just so I could prove that id seen the best thing in the first shop. I went back the next day and test rode it then told them id take it.

Id bought what they call a 'semi-nuevo moto' for 4600 USD - nearly new, with only 500 km on the speedo as some guy had took it back and replaced it with the Falcon. Lucky me..

I think the whole paperwork business took a couple weeks - the bike shop took care of it whilst I went to Spanish school.

The bike shop was called Colvin and Colvin, located at Las Condes, Santiago and they were fantastic. I took friends there in months later, and between us we all had services, tyres, electrics sorted on our respective bikes. I also stayed friends with the manager throughout and after my trip.

Bike specification

Engine	249cc DOHC, Single Cylinder 4 Stroke, 23HP, 2.42 torque
Weight	134kg (dry), 144kg (wet)
Induction	Carburettor
Wheels tyres	120/80-18 rear, 90/90-21 front
Brakes	Hydraulic Single Disc 240mm/ 130mm Drum
Front forks	Telescopic fork, 245mm
Rear shock	High seat: Prolink 242mm
LxWxH	2,147mm x 845mm x 1,203mm
Wheelbase	1,427mm
Ground clearance	281mm
Seat Height	High seat: 880mm
Tank size	11.5
Gears	6
Starter	Electric – no kickstart
Cooling System	Air/ Oil

Seat height: I left the bike 'as standard', I thought id see how I went with the height (id had my previous XR-400 dropped but but that does require a replacement shocky for a lighter rider as most bikes are set to the 'standard' 80kg rider (its not as simple as just winding down the rear shock as it is on most dirt bikes proper). The height turned out fine - my legs are 30'' on the inside and with a pair of enduro boots on, I could get my tiptoes on the ground both sides. Id just sit with one flat foot and my arse hung off the seat when I was stopped.


Tyres: The tyres are a dual compound Michelin brand which were great on and off road, maybe not so much on sticky red jungle mud but you cant have it all. Most of my off road riding was hard pack dirt (clay/ silt/ sand/ gravel) with loose or insitu rocks. I encountered some loose/ deep sand and gravel riding which (don’t we all dislike that stuff?!) was somewhat snakey on but I think most tyres will be.
I ran the tyres between 11 and 23psi, altering this sometimes daily, depending on the terrain, I carried a stick reader and an mini air inflator that hooks into my battery and USB charger.

 

Performance off-road

The performance of the bike itself never failed to amaze me - it would literally ride over anything, comfortably, bearing in mind I wasn’t enduro riding proper, I was adventure riding with a bike full of kit and generally - alone, so I didn’t hit anything too wild or fast like I would do back home, although I had my fair share of 'hmm, really? or 'holy crap, really?' situations. The bike performed flawlessly on everything I rode. The suspension, brakes and power delivery were just spot on - I had some stacks yes but those im putting down to coming too hot into tight corners on slidey surfaces - after which, the bike got up and rode away (apart from the Colombian stack, where I smashed the mirrors, indicators and bent the bars - but, being in Colombia, you’re never far from a moto shop so queue new large diameter fat bars).

Performance on road

On the road - the bike was not in its element. This, I was expecting, and 85km/hr turned out to be my most comfortable road riding speed - no screen remember? Also the bike was noisy, and generally the engine, although it was capable of 110km/hr just wasn’t happy being the revved the hell out of. So this was my sacrifice; the go slow on the road, which really suited me fine most of the time as im quite happy tootling about and looking around. So for the most part, I just avoided motorways. Id got all the time in the world plus, motorways send me to sleep.

High altitude

This bike as standard does not perform well at high altitude and you can feel the effects above 2500-2800m. This is down to the presence of the carburettor and typically feels awful with all round loss of power and surging. It can be tolerated for a while but when you know you will be at 4000m+ for some weeks it really is a quick and easy fix – a jet replacement that cost me 8 USD (with fitting) in Tupiza, Bolivia (from size 135 to 125). Less fuel, more air - job done, even improving the fuel consumption slightly. This, however does need reversing on return to 'normal'. I kept the new jet in all through Bolivia and then had it swapped back in the South of Peru when I was still riding high, but generally over passes before dropping back to a lower altitude.


I spoke to people riding fuel injected bikes, and yes they did experience an overall loss of power, but seeming not as spectacularly as a Carby bike would.

Fuel consumption

I worked out I was running 32km per litre. This approximated to 350km on the tank (11.5l) with about ½ litre still in the tank.

Consumable parts

I had zero problems with obtaining parts, with the bike being 'of the continent' and new, and also, with the bike being simple (carby/ no computador), parts were cheap, both original and OEM. The following prices are current an example of some outlays I had – all original Honda parts ($ USD):

Parts list

1l mineral oil (bike takes 1.5l on a change)	$8.00
1l semi-synthetic oil	$12.00
Oil filter	$5.00
Air filter	$15.00
Rethol Fat bars	$60.00
Tyres	$65 front - $90 rear (Michelin/ Pirelli dual)
Tubes (heavy duty)	$14.00
'O' ring Chain/ sprocket set	$90.00

Servicing

I was really pedantic about the servicing, I kept a log and recorded the speedo reading when I did anything. Cleaning and re-lubing my chain was a top priority which I did 2-3 times a week, maybe more depending on conditions. It was necessary to carry out an oil and filter change every 3000-5000km depending on whether I used mineral or semi-synthetic (sometimes it proved harder to get semi-synthetic, especially in Colombia). The original 'O' ring chain I got 20,000km out of. The second one now needs replacing on 40,000km. I had 2 flat tyres on the trip but only due to nails encountered in towns, which was handy (if not causal) as I was able to nip to a mechanics for a quick tube change both times.


I did have some issues with the relay which I had replaced after a week of having to jump start. Costing 8USD and identified immediately at the cause of my problem. Turns out the old one was rusted and had just ceased up - I fully blame the Bolivian Salar de Uyuni for that even though I had prepped the bike before riding on it and then vigorously cleaned it afterwards. Liberal amounts of WD40 were involved in this - both before and after. The original relay had lasted a few months until I needed this replacement.

Essential extras

Rack: I had a bike specific rack fitted, it cost 120USD from Max-moto in Santiago. This was absolutely necessary and is still as solid as it was at the start of my trip 14 months previous.

Windscreen: The screen really didn’t fair very well, I had that fitted somewhere down 'Bike Street ' aka Calle Lira in Santiago and it managed to give me a week or 2 service for 100USD. It was made of clear plastic and clamped on to the bars, it stood quite tall from about and inch off the top of the headlight. Heading South first to Patagonia id heard about the winds and thought id chance it. It never made it that far and after 3 bike/pavement interactions, it was shattered. To be honest, I was happy when it broke as I had some positioning issues with it when I was stood on the pegs it was far too close to my stomach for comfort PLUS, and this ties in with the bike actually falling over those 3 times, it was positioned so high that I couldn’t put my weight over the front of the bike enough to actually prevent it falling over. Lesson learnt - buy a screen made specifically for your bike and also out of the material (plastic - but different plastic?) that your fairings are made from, I've seen them about on bikes, they are much shorter and seem to take alot of abuse.


Llama skin seat cover: Oh how anyone can ride this bike without one! I ditched the very expensive air wolf seat as soon as I tried it on the bike – it added another inch to the height which was one thing I didn’t need. The following sheepskin was good but went missing somewhere until the llama skin I bought for 6USD in a Bolivian market.

In summary

PROS:

Decent price and good parts availability in latino countries. Easy to work on. Generally comfortable ride (WITH a seat cover). Weight – I can pick it up – and, other people can pick it up when im crashed out on the ground. Seat height - actually the bike was THE perfect height with all my gear on it. Good ventilation in hot weather. Its very, very hardy. Also – other little things that just make life easier: It doesn’t stick out like a sore thumb – I tended to pass for a Chileno (until I took my helmet off or spoke that is), its easy to park/get into corridors/hotel lobbies/load into boats/ride over mad little bridges/ drag along the ground and not get bogged on the edges of the Salar.

CONS:

The 'go slow' on motorways. actually the bike was THE perfect height with all my gear on it. The seat cover is absolutely necessary or your arse will be in bits, Too much ventilation in the cold! You do feel it on your hands/ knees/ chest, also the rain/wind does tend to smash you as you have zero protection from it. Parts availability may drop off the further into North America.

Online references

http://www2.chileautos.cl/portada.asp Secondhand bikes in Chile
http://www.colvin.cl/ Colvin and Colvin (plus the New (and some used) Chilean Honda range)
http://www.honda.ae/motors/motorcycles/xr-250/ Specification (from Emirates, in English)