All 2st WR vs. CR – my impressions

Wally was kind enough to lend me a CR ignition and I tested it on my WR this weekend. I was very impressed and will definitely convert my WR over.

Previously the only CR I had ridded was Kellys old 04. It was fun but the power was weak on the bottom and then it just came alive fast and hard. Fun but I did not think it would be good on really technical terrain. It seemed like it would be good 85% of the time and kind of suck the other 15%(where my old WR worked better then a big bike for me more like 95%) So I was pleasantly surprised by how well my bike worked with the CR ignition. I am thinking that combined with the 144 and the PWK the CR parts work a lot better in the woods.

My bike is an 09, factory 144, fatty pipe, PWK, head cut, Walts power valves, and race gas. Last ride it was the same except with the WR ignition. It was running very strong in WR mode. I have heard people say the CR ignition is night and day different or makes it a whole new bike. Not really for me. The first thing I noticed was that it was not “that” much different. I think the CR ignition might mask other issues which makes it so dramatic on some bikes. But with a WR that is jetted sharp and does not suffer from the bog it is not as pronounced.

Now there certainly is a difference though and it is all good. I expected some compromises but could not find any. It pulls at least as hard from the bottom. The mid is much stronger. Top end is excellent. I really like that I could get it spinning real easy. I was really surprised to find that it actually pulled high gearing better then the WR. I could click it up a gear before a hill climb and the bike would pull right into the power with no clutch. I think the thing I like the most is that it can pull itself up into the power with much less effort and much smoother then a WR does. It is also not at all a top end only setup. I did not have to scream it. It actually chugged better! It would pull down real low and a little more throttle would pull it right onto the pipe. Chugging up steep stuff on the WR generally requires some clutch at time. I think the lack of FWW lets the motor pull much better. I climbed steep root filled stuff all day with no drama. I never expected this but it makes climbing easier. I also just like the feel of the power. There are no flat spots, no waiting for it to spool up, no sudden surges. It just builds quickly and smoothly from bottom to top and does not take any clutch abuse to make it happen. Also, and this may just be my imagination, but the bike just felt lighter and more nimble. Also I felt no need for any additional FWW.

At the end of the day I decided to play with the timing. Unlike the WR you don’t have to pull the flywheel. I advanced it about three degrees and it really came alive. There was a bit more power and I could light up the rear tire at will. It was really fun. I took it up a really steep hill and it was harder to control. It felt a bit more like the CR I rode in the past but still quite good. I did not have the tool to set the timing mark so perhaps it was a bit retarded earlier in the day. I am thinking that the CR ignition might work better in the woods with a bit less advance. I also think it may be possible that the 09 CDI is less aggressive then the 04 one.

Anyway, I was skeptical on the CR ignition but I am now a true believer.

NWRider, Thanx! Good Post! Wally Thanx For All Your Work!

Nice testing post; Thanks for the insight.

After buying my Honda CR125, I came to the conclusion that a 125cc piston is just too small to support much flywheel weight. The heavy flywheel goes against everything that the motor is good at, in my opinion.

I'll be doing the CR \ WR ignition swapping on my 02 CR250 in a few months ... Is running the CR ignition with the heavier WR FW even worth trying as a third option?

Interesting report above ..sort of goes against the grain of the heavier FWW ideas ..

Ray, from pictures I've seen I don't think it will fit the stator