Trail Bike Test SSR 189 from Dirt Bike Magazine: Part 1

Whether you ride for fun or professionally it’s always a great idea to read reviews about the dirt bike that you are interested in purchasing.  At LSK Lebanon we want you to love everything about the bike that you purchase.  In this week’s blog, we will highlight an article from Dirt Bike Magazine about the SSR 189.  They had so many great things to say about the SSR 189 we will have to finish the article in a few blogs. 

“WHAT IS INSIDE?

In addition to the new cosmetic look, the SR189 has significant internal changes. Of all the midsize four-stroke play bikes we see, only the SR189 has a 10-inch-travel inverted fork with both compression and rebound adjustments. The SSR’s fork has massive 43mm inner fork tubes and a large front axle with proper double pinch bolts on each side to add rigidity to the front end. The cast-aluminum triple clamps have double pinch bolts as well.

Out back, the 189 has just shy of 8.5 inches of rear-wheel travel. The piggyback shock has a large shaft and a sizable body with spring preload, compression and rebound adjustments. The shock does use a linkage that is attached to a steel swingarm that looks like it could be aluminum. You will see that the frame is robust for a trail or play bike, particularly in the swingarm pivot area. It is constructed of stamped and welded parts, so it is fully boxed in like modern steel-framed motocross machines. It has a big-bike size and styled rear axle and chain blocks. It even takes a 32mm axle nut like a full-size modern bike.

WHAT ABOUT THE ENGINE?

Things are a little more old-school in the engine bay. As a two-valve, air-cooled, single-overhead-cam, carbureted four-stroke, the SR189 is typical of the Honda CRF150F, CRF230F, Yamaha TTR125 school, but the SSR differs in carburetion. It uses a 30mm Chinese carburetor with a handlebar-mounted remote choke. A Honda CRF150F uses a 24mm carb, so the SSR runs harder, particularly on top. The carb uses normal Keihin pilot jets but uses a less-typical flat main jet. We’d heard stories of accelerated slide wear in Chinese carburetors, but ours had a chrome-plated brass slide that looked perfect after many hard hours. The carburetor does not have an accelerator pump, so it hesitates if the throttle is whacked open too fast.

The engine has both a kick starter and an electric starter. To be honest, we never even tried the kickstarter and even considered taking it off. Shifting is crisp, if not especially smooth. Young riders with smaller feet felt it was harder to shift than those with a size-9-or-larger boot. Our engine didn’t use any oil. We changed the oil twice, and the magnetic drain plug never evidenced any worrisome chips or metal filings. It has an oiled foam air filter with a large element for a machine this size.

LEGALITIES

The exhaust note on our bike has a bark to it. The pipe is a solidly mounted, attractive unit, but there is no spark arrestor. That means that the SR189 is a closed-course competition model. Obviously, it would be better if the machine met EPA standards for trail bikes so it would have no trail restrictions. This matters more in states with lots of national forests and BLM land. It matters not at all for those who ride on private property.”   

Article Credit:  Dirt Bike Magazine

As you can see from the article that the SSR 189 is a very impressive mid-size bike for the performance and the value.   At the best dirt bike dealer in Lebanon we have several SSR bikes in stock, check out our website.   If you have any questions about the bikes that we carry stop by the dealership and one of our knowledgeable staff members will help you understand the bike from front to back.  

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www.LSKLebanon.com

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Lebanon, MO 65536

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