tog3649 wrote:
I can't seem to find what the difference is between the RS250 NX5 and NXA...
This is a really tricky one to answer, so to make it as black and white as I can.... the biggest difference between the NX5 and NXA is about £10,000! (€12,000/US$13,000 -- at the time of writing.)
In simplistic terms, the reality is that the differences between the last NX5 and the first NXA are the swingarm and cosmetics, but to really throw a spanner in the works, the differences between a 1993 NX5 and the final iteration of the NXA are many and varied -- from the engine to the brakes, and everything in between! I would say the biggest step in the (2nd/3rd generation) RS250R evolution was the introduction of power jet carbs in 1999.
Unlike the NSR250R production bikes, where there's a definite variation on opinions, I've never heard anyone claim a following model is "worse" than the previous one. Every year is an evolution on the preceding year, in the right direction. Some years took a bigger step than others, but it was always a forward step. So, with that in mind, the more you can afford, the later the bike, and the greater your talent to maximise its potential, the better.
The biggest issue, aside from their initial purchase cost these days, is maintaining an RS250R of any description. Not only has the price of the bike sky-rocketed in the last 10 years, but so have the important spares such as cranks, which unlike Yamaha, Honda consider a consumable item, and are therefore not officially rebuildable. I believe St. Neots were doing NX5/NXA crank rebuilds a little while ago, but not sure if it's still an available service. A new crank is like gold dust, and the prices quoted when they come up reflect this.
As each year is an evolution on the next, there is often a cross-over on interchangeable parts, which shows how similar they all are, but many are straight out-of-the-box incompatible, and that define the differences.
At the end of the day, they're both very similar for the majority of us. It all really comes down to what you want it for, and how fast you[think you] are?!
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Andy.
NSR-WORLD.COM
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