Jeremy Martin’s Factory Geico Honda CRF250

Jeremy Martin suffered an injury over a year ago that put him on the sidelines that forced him to miss out on a full season of racing. He is now back in the mix among the 250 East Supercross class on a Factory Connection/Geico Honda CRF250R. It is a huge feat to just over come the injury Jeremy had, it is an even more incredible leap to be competitive at the highest level. Jeremy is proving each race that he still has all the speed and talent to hit the top of the box on any given night. As Jeremy has been shaking off the cobwebs and getting back up to speed, the team has worked vigorously to meet those ever changing needs as the speeds increase. We sat down with mechanic Derik Dwyer to go over the secrets of his trick Factory Geico Honda CRF250R.

The Front End

A Pro Taper Carmichael bar is added to Jeremy’s bike. This is the lowest and flattest bend that they offer.

The handlebars are paired up with Pro Taper super soft grips. You can also see in this photo that Derik cuts the waffles off the grip completely. This is a request Jeremy has for the grips because of his smaller stature and hand size.

For the controls, ARC handles both the clutch and brake lever. A textured clutch lever is used with 27.5 pull ratio which is pretty standard. This ratio works really well with the clutch system Geico Honda is using.

An ARC “Free Play” front brake lever is used on Jeremy’s race bike. This lever has the option to run a stiffer puck or even more progressive puck. When you order from ARC you actually get some options with the lever as a consumer to change the pull feel on your brake while still using the standard master cylinder. In this case Jeremy wanted a very progressive/soft feel but still needed the braking so Derik has worked heavily with ARC to make this happen. Derik modified some parts inside the master cylinder itself to get the progressive feel they were looking for. Jeremy wants the lever to come close to the bar and more towards his knuckles. Derik explained that in the end result it has been rewarding to know that he is finally happy with the front brake on his race bike.

As far as the handlebar controls go you can see on the start button that there is a cover wrapped around it. This prevents from Jeremy hitting the button by accident during a race. With all the movement and his legs all over the bike there is a chance that it gets hit. This also prevent from anything hitting it which includes rocks or dirt.

On the kill switch side of the bike the team uses a standard starter style button without the cover on it. The team does have a delay in it so the bike doesn’t shut off when they scrub or it potentially gets hit which is a really cool feature on the bike. Jeremy also has a start map available to him if he needs it. It is rare that he uses it on his CRF250R. The map switch can be engaged when he gets outside of the gate to get a little more traction on the rear wheel but in Jeremy’s case he really doesn’t use it. A cool item that is available for all the Geico Honda riders.

The team removes some of the sheathing on the brake line to reduce weight. The stock brake line feeds into a full billet Nissin caliper. This is a works part from Honda. This is an unobtainable part that the team uses. The reasoning behind the billet is for added strength to the brake system. No bending or damage is the goal. It also give Jeremy a good feel when he uses the front brake and has less braking fade.

The front brake hangar is something the team came up with to connect to the Showa fork lugs and factory caliper together. A factory carbon front brake cover with Motostuff 260mm front rotor are added to the race bike.

Again, the internals on the front brake master cylinder are modified to Jeremy’s liking. You can see the carbon fiber guard used to protect that region in the event of a crash or debris hitting it during racing. Because the works part has a beefier piston, this carbon fiber protector insures that the larger piston and two seals in there aren’t damaged.

The triple clamps are an American Honda factory part. The team has tested with other companies but they have found that this is the best fit for their motorcycle. These clamps give Jeremy a lot of positive feel in the front end. There are some bonuses to running these clamps which are the ability to be able to run different bar mounts to accommodate all the riders on their team.

Factory Connection Showa suspension on Jeremy’s race bike. The suspension is a collaboration in house at the Geico Honda facility in Corona, California. Ziggy has knowledge of all platforms of suspension including SHOWA, KYB, and WP. This type knowledge of suspension gives the team an advantage in advancement into their suspension.

Derik explained that the front axle is a stock unit. That doesn’t mean there aren’t ways to modify it for feel. Jeremy Martin wants a lot of front end feel and a planted wheel when racing. To do this, Derik and the team have come up with a spec torque setting for the axle pinch bolts. The tighter you go on them the more rigid the front of the bike can feel for the rider. The hub is a works/factory hub from Honda. It does run the same size spokes as the OEM model. It still has the aluminum nipples and they are mounted to a D.I.D. LTX rim. You can also see the added fork guard protection at the base of the guards. This helps the guard from ripping out with the holeshot device and during racing. Mettec titanium bolts are used on the guard straps and aluminum fasteners are used behind them.

Jeremy is running a Dunlop 768 works tire in the front. These tires are usually in development to be produced for the general public at some point. Martin did have a favorite in the front and rear that he was using for quite some time but it was discontinued. They have finally found another tire that they like to stick with at each race.

The holeshot device is actually made in house for the team. It is a 4 post button which gives it a lot of durability for race situations. Something pretty cool about this button is that it is completely serviceable. The team can remove the button each week and make sure the lock pin is in good shape and remove any mud that might have packed behind it. The position he sets his forks down to is pretty low because of his size and the amount of power the race bike puts out off the metal start gate. The team also has options with lock rings. If there is a single or obstacle further out past the start and the rider wants to have the front end still down, they can opt to a larger ring which will keep the front end locked over a small single before it releases the forks outward.

On Jeremy’s FC Honda the team is running a works radiator. It is the same size and volume as a production radiator but the biggest difference is that the outer walls are thicker. The radiator hoses are CV4 and keep the bike cool. Derek did say that this year they have been able to keep the bike at a cooler temperature than in years past. The team is also running a 1.8 radiator cap for pressure instead of the OEM 1.1 cap that comes on the bike.

On the left side of the motorcycle behind the shrouds is a data box. This data box reads the air/fuel ratios on the bike. When the bike is on the track a ton of data is collected so the team can later review it in the truck.

A great angle to see the skid plate and the modifications Derik does to it. This is a 2020 production skid plate. The team takes a secondary skid plate and cuts it up to extend the wings on the side as shown. Last year in outdoors Hunter Lawrence hit a rock and lost all the oil out of the bike which caused the motor to blow up. The composite skid plate doesn’t mess with the frame characteristics of the bike which the team likes. There really isn’t a 250 specific carbon skid plate at the moment the team can use so they went this route.

The Power Department

The engines are done in at house the Factory Connection/Geico Honda facility in Corona, California. The team builds the engines with a lot of OEM parts but an interesting note is that the engine that comes with the bike isn’t used when they receive the bike from Honda. The Wiseco pistons are done at their facility and sent to the team to install. Ryan Cox has developed the cams in conjunction with HPD (Honda Performance Development) which sits next door to Hi Torque Publications (our offices). Each rider has their own engine tailored to their style of riding. Jeremy is a revver in comparison to Christian Craig. The size of each rider can change on how they want the power delivered to the rear wheel.

The engine cases themselves have been akadized for durability by Hinson. This helps when debris shoots toward this part of the motorcycle. It can also help with heat dispersion.

The exhaust by Yoshimura is tailored to the specific engine package of the rider. His engine package is slightly milder than the rest of the riders on the team. This exhaust is paired with a lowered sub frame so  the mid pipes are also  different on Jeremy’s race bike. You can see the O2 sensor to collect data in this photo also.

The Chassis and Rear End

The CMI shifter is actually a stock length but does have a 5mm wider shift point. This is designed around the best set up for the starts.

The foot peg is a titanium component made by HPD with a steel pin and titanium mount. It is positioned slightly forward over stock due to his height. It is not quite as high as his brother’s (Alex Martin) peg but it is moved up just a tad. The swingarm pivot is a stock component on Jeremy’s race bike. He is very particular about the chassis feel and the OEM swingarm pivot achieves that feel they are looking for.

Because Jeremy is a smaller rider the sub frame is lowered to better suit his size.

The front engine hangars are the 2020 OEM components that come on the bike. The top hangars have a 6mm hole drilled into them. The team has done an extensive amount of testing on these to test different rigidity characteristics. The team has tested with a larger hole and surprisingly Jeremy reported that the chassis became more rigid with the change. The martial itself is a thinner based material and the hole in the middle gives it more flex characteristics.

The seat is also modified specifically for Jeremy. Derik hand grinds these seats so the seat will lay flatter than stock. It gives Jeremy the ability to sit more forward in the corners where he likes to be on the bike.

Pro Taper sprockets are used front and rear with a DID chain. DID chain and rollers are paired together for wear reasons. They are mounted to a works rear hub and STX DID rim with a Dunlop tire.

Jeremy runs a titanium rear axle out back which is basically for weight reduction. The sprocket combination that they are running does pull the rear wheel forward but that is more or less for chassis reasons. Jeremy likes to have shorter wheelbase. It basically stiffens the suspension but allows a softer shock setting. It has a lot to do where he sits on the motorcycle.

The Factory Connection pull rods are designed specifically for Supercross. It gives the rider more whoop feel.

A Factory Connection Showa shock is paired to the linkage. The spring is actually a composite spring. This shock is a bit of a hybrid, which helps with weight but also gives a consistent feel in the broad spectrum of springs.

You will see that the titanium rear axle is fastened by an aluminum nut. It is basically for weight but also has a thread pitch that  is a lot tighter. This is a spec torque for the team that they use.

The rear brake caliper is a production unit. The only difference is that the team changes the slide pins to titanium and they are DLC coated for friction reduction. They are also paired with the brake slide pin that is also DLC coated with an 8mm head on it.

A production brake line feeds to a works rear master cylinder. The clevis is made by Yoshimura. That is routed to the rear brake pedal with a titanium bolt going through it. The master cylinder is pulled off the production line before the sight glass is made. This is a durability measure to prevent it from being damaged in a race and losing fluid.

The team runs foam behind the brake pedal so basically mud and rocks can’t get stuck behind it. Jamming up the brake pedal could result in the rear brake not working all together.

All the electrical is done in house at Factory Connection. The team pairs that up with a carbon bracket for the starer relay. This allows the team to run a different shock body and puts it at a different angle so the mechanic can get to the connectors much easier. Making a shock change easier makes the team faster and more efficient when they are in a bind.

Jeremy is not a very big clutch guy meaning that he basically uses it for a start then relies more on momentum through the rest of the track to keep him rolling. Hinson and Geico Honda work extremely close together in development on different types of clutch systems. Jeremy likes a stiffer clutch basically because he doesn’t use it. On the start he can go wide open, dump the clutch, and hes gone.

On Jeremy’s bike there is a back up start button placed under the shroud for easy access. The team has seen it in the past where a button gets ripped off or damaged so the bike can’t be started again. This adds some insurance to the rider if that does happen during a race.

Something you can’t see but you know it’s in there is the air filter. Pro Filter is a new sponsor to the team. It is a thinner base filter designed for Supercross because it doesn’t have the types of weather conditions you might find in outdoors. It also allows the bike to breathe more which results in more power.

The team is using Eliy batter which Factory Honda also runs on their 450 efforts. The reason they run them is that they are lighter than stock and extremely reliable.

212 lb. is the AMA minimum weight rule for a 250 class race bike. The last thing a team wants is to put in the work to make it as light as possible and then add a pound or two back with stickers. Geico and Dcor graphics work hand in hand to make a graphic that lasts but is thinner than what you might get over the counter when you order a set. The team has a Supercross spec thickness and an Outdoor spec thickness they run.

The plastics are provided to the team through Cycra. The rear fender actually has two channels in it to allow air to get through the back. The shrouds have air vents in them also. The vents draw the heat away from the radiator.