Switchable engine maps headline Honda’s newest sportsbike
Few bikes have been as poorly-kept secrets as Honda’s new CBR250RR but the firm has finally revealed the first official pictures and details of the new model.
Featuring a fly-by-wire throttle, the new CBR250RR will be the first time a small-capacity bike in the entry-level segment can boast switchable engine maps. The modes, likely to be along the lines of normal, rain and sport will allow riders the ability to alter the power to the suit conditions.
Initially to be sold only in Indonesia, with Japanese sales to follow, the bike is eventually expected to spawn a worldwide model with a larger, 350cc engine to take on rivals like the Yamaha R3 and Kawasaki Ninja 300, and the ability to reduce the output in wet or slippery conditions will likely be an attractive feature for new or learning riders.
Apart from its internal engine dimensions, the worldwide version will be virtually identical to the CBR250RR you see here. If you think the shape looks familiar, that’s because Honda previewed the design with its Light Weight Super Sport concept, revealed at the Tokyo Motor Show last year. The styling, engine and chassis are basically identical, proving that the ‘concept’ from last year was really little more than a bejewelled version of the production model.
Of course, the concept bike’s carbon-fibre eye-candy is gone, replaced by textured plastics, and the production bike features lights – something that were notably missing from the concept. It also gets a more user-friendly pillion seat and an emissions-certified exhaust instead of the concept’s Akrapovič can.
The tubular-steel frame is identical to the concept’s, as is the Gull Arm swingarm and the upside down fork, although the latter gains a gold coating that gives a high-end appearance. Don’t be fooled, though; this is budget suspension as befits a bike set to be an entry-level model in Honda’s sportsbike range. Adjustability is limited to preload, and only at the back.
The engine is entirely new. Although Honda has confirmed it’s a DOHC, four-valve-per-cylinder parallel twin, there’s no word on more detailed specifications. Honda says, unsurprisingly, that it’s designed to offer class-leading performance, which suggests a power output that beats the 27kW of the Yamaha R25.
Away from Indonesia, where the bike is due on sale before the end of this year, we’re expecting to see a big-bore version with a capacity of around 350cc. That will aim to beat the 30.9kW output of the 321cc Yamaha R3. It may also gain improved suspension specs, although Honda will still have a keen eye on the price point of the bike, so don’t expect miracles.
Unique in its class is the LED headlight, which is believed to hint – along with the rest of the bike’s styling – at the appearance of the much-anticipated new CBR1000RR Fireblade that’s due to make its debut towards the end of this year.
By Ben Purvis
