Retro scrambler aimed at Gen Z riders
Honda’s has chosen the CIMA show in China to take the wraps off its new CB250SS Concept – a street scrambler that the company says is explicitly aimed at Generation Z.
Although it’s a officially nothing more than a concept bike, there’s nothing about the CB250SS that couldn’t go straight into production and that’s exactly what’s likely to happen. Honda hasn’t even opted to give it a track-only exhaust: the pipe on the concept bike has a street-legal silencer and catalytic converter, suggesting it’s already being developed for mass market production.
The engine is the 249cc, liquid-cooled single that’s already familiar from the Japanese-market CB250R and Rebel 250, although most export markets get a slightly larger 286cc version with ‘300’ badging. It’s mounted in a simple steel frame with inverted forks, 17-inch alloy wheels and scrambler or flat-track inspired styling including a wire headlight guard, a small wind deflector and a long, flat seat with retro-style ribbed padding.
Honda hasn’t announced performance specs, but the concept model also featured a circular TFT instrument panel.
Honda has previously gone down the scrambler route with this powertrain, using it in the Rebel-based CL250/CL300 models, but the CB250SS has a more convincing profile thanks to its shorter wheelbase, taller seat and steeper rake, as well as better suspension thanks to those USD forks and a rear monoshock instead of the CL’s dual-shock setup.
The question isn’t so much ‘will Honda make a production version of the CB250SS?’ as ‘will Honda sell it outside China?’
That’s yet to be answered, but with the EICMA show in Milan just weeks away we might get an answer sooner rather than later.
