Honda CBR250RR: Bikes We'd Like To See In India

The Honda CBR250RR is currently only available in the Indonesian market

We’ve been drooling over the Honda CBR250RR for a WHILE now, praying and hoping that Honda would someday bring it to India. The quarter-litre bike ticks all the right boxes -- it’s fast, has a parallel-twin engine, comes packed with features, and looks bloody fantastic! One of the best designs from Honda’s stable, we’d say. 

Why should it come to India?

Honda currently has a massive gap in the supersport segment. Barring the age-old CBR250R, enthusiasts have just two other options: the CBR650R and the litre-class CBR1000RR. Both of which will cost you an arm and a leg. Yes, some of you could afford it, but what about the vast majority who aren’t as experienced and have a limited budget? The 250cc space would be the perfect opportunity for Honda to showcase its racing prowess while giving newcomers the chance to hone their skills. And we can’t think of a better bike than the 2020 CBR250RR to fill this void.

What makes it special?

One look at the CBR250RR and you’d probably mistake it for a 650cc supersport in terms of proportions. Razor-sharp lines, a brutish face, chunky tyres, and double-barrel exhaust give the bike its distinctive look. Hands down, one of the best-looking bikes in the 250cc segment. 

And then, you have the engine -- a 249.7cc liquid-cooled parallel-twin engine that revs till the moon and back. A redline of 14,000rpm should give you the idea. What this means is an engine that puts out 41.7PS of peak power and a maximum torque of 23.3Nm. The 6-speed transmission ensures power is sent to the rear wheel via chain drive. Reports suggest the 2020 CBR250RR comes with a slipper clutch as standard which could be upgraded to feature a bi-directional quickshifter if the inner racer in you deems it necessary. 

Feature-galore:

The quarter-litre Honda came packed with features right from the beginning. A pair of LED headlights running LED DRLs, an LED tail light, a full-digital instrument console and ride-by-wire, it has it all. The bike even gets three riding modes (Comfort, Sport and Sport+) which change the tune of the engine as per the riding conditions. The addition of a slipper clutch and quickshifter makes things all the more dramatic. 

Racing pedigree:

The CBR250RR is more track-focused than an everyday commuter. It’s designed to offer a thrilling ride with a committed riding posture. It’s underpinnings -- an upside-down fork, a monoshock, petal disc brakes, and chunky radial tyres -- further highlight its racing pedigree. Everything is held together by a rigid trellis frame. 

Asia Road Racing Championship:

While the aforementioned setup is purely meant for road use, you could easily swap out mechanical components for more premium ones if you’re looking to use the bike on the track. Of course, you’d have to shell out a fair share of your savings to do that. The CBR250RR is an excellent package, which is why Honda uses it as its weapon of choice in the Asia Road Racing Championship. 

Problem area:

The only chink in the CBR250RR’s otherwise perfect armour is its price. The premium package in its standard trim costs Rp 66,700,000, around Rs 3.5 lakh. That’s almost Rs 1 lakh more than the KTM RC 390, which offers a bit more in terms of performance. But, if Honda managed to localise the product in India, it would drastically bring down costs, which, in turn, could make the CBR250RR one of the best value-for-money propositions in the 250cc segment.

Image courtesy: Youngmachine