India-bound Honda CBR250R unveiled

The new Honda CBR250R should be able to give some competition to the Kawasaki Ninja 250R. We hope Honda will not price the bike at more than Rs 2 lakh in India!

Honda have released the first official pics and specs of the 2011 CBR250R – a machine that will almost certainly be launched in India during the first quarter of 2011. Here are some excerpts about this new Honda:

In terms of styling, the new CBR250R is a mini-VFR1200F and works surprisingly well. It’s compact, thoroughly modern, neat and unfussy – we think it’s not bad at all. The engine is a fuel-injected, liquid-cooled, 249cc single-cylinder unit with a four-valve DOHC cylinder head. It produces 26 horsepower and 23Nm of torque, which is not too bad at all. Claimed fuel economy is 27km per litre.

The new Honda comes with a six-speed gearbox and a twin-spar steel chassis with 37mm telescopic forks and Honda’s ‘Pro-Link’ monoshock rear suspension. Honda’s C-ABS anti-lock braking system is optional on the CBR250R, which is definitely a good thing, and the bike’s 166-kilo kerb weight should keep things manageable for those who are new to motorcycles and motorcycling.

The Honda CBR250R rides on 17-inch wheels wearing 110/70 (front) and 140/70 (rear) rubber. There’s a single 296mm brake disc up front, with dual-piston calliper, and 220mm rear disc with single-piston calliper. With the optional Combined-ABS, this should offer safe, effective braking in conditions.

Overall, we quite like the new CBR250R. We don’t suppose we’ll ever love it the way we loved the late, great Aprilia RS250 or the Suzuki RGV250, but as a thoroughly modern, contemporary take on the 250cc commuter-sportsbike, the 2011 CBR isn’t all that bad.

No official word on pricing yet, but we do expect the CBR250R to be sold at around Rs 1.5 lakh in India. Also, the bike will only be manufactured in two countries - India and Thailand, though Honda will also sell this machine in the American and European markets.