5 Facts About the Most-Awaited 250cc Sportbike in India

Honda CBR250RR is the most powerful twin-cylinder quarter-litre bike that one can imagine riding in the present generation of lightweight sportbikes. The updated model of the Honda CBR250RR has been recently launched in Japan with a starting price tag of JPY 8,21,700 (INR 5.47 lakh, approx) for the basic shades. Honda is also offering the new model of the CBR250RR in Grand Prix Red with stripes at a price tag of JPY 8,54,700 (INR 5.69 lakh, approximate). Here are 5 quick facts about the Honda CBR250RR, which is the most-awaited bike in India.

5 Quick Facts About the Honda CBR250RR

1) Excellent Head-Turning Design: The sharp design of the sportbike is complemented by the double-barrel exhaust system, golden USD forks, and huge petal disc brakes. The fuel tank is chiselled to the soul while the rear end stays sharper than any other rival around the segment. The front design of the Honda CBR250RR sportbike flaunts two aggressive lights and a perfectly-designed windscreen.

2) Powerful 250cc Twin-Cylinder Engine: Honda CBR250RR is equipped with a 249cc, liquid-cooled, fuel-injected, twin-cylinder engine that is now capable of offering maximum power of 41HP which is 3HP higher when compared to the 38HP offered by the last-gen variant. The torque figure of the updated motorcycle variant has also been increased to 25Nm which is 2Nm higher than the last-gen version that was good for 23Nm. The engine remains mated to a 6-speed gearbox while the motorcycle claims 180kmph of top speed and takes approximately 6 seconds to reach 100kmph from a standstill.

3) Advanced & Very Informative Instrument Console: Honda CBR250RR features a digital console with inverted colours. The speedometer value is accompanied by a borderline tachometer, a ride-mode indicator and a gear-shift indicator. The overall space is very well divided to bring the digital clock and odometer into action. The console looks directly derived from a 1000cc superbike-spec machine.

4) Segment-First Features: Honda CBR250RR is equipped with ride-by-wire technology and riding modes. No other motorcycle in the 250cc segment gets these two features, not even as an option. The three riding modes are Comfort, Sport, and Sport+. The new variant of the sports machine has also been equipped with a bi-directional quick-shifter and a slipper-assist clutch as standard. The Upside Down (USD) front forks were earlier exclusive to the CBR250RR but the new Yamaha R25/R3 recently got this feature.

5) Launch Status in India: This may not be a piece of good news for Honda fans but the launch of CBR250RR in India is only possible via a local production route. At present, the new model of the sportbike is available in Japan for JPY 8,21,700 (INR 5.47 lakh, approx).

An aggressive and affordable price tag via CKD (Completely Knocked Down) route is not possible as placing the CBR250RR at around INR 3.75-4.00 lakh (ex-showroom) would not get the number of buyers required by Honda to keep the operations going.

If Honda starts the local production of CBR250RR and manages to price the sports bike at around INR 3 lakh, only then the brand would be able to get a decent sales number in India. As of now, HMSI has not announced anything officially regarding the launch of the CBR250RR in India. The brand may consider the sports bike for the Indian market at a later stage in future.