Honda CRF250R

Like any other traditional motocross motorcycle, the Honda CRF250R has a plain and basic design, which looks functional to the core. The CRF250R has been designed with a minimalist approach, which makes it a non-street legal motorcycle. While this design looks purposeful, it lacks individuality as the CRF250R looks very generalized.

The Honda CRF250R misses out on a headlamp and turn indicators and instead gets a plain and trapezoidal body-coloured cowl in place of the former. At the bottom of the cowl, this motorcycle comes fitted with a functional and long fender with a pointy front beak. While the Honda CRF250R misses out on a traditional fender, it does get functional body-coloured protectors for the lower part of the forks.

Moving towards the side, the Honda CRF250R continues the functional approach in its design, with large, wide, and pointy cowls around its tiny fuel tank, which has hollows in it as weight-saving measures. The motorcycle further continues its lean styling with a high-mounted and almost flat seat, which also wears the same shade of red as the rest of the motorcycle.

The Honda CRF250R also gets large and sleek body panels, which are affixed to the lower parts of the seat and flow towards the rear in a pointy manner. The left side panel beside the seat also has a high-mounted exhaust, which is placed above as a move of mass centralization and making the motorcycle look tall and rugged. The Honda CRF250R comes with slim tyres with chunky off-road tread blocks, with the motorcycle having a high ground clearance and a strong, aluminium chassis.

The rider’s cockpit of the Honda CRF250R is almost non-existent, with the motorcycle having nothing behind the almost flat handlebar. It means that the CRF250R misses out on a traditional instrument console as well, with the central part of the handlebar having a cushion around it. The motorcycle gets a very basic set of switches and palm grips. The Honda CRF250R is a rugged motorcycle with a plain design, but the quality levels are decent and acceptable for its price and positioning.

For a traditional motocross motorcycle, the ruggedness in the overall mechanical hardware, including chassis and suspension, is the topmost priority, and the Honda CRF250R passes the criteria with flying colours. Based on a rugged and durable aluminium frame, the Honda CRF250Rcomes armed with a very capable suspension setup comprising of 49mm upside-down telescopic fork at the front and a mono-shock with Honda Pro-Link, both of which are sourced from Showa. This hardcore, long-travel suspension setup is complemented by 21-inch front and 19-inch rear spoke wheels, wrapped with an 80/100-21 tyre at the front and a 100/90-19 tyre at the rear. For braking, the Honda CRF250R has been equipped with a 260mm disc at the front and a 240mm disc at the rear.

At the heart of the matter for the Honda CRF250R is its four-stroke, single-cylinder, air-cooled, 249cc engine, which is one of the most powerful single-cylinder 250cc motorcycle engines. Paired with a 5-speed transmission, this engine churns out a maximum power output of 40 PS, while its peak torque output is rated at 27.1 Nm. Like any other traditional Honda engine, this 250cc engine of the Honda CRF250R is refined and feels durable and long-lasting.

The Honda CRF250R, being a basic and functional motocross motorcycle, misses out on a new-age safety feature as a measure to keep the costs and weight as low as possible. However, the presence of disc brakes ensures a safe braking experience even when the Honda CRF250R is ridden hard over off-road trails.

The Honda CRF250R scores where it matters the most, with this plain-jane hardcore motorcycle having a potent quarter-litre engine and a robust suspension setup, making up for a fantastic off-road motorcycle with the right balance of power and agility.