2017 Honda CBR250RR
Bringing an end to the months of
renderings, scoops and speculations, the highly awaited 2017 Honda CBR250RR has
finally made its global premiere in Indonesia.
Honda's new quarter-litre
offering is easily one of the most anticipated motorcycles to be launched this
year, having started life as the Light Weight Super Sport concept unveiled at
the Japan Motor Show in 2015 and will be taking on the bigwigs in the segment
including the Kawasaki Ninja 250, Yamaha R25 as well as the single-cylinder KTM
RC390. That said, the CBR250RR seems to have found a more compelling
proposition from the Japanese manufacturer and has a seriously good equipment
list that has us hooked on the machine.
The all-new Honda CBR250RR won't be a
replacement to the single-cylinder CBR250R sold currently in many markets
and can be seen as a more powerful and
sportier version in the entry-level performance segment. Unlike the 250R which
is a sports tourer, the CBR250RR aims to be an out-and-out super sport offering
drawing power from a 250 cc 8-valve, liquid-cooled, parallel-twin DOHC engine.
While the power output is undisclosed at this point, the Japanese bike maker
does say that the motor is easy to handle for urban riding, while it is just as
comfortable on the circuit, with smooth output characteristics across the
entire rev range. A 6-speed transmission will be sending power to the rear
wheel on the big red's latest offering with the power output expected to be in
the vicinity of 36-40 bhp.
More importantly, Honda has confirmed
that the parallel-twin engine comes with Throttle-by-Wire (TbW) as speculated
previously, which makes for 3-way engine mode settings, which allow the rider
to tap into the linear power output at will. So expect linear power delivery
for city riding, sport mode to exploit the top-end of the power band and
possibly a track mode that beefs up all settings for optimum performance.
The 2017 Honda CBR250RR uses a newly
developed steel truss frame, while the swingarm are aluminium gull type with
the right-side swingarm shaped to reduce exhaust pipe extrusion. This allows
the bike to have a slimmer profile while retaining the bank angle. True to the
concept, the CBR250RR features a USD suspension setup at the front and Pro-link
suspension featuring 5-step preload at the rear. Braking performance comes from
310 mm front and 240 mm rear wavy disc brakes with dual-channel ABS available
as optional.
Talking about the design, the 2017 Honda
CBR250RR remains close to the concept and is a big step up for the bike maker
that is otherwise known for its conservative styling. The lines are sharper,
aggressive and certainly adds to the sporty quotient on the offering. The front
retains its CBR roots with the dual-LED
headlights that get new stylish LED eyebrows, while the nose down-tail up
design keeps it authentic to the sport bike styling. Lastly, the slim profile
is accentuated by the double barrel exhausts on the model, which look very
European.
We also see an all-digital instrument
console on the CBR250RR that reads up to 14,000 rpm and will also get other
goodies like a lap timer, trip meters, and possibily a high speed recorder as
well. The bike also comes with clip-on handlebars. So, unlike the aggressive
yet relaxed riding position on the CBR250R, the 250RR will be a lot more
aggressive with rear set foot pegs ensuring a track oriented riding stance. The
cowl like rear seat is also something that we have really liked on the new CBR.
Talking about production, the 2017
CBR250RR will be manufactured in Indonesia, making it the largest displacement
Honda motorcycle to be manufactured in the South East Asian country. The
Japanese bike maker plans to begin sales in Indonesia by the end of 2016, while
sales in Japan will commence on a later date. It is likely that Honda will
choose to make its facility in Indonesia the global manufacturing hub for the
new CBR250RR, much like what Yamaha has done with the R25/R3. Not only will it
help the company achieve higher production, but better economies of scale.
Should this model make it to production, the new CBR will be one of the more
sought-after offerings in the entry-level performance segment attracting an
equally sought after price tag.
Source : IwanBanaran
