New year’s resolutions will mostly involve diets and saving money. The problem with both is that even the idea to conform is met by emotional distress. Personal transport does take a big chunk from the salary and by taking the plunge to swap your four-wheeled tin box for two-wheeled transport, money can be saved. Low running costs, exciting styling and fun rarely accompanies each other but this is just the case with the CBR250R.
Having tested the CBR125R earlier I can confess that visually the CBR250R looks very similar. Only an in-depth study of the specification sheet will reveal that the CBR250R is indeed a little bigger and heavier than its smaller sibling. The bike is still a tiny machine and even though the seating position is upright and very forgiving on the wrists, taller riders might still feel a little cramped. Wheelbase have been increased, suspension up-rated and tyre sizes increased. The styling is modern and follows Honda’s sport bike design language entirely. This includes full fairing, slender rear end and trendy instrument cluster with digital speedo. Our black example was fitted with a shiny aftermarket Yoshimura exhaust pipe that would not make the bike look out of place parked next to superbikes during the breakfast run stop.
Hitting the electric starter button sparks the single-cylinder, four-valves-per-cylinder engine into life and it settles into a steady idle. Honda has decided to focus on efficiency and low down torque delivery with this engine and not outright power figures. Some competitor 250 cm3 four-stroke machines make use of twin-cylinder engines that rev higher and deliver more power but with a lack of low down torque. The sound from the aftermarket exhaust is more akin to a four-stroke off-road motorcycle than a street machine. Excessively loud it would not help to resolve any issues with the neighbours or help to soothe a headache but the original exhaust is fortunately much quieter.
Power delivery is very linear without any real power step in the rev range. The little Honda is no power house but is willing to deliver with a twist of the throttle and a few taps on the gear lever. Low down torque is good for such a small displacement engine and it is easy to outrun the traffic on a daily commute. One would just about be able to get a speeding ticket on a national highway but no chance of losing your license or going to jail. Although highway cruising is possible it is not one of the strong points of the machine as the sound and vibration from the screaming single can become a bit tiring.
Rather take a back road with some twisties thrown in for good measure. This is really where the little machine starts to shine. The bike feels even more nimble than the 161 kg kerb weight would suggest. The change in direction is instant and it feels as if the bike is steered by thoughts rather than physical inputs. Much fun can be had by eking out the last bit of corner speed and concentrating on cornering lines rather than relying on a powerful engine to hide your lack of riding ability – think of yourself as Rossi in training.
The suspension is capable rather than exceptional with the rear mono shock setup sending some unwanted jolts to the spine when covering some rough tarmac due to the stiff setup and short travel. Braking performance from the 296 mm single disc and dual calliper combination in the front is good and progressive.
The purchase price is quite steep at R39 999 but you do get the supersport styling, Honda reliability and a feel good factor normally absent from the commuting market segment. With 4 litres/100 km (or less) easily attainable the low running costs should make the decision easier. One drawback might be that there will be many school kids riding CBR250R machines on the road with 125 cm3 sticker sets…
FAST FACTS:
Engine: 249.5 cc, single cylinder four-stroke, 4 valves, liquid cooled, counterbalanced,
Compression ratio: 10.7:1
Power: 19.4 kW at 8 500 r/min
Torque: 23.8 N.m at 7 000 r/min
Transmission: six-speed
Front suspension: 37 mm telescopic fork
Rear suspension: Pro-link mono shock
Kerb weight: 161 kg
Warranty: 24 months
Service intervals: Every 12 000 km
Price: R39 999