It’s been rumoured for some time, but now a leaked image of what appears to be a new Honda CBR250RR is floating around online.
We saw the photo on Asphalt & Rubber, who found it on an Indian auto site. It doesn’t show much — just a motorcycle that looks eerily similar to the machine hinted at by concept machines that appeared at the Tokyo Motor Show, as well as recent patent application drawings.
But while details are thin, it does seem to indicate the rumours are true, and Honda will release a CBR250RR in coming weeks or months.
Where will this machine slot into Big Red’s lineup? Honda’s CBR300 is definitely starting to look pedestrian when compared to the competition ( Kawasaki Ninja 300, Yamaha R3, KTM 390). A couple years ago, Kawasaki pioneered the idea of having two bikes in the quarter-litre segment, with their twin-cylinder Ninja 250 and single-cylinder Ninja 250SL both occupying showroom floors in some markets (except in North America, where the Ninja 250 is a 300, and we don’t have the SL version).
Honda could be making the same move — a slower bike to satisfy customers who want an affordable beginner machine, and a sportier ride that appeals to trackday riders, or speed enthusiasts in markets that restrict faster bikes.
It’s unlikely the CBR250RR will be the high-RPM screamer that similar models were in the past. The profit margins aren’t there for that type of machine. We will likely see some high-tech touches (perhaps a slipper clutch, certainly EFI, and likely optional ABS), but don’t expect this to have the same refinement, or performance, as a true superbike.
