REMEMBER the ‘Light Weight Super Sports’ concept that Honda unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show last year? Well, as everyone suspected, it’s really set to become the new CBR250RR and the latest rumours say that production will start in August this year.
Don’t go thinking this is a straight replacement for the old CBR250R, which later transformed into the CBR300R. The new machine is a parallel twin rather than a single and features far higher-spec components to match the increased performance that the two-cylinder motor will bring.
As with its closest rival, Yamaha’s R3, the European version is likely to get a capacity boost. Some say that it could be as large as 350cc, but the really big seller will be the Asian-market 250cc model, so it’s the one that will reach production first.
Production isn’t going to be in Japan – Honda’s Thai or Indonesian factories are much more likely to be used, helping to reduce costs.
In keeping with its high-end components, the production bike will get all the toys that we tend to associate with larger machines, including multiple riding modes and perhaps even traction control; after all, even a little 250 can lose traction in the wet.
If the August production date turns out to be true, the Euro-spec version might well make its debut as a 2017 model at shows towards the end of this year.
In terms of appearance, only a few splashes of paint and some minor details – like an emissions-friendly exhaust and less extravagant headlights – will separate the production bike from the concept.
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