Tokyo: Honda CRF250L

CBR250R goes off-road

HONDA'S main new production bike to debut at next month's Tokyo Show is this, the CRF250L.

Forget the old air-cooled 223cc single that used to carry that name, this is a road-going enduro-style bike that carries the same 22bhp engine as the new CBR250R. Wrapped in styling that predicts the look of the next-generation CRF motocrossers, the CRF250L uses a relatively straightforward steel chassis to keep costs down but looks as exotic as the full-on competition bikes that it's designed to mimic.

Honda has also released a drawing to show what a few bolt-on bits and a flash paint job could do to transform the new machine into something a bit more eye-catching.