Nighthawk Replacement Coming to the U.S. in 2011?
October 27, 2010 – Honda will produce the new CBR250R road sports model in Thailand and launch sales in November of 2010.
This CBR250R will have the largest engine displacement of any vehicle produced by Thai Honda Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (Thai Honda), Honda’s motorcycle production company in Thailand, and will be its first full-fledged road sports model.
It is also claimed to be the world’s first 250cc production motorcycle with ABS and a linked braking system.
Following in the footsteps of last year’s PCX 125cc scooter produced and sold by Thai Honda, the CBR250R will be launched as a global model for export to a wide range of countries such as the ASEAN countries, Japan, Europe, North America, and Australia. In Japan, the CBR250R is scheduled to begin sales in the Spring of 2011.
Research and development for the CBR250R was completed in both Japan and Thailand starting with the development phase.
To satisfy a wide variety of customer tastes from around the world, Honda set up the phrase the “Sport Quarter for One World, CBR250R” as the development concept with the aim in mind of creating a model that allows riders of all kinds, from beginners to experienced riders, to feel the fun of maneuvering a motorcycle.
Thai Honda, the production base for this model, began motorcycle production in 1967 and first started to export to Japan in 1988 with the Cub 100EX. It has produced over 18 million motorcycles to date (as of the end of June 2010) and has exported motorcycles to numerous regions such as Europe as well as its natural base in Asia.
Using production engineering and know-how contributed by Kumamoto Factory, the lead plant for motorcycle production, Thai Honda is striving further to enhance its structure for the supply of high-quality products.
Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (Pvt.) Ltd. will also start production of the CBR250R next spring and extend sales from India to South America. Honda will also offer the CBR250R at a more affordable price in the diversified Indian motorcycle market by effectively carrying out global procurement of parts and materials in the same way as Thai Honda.
The CBR250R is equipped with a newly-developed liquid-cooled 250cc 4-stroke 4-valve single-cylinder DOHC engine that is easy to handle.
High environmental performance that meets Euro 3 emission standards and Thailand’s sixth emission standards was realized by adopting Honda’s trademarked electronically controlled fuel injection system (PGM-FI) as well as an O2 sensor and taking advantage of the combined effect with a catalyzer fitted inside the exhaust pipe.
The full-cowl body presents a highly advanced design full of functional beauty and is reminiscent of the styling of the new Honda VFR1200F (review).
The light and compact frame, made of a highly-rigid diamond shape in a truss structure, offers agile handling and steady maneuverability as a sports model, while the cowl design enables optimal control of the wind toward the engine or the rider.
In the area of safety technology, the CBR250R’s specifications incorporate Combined ABS, a world’s first for a 250cc-class road sports motorcycle model into a designated type.
The Combined ABS makes vehicle movements more stable during braking by bringing together a Combined Brake System (CBS, a front- and rear-wheel interlocking braking system) and an Anti-lock Brake System (ABS, a braking system that prevents wheel lock during sudden braking or under unfavorable conditions).
| Model type | Honda MC41 | ||
| Length, width, height (m) | 2.035 × 0.720 × 1.125 | ||
| Wheelbase (m) | 1.370 | ||
| Ground clearance (m) | 0.145 | ||
| Seat height (m) | 0.780 | ||
| Curb weight (kg) | 161 (STD) 165 (ABS) | ||
| Riding capacity (No. of people) | 2 | ||
| Minimum turning radius (m) | 2.5 | ||
| Engine type | CS250RE, liquid-cooled 4-stroke DOHC single cylinder | ||
| Displacement (cm³) | 249 | ||
| Bore × Stroke (mm) | 76.0 × 55.0 | ||
| Compression ratio | 10.7 | ||
| Fuel supply system | Programmed fuel injection system (PGM-FI) | ||
| Starter type | Self-starter | ||
| Ignition type | Full-transistor battery ignition | ||
| Lubricating type | Wet sump | ||
| Fuel tank capacity (L) | 13 | ||
| Clutch type | Wet multiplate with coil springs | ||
| Transmission type | Constant mesh 6-speed return | ||
| Transmission gear ratio | 1st | 3.333 | |
| 2nd | 2.118 | ||
| 3rd | 1.571 | ||
| 4th | 1.304 | ||
| 5th | 1.115 | ||
| 6th | 0.963 | ||
| Reduction gear ratio (primary, secondary) | 2.808 / 2.714 | ||
| Caster angle/Trail (mm) | 25º00´/ 95 | ||
| Tire size | Front | 110/70-17M/C | |
| Rear | 140/70-17M/C | ||
| Brakes | Front | Hydraulic disk | |
| Rear | Hydraulic disk | ||
| Suspension | Front | Telescopic | |
| Rear | Swing arm (Pro-link suspension system) | ||
| Frame | Diamond | ||
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