Top Motorcycle

The 2012 Honda CBR250R: joins a short list of fully-faired motorcycles approachable enough for first-time and beginner riders, but sporty enough to appease those who wouldn’t be caught dead on a diminutive cruiser or a flinty supermoto.

Priced at $3,999 or $4,499 with ABS, Honda’s CBR250R isn’t a re-purposed parts- bin bike, but rather an all-new, clean sheet effort. As such, the CBR250R’s twin-spar steel frame boasts 18 new patents, including structural features aimed at reducing weight, improving handling, and offering a more attractive and streamlined design. The bike’s liquid-cooled, single-cylinder 249cc engine claims 9 new patents, with forked rocker roller arms for reduced valvetrain friction, offset cylinders for less internal resistance, and a spiny cylinder sleeve for improved cooling.

Honda CBR250R

Honda CBR250R

Rear suspension incorporates Honda’s tried-and-true Pro-Link monoshock arrangement, with five-setting spring preload adjustability. A 37mm fork offers 4.65 inches of travel. A dual-piston, single floating 296mm disc offers stopping power, while rear braking duties are handled by a single-piston, 220mm disc. When equipped with the optional $500 anti-lock setup, speed sensors trigger ABS when lockup is sensed at either wheel. The ABS system is linked front to rear, so applying the front brake alone will not trigger the rear, but braking with the rear will automatically apportion some brake pressure to the front.

The CBR250R’s pint-sized engine fires up with ease, and thanks to electronic fuel injection, doesn’t require much—if any—warmup time. The 30.5 inch saddle is relatively easy to swing a leg over, and the bike’s 359 pound curb weight (368 pounds with ABS) lends it a confidence-inspiring feeling of lightness at a standstill. Key instrumentation includes a digital speedometer topped with a big, analog tachometer. LCD readouts include a clock, odometer, fuel level, and water temperature gauge.

Honda CBR250R

Honda CBR250R

Lane-splitting on Southern California freeways, the CBR250R is slim enough to provide easy passing between side-by-side trucks. The engine feels flexible in most situations, but two-up riding demands wringing more out of the engine in order to avoid lugging the powerplant with each upshift.

Though it looks deceptively thin, the saddle proved surprisingly well-padded during an all-day stint on the road, and mile after mile of canyon riding encourages tossing this little Honda deeper into turns thanks to its low weight, communicative chassis, and strong brakes. And speaking of stopping, the CBR250R’s brakes engage with progressive predictability, without the sort of strong initial bite that can lock up the wheels (on bikes without ABS) and trip up new riders.

Honda CBR250R

Honda CBR250R

Our ABS-equipped tester offered good feel at the lever and foot pedal, revealing a light pulsing under intentionally hard braking. After two days in the saddle of a CBR250R with ABS and another behind the handlebars of a non-ABS equipped model, we came away refreshed and encouraged by Honda’s efforts.

Starter bikes are crucial within the motorcycling world; these offerings not only need to be unintimidating, but also sexy enough to attract new riders to the performance aspect of two-wheeled transportation. The Honda CBR250R delivers on both of those rather important areas, also offering an excellent value with a $4,000 starting price that matches that of the ubiquitous Kawasaki Ninja 250R.