My first bike was a 2008 Kawasaki Ninja 250, and while it was a pleasant enough way to get started in the world of motorcycling, it was also a sign of how depressing the 250cc sportbike market was in the US for years. Nowadays you can get all kinds of 250-400cc entry level sportbikes here, but throughout the 90s and the 00s the entire market was basically the Ninja 250 plus an occasional oddball like the Honda VTR250. In Japan, things were a bit more exciting with all of the big 4 manufacturers offering 250 cc bikes that didn’t use parallel twins – they used inline 4s that revved to the moon!
This morning I’ll be taking Honda’s creation for a spin – the MC22 generation of the CBR250RR, which revs to 19,000 rpm. I’m filming a video with it and won’t be able to do a full written review, but if you have any questions about this rare (in the US) bike, let me know and I’ll do my best to answer them after I’ve had a chance to sample it for myself!
The redline is the standout feature (I believe it’s the highest-revving production gasoline motorcycle ever created) but it’s also got gear-driven cams, direct air intakes, a six-speed transmission, and a curb weight of 346 pounds. Let’s see how it goes…and then it will be going up on Iconic’s site for auction with no reserve this week!
You just can’t go wrong with dual round headlights!