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2011 Honda CBR250R First Ride Photo Gallery

Totally new from the axels to the bars, Honda has started with a blank drawing board for its new entry-level CBR.

Honda releases the CBR250R to the American motorcycle market and we test ride it in the 2011 Honda CBR250R First Ride review.

2011 Honda CBR250R First Ride

Though the suspension is on the soft side when pushed hard, 95% of the time it’s plush, compliant and reactive. Combined with its class-leading low weight, the new CBR flicks from side to side with even the slightest input through the raised-up clip-ons.

Once underway, bottom-end response is impressive for such a small displacement Single, allowing the rider to be a bit lazier when it comes to gear selection.

With a 3.4-gallon tank, the CBR250R can easily go over 200 miles per fill-up.

Once settled into the corner and on its side the Honda 250 is stable, planted and does not want to stand up, with only a twist of the throttle needed to lift the bike upright on corner exit.

The first five gears of the six-speed transmission have been designed for as much bottom end acceleration as possible, while sixth has been spread out slightly further for smoother highway cruising.

The counterbalancer does well to smooth out vibration through the bars, the 250R only getting slightly buzzy at the rider’s hands and feet as higher-end freeway speeds are approached.

Further reducing the engine’s front-to-back length is the stacked positioning of the countershaft, which sits below the mainshaft.

2011 Honda CBR250R First Ride

Cradling the new engine is an equally new chassis, designed from the ground up for the entry-level sportbike.

Made from steel, the frame features a diamond twin-spar design that uses the engine as a stressed member.

At the heart sits a 249.4cc (76mm x 55mm bore and stroke) liquid-cooled, single-cylinder engine, featuring a four-valve DOHC cylinder head and a compression ratio of 10.7:1.

A single 296mm disc sits up front, gripped by a dual-piston caliper; out back a single 220mm disc and single-piston caliper furthers aids in stopping the 250R.

The CBR’s seating position is an equal balance between freeway comfort and canyon-carving aggression. The footpegs are high enough to stay off the ground but don’t cramp even the taller riders

A 37mm, non-adjustable conventional fork graces the front end, while Honda’s proprietary Unit Pro-Link and single shock set-up sits out back and is adjustable for spring preload only.

Southern California’s freeways and back canyon roads played host to our introduction, giving us a good overall feeling for the all-new CBR in a wide variety of conditions.

The little CBR also features one of Honda’s trademark seamless transmissions; shifting is very easy while still being positive and engaging the next gear with confidence.