In the 80s, the fight for the 250 sports segment in Japan was fierce between the big four, a segment that the brand with the golden wing had well secured with the Honda CBR250RR.
But to get to this track beast, which at that time had nothing to envy to a world speed motorcycle, the road began with a sport touring car.
The first quarter-litre CBR motorcycle was born in the mid-80s, with a fairing that was identical to that of the famous CBR600F, which we knew as “the paunchy”, Honda’s first modern supersport.
It was the 1986 CBR250R -internal code MC14- nicknamed Hurricane, like the 600. It had an Aero-type closed integral fairing, a large rectangular headlight, 17” alloy wheels and double front disc brakes.
It had separate rider and passenger seats, with the package on the second deck, and not-too-close clip-ons. She was sporty yet quite amiable.
Its 4-cylinder 4T cycle engine -LC, 16V, DOHC- was modern and almost delivered 45 CV, but added to a slightly high weight, it diminished its performance on the circuit. For this reason, in 1988 it would mutate into a much sportier and lighter version, oriented towards the circuit, the CBR250R with internal code MC19.
The Honda CBR250RR was an exciting four-cylinder 4-stroke engine, with the red line at 15,000 laps
The four-cylinder engine -4T, LC, 16V, DOHC- delivered 45 CV to move 153 kg, the chassis was also an aluminum double beam, the fork was conventional and the rear monoshock was equipped with links from the Pro-link system.
It had a single front brake disc -to save weight- and a rear one, with 17” alloy wheels and three spokes, and there was no lack of new fibers and a new integral fairing but now with double round headlights, plus a racing tail imitating a a single-seater
The analog instrumentation was the usual three spheres on a foam support, as in the rest of sports. This little jewel of technology was also called Hurricane, and it had an older 400 cc sister, identical to this one.
But the evolution continued and in 1990 the CBR250RR -MC22- would arrive, much sportier, radical, powerful and light, a little beast that did nothing but improve the performance of its previous version.
And as such it was completely new, although the four-cylinder engine was basically the same as in 1988 but revised, since its cavalry was 45 CV delivered at 15,000 rpm was maintained.
It was manufactured between 1990 and 1996, and no longer had any more descendants
The new aluminum double-spar frame with extruded and cast parts was much more robust, and the swingarm was an asymmetrical double banana-Gull Arm, inherited from the NSR250. This got serious…
The 17” alloy wheels were lighter and had 6 arms -like those of the NSR250-, and a double brake disc was mounted on the front axle, with a smaller diameter than the single one of the previous version, with Nissin calipers of double piston.
The fairing was completely new, with a smaller round double headlight, with new air intakes for the Ram Air system that fed the airbox.
The tail, seat -at 725 mm-, tank, rear light, footrests and, ultimately, almost all the components were renewed to lighten, managing to stop the scale at 145 kg.
The CBR250RR continued in production until 1996 without changes, although in 1994 its power had to be reduced to 40 CV due to a change in Japanese legislation. And one of its chromatic versions was identical to that of the mythical CBR900RR Fireblade, a real beauty, so it was like a mini Fireblade.
This quarter-liter would be the last Honda in its saga, an exciting supercar in everything, performance, agility and aesthetics, an unforgettable motorcycle and that today is already a collector’s item, since it was only sold in Japan.
