Honda CRF250 Rally finally arrived at the Osaka Motorcycle Show in Japan this past weekend, and the machine looks as sharp as it gets. The overall shapes and attire are very similar to those of the CRF450 Rally, the bike Honda used as inspiration for the quarter-liter bike.
As for the rest, the new machine is largely based on the street-legal CRF250L, and can also be used on public roads. It comes complete with a license plate holder, turn signals, mirrors, and all, being thus suitable for both on- and off-the-road fun.
Despite the aesthetic similarities to the bikes Honda riders such as Paulo Goncalves take each January to South America for the Dakar Rally, the CRF250 Rally is not a production racer.
We're rather looking at a very neat small-displacement bike that can go anywhere, equipped with competition-derived parts that will make it more durable when confronting harsh terrain.
Taking a step on the wild side, the Honda CRF250 Rally introduces an asymmetric LED headlight, a tall, clear windshield, an ample instrument bracket that accommodates the same Gathers GPS with control buttons mounted on the left handlebar we saw on the concept bike. Also, Termignoni twin exhaust silencers replace the original Mugen ones you can see in the video below.
Additionally, the bodywork resembles more that of the Dakar machine, fully wrapping the engine and accented by red anodized parts. The upside-down suspension and the rear unit come from Showa. We can no longer spot the carbon fiber parts that were introduced with the initial concept, most likely to keep the prices down.
With a digital, backlit dash that offers all the essential readings and (rumored) 286cc CBR250R engine, the Honda CRF250 Rally might tick quite a lot of boxes on the "cool bike" list.
Google News