The new NSF250R bike features a 4-stroke engine configuration and has been on Honda's mind since last year, ever since the FIM announced the new regulations for the Moto3 Series. Initially dubbed the NSR250 (Next Racing Standard), the bike has undergone several testing in Japan and will likely debut in some championships from as early as this season.
It borrows several elements from the Japanese manufacturer's current 125cc machine and, according to some reports in Italy last year, it will debut in the CIV (Italian Road Racing Motorcycling Championship) in 2011.
As it happened with the Moto2 championship a couple of years back, when it replaced by quarter-litre class in the FIM Road-Racing World Championship, the Moto3 series will substitute the current 125cc category (using 2-stroke bikes), now entering its final year under this designation.
Unlike the Moto2 series however, the Moto3 class will feature multiple engine suppliers, so more bike makers are expected to debut their new-spec bikes for 2012 in the near future.
The move was made by the MotoGP promoter Dorna in order to create more populated grids in MotoGP's feeder series and give young riders the opportunity to advance easier from one another. In addition, the costs will also drop significantly, allowing more teams to join the field.
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