Honda‘s Indonesian affiliate Astra Honda Motor unveiled a new CB150R Streetfire at the Jakarta Motorcycle Show. At this point, the Streetfire is only destined for the Indonesia market as the naked version of the Honda CBR150R (which itself a smaller version of the CBR250R), but it does give us an idea of what a potential CB250R would look like, if Honda decides to produce one.

The Honda CB150R Streetfire is powered by the 150cc liquid-cooled  engine as the CBR150R. Honda claims an output of 17.6 hp at 10,500 rpm and 9.3 ft-lb. at 8500 rpm from the CBR150R, and the CB150R will likely have similar numbers.

While the CBR150R sports a large fairing, the CB150R exposes its engine and twin spar diamond trellis frame. The suspension is also the same as with the CBR150R, featuring a telescopic fork and rear linked suspension. Continue Reading »

American Honda announced a number of returning 2013 models with new color options but the most eye-catching of the new paint jobs is the Repsol-edition CBR250R.

Dressed to resemble Casey Stoner‘s and Dani Pedrosa‘s Honda RC213V MotoGP race bikes, the 2013 Repsol edition Honda CBR250R sports the Spanish petroleum company’s orange with red and white colors, the Honda Racing Corporation logo and the “One Heart” motto of Honda’s Indonesian joint venture which also sponsors the MotoGP team. Completing the look are the Repsol-orange wheels. Continue Reading »

Honda reports a 12.5% increase in motorcycle sales over its first quarter ended June 30, 2012. The quarter represents a return to form following last year’s opening quarter which faced the financial fallout from last March’s earthquakes and tsunami in Japan.

The difference is most apparent when looking at the company’s bottom line. Honda reported a net income of 131.7 billion yen (US$1.69 billion) in the first quarter of 2012 compared to a net income of 31.7 billion reported for the same quarter of 2011.

Honda sold 3.91 million motorcycles (including 29,000 ATVs) over the first quarter, compared to only 3.48 million units in the quarter the previous year. Continue Reading »

As expected, Honda has officially announced it will introduce its new CRF250L to the U.S., offering it as a 2013 model for $4,499.

The 2013 Honda CRF250L is powered by a liquid-cooled fuel-injected 249cc Single inherited from the CBR250R, so it carries the same low-friction innovations such as the roller rocker arm design. Like the CBR, the CRF250L is produced in Thailand, helping keep costs low. By contrast, the CRF250L is $500 cheaper than the CRF230L it replaces, despite adding a larger engine with fuel injection, double-overhead cams, and liquid cooling.

American Honda hasn’t released U.S.-spec figures but the specs sheet for European and Japanese models claim  an output of 23 hp at 8500rpm and 16 ft-lb. at 7000rpm. According to Honda, the CRF250L has a curb weight of 320 pounds. Fuel economy, at least for other markets, is stated as 104 mpg, so the 2.0 gallon tank should provide enough for 208 miles. Continue Reading »

American Honda and Honda Canada haven’t yet officially announced they will import the new Honda CRF250L, but the parent company has outed the dual-sport’s availability in North America.

Honda has launched a new micro-site dedicated to the CRF250L describing its features including its CBR250R-derived engine. The section discussing the CRF250L’s muffler explicitly confirms an American and Canadian model, saying: “the model for the United States and Canada complies through additional settings for a spark arrestor.” Continue Reading »

Honda has released full specifications for its upcoming the CRF250L, a dual-sport with an engine based on the CBR250R‘s powerplant with a fuel efficiency of 104 mpg.

Set to launch in Japan in May and Europe in the summer, the 2012 Honda CRF250L replaces the CRF230L in Honda’s repertoire. North American availability hasn’t been officially been announced, though Honda Canada is expected to introduce the CRF250L in the summer.

To produce the CBR250R, Honda developed the fuel-injected liquid-cooled 250cc four-stroke DOHC Single engine to have very low internal friction, employing a number of innovations such as an offset cylinder and roller rocker arms in the valve train. The CRF250L’s engine maintains the same 76mm bore, 55mm stroke and 10.7:1 compression ratio. Honda claims a peak output of 23hp at 8500rpm and 16 ft-lb. at 7000rpm from the CRF250L’s engine. Continue Reading »

Honda announced it will introduce the new CRF250L to Europe this year. North American availability has not been confirmed, though it appears the new dual-sport, which shares a similar engine to the Honda CBR250R, may soon be announced for these shores.

While there’s no official word on the Honda CRF250L in the U.S.,the liquid-cooled dual sport has already appeared in North America, appearing last weekend at the Montreal Motorcycle Show. A member of the ADVRider forum reports Honda Canada only received the CRF250L recently and the price is expected to be about CN$5000. That puts it close to the price of the ABS-enabled CBR250R.

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Honda Canada has officially announced a new racing series featuring its CBR250R entry-level sportbike, to be held at 2012 Canadian Superbike racing events.

The new Honda CBR250R Challenge series replaces the previous CBR125R spec series and will include a double-header at each CSBK National race weekend.

The series is open to riders 15-25, though riders as young as 13 may be eligible if they have competed in at least three sanctioned CBR125R events. All competitors must attend a competition riding school. Entrants can not be Pro-level riders and may not compete in any other National class events.

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The 2011 Tokyo Motor Show has produced a number of new concepts but there is at least one new production model. Honda premiered a new dual-sport powered by a 249cc engine reportedly based on the CBR250R’s power plant.

The 2012 Honda CRF250L is a step up from the CRF230L and its carbureted air-cooled 223cc SOHC engine. The new CRF250L is powered by a fuel-injected liquid-cooled DOHC four-valve Single Honda claims delivers “satisfying” torque at low revs and smooth acceleration at high rpms. Honda hasn’t revealed any specifics but if the engine is indeed the same as that of the CBR250R (and considering the R&D invested into that engine, it should be!), power output should be about 22hp.

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EICMA this week, Honda has announced details about a few more models in its 2012 lineup: the CB1000R, CBR250R, Silver Wing scooter and the Ruckus, along with the cutting-edge VFR1200F that receives an infusion of impressive new technology for 2012 (which we’ll highlight in a separate blog entry). All of which are returning models from 2011. Pricing is yet to be determined. Here then are the new models, with some words from Honda.

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