Honda introduced their new NSF250R racer for the Moto3 class beginning in 2012. The 250cc 4 stroke single will be replacing the RS125R 2 stroke and, from the description and specs, it’s just as diminutive as the old 125.
From the tech side of things, the 185 pound racer makes about 47 horsepower with a front intake, rear exhaust arrangement on a cylinder tilted back 15 degrees. A cassette style 6 speed gearbox means easy gearing changes.
Honda says: “The frame ensures a degree of freedom in cornering and nimbleness that matches and goes beyond the RS125R,” which is another way of saying you can practically lay this thing flat in the corners. It also equals the 125 in aerodynamic performance.
It’s amazing what you can pack into a tiny package. They’ll be on sale to racers December 2011 for about $35,000.
Honda press release:
Honda Racing Corporation will launch the NSF250R, a newly developed machine for the Moto3 class that will be added to the FIM Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix (WGP) in 2012. Sales of the new vehicle are planned to start in December 2011.
In developing the NSF250R, Honda took the “Next Racing Standard†as its development concept and reaped the benefits of racing technology cultivated in the RS125R, thereby achieving a high-level combination of outstanding controllability and racing competitiveness.
The liquid-cooled, 4-stroke, single cylinder, DOHC, 249 cc engine was specifically designed for Moto3 to be lightweight and compact while delivering high output. To achieve this high output together with excellent responsiveness, the machine incorporates a front-intake/rear-exhaust configuration with high charging efficiency, while adopting a layout with the cylinder tilted back 15° to concentrate mass.
To ensure power delivery all the way through to the high rpm range, the NSF250R adopts titanium valves for both the intake and exhaust to reduce friction. Furthermore, the design reduces friction between piston and cylinder and improves durability by offsetting the cylinder centerline and applying nickel silicon carbide (Ni-SiC) for the cylinder surface treatment. The easily replaceable cassette design selected for the close-ratio 6-speed transmission, allows gear selection to be optimized over a large variety of racing circuits.
The frame ensures a degree of freedom in cornering and nimbleness that matches and goes beyond the RS125R by revising the rigidity balance and the shape while inheriting the compactness of the RS125R. Even though the basic structure of the front and rear suspension is the same as the RS125R, the NSF250R-exclusive settings produce a machine with excellent riding stability.
The cowling makes the NSF250R the equal of the RS125R in aerodynamic performance, while a cooling duct on the under cowl improves the engine’s cooling performance.
As a new-generation road racing machine that complies with Moto3 regulations, the NSF250R will help revitalize road racing while meeting the expectations of road racers.
Hawk says
Now if I was 60 years younger and had $35G ……
Lohmann says
Hurray for progress! Down on power, higher weight and undoubtedly the rebuild cost will be far higher compared to the 125cc two-stroke it replaces. Congratulations Honda, your anti-two-stroke lobbying has finally worked out as you wanted.
You meet the nicest people on a… two-stroke!
Kevin says
True that.
In addition, new riders aren’t going to learn all the skills they would have learned otherwise.
Mikey says
My God, I weigh more than that speck. How the hell do you keep the wheels on the ground?
Tommy says
Looks like a blast to ride! Wish there was a street legal version… the current street legal 250 sport bikes are way too watered down…
mxs says
Love that thing. If I only had a chance to take one for a spin at the track.
Ola says
I’m sure it’s a nice racer, but certainly doesn’t sound like one. More like a Briggs & Stratton (lawn mower)…
http://www.motogp.com/en/videos/2011/Free+Video+HRC+NSF250R+Moto3
todd says
The RS125R only had 43 hp but weighed 28 pounds less. I think this will be very comparable with that bike. I’m sure there is room for more power since the 250 has only 188 hp/liter compared to the RC212V which has “more than” 260 hp/liter.
Sure, it’ll cost more but currently an engine rebuild isn’t the largest cost in the overall racing effort.
-todd
Lohmann says
Yes, the RS125R had 44 hp and had a cost around 12,500 Euro. Compared to the new NSF250Rs 23,600 Euro I guess you’re right; engine rebuild price isn’t that important after all… (even though the offroad guys whine quite a bit about it).
With the new rules they’ve forced everybody to buy an extremely costly machine based on principally inferior technology. The Honda RS250R two-stroke put out 92hp and 52.3NM. I don’t really get it; where is the progress of switching to four-strokes?
B50 Jim says
Ola — no Briggs & Stratton mower engine ever sounded like that! Don’t dis it — after all, it’s still a single. Having ridden a Big Single for years, I can say yes, it might sound like a Briggs — a Briggs from Hell.
Not ripping Briggs & Stratton here — they’ve made more engines than anybody, and those engines do their job day in and day out, churning out reliable power to make life easier for people around the world. And how many of us first learned the mysteries of 4-stroke engines by tearing down Dad’s lawn mower?
Rik says
i dont know…i miss the strokers so much.. and i sawd criville running this thing arround the catalunya gp this weekend and it didnt impressed me ..at all..
Marvin says
Sounds great to me all sorts there that could trickle down to a nice light road going single.
Kenny says
Now this is more like what the new CBR250R should have been, unlike the woefully underpowered wannabe that Honda gave us.
todd says
Kenny, this bike will require rebuild intervals measured in hours. Far from being underpowered for a 250 street single, the CBR250R will probably run 100,000 miles before needing a rebuild. Yes, I’d love to ride one of these NSF’s around for fun (and give it back before I wore it out) but I’d much rather commute on the CBR.
-todd
todd says
Let me qualify my statement:
If you ride the NSF how it was intended then, yes, you’d have to rebuild it once a season or so. If you rode it around never asking more out of it than a CBR250R would provide then it would probably outlast the CBR – being much higher spec components and more precise assembly. Fuel mileage would suffer quite a bit though since this thing is probably cammed to run most efficiently at race RPMs.
-todd
Kenny says
Hey todd,
I know having a single cylinder streetbike to the same spec as this nsf would be ridiculous and it would probably chew through consumables like they were going out of style.
But, I have to point out that I own a 1989 CBR250R (MC19), so yes I have to admit I’m a bit biased in my opinion.
When you compare the MC19 to the MC41 on paper they look virtually identical, except for the engine. At which point the 22 year old bike leaves it newer sibling in the dust…..and it keeps on going to that 100,000 mile mark you mentioned.
And here lies my only problem with the Moto3 class. Honda, Kawasaki, Yamaha and Suzuki all have a proven engine designs for 250cc inline 4 screamers with 40+hp that have been sitting gathering dust for at least 2 decades. Yet the regulations for the moto3 class restrict choices to single cylinder, sub 14k rpm powerplants that cost $10,000 or less per unit? And they claim to be trying to keep costs down?
todd says
Kenny, let me know when you want to trade your MC19 for anything that I have…
-todd
Klaus says
In some parts of the world you can still buy a new 4 cylinder Hornet 250 with about 40 horses…
Kenny says
Good point Klaus, I had no idea the CB250f existed.
Sick Cylinder says
This machine is for Moto 3. An Aprilia 125 costs around 450,000 Euro per annum to campaign. On top of that the factory decides which riders / teams get the good bikes.
We had the same problem in the 250’s where the bikes cost a fortune (about 1.2 m Euros) and only a few riders had access to top tackle. Moto 2 has been a great success and I don’t see why Moto 3 can’t also be a great success.
Darell says
Ok thats nice?
No w the problem is does any one of have 35Ks?
Can I Burrow =P
Peter says
I have 2 2012 NSF250Rs for sale, 1 with about 1 hour on it and one never riden. I have 2 stands and 1 electric starter for them. I am selling all this as a package and they are going cheap. Please email me for any further info. Thanks
peter@ontwowheels.com.au