1990 Honda CBR250RR
KM: 17,000
JDM Import
Clean Title
Asking Price: $8,250
Fresh Service and Lots of Recent Work Performed
Many a post on the internet has waxed poetic about the joys of “slow bike fast” type of mentality. The thinking is that in a world of a million horsepower machines with more computer controls than some spaceships, it is easy to see that some joy could be lost when trying to enjoy them at reasonable speeds in the real world. The promise is that a with simple and often low power bikes, one can get the feeling of pushing the envelope without endangering life, limb and jail time. Often these machines are forbidden fruit for us in the USA. For the most part the market demanded large displacement engines and power. Manufactures did not see the demand for small, simple sports bikes. The other common thread in this segment is that it is dominated by two stroke engines. Many focus on the RD line from Yamaha, or the latter Aprila RS line. But today we have something that takes the formula of small displacement bikes and adds a twist. A 250cc, 4 cylinders, 4 stroke with an eye watering 19,000 RPM redline.
It is no secret that four stroke motorcycle engines love RPM. While even the most extreme exotic sports cars struggle to get near to 10,000 RPM, the five digit barrier is of no consequence to almost all sport bikes. The buzz and feeling are part of what many of us love about these vehicles. With the CBR250RR the upper limit is almost twice that, at 19,000 RPM. Formula One engines were in that range before switching to turbo chargers, but one would struggle to find a mass-produced engine that was sold at a normal dealership that could spin to this level. Honda made a name for themselves with small displacement multi cylinder motors. This is a company that once made a 250cc SIX Cylinder race bike in the 1960s.
From The Seller’s Craigslist Listing:
1990 JDM Honda CBR 250RR MC22. 250cc 4 cylinder with gear driven cams, 19,000rpm redline. Yes, you read that right, 19,000 rpm! Sounds like an F1 car! Bike is super clean, very little evidence of it’s prior life in Japan (read: almost no corrosion). Spent nearly $3000 replacing virtually every fastener with OEM Honda fasteners. Fox Twin Clicker rear shock. Stock header ceracoted. Carbon slip-on muffler. Fresh factory replica fairings and paint. Includes OEM fairings (need paint). Also includes OEM passenger seat and cool fold-away passenger pegs. Collector plate, no annual tab fees.
Only selling because something shiny caught my eye!
The example today sounds like a prime candidate to jump right on and start enjoying. Spring is in the air in much of the USA, so time to get out and ride! This listing mentions a hefty sum of money being spent on OEM parts to ensure this bike is ready to go. Nice to see the owner spending the time and money to get the correct parts and use quality components when servicing. The risk with smaller displacement performance bikes is that since they are normally on the more affordable end of the market, they ended up with owners that were not spending the required time maintaining and serving them properly. That does not seem to be an issue here. Low milage, good plastics and thoughtful upgrades.
With any imported bike, it is challenging to find comps. They simple are not that many states, and few that are transact openly. Many are imported directly into collections. Importing can also be challenging for an individual. They have to navigate a foreign purchasing and documentation system. Find a way to acquire, translate and digest all of the necessary information to make a purchase and after that there is the shipping process to figure out. It is no surprise that there are whole companies now devoted to helping people make all of this work.
But with Today’s bike, none of that is of concern. The CBR250RR is here, titled, and in beautiful shape. It would be no different than buying any other motorcycle. The current asking price of $8,250 is less than almost anything one could find at a dealership today, and there is almost nothing in the price point that could offer such a unique engine and riding experience. Honda is legendary for their reliability and support by supplying service parts for vintage motorcycles. All around this is the chance to a really interesting machine in your garage.
