Forbidden Fruit: 1997 Honda CBR250RR MC22 for Sale

1997 Honda CBR250RR MC22
Miles: 6,625
Clean Washington Title
Bid at post: $1,825
Reserve Not Met
Auction ends: August 19th, 2024

Sportbike enthusiasts are naturally familiar with Honda’s CBR1000 and CBR600 in their various F, R, and RR guises, and riders of a certain age might also lust after Tadao Baba’s masterpiece, the CBR900RR. But far fewer are aware of the Japanese-market Honda CBR250RR. Unlike modern small-displacement CBRs that feature economical, environmentally-friendly single-cylinder or parallel-twin engines, the CBR250RR MC22 was powered by a 249cc inline-four with gear-driven cams that shrieked all the way to a 19,000rpm redline. Gearing in the six-speed box was very short and a severe lack of torque meant you needed to be well north of 10k rpm to make real use of the available 45hp, but the 346lb bike was capable of 112mph flat out. It’s a shame we never got these in North America when they were new, but they probably wouldn’t have sold very well here, given our penchant for big bikes with big power and the general lack of easy access to tight, twisty roads… Luckily, these tiny terrors are now legal to import into the US, and as a result have been making their way stateside for a while now.

I imported the CBR via the exporter (FVEJ) in Japan and an importer here in the Seattle area (SODO motor) arriving in February 2024.

A full inspection was done when it arrived with the only call out being light tune up being needed.

• As of March 2024 the following was done:
• New spark plugs; gapped correctly
• Oil change and filter

• In June 2024: I did a
• Full coolant flush
• Replaced the thermostat and water pump gasket
• Replaced the radiator coolant temp sensor
• Both fuel lines were replaced (tank and carb overflow)

This was all in an effort to help it run a bit cooler on the hot days that we were having. I also added some WaterWetter to the coolant. It seems to be running a bit cooler on the hotter days as well as when stuck in traffic.

When I imported it, it had 8748km on it and now has 10662km on it. I have put almost 1200 miles on it. Kilometers will continue to go up as I am currently still riding it.

It is a solid MC22 CBR250RR that is already titled/registered in WA state. Happy to work with the successful bidder to arrange shipping or local pickup is an option as well. Motorcycle is used and no warranty is implieFeel free to message with any questions.

If you’re in the market for a Honda CBR250RR, it’s nice to be able to purchase an example that’s already here in the US, and has been “gone through” to get it ready for use: these bikes are just old motorcycles in Japan, and many have seen years of neglect and exposure to salty sea air before being crated up and shipped to North America to be purchased by eager enthusiasts long denied one of motorcycling’s forbidden fruit. This one has low miles and looks like it’s in very nice original condition, with the expected minor cosmetic imperfections normally found on a nearly 30-year-old bike. The graphics might not be to everyone’s taste, but are very evocative of the period and I wouldn’t change a thing. Except for the pink grips and the aftermarket levers, which should be binned immediately.

-tad