If you’re in the market for a high-performance, quarter-liter two-stroke, then this is the one to have. As cool to look at as it is to ride, Honda’s NSR250R is a two-stroke race replica splashed with one of the most evocative paint-and-graphics combinations of the modern era, made ever so sexy by the dangerous, forbidden-fruit taint of a tobacco sponsorship.
The NSR250 followed the same formula as everyone else in the class, with a nearly square, liquid-cooled two-stroke v-twin that displaced 249cc’s and put power through a six-speed gearbox. In this case, the box was a “cassette-style” arrangement that would theoretically allow racers to change ratios quickly at the track. Which sounds pretty cool, but is largely useless for road riders, unless you don’t believe in using your clutch and need to rebuild your transmission regularly…
With a dry weight of under 300lbs and 45-60hp depending on tune, these are fast, nimble motorcycles that stress handling over straight-line power. They look and handle like big, four-stroke sportbikes, but are very compact in person, and feature a host of weight-saving and weight-centralizing tricks to maximize performance. According to two-stroke fanatics, every serious motorcyclist should try one.
So who’s got one I can try out?
From the original eBay listing: 1988 Honda NSR250R SP MC18 for Sale
Just imported through U.S. Customs, this 1988 NSR 250 SP R4J comes with a clean and clear street legal title ready to be transferred into your name in your state. A great page for some overview history on the NSR250 is www(dot)nsr-world(dot)com/history/ . The SP model is a Honda factory built street legal Sport Production version of the desirable NSR250 model and comes in Rothmans paint trim and factory upgrade Magtek magnesium wheels. This bike is showing 10,620 original miles (17,091 kilometers) on the odometer so it is a clean, lower mileage bike that presents well. The fairing bodywork is original with original paint and the seat is in good condition. The pictures show 2 scratches on the lower right belly pan and 3 scratches on the left muffler. This is a 25 year old motorcycle with 11,000 miles so it isn’t perfect; you have to expect paint wear and the normal scratches and chips and cracks on the bar ends and levers and fairing mount points. The windshield needs polishing to be perfect too. The tires have good tread, gauges are clear and bright, factory turn signals are straight and the exhaust tips are in good condition too. All in all a good used 250SP with original paint and Magtek magnesium wheels – where else are you going to find one?
I can get great shipping rates (anywhere in California for $300 as an example) so don’t let the cost of shipping keep you from owning this collectible Japanese two-stroke streetbike. This motorcycle is not a grey market import, it has been imported through proper legal channels and is already titled in the USA and ready to be transferred into your name just like any other vehicle purchase. You will not need my US Customs documents and EPA documents to transfer title but I will include them in the sale of this bike so you have documentation your NSR SP was legally imported.
The seller has posted a number of other desirable little Japanese-import two-stroke sportbikes recently and, as always, includes a video of the bike starting and running.
Standard caveats apply: be sure to check your local laws regarding registration if you plan to run this on the road. But now that bikes like this are at or past the 25 year mark, it’s becoming much easier to import and register them. And even if you can’t run this on the street, a careful restoration would make this a very cool display piece!
-tad
