2016 Honda CRF250X
Not quite a race bike, but more than a easy-going trail bike, the 2016 Honda CRF250X will appeal to serious trail riders and casual off-road competitors.
Sure, the powerplant is getting a bit long in the tooth, as it still runs a 37mm Keihin flat slide carburetor (rather than fuel injection) and a five-speed transmission (a sixth cog would be nice), but the 249cc Unicam motor runs flawlessly once it’s warmed up. The electric starter is a big plus, with a kickstarter at the ready should the battery go on strike.
Like the motor, the suspension—despite over 12 inches of travel at each end -isn’t neither the latest nor the greatest, yet the inverted 47mm Showa cartridge forks and linkage-assisted Showa shock (with high- and low-speed compression damping adjustments) work more than well-enough right off the showroom floor for all but the most serious riders. Although it hasn’t been updated for years, it’s still a credible machine for aggressive off-road riding.
2016 Honda CRF250X Specs:
- Engine Type: 249cc liquid-cooled single-cylinder four-stroke
- Bore and Stroke: 78mm x 52.2mm
- Compression ratio: 12.9:1
- Valve Train: Unicam, four-valve; 31mm intake valve; 26mm exhaust valve
- Induction: Keihin 37mm flat-slide carburetor with Throttle Position Sensor (TPS)
- Ignition: CD with electronic advance and lighting coil
- Starting: Electric and kick
- Transmission: Wide-ratio five-speed
- Final Drive: #520 T-ring-sealed chain; 14T/53T
- Front Suspension: 47mm inverted Showa cartridge fork with 16-position rebound and 16-position compression damping adjustability; 12.4 inches travel
- Rear Suspension: Pro-Link Showa single shock with adjustable spring preload, 17-position rebound damping adjustability, and compression damping adjustment separated into low-speed (13 positions) and high-speed (3.5 turns); 12.3 inches travel
- Front Brakes: Single 240mm disc with twin-piston caliper
- Rear Brakes: Single 240mm disc
- Front Tire: 80/100-21
- Rear Tire: 100/100-18
- Wheelbase: 58.3 inches
- Rake: 27.9°
- Trail: 4.7 inches
- Seat Height: 37.7 inches
- Ground Clearance: 13.6 inches
- Fuel Capacity: 1.9 gallons, including 0.4-gallon reserve
- Color: Red
- Curb Weight: 254 pounds
- 2016 Honda CRF250X MSRP: $7410
