Honda CBR250R To Be Discontinued From April 2020
The very likeable Honda CBR250R will be discontinued at the end of this month in India. The original affordable quarter-litre offering in the country will be one of the casualties of the BS6 upgrades, and it seems Honda has decided not to upgrade the ageing model to the new emission regulations. Dealerships have stopped accepting bookings for the CBR250R, while there are only a handful of stocks available with showrooms across the country, carandbike can confirm. We have reached out to Honda and will update the story when we get a response. Meanwhile, dealers are offering attractive discounts on the limited stocks available of the motorcycle.
Launched in 2012, the Honda CBR250R was a gamechanger and kick-started the affordable 250 cc segment. At the time, the only other option in the market was the much expensive Kawasaki Ninja 250R that was a twin-cylinder offering. Over the years, the bike has remained largely unchanged complete with the VFR 1200F inspired styling, and the 249 cc single-cylinder engine that develops 26 bhp and 22.9 Nm of peak torque, while paired with a 6-speed gearbox. The CBR250R uses telescopic forks up front and a monoshock setup at the rear, while braking performance continues to come from discs at either end with ABS as standard.
Interestingly, the Honda CBR250R was previously discontinued in India in 2017 after the bike did not meet the BS3 emission norms. However, the manufacturer introduced an updated version of the full-faired offering, with new graphics, colour options and a LED headlamp at the 2018 Auto Expo with the motor now meeting BS4 compliance. The bike continues to hold a strong following, courtesy of its design, stress-free motor and sporty yet relaxed ergonomics.
While the CBR250R soldiered on in India over the years, Honda did introduce the updated CBR300R internationally with a 286 cc single-cylinder engine. India gets the Honda CB300R instead with the same engine and underpinnings, albeit as a naked alternative. The bike maker also has the Honda CBR250RR on sale in South East Asian markets, but the twin-cylinder offering has been ruled out for India. For now, Honda has not announced any replacement for the CBR250R.
That being said, HMSI did announce plans to expand its presence in the premium motorcycle segment with more high-capacity motorcycles to be localised in the country. While the company has not confirmed details, speculations do suggest that Honda is looking at the 500 cc segment with the CB500, CB500X and the Rebel 500 motorcycles. The bikes will be locally produced and that should make prices extremely competitive for the twin-cylinder offerings.
For now though, the Honda CB300R is the brand's more affordable premium offering priced at Rs. 2.42 lakh (ex-showroom, India) and is sold via the company Wing World dealerships.
from CarandBike - Latest News
Comments
Post a Comment