Honda NSR 250

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Honda RS250R-W.jpg
Honda NSR 250 (No. 19: Freddie Spencer)
Manufacturer Honda
Production period from 1985
class Racing motorcycle
Motor data
Two-stroke engine , water-cooled V2 two-cylinder engine, inlet with membrane control, outlet with ATAC
Displacement  (cm³) 249
Power  (kW / PS ) 78 hp at 12,000 rpm
Top speed (  km / h) 278
drive Chain
Brakes front: 265 mm double disc,
rear: 190 mm disc
Wheelbase  (mm) 1345
Empty weight  (kg) 90

The Honda NSR 250 (1985) was a racing motorcycle of the Japanese manufacturer Honda , the 1985 in the motorcycle world championship of Freddie Spencer and Toni Mang was driven. The Honda NSR 250 was the dominant racing motorcycle in its class; Spencer won seven out of ten races in which he participated, Mang won another two races.

History and technology

The 1984 Honda RS 250 R was an unsuccessful racing machine, the successor of which had to be redesigned from scratch. In addition to a V4 racing machine for the 500cc class, Honda developed a 250cc V2 with exhaust control . In order to simplify the conversion from the 250cc racing machine to the 500cc Honda NSR , the driving behavior of the smaller model was adapted “as similar as possible” to the larger model. This should make the change easier for the rider who should drive both motorcycles in the race. The aluminum bridge frame of the 250 series had the shorter wheelbase, but the somewhat less favorable weight distribution. The front wheel in size 12 / 60–16 was guided with a 40 mm telescopic fork (with anti-dive ), the 15 / 61–17 rear wheel with a Pro-Link central spring strut , which was later taken over into series production. The motorcycle was so light that the minimum weight was achieved even without carbon rims.

The transversely installed engine of the 250 NSR corresponded to the larger engine, except for the missing two cylinders. However, it was designed with a slightly shorter stroke and was equipped with a 38 mm round slide carburetor instead of two 34 mm carburetors. The electronic ignition came from OKI. In order to facilitate the sliding start that was common at the time , the compression was reduced somewhat. Freddie Spencer made “great starts” with the NSR 250, which let him hurry away from the field.

Freddie Spencer became world champion in the class up to 250 cm³ in 1985 with the NSR 250, with the larger model, the Honda NSR 500, world champion in the class up to 500 cm³. Four specimens of the Honda NSR 250 were made, the value of which is now considered priceless.

"The NSR 250 from 1985 is the best racing motorcycle I've ever ridden."

- Freddie Spencer.

Inspired by the success of the NSR 250, Honda also launched a production racer, the Honda RS 250 R for private drivers. The 1988 version developed 74 hp at 12,000 rpm, the 2002 version, available for 22,800 euros, had 94 hp at 12,700 rpm.

World championships

The Honda NSR 250 has been continuously developed; the factory racing car NSR 250 with V2 engine was driven by various drivers until the end of the 2009 motorcycle world championship and the two-stroke engine was banned . Overall, Honda won eleven world championships with the NSR 250 from 1985 to 2009; Hiroshi Aoyama was the last world champion in the 250 cm³ class .

World champion on a Honda NSR 250
Honda NSR 250 R.

Street model

As a street model, the Honda NSR 250 R with 45 HP was produced from 1987 ( MC 16 ) to 1999 ( MC 28 ) mainly for the Japanese market. Few of the model MC 28 (1994) with 57 hp at 9,200 rpm were also available in Germany.

Web links

Commons : Honda NSR 250  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d Alan Cathcart : Almost Freddie's favorite. In: Motorrad Classic 6/2015, pp. 106–113.
  2. ↑ Maurice Buela : Continental Circus. 1949-2000. Heel Verlag 2001, ISBN 3-89365-782-7 , pp. 444 and 445
  3. ↑ Alan Cathcart: Almost Freddie's Favorite. In: Motorrad Classic 6/2015, p. 108.
  4. ^ Motorcycle catalog 2002., p. 213.
  5. ↑ nsr250.net NSR 250 R, MC 16 (accessed on May 23, 2015)
  6. ↑ nsr250.net NSR 250 R, MC 28 (accessed on May 23, 2015)
  7. ↑ motorradonline.de Honda NSR 250 SE (accessed on May 23, 2015)