2023 Honda CBR250RR SP Flaunts More Power And Impressive Tech

Small-displacement sportbikes may not seem like the most exciting thing out there, but they're certainly tons of fun on track or on a tight twisty road. The Asian market has no shortage of such spirited machines, as we've talked about in the past, and in recent years, manufacturers have been throwing in all sorts of tech into sportbikes 400cc and below.

Take, for example the new Honda CBR250RR SP which has just been debuted in Indonesia. Set for distribution in the Asian market, the Honda CBR250RR isn't an inline-four screamer like the Kawasaki ZX-25R, but rather, a parallel-twin-powered machine like the YZF-R3. Nevertheless, while it may not produce the head-turning banshee howl of a four-banger, it makes up for this with tech and styling updates.

To start with, in its 2023 guise, the CBR250RR SP receives a bump in its compression ratio—now 12.5:1 as against 12.1:1 previously. This means a power bump to 42 ponies at 13,000 rpm. For reference, the standard CBR250RR's engine is unchanged, and makes 39 horsepower. Further setting itself apart, the CBR250RR SP gets a quickshifter—a feature previously never heard of in small-displacement sportbikes.

Across the board, the 2023 CBR250RR receives updated suspension components in the form of a Showa BPF front fork. Instantly recognizable thanks to its gold finish, it's the same hardware that's found on bigger bikes like the CBR500R and CBR650R. Given the CBR250RR's lower weight at just 170 kilograms, and smaller proportions, however, it does away with the dual front disc setup, and instead features a single rotor up front and a single rotor at the rear with dual-channel ABS. 

Other features include a fully digital display, LED lights front and back, as well as a throttle-by-wire system which offers multiple riding modes. In the Indonesian market, the 2023 CBR250RR in standard trim retails for about $4,166 USD. Meanwhile, the more premium SP version will set you back about $5,234 USD.