- Super easy to ride
- Healthy performance
- Great handling
- Awesome fuel economy
- Electronic fuel injection
Honda’s VTR250 first appeared on NZ roads in 1999, and with its light weight, light controls, low and narrow seat, and sharp styling it immediately struck a chord with learners and commuters.
With its V-twin engine, lack of a fairing and tubular steel trellis frame, its lines hark back to a certain Italian model that can lay claim to founding the modern naked streetfighter niche (the Ducati Monster), and while the VTR’s quarter-litre performance might not be in the same ball park, that’s no bad thing for the entry level market.
Engineering and appearance
The VTR250 comes in a basic, no-frills format. A compact liquid-cooled 250cc, DOHC, four-stroke, 90-degree V-twin is held by a tubular steel truss-type frame, with its power put down to the ground via a cable clutch and a five-speed gearbox. Chain final drive feeds a relatively skinny 140-section Bridgestone tyre.
Stopping the show is a single 296mm disc with twin-piston Nissin calliper up the front, mated to a 220mm disc with single-piston Nissin calliper down the rear, while the suspension is also fairly basic – a conventional non-adjustable front fork and a rear monoshock, the latter adjustable for preload via a threaded collar, accessed by removing the seat and pulling back a rubber flap.
The analogue speedo and tacho are complemented by twin LCD displays. The regular idiot lights complete the spartan instrumentation package.
Performance and handling
The moment you throw a leg over the VTR you feel completely secure and in charge. Its 775mm seat height will be low enough for most to get both feet to the ground. I found the padding wasn’t especially compliant – its fine for around town stuff, but a sheepskin will pay dividends on longer hauls.
That’s right, this might ‘only’ be a 250, but there’s no reason why you couldn’t tour on a VTR. Sure, there’s no bodywork to hide behind, and you’ll be pulling decent revs at highway speeds (100km/h in fifth equates with 6500rpm), but the VTR’s upright ride position will be a bonus on longer runs, and the nature of the engine means you’ll probably be keeping speeds to 100km/h or under, where the wind’s blast isn’t such a factor.
But, around town this machine is impossible to fault. Light and narrow, it’ll slip through gridlocked traffic with ease, and its power and torque output will see it nip ahead of the tin tops from a red light. Of course, you’ve got to rev the ring-piece out of the thing and get involved with the slick-shifting five-speed gearbox to keep things on the boil, but this only adds to the fun.
The bulk of the torque seems to be between 5000rpm and 9000rpm – under that there’s not too much happening, and above that seems a little cruel, although it’ll happily rev to its 11,500rpm indicated redline without fuss in its lower gears.
Tipping the scales at 161kg wet, you can throw the bike around like the proverbial rag doll, aided by broad ’bars and a low centre of gravity. The suspension is basic, as you’d expect, but it allows the VTR to hold a steady line through any corner.
The PGM-FI electronic fuel injection was spot on. The bike started first time, every time and the throttle response is crisp, not that a 250cc engine offers much power to tame anyway. The VTR only has a fuel capacity of 12.4L, but I got an incredible average economy of 27km/L – giving it an effective range of around 300km between fill-ups.
Summary
All up, the VTR250 is still the excellent learner and commuter option it always was, but now, with EFI, it’s a true son of the 21st century. It represents reasonable value for money, too. Larger-framed riders might find the bike a little small, but if you’re of average size or below, and if you put ease of operation ahead of outright power, then the littlest VTR is a first-rate option.
See the Honda VTR250 for sale.
Specifications
Engine type Liquid-cooled 4-stroke DOHC 4-valve 90° Vtwin
Displacement 249cc
Bore x stroke 60 x 44.1mm
Compression ratio 11:1
Carburetion PGM-FI electronic fuel injection
Ignition Computer-controlled fully transistorised with electronic advance
Max power output 25kW / 10,500rpm
Max torque 24Nm / 8,500rpm
Starter Electric
Gearbox 5-speed
Final drive O-ring sealed chain
Front suspension 41mm telescopic fork, 117mm axle travel
Rear suspension Dampers with spring preload adjustment, 125mm axle travel
Front brakes 296mm single hydraulic disc with dual piston caliper and resin mould pads
Rear brakes 220mm hydraulic disc with single-piston caliper and resin mould pads
Wheelbase 1405mm
Rake castor angle 25° 30'
Trail 96mm
Seat height 775mm
Ground clearance 155mm
Kerb weight 161kg *Includes all standard equipment, required fluids and full tank of fuel-ready to ride
Fuel capacity 12.4 litres (including two-litre reserve)
Dimensions 2035 x 725 x 1055mm