Honda’s CRF250R is an absolute holeshot-seeking machine and this year, your lock on the holeshot is looking better than ever.
Honda’s CRF250R is an absolute holeshot-seeking machine and this year, your lock on the holeshot is looking better than ever.
That’s because the 2020 CRF250R gets a new frame and swingarm, new intake and exhaust valves, a new intake cam, new head pipes, stronger clutch springs and other improvements like the battery mounted lower for a better centre of gravity.
Air filter volume and surface area is up and that means more power too, so all of that makes an awesome bike even better.
HRC LAUNCH CONTROL
We’re talking about a special ECU program here: push the button to select the mode, hold the throttle open, release the clutch, and the CRF250R will do the rest, launching you into the first turn with a big advantage. It turns your bike into a holeshot-seeking machine!
CLUTCH DESIGN AND MATERIALS
The CRF250R’s clutch uses two different types of friction material. Why? The clutch can handle the increased power of the engine without being any larger. The lighter rotating weight is directly related to how fast the engine revs. Stronger clutch springs for 2020 help cope with all that power.
DOHC ENGINE LAYOUT
The CRF250R uses a double-overhead-cam (DOHC) engine layout with a unique finger-follower rocker design. Together with the rest of the engine’s architecture (bore and stroke, intake tract, piston, and more), you get more power and a higher redline.
DOWNDRAFT INTAKE AND EXHAUST LAYOUT
The DOHC cylinder-head design let our engineers straighten out the CRF250R’s intake and exhaust tracts. The intake is short and just about arrow straight, and the exhaust flows more efficiently too. No athlete’s going to win a sprint if they try to run while holding their breath, and it’s no different with your bike’s engine. You’ll experience both more power and better throttle response.
REFINED DUAL-EXHAUST SYSTEM
The CRF250R’s dual-exhaust system is light, compact, and positioned close and low in the frame to take weight off the rear end and bring more mass to the bike’s center for improved handling. Fine-tuning the pipes’ length for 2020 helps give you more low- and midrange torque.
ENGINE MODE SELECT BUTTON
This simple handlebar-mounted button lets you dial in engine power delivery character with a push of your thumb. Choose between Standard, Smooth and Aggressive, depending on track conditions.
GEAR-POSITION ENGINE MAPPING
Talk about smart: The CRF250R features an ECU with special engine mapping for each gear. You can’t give an inch in this class, so having your engine deliver optimal power for each gear choice is one of the features that separates CRF250R riders from the rest.
GRADUAL PIPE-BEND RADIUS
Notice how the CRF250R’s dual exhaust pipes make gradual, large-radius bends out of the head, then flow straight back to the mufflers with no abrupt angle changes. Getting the exhaust out of the engine—while still maintaining a tuned exhaust length, is the key to power, while the pipes’ low mass and twin-silencer design optimize the CRF250R’s center of mass for superior handling.
LITHIUM-ION BATTERY
Like the rest of the CRF250R, the bike’s Lithium-Ion battery is both super light and high performing. In fact, it weighs less than half the weight of a conventional lead-acid battery.
SHARED ENGINE/GEARBOX LUBRICATION
The 2020 CRF250R uses a shared engine/transmission oiling design. Why? Combining the two systems shaves weight and helps make the engine more compact, especially when it comes to placing the right-side cam drive and the clutch so close together.
TITANIUM FUEL TANK & INTAKE AND EXHAUST VALVES
Every gram counts on a bike in the 250 class, which is why the 2020 CRF250R has a titanium fuel tank. Light and strong, it’s also thinner than our previous plastic unit, freeing up more space and helping to centralise fuel mass. Light is right when it comes to a high-revving engine’s reciprocating masses. That’s why the CRF250R uses titanium intake and exhaust valves. Plus, the valve angle is a super-narrow 20.5 degrees (included). Ovalized valve springs and long-wearing Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) treated finger rockers complete the package.
TOTAL AIR MANAGEMENT
Total air management means complete attention to how efficiently air gets through the intake, through the head, and out the exhaust. Eliminate losses here, and you make more power everywhere. And the best part? It’s free horsepower—you just need a bike with smart design.
ELECTRIC START
The CRF250R is equipped with an effortless electric starter. Convenient and lightweight, it’s a huge deal if you need to restart a stalled bike in the heat of battle.
DOUBLE-SPRAY INJECTOR SETTINGS
The CRF250R’s fuel-injection system sprays twice per intake cycle. That helps increase fuel atomization without adding the weight or complexity of a second injector. The better fuel atomization means more power in the midrange and on over rev—you’ll feel it the first time you race.
MORE POWER
With the power updates for 2020, feel free to hold that throttle open and head for the first turn—the CRF250R is designed to win that critical holeshot drag race. You’ll also feel the increased low-end to mid-range torque.
Throttle body - with a 44mm venturi designed to speed up airflow, the CRF250R’s throttle body really reaps benefits at low engine operating speeds. You get power and snap, right now. Bigger radiator - we’ve increased the radiator size this year for better cooling—and since the new bike makes more power, it needs more cooling!
NEW 2020 CAM PROFILES
With input directly from our HRC factory team, we’ve changed the intake cam profiles on our 2020 model to work with the new valves. You should feel better bottom end torque and power, while still retaining the CRF250R’s screaming peak.
NEW 2020 PISTON
Coordinated to work with the new cam profile and combustion-chamber shape, it’s the final piece to the CRF250R’s engine performance package. The bridged-box design features a reinforcing structure between the skirts and the wrist-pin bosses that helps enable the CRF250R’s high redline.
SHOWA® SPRING FORK
The 49mm Showa® fork features a conventional spring design that helps increase the CRF250R’s front-suspension precision, handling and feel. The 39mm piston diameter and 25mm rod diameter guarantee a plush feel and supple action.
260MM FRONT BRAKE
The CRF250R’s large front-brake disc measures a whopping 260mm. You get great brake feel and a pattern that cuts down on weight. Front and rear brake-disc guards are part of the package too.
DUNLOP MX3S TIRES
Developed using Dunlop’s latest “block-on-block” design technology, the CRF250R’s MX3S tyres give excellent feedback and are a perfect complement to the CRF250R’s frame and suspension.
LOWER BATTERY MOUNTING
By relocating the battery 28.5mm lower for 2020, we’ve also lowered the CRF250R’s center of gravity—and that always helps overall handling.
NEW TWIN-SPAR ALUMINUM FRAME
The CRF250R’s latest twin-spar aluminum frame is identical to the CRF450R’s except for the lower engine cradle where the engine mounts. It’s the foundation for the 250’s superb handling.
NEW SHORT SWINGARM
The CRF250R’s short swingarm helps make it light, and also helps give the bike better rear-wheel traction, important considering how much power you have on tap. We shaved 160 grams off it this year too, so the design also reduces the bike’s unsprung mass.
BLACK RIMS
They may not help you go faster, but the sweet black DID DirtStar rims sure look good.
FLAT SEAT/TANK JUNCTION
The 2020 CRF250R features a flat seat/tank junction, including a titanium fuel tank. The superior ergonomics make it easier to move forward and back on the bike, increasing your control.
"IN MOLD" GRAPHICS
With the all the time you’ll be spending in victory circle, you need to look your best. The CRF250R has you covered. Our redesigned “in mold” graphics look great, and stay looking good.
REAR SUBFRAME
The 2020 CRF250R’s subframe uses extruded rear members that produce a 20-percent reduction in weight versus the previous generation. Since that weight comes off the top of the bike, it also contributes to the CRF250R’s low centre of gravity.
SMOOTH STYLING
Blending the CRF250R’s body panels does more than just make the bike look smooth, fast, and stylish. It also helps you move around on the bike while riding. Nothing wrong with smooth, fast, and stylish, though.
