The Honda CRF 250 Rally is one of the most accomplished quarter-litre ADV-tourers out there. We have said it in the past as well that it would make absolute sense to bring the CRF 250 on our shores. The latest rumours suggest that Honda could soon replace the CRF 250 Rally with an updated model because the current iteration isn’t Euro-5 compliant. What is interesting to note here is that Honda could lend the CRF 250 a new name which is particularly iconic in the ADV sphere- Africa Twin!
More details
Japanese magazine Young Machine suggests that Honda is currently working on an updated version of the CRF 250 Rally and could rename it to Africa Twin 250.
Rebadged CRF 25o Rally?
It won’t be developed from the ground up but will be based on the upgraded Honda CRF250L Rally. While the Rally is more off-road biased, we can expect Honda to introduce two versions of the Africa Twin 250. One with road-biased components such as a 19-17-inch wheel combo with dual-purpose tyres and another adventure-oriented trim incorporating larger wheels with knobby tyres.
The folks over at Young Machine have also rendered the rumoured Africa Twin 250. it gets a bigger fuel tank and more fairing than the former. Although it will carry forward many similar elements from Africa Twin 1110 like its headlight, front cowl, etc. the rendering evidently suggests that it will be a lot lighter. Powered by a compact and reliable 249.6cc liquid-cooled single-cylinder four-stroke engine, the CRF250L Rally offers 24.4 HP on tap and an available 22.2 nm of torque. It might not sound much, but that motor is built to take on the rough and should offer butter-smooth delivery of power in a precise manner, something that is so important when there’s no black top. We can expect the rumoured quarter-litre Africa Twin to make use of the same powertrain.
Other specs
Its off-road prowess is supported by the suspension setup. It features long-travel Showa suspension with 43mm inverted fork up front and pro-link single shock at the rear. The front suspension travel is rated at almost 280 mm while the rear has a travel of 261 mm. 21-inch front/18-inch rear wheels further accentuate its off-road capabilities. We can expect the hardcore version of the Africa Twin 250 to boast similar specs.
Honda H’ness CB350
If it actually becomes a thing of reality, we would love to see the Africa Twin 250 to make its way here as well. Honda recently launched the H’ness CB350 at a special starting price of INR 1.85 lac (ex-showroom, Gurugram, Haryana). Available in two variants, DLX and DLX Pro, the latter retails at INR 1.90 lakh (ex-showroom, Gurgaon). These prices are introductory and could be hiked in the future. Honda has gone all retro when it comes to its styling but this thing doesn’t belong to the ’80s as it features some modern design bits as well. The CB350 is powered by a 348cc air-cooled single that churns out 21bhp and 30Nm.
Also read: Hello There, Homegrown Yamaha Tenere 300!
The long-stroke engine features a balancer to keep vibrations in check. The DLX version will be available in Precious Red Metallic, Pearl Night Star Black, and Matte Marshal Green Metallic. On the other hand, the Pro version will be available in dual-tone shades of Athletic Blue Metallic with Virtuous White, Pearl Night Star Black with Spear Silver Metallic, and Matte Steel Black Metallic with Matte Massive Grey Metallic.