As promised around a year ago, Honda Racing India has finally brought the HRC built Moto3 machine, the NSF250R to India. Eight riders have been selected and will undergo training to race in the NSF250R Honda Talent Cup which is now a part of the Honda’s one make championship.
Eight talented riders have been selected by the Honda Racing India team. The youngest rider to be selected is 12-year-old Sarthak from Pune who is a Junior Supercross champ, 14-year-olds Kavin and Geoffrey from Chennai, 15 year-old Mohammad Mikail (2018 Honda CBR150R Talent Cup winner), 16 year old S. Varoon, 17-year-old Mohsin from Mallapuram, 18 year old Charan T. from Chennai and finally 19-year-old Kritik Habib from Gadag, Karnataka (2018 IDEMITSU Honda India CBR150R Talent Cup– First Runner Up).
The Honda NSF 250R is a Moto3 spec bike and has been developed by Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) who have put in years of rigorous research and development. The NSF 250R is a compact, lightweight and high-performance motorcycle, an ideal learning tool for young talent to gain experience and progress from entry level racing to Grand Prix racing such as Moto2, Moto3 and MotoGP.
The NSF 250R is powered by a 4-stroke, liquid-cooled, DOHC single-cylinder, 249cc engine. It is tuned to make 47.6bhp at 13,000rpm and 28Nm of torque at 10,500rpm, while power is delivered to the rear wheels via a 6-speed gearbox. The engine is assisted by RAM air intake to help deliver high power even in hot conditions. The 250R race machine weighs in at 84kgs. It also has a low centre of gravity and an optimized swingarm for better handling. The fuel tank can carry 11-litres of fuel.
The race bike sports 17-inch wheels on both ends, a 90 section slick tyre in the front and a 120-section tyre at the rear. Braking is carried out by a 296mm disc at the front and a 186mm disc at the rear, both with Nissin calipers. It is equipped with inverted forks sourced from Showa Japan and Honda's pro-link monoshock at the rear.