Honda understands that not every customer looking for a 300cc motorcycle is a beginner, often times intermediate riders are even found shopping for low displacement Japanese motorcycles purely to save some extra cash on a new model; meaning it was important for Honda to ensure this bike was still capable despite its low power figures and price tag.
Motorcycle Consumer News design columnist Glynn Kerr observed that new direction in bike design fits the pattern of motorcycle trends imitating, but lagging behind, car styling, in that motorcycles are shifting away from sharp, "lithe", dart-like shapes of the 2010s toward a heavier, "chunky" style with a higher, blunter nose, and, in cars, a "high waisted" middle with short windows and thicker pillars.[15] Kerr cites the Chrysler 300 as the best example, as well as smaller cars like the Audi A3 and Suzuki Swift, commenting that, "aggression now comes from appearing strong and assertive, rather than light and dart-like... the arrow has been replaced by the hammer."[15]
honda cbr 300 repsol motorcycle
In motorcycles this translates into a heavy front, reverse rake angle headlight, and the use of little or no color on the rear half of the bike to spotlight the front one-fourth of the bike.[15] In this aspect, Kerr also sees influence from the 1994 Morbidelli V8, the 1991 Yamaha TDM850, and Honda's DN-01 of 2005.[15] On the 2008 CBR1000RR, Kerr thought the dominant vertical line produced an awkward, top heavy look that played against traditional race replica styling of body lines sloping downwards towards the front. The 2010 VFR1200F was visually more successful because the new style better suited the greater proportions of a touring motorcycle, and in spite of Honda's third iteration of the style being a much smaller bike, nonetheless Kerr said, "the latest CBR250R carries the look even better than its big brother."[15] The Ottawa Citizen's review by David Booth said the CBR250R looked better than the VFR1200F as well, commenting that, "Where the various bulges of the big VFR are a little too Jessica Rabbit-like over-the-top, the little CBR250R styling is far more subtle and really looks the classier of the two."[16]
In one head-to-head comparison, MotorcycleUSA judged the Ninja 250R to be the better bike due to its superior speed and handling.[18] The testers at Motorcycle Consumer News found the CBR250R to be the better choice, given the needs of its presumed prospective buyers in the US, beginners and those looking for a practical motorcycle for long commutes, though "if sheer performance is all you're after" without regard for fuel efficiency, then the Ninja 250R might be preferable.[4] 2ff7e9595c
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