Ready to make a little history of its own
Last year Josh Toth became the first rider to win a GNCC overall from the second row, and he did it on a Honda CRF250RX. It was a milestone in GNCC history, but should we be surprised? Probably not. Kailub Russell won a number of overalls on a KTM 250XC-F from the first row, where it was wall-to-wall 450s. It just took a convergence of the right rider, the right bike and the right event to make it happen at the General GNCC in Georgia.
The real surprising part is that 250s don’t beat the 450s every time. In the mud, ruts, rocks and trees that are the norm in GNCC racing, you don’t have that much space to let a 450 get up and run. That’s why Honda made the 2025 250RX a priority for 2025. It should be the bike of choice in eastern off-road racing.
THE FORMULA
This is the cross-country version of the CRF250R motocross bike that was introduced last fall to overwhelming approval. It got all the same updates. The most significant of those is a new, more rigid frame. Honda engineers also paid attention to how and where the subframe connects to the main frame (in a more centralized location) to reduce energy transmission from the rear of the bike to the front. The fork, triple clamp, steering stem and linkage are also more rigid, and then there are considerable suspension changes to compensate. In the power department, the R and the RX both got a more free-breathing airbox, a new exhaust pipe and new mapping. It also has a more rigid crankshaft.
These days, cross-country race bikes put a lot of emphasis on the word “race,” so most motocross bikes and off-road bikes are more closely related than ever. The RX got the SCHMOKT treatment (Suspension, Capacity, Handguards, Mapping, O-ring chain, Kickstand and 18-inch Tire). Outwardly, you can easily spot the RX because the R’s 1.6-gallon titanium fuel tank is replaced by a 2.1-gallon plastic tank. And, of course, it has a kickstand and the 18-incher in back, complete with a Dunlop Geomax AT81 tire.
Going a little deeper, the suspension is significantly different. It’s softer than the R model, using what are essentially the R’s optional soft springs as standard equipment. On top of that, the valving stack is off-road-specific, and for 2025, there are a number of detail changes, like new seals and a different valving configuration.
The star of the off-road show, though, is mapping. The Honda has a map switch on the left side of the handlebar that gives you three different power modes. One flash of the LED light is the standard map. Hold the button down for two flashes and that’s the mild power delivery. Three flashes is aggressive. You also have a button for traction control; you can choose between three different levels there as well. And, if you hit the starter button while the engine is already running, it activates launch assist. Again, three levels are available. All of the electronic power delivery aids are different from those of the motocross bike. What aspects of the RX are the same as the MXer? Almost everything else, but most notably the five-speed gearbox, the muffler and the frame.
TRAIL BIZ
For trail riding, the Honda CRF250RX has the best off-road power delivery of all the cross-country 250 four-strokes. That’s saying something, because 250 four-strokes, in general, have super-broad, smooth powerbands. You can tell it’s a blood relative of the CRF250R because that bike has excellent bottom end. If you check out the dyno chart in our “250 MX Shootout” in the February 2025 issue, you can see it clearly. The Honda is the horsepower and torque king below 7000 rpm. That doesn’t necessarily help it on a motocross course where you rarely dip down that low. On the track, all of the bikes are more typically bumping off their 14,000-rpm rev limiters. On technical off-road trails, though, 7000 rpm is where you spend most of your time, and the RX is excellent down there. It’s smooth and has no tendency whatsoever to stall, cough or flame out.
When the trail opens up and you can get on the gas, the RX pulls almost as hard as the motocross bike. In fact, the aggressive map on the RM feels almost exactly like the standard map on the R. If you get into a drag race against a motocross 250, the RX might have the slightest disadvantage. Peak power is about 3–4 horsepower shy of the fastest bikes in the class. But, the power down low is so sweet and gentle that it more than makes up for it. And, it will rev forever. You might think that you have to shift a 250 more often than a 450, but that’s not the case. The operating zone for riding a 450 off-road is actually very narrow. If you rev too much, you have a monstrous and unmanageable surge of power. Too low and you’ll flame out. The 250RX, on the other hand, is free to operate at any rpm level. With just a little clutch work, you can ride all day in one gear. The clutch, by the way, has a super-easy pull. Unlike the Honda 450, it’s a cable clutch, and accordingly it will fade if you abuse it too much. If you’re determined to install a clutch slave cylinder on the 250, it would require machine work and a lot of determination. It isn’t like Yamaha, which offers a hydro clutch as a bolt-on accessory.
The fact that the RX has the exact same five-speed gearbox as the motocross model shouldn’t worry anyone. The overall gearing and spread between ratios are perfect for trail riding. All too often, manufacturers overthink off-road gear ratios and try to install a granny gear at the bottom. Most riders never use that gear in a normal trail ride. We would, however, love a tall sixth gear on top just so the motor isn’t buzzing when it’s time to cover ground on a fire road.
THROUGH THE WOODS
We historically like the way the Honda 250 handles, both on the track and on the trail. Even though it has always used the same frame as the 450, the two bikes have very different personalities. Last year, the 450 had a temper. If you got out of shape, it was difficult to reel in. We never felt that way about the 250, which was always sweet and well behaved. The frame changes for 2025 were primarily aimed at the 450, and the 250 was swept along for the ride. A more rigid frame doesn’t sound like a good move for a 250 off-road bike. No worries. Chassis rigidity is a complicated subject, and the new frame flexes almost as much as ever on a vertical plane. It’s still a fairly plush bike overall. As usual, off-road suspension has an impossible mission. What works in the woods at 15 mph can’t work in the desert at 50 mph. Accordingly, the Honda CRF250RX is about right for a biggish rider (170 pounds) riding at a moderate trail pace (24 mph). It’s going to be too soft for motocross or desert and too stiff for light riders on tight trails. It will always be well balanced and free of wicked tendencies.
WHAT YOU SHOULD WANT
The 250RX is an excellent platform for a general-purpose off-road bike, and it can still be raced. That’s a combination that’s hard to find. At the extreme ends of the off-road spectrum, the RX isn’t necessarily unbeatable. If a hard enduro is on the agenda, a 300 two-stroke is still the king. And, on a high-speed GP course, a 450 MX bike is hard to beat. But, the CRF250RX can at least make a showing in each of those environments and everything in between. That’s versatility, and that’s the very definition of what an off-road bike needs to be.
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