2009 Honda CRF250R

2009 Honda CRF250R: The Final Carburetted Evolution

The 2009 Honda CRF250R was a refinement of the existing machine rather than a new generation. Honda retained the aluminium twin-tube chassis, 249.4 cc Unicam engine, 40 mm Keihin FCR carburettor, twin-muffler exhaust and Honda Progressive Steering Damper introduced on the previous model, but concentrated on making the engine stronger at lower rpm and improving shifting.

The main engine change was a reshaped combustion chamber, combined with a longer exhaust header tuned to improve low-to-midrange power. Honda also revised the carburettor jetting to smooth throttle response. For owners maintaining the original FCR system, the MXOwners carburettor reference can help when investigating replacement options and related components.

Inside the transmission, Honda introduced four-dog gears together with a revised shift drum and shift-drum arm to give more positive gear changes. The front and rear 240 mm brake rotors also received lighter works-style designs, while the handgrips were revised for rider comfort.

Showa suspension remained at both ends, with the 47 mm twin-chamber fork retaining adjustable compression and rebound damping. Correct oil quantity remains important during servicing, and the MXOwners fork oil reference is useful when checking suspension information.

Historically, the 2009 CRF250R is notable as the last of this carburetted generation before Honda introduced an extensively redesigned fuel-injected CRF250R for 2010. That makes it a mature version of Honda's FCR-fed 250 four-stroke platform, combining several years of development with relatively straightforward mechanical systems. Owners restoring one can also use the MXOwners parts finder when identifying model-specific components.