Whispers of Moto3

Teaser image of the upcoming Honda NRS250 Moto3 bike *Courtesy Honda

By the time the official rules for the new Moto3 Grand Prix class (set to replace the 125cc class in 2012) were released in early November, there was already much rumor and speculation flying as to which manufacturers would take part, and to what extent. With regulations allowing more freedom of innovation within a given specification (a 250cc single-cylinder engine with an 81mm maximum bore  and a spec ECU, with RPMs limited at 14,000)  than that provided by Moto2, it’s likely that a number of makers will be interested.

Honda even released shadowy teaser images of what they call the Next Racing Standard (NRS) 250, then followed up in late October by revealing the CBR250R, a street-legal, single-cylinder sport bike. The CBR250R is no race machine, but its release – combined with the NRS250 teasers– indicate that Honda, at least, is taking this new class very seriously.