You are not looking at a Honda NSR250R Rothmans Replica. Sure, it's shaped like an NSR250R, but if you look a bit closer you'll notice something a bit... off. Someone's gone a bit crazy with the metal polishing wheel and, in the process, created something that will surely inflame the comments section. Please try to be polite...
The stock NSR250R frame is welded up from cast and extruded sections, and the main spars are a bit shiny, compared to the cast bits, but they generally don't have this bike's mirror-like sheen. And the swingarm and fork lowers don't generally look like they came from the JC Whitney parts catalog. In the 80s and 90s, polished frames were a bit of a thing, and plenty of Japanese sportbike owners added a personalized touch to their rides by adding a bit of bling. Bikers like shiny things... Unfortunately, collectors are a different breed, and tend to like their bikes very stock.
All NSR250s were powered by Honda's liquid-cooled two-stroke v-twin, and the lightweight Magtek wheels suggest this is a genuine SP, although I can't see a dry clutch in the pics. Certainly a real SP or "Sport Production" Rothmans Replica would be at the high-end in terms of desirability for the NSR250, but all that polishing is going to be tough for many two-stroke fans to swallow.
From the original eBay listing: 1988 Honda NSR250R Rothmans Replica for Sale
This Is a 2-stroke race replica v-twin made for the Japanese market and sold in Japan. It runs perfectly, doesn't leak any fluids, and functions as it should. Starts on 1 or 2 kicks hot or cold. Oil injection works. Leakdown is excellent. All lights and gauges work. Speedo is in km and reads 36072. There is no horn. All fluids have been changed. All wear items,(brake pads, chain, sprockets, tires) are in excellent condition.
It has been heavily optioned/modified with the following:
- JHA pipes
- Real Balance rearsets
- Steel braided brake lines
- NHK steering damper
- HRC De-restrictor box
- Complete wiring, coils, PGM II ECU out of MC21 model
- Curved larger radiator from MC21 model
- Shorai lightweight battery
- Carbon fiber clip-ons
- Billet upper triple clamp
- Front forks rebuilt with cartridge emulators
Buyer pays shipping, will help with crating and delivery to a local shipper for a reasonable fee.
The seller has a starting bid set to the tune of $9,000 and... I have a bad feeling he's not going to get many takers: too many unanswered questions. While many purists may balk at all the bolt-on farkles, they don't bother me. They're not my taste either, but easy to change: you can either spend a bit of time tracking down factory, or at least period-correct bits. Or just some anodized black bits. But however solid the bike is mechanically, it's going to take a particular buyer to overlook that frame, since you're going to have to do some pretty serious work to get it looking stock.
-tad
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