TEST RIDE REPORT: Honda CL250, A Scrambler More Energetic than the Rebel | Also can be Enjoyed on Dirt Roads

The difference with Rebel is the range of action. CL250 for active riders

The CL250 is available in three colors, from right to left: Candy Energy Orange, Pearl Himalayas White, and Pearl Cadet Gray.

Honda's "CL" scrambler brand is making a comeback after a long absence. The CL brand was first introduced in 1962 with the Dream CL72, which was based on the road sports model Dream CB72, and was made more suitable for off-road riding by adopting a special up-muffler and 19-inch front and rear block pattern. This was at a time when the concept of an "off-road bike" had not yet been invented, and road models were customized for off-road riding.

The most recent CL brand model is the CL400, introduced in 1998. Although this model was named "CL," it was positioned as a road sport model with the "style" of a scrambler.

Now, 25 years later, the CL250 has been revived in 2025 and is based on the very popular Rebel series. The engine and main frame were inherited from the Rebel 250, and 19-inch front tires and a side-up muffler were combined to create a scrambler style.

Since the base model is a Rebel 250, one would think that, like the CL400, it would be a style-only scrambler and treated as a road sports model, but according to Honda's announcement, it is designed for a wide range of riding conditions, from paved roads to flat dirt roads. In other words, the CL250 is not a pure road sports model but has off-road capabilities that allow it to be ridden on flat dirt roads.
Let's check out the performance of the CL250 on this test ride!

1. Scrambler style that can be driven on dirt roads

However, the CL250 shares core body parts with the Rebel and is, in other words, a variation of the Rebel. Would such a dress-up model suddenly be able to adapt to dirt roads? We asked the development team a frank question: "How can such a dress-up model suddenly be adapted to dirt roads?"

According to the CL250 development team, the first and most important factor in improving dirt suitability is tire choice. The CL250 uses Dunlop's semi-block pattern tire, the Trailmax Mix Tour.

The front 19-inch wheels are combined with large-diameter wheels, and the suspension is stroked up in both the front and rear to ensure a minimum ground clearance of 165 mm, 31 mm higher than that of the Rebel. The bike is not just a "scrambler style," but a scrambler that can be used for off-road riding on flat dirt roads.

Coloring: Candy Energy Orange

Overall length/width/height: 2,175mm/830mm/1,135mm
Weight: 172kg
Distance between axles: 1,485mm
Ground clearance: 165mm

Retail price: approx. 4339 USD (tax included)

2. Upright position and standing considered

【Seat height】90mm

The seat height is 790mm, 10mm higher than the Revul's 690mm. At 172 cm and 75 kg, the seat is comfortable for a 172 cm, 75 kg build, with a slight heel lift. The seat height is 790mm, which is 10mm higher than the Rebel's 690mm. However, the position of the footpeg is just where it hits the shin, probably to make it easier to stand on the dirt road. The footpegs are positioned just where they would hit the shin. If you are concerned about the footing, it would be better to actually straddle the bike and check this area. The upper body position is upright, and the back is almost erect, so driving for a long time seems to be easy. A flat seat is available as an option, which raises the seat surface by 30 mm to help suppress disturbance when driving on dirt roads.

3. Easy-to-handle, nimble feel of the body, inherited from the Rebel - Actual Riding Impressions

The nimble chassis and energetic engine characteristics make it easy to ride on the Winelands!

The moment I started the engine, I couldn't help but notice the exhaust sound with a strong pulse. Until I heard the development team talk about it, I had imagined an engine that would make power at the same RPMs as the Rebel 250, or a rather quick and powerful engine, but the character of the engine was the exact opposite. A strong pulse can be enjoyed from idling, and when blipping the throttle, a crisp pulse can be enjoyed. When you blip the throttle, you can enjoy a crisp pulse. When riding, this pulse feeling in the normal use range is really pleasant.

When waiting at a traffic light, etc., it puffs and pummels senselessly! It is so comfortable that it makes me want to blip the throttle. The volume and sound quality are such that it would not be a nuisance to do so, but the engine actually seems to have a lot of torque and is very sticky at low speeds, making it difficult to stall the engine. Unlike the Rebel 250, which accelerates smoothly, you can feel the power of the engine kicking the ground.

The engine kicks the road with a strong pulsating engine feeling.

And the chassis is easy to handle. The Rebel 250 is a very manageable bike, but the CL250 is even more maneuverable. The handlebar angle is set at 38° per side, 3° more than that of the Rebel, and the minimum turning radius is 2.6 m. This makes it easy to make a U-turn and very easy to handle when parking the bike. This makes it easy to make U-turns and extremely maneuverable when parking the bike. I had expected that the large-diameter 19-inch front wheels would make it difficult to maneuver the motorcycle. However, the opposite was true.

The seat height is 10mm higher than that of the Rebel at 790mm, but if this is not a concern, the CL250 is easier to handle and is a better entry model. I was aware that the body and engine were based on the Rebel 250, and I assumed that the ride quality would be the same as the Rebel 250. However, the CL250 has its own unique worldview. Although I talked to the development team before the test ride, I feel ashamed now after the test ride that I had easily thrown the term "a dress-up model of the Rebel" at the development team.

If it is this easy to handle, it will not tire easily after a long day of touring.

4. Easy to do standing - Actual Running Impression

With the CL250, you can take to the dirt roads as your interests dictate.

I am surprised that this CL250 bike, unusually for Honda, mentions off-road performance.
Even the adventure-oriented 400X, which got a 19-inch front wheel with the 2019 model change, finally added a sentence to its technical manual that says it can be used for fun riding on flat dirt roads. The CL250, however, was designed from the very beginning of its development to meet the recent boom in outdoor riding and to be able to enter the dirt roads at the entrance of campgrounds without hesitation.

The suspension stroke is said to be 150mm at the front, only 10mm longer than that of the Rebel, but the rear wheel travel is set at 145mm, 50mm more than the Rebel. With this amount of ground clearance, there should be no problem on flat dirt roads where passenger motorcycles can also run.

The compact body makes the vehicle feel extremely easy to handle.

During this test ride, I actually tried riding it on dirt roads and found it to have just the right amount of "scrambler-like" dirt performance without being too much or too little. While it is true that it does not have the character to front up or jump, it is a very good bike. It is not a jumpy bike, but it has enough off-road performance to ride on the footpaths between rice paddies or on the dirt roads that we encountered on our tour.

What impressed me was the standing position. The distance between the handlebars and the step is just right, and the standing pose is very natural. The footpegs felt a little like they were in the way when I was on my feet, but when I stood on the dirt, I found that they were much more controllable than I had expected. This ease of handling is sure to lower the hurdle for many people who are not good at riding on rough terrain.

With just one CL250, you can enjoy everything from daily commuting in town to touring on weekends and even a bit of touring in the woods.

With a minimum turning radius of 2.6 meters, it can also turn in small circles. It is very easy to use in town, of course, but also very advantageous on forest roads.

5. Detail

Equipped with the same 175mm dia. 4-lid LED headlights and blinkers as the Rebel. The left and right fork widths are narrowed from 230mm to 204mm. The left and right fork widths have been narrowed from 230mm to 204mm, creating a slimmer front mask that is typical of the scrambler style.

The cockpit is simple, with a wide 830 mm handlebar and small gauges. The steering wheel angle is set at 38°, which is even more acute than the 35° angle on one side of the revolver, making it more maneuverable.

The engine is basically the same as the Rebel, but the camshafts that control valve movement are from the CRF250L, which has the same type of engine. The reason for this is to lower the maximum power output at the rpm range and to emphasize power at low and mid speeds. In fact, the maximum output changed from 26ps/9500rpm to 24ps/8500rpm. The actual feeling is more powerful, with a stronger torque pulse in the low to mid RPM range, compared to the Rebel, which seems to rev well.

Engine type/displacement: Liquid-cooled 4-stroke DOHC single cylinder/249cc
Transmission: 6-step return type
Maximum output: 24ps/8500rpm
Max. torque: 2.3 kg-m/6250 rpm

In addition to the front 19-inch wheels, tires are Dunlop Trailmax Mixtour tires used by the V-Strom 800DE and other models. The front fork has a stroke of 150mm compared to the Rebel's 140mm. The caster angle is set at 27° thanks to the frame and engine being laid down 1° and the new trifecta supporting the front fork.
As a result, the distance between the axles is 1485mm, 5mm less than the Rebel.

Front tire size: 110/80R19
Rear tire size: 150/70R17
Front Brake: Single-pressure 2-pot/disc ø310mm
Rear Brake: Single push 1 pot/discφ240mm

The meter is the same as that of the Rebel. In addition to simple but basic functions such as speed, odometer, clock, and gear position, it also features reserve fuel consumption, which displays the fuel consumed since the fuel gauge started blinking. The display includes a clock, gear position, speed, fuel gauge (approximately 2.5 liters of fuel remaining when the gauge starts blinking), odometer, trip A/B, average fuel consumption A/B, instantaneous fuel consumption, and reserve fuel consumption.

A new seat frame was designed for the CL250 with a narrower straddle for better foot grounding. Four bolt holes are provided at the rear for the expansion of carriers and accessories. It is also an easy place to install hooks for carrying camping gear.

The tuck-roll style wadding on the seat emphasizes the classic scrambler-like atmosphere. The rear of the seat bears the HONDA logo.

The headlight, taillight, and license plate light are all LED, and the indicator lights are equipped with an emergency stop signal function. The thin oval-shaped tail lamps are mounted at the rear end so that they are easily visible even with a carrier and large seat bag.

The side-up silencer, typical of scramblers, is said to have been tuned for an exhaust sound that emphasizes a pulsing feeling, but the silencer is also close to the rider, so the sound is actually crisp and enjoyable while riding. The exhaust pipe is turned under the engine to increase the pipe length and torque in the low to mid-RPM range.

The secondary reduction ratio is 2.807. The drive sprocket is 14, the same as on the Rebel 250, but the driven sprocket is 37, one more than on the Rebel. This setting emphasizes power, allowing the rider to enjoy more powerful acceleration.

A number of accessory parts are also available to add more dirt taste to the CL's scrambler-type styling. The flat seat (approx. 87 USD), up fender (approx. 129. USD), headlight visor (approx. 185 USD), hand guard (approx. 129 USD), and rear side cover (approx. 47 USD) are just some of the parts that can be installed to give the bike a new look.