Description
Please note: This bike does not run. As such, there is no cold start video.
In the mid-to-late 1980s, the small-displacement race replica market in Japan was booming. Legions of bright-eyed young riders were lining up to fork over their hard-earned yen for competition-derived road-legal runners like Yamaha’s TZR250, Kawasaki’s KR-1, and Suzuki’s RGV250.
Manufacturers on the island were battling it out on the race track and in showrooms in an ongoing arms race to produce the most trick race bike for the streets. In 1984, Honda launched the NS250R MC11 in Japan, laying the foundation for its line of quarter-liter oil-burners that followed. Global two-stroke fans got their opportunity the following year, in 1985, when it was released outside of Japan.
The NS featured a box-section aluminum frame and swingarm, disc brakes, full GP-style bodywork inspired by Honda’s RS250R factory race bike, Honda’s Astralight rims, and a liquid-cooled, 249cc, 90-degree V-Twin engine, two-stroke engine that made 45 hp (at 9,500 rpm) and utilized the ATAC (automatically-controlled torque amplification chamber) power-valve system.
This example is VIN: MC111008598 on frame. JH2MC1101FM108598 on title. Engine: MC11E1110600. As a JDM bike, the VIN on the frame is 11 digits. A previous owner obtained a California title with a 17 digit VIN which is reflected on the clear California title Iconic has in our possession. Please see below and note the last 5 digits of both numbers match. The engine number and license plate number correspond as well. Iconic has hidden the owner’s name and address.
The odometer shows 40,992 kilometers (25,471 miles).
Maintenance:
In preparation for the listing, the seller had us clean the carbs, fill the coolant and transmission oil, clean out the radiator and replace the cap, and replace the head gaskets. After replacing the head gaskets, the bike still leaked. At this point the seller did not want to continue with diagnosis and repairs, instead choosing to auction the bike as-is. Iconic does not know the cause of the leak.
Our service department notes the following on their condition report:
Gas Tank Internal Condition: Ok
Tire Years – Front: 3515; Rear: 4218
Tire % – Front: 75%; Rear: 80%
Tire Pressure – Front: 33 PSI; Rear: 33 PSI
Brake % – Front: 90%; Rear: 90%
Front Hydraulic Fluid: Ok, < 1.5 % Moisture
Rear Hydraulic Fluid: Ok, < 1.5 % Moisture
Clutch Hydraulic Fluid: NA
Transmission Oil – Level: Ok; Quality: New
Coolant – Level: Ok; Quality: New
Low Beam: Ok
High Beam: Ok
Passing Light: Ok
Parking Light: STICKY SWITCH
Turn Signals: Ok
Tail Light: Ok
Brake Light: Ok
Plate Light: Ok
Killswitch: Ok
Horn: Ok
Fork: Ok, PITTED SLIDERS
Shock/s: Ok
Final Drive: Ok
Battery Standing Voltage: 12.28V
Charging Voltage @ 4k RPM: 14.00V
Test Ride: None taken
Notes:
-Forks are pitted at slider
-Running on 1 cylinder
-Possible hairline crack or bad cylinder causing leaking into cooling system. Needs engine rebuild.
Modifications:
Toomey Racing exhaust.
Aftermarket rear turn signals.
It is riding on Bridgestone Battlax tires with date codes of 3515 and 4318.
Cosmetic Blemishes: please see the album up top for all known cosmetic blemishes. Here is a selection:
Currently located in Santa Monica, California, this Honda is offered on a clean California title. Per the California DMV website, it will cost $213 to bring California registration current through December 2025.
Have any NS250R stories or questions about this listing? Let us know in the “Comments” tab!