The Honda Insurgent 250 might be the bike many people rode after we have been taking our Primary Rider Course. Though I didn’t know what I used to be doing again then, once I rode the bike whereas attempting to get my license, I might nonetheless inform it was a little bit of a turd. A scarcity of expertise meant I couldn’t put my finger on precisely why, although I chalked it as much as getting used and abused after having gone via the palms of many new riders.
For this Church characteristic, we glance again on the 1996 model of the Insurgent 250 and see if present recollections align with what MO testers considered the bike again within the day. Did a brand new Insurgent present slightly extra enjoyment than an outdated, abused one?
First Impression: 1996 Honda Insurgent 250
Insurgent With A Trigger
The Insurgent 250 has wandered out and in of Honda’s lineup for a number of years. For 1996 the Insurgent is in, and Honda will most likely discover it of their coronary heart to forgive you in case you didn’t discover this whereas drooling over the CBR900RR or the Valkyrie.
Sure, the Insurgent is again to fill a small however secure market area of interest for a light-weight novice bike with a low seat. There’s just one solution to say it: This bike was made for brief individuals.
Very brief individuals, truly. At a comparatively stubby 5’6″, our shortest tester was barely sufficiently small to suit on the bike. The suspension didn’t backside out and his elbows didn’t contact his knees, however it could have been rather more comfy if the bars, pegs, and seat had all been about an
inch farther from one another.
The one normal-sized characteristic of the Insurgent is its handlebar. The broad, flat bar places your palms far aside. It additionally makes lane-splitting barely harder than it must be: if the bar was a couple of inches narrower this 250 may very well be the final word commuter bike. However that very same tiller means that you can push the entrance finish round with ease. The bike may be very flickable at low speeds.
This flickability makes the Insurgent an entertaining trip. It has extra floor clearance than most cruisers, and the sunshine weight truly makes using the native canyons enjoyable. There’s sinful pleasure in pushing this little bike via a nook with the peg grinding away.
For a rider with any expertise, the dearth of energy from the air-cooled twin can be an issue. Tucked in as tightly as we might get, we noticed an indicated 80 mph on the speedometer. To its credit score, the bike was fairly blissful to take care of this kind of abuse, and displayed no scary traits at velocity. In fact, Honda hasn’t aimed this bike at skilled riders, and novices will discover the ability output unintimidating.
As you’ll anticipate, this 250 is constructed to a value. Sadly, it exhibits. Many of the match and end of the bike is as much as a excessive customary. However little particulars, like a lacking oil gentle (by no means thoughts the dearth of a tach), finances OEM tires, and a weak non-halogen headlight stick out. Additionally, the transmission was at all times balky, and we had bother entering into impartial whereas stopped and skilled occasional false neutrals whereas shifting via the gearbox.
All nitpicking apart, the one actual drawback is that Honda hasn’t priced this motorbike as cheaply as we wish to see. At $3999, it’s a hundred {dollars} greater than a Yamaha Virago 250, and solely 100 {dollars} lower than Suzuki’s GS500E. So who needs a Insurgent? For those who’re searching for a novice-level motorbike and may’t discover one other bike in the marketplace that can fit your needs, then the little Honda might work out properly.
Specs
Producer: Honda Mannequin: 1996 CMX250C Value: $3,999 Engine: sohc, 2-valve Twin Bore x stroke: 53mm x 53mm Displacement: 234cc Carburetion: 26mm Keihin CV Transmission: 5-speed Wheelbase: 57.1 in. Seat top: 26.6 in. Gasoline capability: 2.6 gal. Claimed dry weight: 306 lbs.
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