Honda NSR250R MC21/P3

1990 NSR250R MC21

Unveiled in late 1989 as the new 1990 model, the MC21 took the 2-stroke world by storm, and completely re-wrote the rule book on how a 250 2-stroke should be built. The craftsmanship was superb, and the new features were groundbreaking!

MC21

The MC21 now utilised the PGMIII ECU taken from the legendry RC30 superbike (only now being utilised in GP250 by official HRC NSR's incidentally!!), and coupled to throttle position and gear position sensors, controls both the timing of the RC Valves, air correctors and ignition advance to give outstanding low end tractability. The PGM-III features a true 3D ignition and a different map for each cylinder. 

In keeping with their racer for the road image, the famous Gull-Arm rear swingarm was copied from the RS250 of Luca Cadalora, as was the frame design. Even the mounting point for a steering damper was kept in place! The body-styling was based on the 1988 and 1989 RS250's, with just a few basic concessions like lights and a rear pillion seat!! The rear wheel diameter was decreased from 18" to 17" and widened to 4.5" to run the latest tyre profiles and compounds.

3 NSR250R colour schemes were released, the usual red & white and blue & white, along with a red and black model, and the R model became Japans best selling 250 2-stroke sports bike. To mark its success in the market and on the track, 2500 SP models were released in 1990, all in the Cabin Racing colours of red, white, silver and gold. Again, like the MC18R6K, they all had the gold Magtek wheels, adjustable suspension, and dry clutch. The MC21 also now featured a closer ratio gearbox with a taller 1st gear and an improved shift mechanism.

MC21 SE

In 1991 the first SE (Super Edition) was launched, bridging the gap between the R and the SP models. This was basically an SP but with the cheaper standard Enkei alloy wheels, and saved the buyer approximately ¥80,000. The SE's were sold in the Honda Flash (red, white and blue) colours, and 1500 limited edition SP's came in Pentax Racing livery. For 1992 the bike remained unchanged, except for different colour schemes. The SE was now available in white and red, or black and red, and 1500 limited edition Rothmans coloured SP's were released. The R model still remained Japans best selling 2-stroke 250! The only change to the line-up in 1993 was the limited run of 900 Commemorative Edition SP's, easily identifiable by the HRC logo in place of the NSR logo on the fairing. This limited edition was basically an attempt to sell the last of the MC21's before the arrival of the new model!