2025 Honda CRF250RWE Preview

Honda’s CRF250R motocrosser got major platform-wide updates for 2025. With massive overhauls to the frame, suspension, engine, and more, the new CRF stands poised to add yet another AMA 250 Pro Championship under its belt, but this year American Honda is taking things a step further: Enter the CRF250RWE (Works Edition).

Yes, much like the CRF450RWE introduced in 2019, Honda has finally decided to add its “factory works” treatment to the venerable 250 dirt bike. So what’s new for the quarter-liter motocrosser? In short, the list is long, but here’s a quick rundown of the new HRC package.

Related: 2025 Honda CRF450R Preview

First thing’s first: The 2025 CRF250RWE is the first 250 from the Honda factory to come standard with a hydraulic clutch. Honda says this upgrade reduces effort at the lever by 16 percent compared to the standard 250R, while also ensuring consistent clutch feel for the full length of a moto.

Related: Triumph Builds a 450cc Dirt Bike With the TF450-RC

As for the engine itself, every WE off-road bike ships with hand-polished cylinder ports from the factory for better flow and reduced carbon buildup. Intake flow is improved via an upgraded Twin Air air filter, while the exhaust is also upgraded to a full Yoshimura system with a stainless steel header and titanium silencer.

Honda says the additional gains of this uncorked engine are significant enough to require dedicated ignition and injection mapping, but it didn’t stop at just one map. In fact, the CRF250RWE employs one of three different maps depending on what gear you’re in.

First and second gear get one map, third and forth get another, and fifth gear gets its own. According to Honda, this is made possible by incorporating the gear position sensor data into the equation, further optimizing power delivery for each of the three scenarios.

Finally, the final drive gets the premium treatment via an upgraded D.I.D DM2 gold chain, which provides some extra factory bling if nothing else. The same can be said for the unique Matte Red Metallic-finished cylinder head cover, yet another visual cue that the 250RWE means business.

While the 2025 Honda CRF250RWE specs the same 49mm inverted Showa fork as the base model, its individual components have been upgraded for a proper factory look and feel. The lower fork legs get a titanium oxide coating to minimize stiction, the outer fork tubes are now Kashima-coated, and a tool-free compression adjuster has been added to the top of the left fork tube.

The rear shock gets a similar treatment via an 18mm titanium oxide-coated shock shaft and an “ultralight” steel shock spring. Both components get a little extra bling in the form of anodized parts, with blue HRC-style caps for the fork and a red adjuster cap for the shock.

The other major upgrade for the 250RWE is a set of D.I.D. DirtStar LT-X rims, which are both stronger and lighter than the standard hoops. Honda has also spec’d the 250RWE with a wider 110 Dunlop MX33 tire on the rear to help get the extra power to the ground.

The 2025 Honda CRF250RWE retails for $10,599, a $2,300 premium over the standard CRF250R. While the features above make a strong argument for the price hike, prospective owners have a few other choice upgrades to look forward to.

Chief among them is a grippy Throttle Jockey seat cover, which matches the RWE’s unique Team HRC Throttle Jockey graphics kit. Additional bling comes in the form of gray metallic-colored triple clamps, a black anodized axle holder, and Renthal Kevlar grips as standard.

Honda claims the 2025 CRF250RWE is the most advanced 250cc motocross machine it has ever produced. Considering the fact that this long list of upgrades comes in addition to the major chassis, suspension, and engine updates of the standard 250R, we see no reason to doubt that.

The 2025 CRF250RWE began trickling into showrooms last month, and is now available at dealerships nationwide. For more details, check out the full rundown on Honda’s website.