The 2026 Honda CL250 E-Clutch is a road bike dressed as a scrambler, and Honda does not seem especially interested in pretending otherwise. It is not marketed with heroic off road imagery, it is not built to tackle anything rougher than a smooth hard packed path, and honestly, that is fine.
What it is instead is a small, light, approachable retro styled motorcycle with genuinely good long distance range, surprisingly solid wet weather confidence, easy low speed handling, and an E-Clutch system that makes it even more accessible. It is also held back by cramped ergonomics for taller riders, a hard seat, stiff suspension, and a price that is not exactly budget friendly.
Honda CL250 E-Clutch at a Glance
- Engine: 249cc liquid cooled single cylinder
- Power: Approximately 24 hp at 8,500 rpm
- Torque: 23 Nm at 6,250 rpm
- Wet weight: 175 kg
- Fuel tank: 12 litres
- Claimed test economy: 27 to 34 km per litre
- Estimated maximum range: Around 400 km
- Wheels and tyres: 19 inch front and 17 inch rear Dunlop Trailmax Mixtour tyres
- Standout option: Honda E-Clutch
Performance: Calm, Stable and More Capable Than Its Output Suggests
The CL250 is powered by Honda’s 249cc liquid cooled single cylinder MC57E engine. With roughly 24 horsepower and 23 Nm of torque, it is not a motor that leaps out of the gate. Anyone coming from a more aggressively tuned 250cc thumper, such as a KTM Duke 250, will immediately notice that this engine feels comparatively lazy from a dead stop.
That is not necessarily a deal breaker. The first two gears are extremely short, and that gearing works with the E-Clutch system to make getting away from traffic lights painless. It is simply not a motorcycle that delivers exciting low rpm punch. It gets moving, does its job, and settles into a very easy rhythm.
Once rolling, the CL250 feels much more convincing. It cruises at 120 km/h without drama and still has enough breathing room left in reserve that it does not feel absolutely wrung out. More importantly, it stays stable at speed. Even on the Aqua Line in heavy rain, with crosswinds reaching around 30 km/h, the bike remained composed.
That is a seriously useful quality for a small displacement machine intended for real roads and real trips. It may not be a rocket ship, but it is not a fragile urban toy either.
Handling and Low Speed Manners
At 175 kg wet, the CL250 takes about as much room as a normal standard motorcycle when doing a U-turn or a three point turn. But it never feels like 175 kg when threading through city traffic, paddling it around a carpark, or easing through a tight low speed manoeuvre.
The steering is light, the bike feels precise, and it is remarkably easy to manage. Even pushing it around with the engine off is not much of a chore, helped by the seat strap that gives you something useful to grab onto.
That is where the CL250 makes a lot of sense. It is friendly without feeling flimsy, and it has enough road stability to let newer or less physically strong riders build confidence.
The Tyres Are Better Than Expected
Many Thai built Honda motorcycles in the 200cc to 300cc class are assembled to a price, so it was refreshing to see real effort spent on the tyres. The CL250 comes with Dunlop Trailmax Mixtours, in 19 inch front and 17 inch rear sizes.
They are technically 90 percent road and 10 percent dual sport tyres, but they track properly, produce barely any road noise, and gave a very reassuring amount of grip in persistent rain. For a motorcycle that should remain on tarmac, that is exactly the right compromise.
Do not read “dual sport” and imagine this is a trail bike. The tyres may tolerate a manicured dirt lane, but the bike itself has no business being thrown down a technical trail.
Fuel Economy and Touring Range
Fuel economy is another high point. Over four days of riding in varied traffic conditions and distances, the CL250 returned about 34 km per litre on highway riding at peak power. In standstill Tokyo traffic, it still returned around 27 km per litre.
Pair that with a generous 12 litre tank and the result is potentially around 400 km between fuel stops. For this engine size and market segment, that is excellent. The CL250 is a small motorcycle with proper range, which is one of the biggest reasons it works as a beginner friendly touring machine.
The E-Clutch: Useful Accessibility Tech, Not a Necessary Fix
The E-Clutch is obviously the headline feature of this version of the CL250. On this motorcycle, though, it does not solve a major problem for a healthy and able bodied rider. The regular clutch is already very light, and the motorcycle is not difficult to launch or shift manually.
Where it does make sense is accessibility. For anyone with an issue affecting the left hand or left arm, the E-Clutch can make motorcycling much more practical. It also makes traffic riding and long distance work easier, particularly when there are endless stop start situations.
In practice, it behaves rather like a bidirectional quickshifter, and it does that job better than many stock quickshifters found on low cost Chinese motorcycles. You can pull the clutch lever and manually operate it whenever you want. The issue is that you cannot fully turn the E-Clutch behaviour off permanently.
Once the motorcycle starts moving again and the lever is released, the E-Clutch reactivates after a few seconds. On a CBR or another enthusiast focused performance motorcycle, that lack of full control would be annoying. On the CL250, it is much less of a problem because this is not a competition machine.
It is a cool piece of technology, and I found myself using it more than I expected. Still, buy the E-Clutch for its accessibility and convenience benefits, not because the standard CL250 desperately needs it.
Dashboard, Lighting and Everyday Controls
The round LCD dash is neat, compact and purposefully retro. It blends into the cockpit rather than screaming for attention, which suits the general character of the bike.
The warning and signal lights use a traditional arrangement, so they are bright and easy to spot. The LCD itself is decently readable in bright sun when set to maximum brightness. The problem is the very glossy material surrounding the display. It reflects sunlight aggressively enough to obscure the information you are trying to read.
The two dash buttons used to cycle and reset the meters are acceptable, but they are harder to press and hold than they should be on a modern motorcycle. It is not catastrophic, just mildly annoying.
Honda also uses the front indicators as daytime running lights. They illuminate at reduced brightness as soon as the ignition is switched on, making the motorcycle more visible in rear view mirrors, at night, and in foggy conditions. That is a small but genuinely nice safety touch.
Ergonomics: Great for Shorter Riders, Miserable for Taller Ones
This is where the CL250 becomes very demographic dependent. At 177 cm tall with an 85 cm inseam, I found it too small through the legs. My knees were bent too sharply, and the overall riding position became cramped quickly.
For long distance riding, I would suggest an inseam of roughly 75 cm or less if you want to avoid that knee fatigue. Taller riders can absolutely ride the CL250, but they should be realistic about comfort over several hours.
The pillion situation is also not brilliant. The passenger section of the seat is small, and the pillion pegs are positioned quite high. This is fine for carrying a child or an occasional short trip, but it is not a motorcycle for regularly taking a full sized adult passenger around.
The seat itself is hard. Honda has sacrificed padding to preserve that slim scrambler bench profile, and you feel that decision. The suspension is also firmer than expected at both ends. Yes, it improves handling crispness, but sharp bumps and speed humps can toss you around a little.
Small Details That Matter
- The clutch and brake levers are exceptionally light to pull.
- The round mirrors provide good rearward vision despite their retro shape.
- The high mounted exhaust does not roast the rider in Japanese early summer heat.
- The exhaust end can is well shielded from a passenger’s legs.
- The ignition sits on the front left side, with a separate steering lock under the headstock. It is old fashioned and mildly inconvenient.
- The toothed foot controls have rubber inserts, but they are very small.
- Gear shifting is functional but slightly clunky, which reminds you that this was not built with premium hardware everywhere.
A Scrambler Look That Needs a Little Help
Honestly, the Honda CL250 is not a conventionally handsome motorcycle. It is not exotic, and as a retro inspired modern machine, it does not fully commit to either retro or modern design language.
You get fork gaiters and a bench seat, but then there are sharp side panels, obvious LED lighting, a bulky radiator and a large exhaust system required to meet modern regulations. The engine silhouette is also, bluntly, rather boring. It does not have the visual presence needed to sell the industrial or brutalist look by itself.
That said, the CL250 is a strong base for customization. Much of the difficult work is already done. Change the tyres to more aggressive knobbies, fit wider MX bars, add a tail tidy, and the bike could look phenomenal with very little effort.
Build Quality Is a Mixed Bag
The tactile experience is better than expected in certain areas. The hand controls and dashboard buttons feel top notch. The paintwork feels good, and running a hand over most of the motorcycle gives the impression of something properly finished.
Then you look more closely. The welds are visibly rushed and ugly in places. Even the kickstand spring does not fully retract the stand properly every time. It is not a disaster, but it is a reminder that the CL250 is a budget conscious Honda rather than a premium finished machine.
Who Is the Honda CL250 E-Clutch Actually For?
I had fun with the CL250 E-Clutch, but I am not its intended rider. It is not a true scrambler in functional terms and it is not a sensible choice for an enthusiastic off road rider. It is also not the right long distance bike for tall riders with long legs.
It makes much more sense for a rider who wants the following:
- A first proper motorcycle that is easy to manoeuvre both while riding and while pushing it around.
- A low and manageable ergonomics package for shorter legs.
- Strong fuel range for road trips and day long rides.
- Confident wet road performance rather than off road ability.
- A retro scrambler style motorcycle that can later be customized.
- An E-Clutch option that reduces left hand effort in traffic or supports a rider with left arm issues.
Off the top of my head, I can see this fitting women who want to get into road trips and minor adventures on the tighter, more technical paved roads common across Europe and Asia. That is not because the motorcycle is exclusively for women, obviously. It is because the combination of low speed manageability, modest dimensions, long range, and E-Clutch accessibility fits that use case extremely well.
It is for riders who want to travel on roads, not pretend they are competing in an adventure rally.
Price and Value
There is no official Singapore price because the Honda CL250 is not officially available there. Based on the Japanese MSRP of ¥704,000 and past pricing for parallel imported Hondas, the estimated machine price in Singapore would be around SGD 13,000 to SGD 14,000.
For that money, this is not feature packed value on paper. There are Chinese motorcycles in the same bracket that offer more equipment and more specifications for the cash.
But specifications are not the whole story. If the CL250’s compact size, long range, easy handling, wet weather confidence, Honda switchgear feel, and E-Clutch convenience all match what you need, it will do those particular jobs better than many more heavily equipped alternatives.
Final Verdict
The 2026 Honda CL250 E-Clutch is underwhelming if you judge it as a hardcore scrambler, a performance 250, an off road motorcycle, or a feature per dollar bargain.
Judge it as a light, accessible, long range road motorcycle with retro scrambler styling and an excellent wet weather temperament, and it becomes much more compelling.
Buy it if: you are a shorter rider, value easy manoeuvrability, want proper fuel range, ride in traffic or rain often, or would benefit from the E-Clutch’s accessibility advantages.
Skip it if: you are tall, regularly carry an adult pillion, expect a plush ride, want proper off road capability, or want maximum features for the money.
It is a budget scrambler you will never seriously ride off road, but for the right person, that is precisely the point.