The easy complaint with what manufacturers are calling “ADV Bikes” nowadays is that they’re just too damn big. If you also subscribe to that theory, let me go back in time a few decades with you. The middle weight of the Honda NX line-up (which also included a 125 and a 650) was the NX250, which was available for just two years. The 250cc engine featured liquid cooling and DOHC, and it was paired with a 6-speed transmission. It makes 26 horsepower, which is somehow more than the 2017 Honda CRF250L Rally!
I owned the big brother of this bike (the NX650) for a couple of years and I absolutely adored it. Considering how well this is setup, I think it’d be an absolutely fantastic bike for exploration for those of you that prefer a bike that’s easy to pick up if you drop it over a bike that can cruise the highway at 120 miles per hour. For more on the NX250, check out this “Throwback Thursday” from ADVPulse.
There are two commonly known issues with the NX250 (the soft front suspension and a CDI that’s prone to failure) and this example has had both addressed already. The front suspension now has Race Tech springs and emulators setup for a 150 pound rider, and the CDI has been replaced with a Rick’s Motorsport Electrics unit (re-soldered stock example is included as a spare). But that’s not all – this has been well-modified for ADV duty with a taller windshield, custom skid plate and engine guard, luggage racks, Seat Concepts seat, higher bars, Knight Designs footpegs that are lower and wider, folding mirrors, Acerbis hand guards, USB charger, Rotopax mount, Works Performance shock, and more. It has approximately 12,500 miles on the odometer and it looks like if you ask nicely the seller will throw in some Ortleib soft panniers.
Find this NX250 for sale in Orange County, California for $3,200 or best offer here on ADVRider (registration required).