The 250 motocross class just might be the most competitive in all of racing. If you give an inch on the track, there are 20 or 30 other guys waiting to eat your lunch and use you for traction.

First lesson: Winning starts with the holeshot, and getting the holeshot is where Honda’s CRF250R excels. We gave it an all-new DOHC engine last year, and this year we’ve continued with upgrades and refinements.

Lesson number two: Hold on to the lead once you’ve got it. On a 250 this can be tough, especially in the slower corners. No problem on a 2019 CRF250R—we’ve made specific improvements in power delivery to give you that critical edge in the tight stuff. The open-class guys can just point and shoot here, but on a 250 that’s where a race is won and lost, by inches. So use every advantage you have, because you know what? There’s going to be someone else on the starting line riding a 2019 CRF250R, and if you’re not, you’ll end up behind them.