Honda Canada recently invited Moto123.com to take part in a leg of the all-new Honda CBR250 Championship Race Series held at St-Eustache's Autodrome this past first weekend of July.

This new series is a logical next-step on the part of Honda Canada officials following the undisputed success of the CBR125R Challenge Series. This series is based on the same format, providing an outstanding, competitive platform that showcases rider skills.

Photo: Matthieu Lambert

The all-new CBR250 Championship Race Series brings together novice and semi-professional riders between the age of 15 and 25, like reigning CBR125R Challenge champion Stacey Nesbitt and the much-talented Ryan Roche. Certain 13 and 14-year-old riders who have completed at least three races in CBR125R class are eligible, as in past years, such as the very young, but no-less impressive, Tomas Casas, who reached the top spot on this weekend's podium.

Similar to last year, media representatives were invited to participate, only to find out, to our surprise, that the points we accumulated were counted for the media championship, which I personally only found out after the race, after a series official told me that I had to go to the podium in order to climb on the second-place step, right beside media winner Costa Mouzouris.

Powerful, efficient, more serious than the CBR125R, the race-prepared CBR250R is exactly what one needs in order to evolve as a rider, the perfect training bike. The official race version for this series makes all the difference: an Akropovic exhaust, Elka rear shock and fork-valves, protective frame-sliders, a Hot Bodies faring, and Pirelli Diablo Rosso tires make up this racing configuration.

Many thanks to Honda Canada and CSBK officials. I loved this experience. The motorcycle racing bug has bitten me hard.

Powerful, efficient, the race-prepared CBR250R is exactly what one needs in order to evolve as a rider, the perfect training bike. (Photo: Matthieu Lambert)