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-   -   Honda CBR 250R - Initial Ownership Review (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motorbikes/101508-honda-cbr-250r-initial-ownership-review-11.html)

Mind says CBR and heart says C500:)

mantrig i think you can belp me here:)

I can say am kind of used to a bull now, in last 10years have owned 2 bulls, havig said that i very well knows where bull lacks..

yesterday i took a testride on CBR and must say its a promising bike, i was not able to judge too much as the ride was quiet short and in city but it took me few mins to get used to the bike. a guy who has been riding a lightning535 for over 7years i think the credit goes to the design of the bike...

i was concerned about the wrist though thier is a bit of pressure but dont think its concerning...

now where am i, i have booked a CL500couple of months back but am not sure i would want to put my hard earned money on this bike considering the incompetent ***, bad quality and overall reliability of the RE

whats keeping me thinking on CBR is its to the sporty side, how good this bike will be for day-to-day usage and can it handle tough riding conditions??

going through this thread i see a lot of good review on CBR and thats positive!

Motorcycle is a very personal item of transportation. Each one has its on character, personality and use. I have known people who would only ride a Bullet no matter how much fuss / trouble it may create for its owner, because of its old world charm, character, ability look like a poetry in montion, and to attract attention when still. Not to say the image and brotherhood it projects in India.

Yet there are others who want a trouble free performance bike, where the likes of CBR 250, Kawa 650R etc. fit the bill better.

So if you take some time to reflect and perhaps ride both bikes, it would an easy decision.

As for me, I would never regret buying a Royal Enfield (i have two), but with time I may also add a sports bike in future, to experience it. However, I am the kind of guy who has a heavy inclination towards cruisers, so it would be the RE and HDs for me. Cheers !

Thanks bradhey, as mentioned RE is not new to me having owned 2 bikes even i would have preferred to stick along the same breed, however practically it doesnt seem to be feasible considering how professionaly RE is handling..

When i was booking at RE mangalore, i did ask the main incharge on how trained/prepared are the mechs there on the new bikes and he said his team is not trained on the new bikes or the efi and he ignorantly made a comment that they have not had isues till now and dont think efi will develop any!

have been giving my CI there ofr fixing and trust me till date it has not been tuned properly.

yes i feel RE suits those who have time in thier hand has patience to figure out the issue by themselves!

@lohith,
My 2 cents,
I moved on to CBR from Yezdi. I had been riding Yezdi for past 17 yrs and no other bike.
I too had booked CL500 with CBR and then settled for CBR.
Initially bought this as weekend ride but i got so infectious that i started using it as daily ride. In fact i got a tail bag to just carry my laptop, lunch box, etc to office.
My suggestion, test drive couple more times. Yes, i did 3 times before zeroing on to it.

rksans, thanks must say your feedback does clear some confusion, did you find any issues with the riding position?

i still have soft corner for the cl500 but thinking on the practical side i feel staying away makes sense.

btw can you elaborate on what you liked of CBR?

i took the test rides back to back, riding CL500 made me feel as if i started a tractor;) however loved the way it took off while the CBR was composed and dint let me know when i was of 60+mark..

i think people who have been used to Bulls,Yezdi's will love the composed, calm behavior of this bike

I have added my answers in bold.

Yeah, same here.


I too wanted to book the CL500 but have really been bugged with RE's waiting period and have had some issues on my daily commute - the Thunderbird. So decided to look elsewhere for a more reliable bike. I've booked the CBR a few months back and awaiting delivery.

Go ahead and book it, I am sure that you will not be disappointed.

I agree with you on this front. Even I would consider getting the fairings painted only if the job is executed to my taste and the finish is top-notch. (Hopefully, this might be taken care off - Thanks to Isodope, who is going to be helping me with this)

Also Pranav, do share the pics of the parts once you receive them and have them plonked on to your baby.

I will try to be very honest here. Nothing can ever replace a BULLET!!!

Yes, I did have the Classic 350 and it is a wonderful bike. The new generation REs have taken the reliability factor to the next level, only as compared to their earlier models. The quality and finish is something which is not top notch but then again we have similar issues with Honda as well only the percentage varies.

If I had the money and the space, I would not have sold the Classic 350 for sure. I surely miss her.

The reason I went for the CBR 250 is because several other factors and she did get close to what I wanted from my close bike. And again, if I had more Vitamin M- It would have been the Baby Ninja (250) for sure.


Conclusion :- The Honda CBR 250 is a great all rounder for city and highway. Yes, you will take some time (a couple of days) to get used to the riding style given the fact that you will be moving out of your comfort zone and relaxed riding the bullets offer. But you will not regret the switch with the smooth refined and linear power the CBR has to offer. Also, you will be sitting in a different position which might not be comfortable initially but you will be spending less time on the saddle as you will get to places much faster.

The CBR loves being revved as compared to relaxed cruising Bullets are comfortable with. Go with the CBR if you want to take your riding pleasure to the next level. :)



Regarding you concern on the service center folks not being well acquainted with EFI on CL 500, the story is pretty much similar even with the Honda folks.

However, here the plus point is that you have extended warranty which gives you peaceful sleep knowing even if something goes wrong you are covered for more time. RE does not think it should offer extended warranties.

Regarding you concern with the pain in wrists, I encountered the same earlier however it's only because with are used to a different sitting posture. Take a test ride again and use you inner thigh muscles to hold on to the tank and ride and you will see the difference. The pain in the wrists will disappear and you will feel more planted on the bike and more relaxed as well.

Do let me know if you have any more questions and we are here to help you make the decision. But finally, close your eyes and think of what you want - Both are great bikes and in totally different leagues. Both have pros & cons. The Bull will make your presence felt and CBR will give you a feeling of being alive again.

My vote goes with the CBR.

Edit in my post above :-

The reason I went for the CBR 250 is because several other factors and this one did get close to what I wanted from my (close) Next bike. More reliability, refinement, grace, speed & a good worthy upgrade.

And again, if I had more Vitamin M- It would have been the Baby Ninja (250) for sure.

rksans, naveen, mantrig thanks a ton for the finputs, this surely helps me get my decision narrowed in.

mantrig you last feedback kind of answers all my quieries and also takes me on a roller-coaster ride:)

As mentioned by you the bull has the presences factor and also i believe it is slightly to the tougher side wher you dont have to bother on about bad roads.

how has you experience been riding on bad roads?

Bad roads aren't something of concern, as the shocks upfront and the mono shock at the rear do a great job on that front. I am still to face any issues with the bad roads on the mumbai streets as well, thanks to the wheelbase and generous rubber on the rear. Have done little bit of off roading with her too and she did pretty well even on the rocky and loose surface.

Here's the link :- Hilly Ride on CBR 250R - Panvel (Karnala Bird Sanctuary) - YouTube

Will do :)

I have lots of things lined up to go on my CBR (standalone ECU, cams, high compression pistons, stiffer valvesprings, etc). Will be sharing everything soon :)

That's a mouth watering list of things you have in the pipeline. Would be interesting to stay tuned to see how things change with the mods planned. :thumbs up

Bought out or your own?
How long did it take you to get the CBR?
Why not the Green ones?

Regards
Sutripta

On my own. Will be one of the first, if not the first, to release cams for this bike most probably. Stock cams are already on the way to a friend who has access to Cam Doctor and has volunteered to spec them out for me. The bike comes with roller cams, so ramp rates can be more aggressive. Should be fun.

Still haven't got mine yet, probably at the end of this month or next month first week. My time is currently being spent on research through friends who have access to the bike and various internals. A blessing really. Can now spend the run-in time without the itch to open up the engine lol.

Too expensive, for a start. This one was a spur-of-the-moment buy because of the cost. And no Indian market for aftermarket parts, so the effort would be pretty much wasted.