[mantrig]

Hello folks,

A small attempt at an initial ownership experience, too the courage to take the plunge in coming up with this thread as there is none yet on T-Bhp. Kindly ignore any typos as doing this while at work, rest of the time I am either busy sleeping and dreaming of rides to come or busy ogling at her by the bay.

So it started with my baby Ceeber-STD (Non ABS) getting delivered on Sat, May 14 2011 from Om Sai Autoworld - Malad in Mumbai.

On-Road Price- 1,64,800/- INR
Extended Warranty - 1,200/- INR

The ride quality is NICE. After all the write ups and intitial test rides experiences from fellow T-Bhpians and some other websites/forums, I knew what I was getting into and was open to getting some bad surprises too. Fortuntely, its been a pleasant experience so far.

For a guy who grew up on a 97.2 CC engine mill from HH (Splendor) which churned out 7.1 bhp and then graduated to a RE STD 350cc 1977 Model (18 bhp) & then the CL 350 (2010) a power house which oozed ol'school charm which made me feel nostalgic, the Honda CBR 250R is a big jump in terms of sheer response from the throttle.

As we stepped into 2011, the CBR 250R was announced and I thought - Whats the harm in booking one, since it was refundable amount of 5K. I got myself a bike booked on Jan 5 earlier this year and the wait began. By March'11, I had clocked 9K kms on my classic and got a good deal (Selling Price in 2011 =Buying Price in 2010) - Thanks to the sky rocketing prices of real estate (read - Second Hand Bulls) and the long waiting periods from RE.

The buying experience would not have been so smooth had it not been for some valuable advice from Veyron1 (Team BHPian) who suggested I drop a mail to Honda about the tough time I was encountering from Mahim - Om Sai Autoworld and propose taking a delivery from their Malad Branch. It worked, and against me getting a delivery in July - I got my steed delivered on last weekend.

As far as the initial ownership experience is as follows :-

Ride Comfort/Handling

Is great, thanks to the spacious saddle which is generous enough to allow one to move around on it. This bike certainly is not a delight for the pillion, unless you have your better half riding pillion who would love to just enjoy the cozy comfort of being close to you. It took getting used to the change in riding position after being used to the upright position of a Bull in last 4 years but I would say it just a matter of a couple of hours. I did experience some pain in my wrists on my first ride from the showroom (Malad, Mumbai) to my residence (Shivaji Park, Mumbai) which was the first ride and almost a 30km ride.

The mono-shock does its job pretty well and I tried to deliberately test the pot holes at decent speeds but no complaints from me or the pillion. She does take every pot hole in her stride, thanks to the ground covered by fat rear rubber. As far as the grip offered on different tarmacs is concerned, I think it’s too early to comment on that front. Maneuverability does not give you a chance to complain while the wheels are moving and straight line stability is pretty good on the highway with crosswinds causing any impact (thanks to the aerodynamics with smart cosmetic engineering).




Engine/Performance

The bike loves being revved. The engine feels tight and is very responsive through low-range and mid-range. Not yet tried the top-range, so choose not to comment on the front. With the smooth gear shifts and not too harsh clutch feel the bikes just zips off from red lights with most moving objects only appearing to disappear fast in the RVMs. In second gear she easily clocks 35kmph close to 4K on the rpm and you can keep adding 10kmph with every gear as we keep up-shifting.

Coming to the engine performance in slow moving traffic, the bike feels a little suffocated not on the throttle but on the heat being generated from the engine. I would like to mention about the first ride, the day I got her delivered - The main problem was getting to the highway from western suburbs on Saturday evening as I could feel the furnace between my legs as it took me almost 30 minutes to cover first 6 odd kms to get to the Western Expressway. This was the only time the temp showed 4 BARS (Total bars -6) and it had left me worrying about over-heating issues. But that was the only time I saw the temp creeping so high for the last 260kms which have been clocked so far.

Normally, the engine is constant at 3 bars in regular commuting whether on an open highway or slow moving traffic. Have not yet ridded in bumper to bumper traffic except for the first 30mins on the day I took the possession. The radiator seems to do its job well.




Gearbox

This is something that traditionally would not have been a cause of concern for any product from the Honda stable, however a lot of test ride reviews had me worry on this front. But somehow the faith in wings made me put my money on this baby and so far I have not got a single chance to complain. I had read about knocking issues in 3rd gear and knocking in lower speeds in general, now after riding the bike for 200+ kms I can put those statements to rest.

The gearbox is butter smooth and it was only in the initial 10-15kms, while I was getting used to the shifts and puny shift lever did I feel a little uncomfortable. It would be a sin to say the shifting is a problem. And yes, you can blame it on the generously spread gearbox of the bull that I am used for my statement. I never encountered a single instance where I had any trouble finding neutral. As far as the knocking is concerned, there is none till now. I have even lugged around at rpm ranging between 3-3.5k on 4th or 5th gear and the bike has cruised around at speeds between 45-50 kmph without any sign of knocking.



Braking

Braking is bang on spot, no I have not taken the ABS version for various reasons, major one being the cost involved. However, with the stock rubber and disk set up I have so far not faced any issues with braking. Have come across a couple of instanced where I had to do panic braking but it was pretty much progressive and did not face any issues. The current set up does inspire a lot if confidence and one can peacefully enjoy the ride.

And I did try some deliberate stops from a speed of 50+ to understand how she behave, but she does seem to enjoy it and neither does the front dive in as I feared it would.




Finish, Plastics & Electricals

This is one area where many thought there is lot of scope for improvement. While I do agree that is true, I personally am happy with what I have got after being a customer with RE who are easily a decade behind when it comes to comparing quality with any of the Honda products. So far there has been no rattling or vibrations from the fairing or any plastic parts. They could have charged a little extra for LED rear lights as the feel of the stock rear seems to be nomadic when compared with the overall style statement the bike tries to re-define. The paint quality is decent if not great, however the finish on welded joints could have been better and even the clip-on handles could be of much better quality.

Electricals seems to be of good quality, however the switches could have been a little advanced especially when we try to compare with the display console. On this front, Bajaj seems to have done a great job with backlit switches which could have been a great idea on this bike. The starter works without any visible/audible stress and am hoping will continue to do its job well with the kick start missing in this bike. My biggest fear is a conked of battery or burnt wires on a highway, leaving me stranded. Not sure if there is a limp mode on this one.

The digital display is fantastic and the blue display gives it a glorified look when riding at nights. I like the fact that is equally usable, no issues whatsoever reading details even in broad day light and does its job well. The headlight is awesome and I do not see a need if one would really want to upgrade to better bulb. The throw is evenly spread, however this is the first time I am riding with a headlight that moves/turns with the bike and not the handle and its taking sometime getting used to the same. Not sure how it would impact the night riding in the ghats, may be folks who have been using such bikes can throw some light on this.

Also, the RVMs are doing their job well and are providing a good visibility with minimal vibrations. I am comparing them with the mirrors that came along with CL 350 which were almost useless once the vehicle started rolling.




Issues/Negative/Concerns
These are not necessarily negatives but also concerns I have right now.

Radiator :- More than a couple of fins were damaged. Will post a picture soon, for now would like to know if the grill is tampered a bit how much impact with it how on the performance.

Battery:- Come with a 12 month warranty and since the kick is missing I would like to know of any issues some might have faced on their FZs or Ninjas so far with the starter giving any trouble.

Riding in the Rains:- How easy is it going to be riding in the rains with the fairing? Would it be too difficult a job to get her back into a sparkling steed after a long ride in the rains? I would appreciate a feedback on this.

I am sure there will be teething issues that will crop up with time and I will make sure to share my experience as day pass by.

This is all from me for today, I shall keep posting on this thread as I keep encountering issues or discovering more aspects where the Baby CeeBer can earn brownie points. I hope more T-BHPians who get their rides keep adding on to this thread to keep it alive, making it a place where we can share our woes and get queries answered.

A couple of more pictures for your viewing.

[dipen]

Since you come from the RE club, how do you find the exhaust note.
And you forgot the most obvious - whats the FE so far.

[nirmaljusdoit]

Mantrig - Thanks for the overall review ! She looks lovely in black & silver combo

What tyres does the CBR come with ? Are they MRF or TVS ?

PS : Hope you finally got your owners manual ? Strange that Honda did not provide you one, have you complained to them ?

[manson]

Nicely detailed initial report mate. From your report, the CBR 250R does seem like a great package besides the compromise on the quality of plastics and finishing of the welds. Also, 1200 INR for extended warranty is money well spent.
Speaking about the RVMs, they look like a direct lift from the multi cylinder larger Hondas. If anything, on your next visit just check with the service centre on the price for the same. I could do a fresher looking set for my Fireblade.

[Ricci]

@Mantrig.

Congrats, the bike's a looker ! Looks nice in black compared to red, but my personal choice would be silver ( my previous and current bike are silver )

@nirmaljustdoit : the tyres are Continental , model name if I remember right is Contigo.

[bluevolt]

Hey mantrig,

Congratulations on your new Honda CBR 250R. This is probably the first CBR here on team-bhp. Nice report and the bike look classy in black color, though I prefer red color. What is the fuel efficiency till date? Keep good care of her and don't give the bike to your friends. I am waiting for FE figures, service updates and more pictures.

Ride Safe.

[mantrig]

Originally Posted by dipen

Since you come from the RE club, how do you find the exhaust note.
And you forgot the most obvious - whats the FE so far.

The exhaust note is more close to a Karizma ZMR, a little better I would say. But yes, she can be ridden at 30-35kmph and she sounds more like the new gen RE models.

Kitna deti hai? - This question has been asked always whenever anyone has to discuss the bike.

FE so far seems to be somewhere in bracket of 25-30kmpl, I am hoping that will improve marginally if not substantially.

Originally Posted by nirmaljusdoit

Mantrig - Thanks for the overall review ! She looks lovely in black & silver combo

What tyres does the CBR come with ? Are they MRF or TVS ?

PS : Hope you finally got your owners manual ? Strange that Honda did not provide you one, have you complained to them ?

Thanks Nirmal. No, I have not received the manual yet and I got a call from Honda Malad saying, "Sir it will be couriered to you by next Wed."

Originally Posted by manson

Nicely detailed initial report mate. From your report, the CBR 250R does seem like a great package besides the compromise on the quality of plastics and finishing of the welds. Also, 1200 INR for extended warranty is money well spent.
Speaking about the RVMs, they look like a direct lift from the multi cylinder larger Hondas. If anything, on your next visit just check with the service centre on the price for the same. I could do a fresher looking set for my Fireblade.

Manson, I am glad to have you post on this thread. I am sure there will be niggles cropping up along with time but then that's what keeps us busy and makes its exciting living with our rides. Else, it would just be like our gaming consoles where all we do is - Keep Riding!!!

Speaking about the extended warranty, please refer to this post : http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motorb...ml#post2350283
It certainly was a great deal.

Will keep you posted about the RVMs, should be paying them a visit in a weeks time.

Originally Posted by Ricci

@Mantrig.

Congrats, the bike's a looker ! Looks nice in black compared to red, but my personal choice would be silver ( my previous and current bike are silver )


@nirmaljustdoit : the tyres are Continental , model name if I remember right is Contigo.

Thanks Ricci!!! I agree silver looks great but I somehow could not resist black.

Just like Henry Ford said - It can be any colour - so as long as it's BLACK!!!

Originally Posted by bluevolt

Hey mantrig,

Congratulations on your new Honda CBR 250R. This is probably the first CBR here on team-bhp. Nice report and the bike look classy in black color, though I prefer red color. What is the fuel efficiency till date? Keep good care of her and don't give the bike to your friends. I am waiting for FE figures, service updates and more pictures.

Ride Safe.

Thank you BlueVOlt - I am hoping most of your queries are answered. I will keep you posted with the service updates and more pics as I click them.

[EssYouWe]

Hey Gaurav!

Formal congratulations on the black beauty. Money absolutely well spent. As far as the exhaust note is concerned, I am sure you will look at aftermarket options soon enough.

Looking forward to your views on comfort on longer rides.

Wish you many happy miles on the CBR!

[Sheel]

Congratulations This is my preferred color besides black.

Originally Posted by mantrig

Issues/Negative/Concerns
These are not necessarily negatives but also concerns I have right now.

Radiator :- More than a couple of fins were damaged. Will post a picture soon, for now would like to know if the grill is tampered a bit how much impact with it how on the performance.

Don't 'pressure' wash it & everything should be fine.

Battery:- Come with a 12 month warranty and since the kick is missing I would like to know of any issues some might have faced on their FZs or Ninjas so far with the starter giving any trouble.

Have used two Motorcycles since '07 which didn't have KS (I had removed of the other) & neither did the battery give up nor did the starter.

Riding in the Rains:- How easy is it going to be riding in the rains with the fairing? Would it be too difficult a job to get her back into a sparkling steed after a long ride in the rains? I would appreciate a feedback on this.

2 hours if you are thorough.

[hifisharu]

I hope mantrig won't mind if I posted a few pics of my ride in his thread. Mantri seems to have summed up the initial opinions of the bike very well. I have a few thnigs to add to the above said

1) Received the bike on Mon, and the first thing one notices is the grunt from the engine, right from 3k rpm. Overtaking is a passe thing with the available torque. And compared to my previous R15, the engine response is fabulous.

2) Rode through some really bad traffic in Bangalore, but made sure the engine was switched off at all the signals, so never saw the coolant temp bar rise above 3 bars. Also, wanted to avoid battery drain due to the radiator fan running continuously. Is this ok?

3) Had to ride through some slushy patches, and the muck gets easily deposited on the radiator. Managed to wash off most of it, and cleaned it slightly with a used paint brush.Still need to do a through job. Installing a radiator guard could help things a bit

4) After topping the tank up for the first time, the top up was about 8.5 ltrs, and this was after the fuel display started blinking. The fuel guage is not very accurate though, and not very dependable. Got a mileage of about 35km/lt. But after the first service, I doubt the FE will go up, considering the speeds will definitely go up

Hope to add more as I munch more miles on her

[sids911]

wow! guys, very nice set of pics to go along with ownership experiences. Especially the moving bike pics.

Congratulations to both of you.

Any idea hows the power surge of the CBR (initial 0-80) compared to the Ninja 250, the RD 350 (hehehe) and the HH karishma?

[mantrig]

Originally Posted by EssYouWe

Hey Gaurav!

Formal congratulations on the black beauty. Money absolutely well spent. As far as the exhaust note is concerned, I am sure you will look at aftermarket options soon enough.

Looking forward to your views on comfort on longer rides.

Wish you many happy miles on the CBR!

Thank you Achint,

I already have started hunting and right now what has grabbed my attention is Two Brothers Racing V.A.L.E. M-2 Black Series Slip-On Exhaust - Street Bike 2011 Honda CBR250R - Motorcycle Superstore.

Will keep tracking this item closely and will continue my hunt with alternatives available. Probably, a month or two down the line I should be in a position to get one picked.

Originally Posted by Sheel

Congratulations This is my preferred color besides black.

Don't 'pressure' wash it & everything should be fine.

Have used two Motorcycles since '07 which didn't have KS (I had removed of the other) & neither did the battery give up nor did the starter.

2 hours if you are thorough.

Thank you Sheel, your post certainly is comforting. Also, 2 hours to get her cleaned up is not much but my concern was more towards any ill-effects the muck & grime will have the radiator which will take most of the bashing.

Originally Posted by hifisharu

I hope mantrig won't mind if I posted a few pics of my ride in his thread. Mantri seems to have summed up the initial opinions of the bike very well. I have a few thnigs to add to the above said

...

Hope to add more as I munch more miles on her

Congratulations Hifisharu!!! I would mind if you don't use this thread to share your experiences and post pics on this thread.

Can you please help me with the rpms & speeds you are sticking to at this point? Not sure if you have received one yet, but my service book is still to arrive.

I got the inspiration from the Ownership threads from Randhawa (his thread on CL 500) and EssYouWe's CL 350 Ownership thread which have been a bible for most of us and especially people like me who had time getting to understand our rides.

Again, without people like Nasirkaka, Spitfire, Bluu, vinjosep, Bradhey, BIG Saran and many others (sorry but I might run out of place listing down names of all) contributing to those threads they would have been so incomplete. So lets keep adding owners on board to make sure our life becomes simpler.

Originally Posted by sids911

wow! guys, very nice set of pics to go along with ownership experiences. Especially the moving bike pics.

Congratulations to both of you.

Any idea hows the power surge of the CBR (initial 0-80) compared to the Ninja 250, the RD 350 (hehehe) and the HH karishma?

Hey Sid, Thank you for you note.

I guess, we still have a lot more miles to cover until we comment on how these babies gun from 0 to 80 or 100. I am sure they will meet expectations on that front, however Ninja is in a different league altogether (including price factor) and RD 350 is a living legend we choose not to mess around with.

[BulZire]

Congrats Guys, This is one review i was eagerly waiting for. i am really tempted now and already had a visit to haiku Honda and collected the details. In the edge of making a decision, I will keep the thread updated.

Keep reviving !!!

[indian21r]

hey Congrats Mantrig, so you finally went with the CBR. Nice pics man. And looks like you also got a good deal on the Classic 350

[mantrig]

Originally Posted by indian21r

hey Congrats Mantrig, so you finally went with the CBR. Nice pics man. And looks like you also got a good deal on the Classic 350

Thank you sir. I could not resist the temptation of switching to a faster saddle as against the relaxed comfort offered by the Bull.

Yes, I did get a very good deal and a fantastic owner for my CL 350.

@ Thank you BulZire :- Look forward to you joining the pack soon. You will not regret buying the CBR 250r for sure.