[PatienceWins]

I own a CBR 250 and good to see another happy owner. I can relate to the points you have covered. A very well maintained bike, Congrats.

Regarding the Spiti experience, what happened to your friend's bike? I have been doing solo rides in South India, mostly day rides of 500 kms, and would like to take it for multi week long rides. My motorcycle repair skills are almost nil and it scares me when I think about getting stuck in the middle of nowhere alone. What are the spares and tools you carry on long rides? Any recommended tool kit? Currently I have a set of spanners, alen keys and screw drivers.

I did Manali - Leh - Kashmir loop last year and can related to the kind of roads you have encountered in Spiti. I did it in a Himalayan as part of a guided tour package with backup vehicle support. The bike issues we encountered were taken care by the mechanic. Though I would like to do a similar ride in my own vehicle any breakdown would make it a painful experience.

Waiting for future updates. Great collection of vehicles and garage.

[saishivaj]

Originally Posted by PatienceWins

I own a CBR 250 and good to see another happy owner. I can relate to the points you have covered. A very well maintained bike, Congrats.

Regarding the Spiti experience, what happened to your friend's bike? I have been doing solo rides in South India, mostly day rides of 500 kms, and would like to take it for multi week long rides. My motorcycle repair skills are almost nil and it scares me when I think about getting stuck in the middle of nowhere alone. What are the spares and tools you carry on long rides? Any recommended tool kit? Currently I have a set of spanners, alen keys and screw drivers.

I did Manali - Leh - Kashmir loop last year and can related to the kind of roads you have encountered in Spiti. I did it in a Himalayan as part of a guided tour package with backup vehicle support. The bike issues we encountered were taken care by the mechanic. Though I would like to do a similar ride in my own vehicle any breakdown would make it a painful experience.

Waiting for future updates. Great collection of vehicles and garage.

Thank you for the kind words.

My friend's CBR's starter comp. went kaput and it was not available in those remote locations. I got my starter comp replaced right before this trip as a precaution since that is one part on the CBR that can give up anytime according to my mechanic. Since my bike was 7 years old, my mechanic replaced it anyways and I am glad. My friend's CBR as I said, was unused and he just got a quick oil change and normal service done before we left for the trip.

Please don't shy away from taking the CBR to such places due to this experience of ours. I still vouch for its reliability.

Regarding the tools I carry, it is not much. Just a puncture kit, tire inflator, manufactured supplied tools and ring spanners for being able to remove the tire if necessary. The tools given by Honda are not much, but they are sufficient for minor repairs.

[aargee]

Originally Posted by saishivaj

that is one part on the CBR that can give up anytime according to my mechanic

Pls ask the mechanic why this part goes kaput so often? chain he's going to give no different answer!

Originally Posted by saishivaj

My friend's CBR as I said, was unused

The UNUSED is the key problem; if the vehicle is left unused, that is when all the problem starts; I knew this for over a decade now, but unable to find a reason as a firm believer of Newton's first law.

[PatienceWins]

Originally Posted by saishivaj

Thank you for the kind words.

My friend's CBR's starter comp. went kaput and it was not available in those remote locations. I got my starter comp replaced right before this trip as a precaution since that is one part on the CBR that can give up anytime according to my mechanic. Since my bike was 7 years old, my mechanic replaced it anyways and I am glad. My friend's CBR as I said, was unused and he just got a quick oil change and normal service done before we left for the trip.

Chain slider and starter coil are the common issues I see for people getting stranded during touring. Though chain slider can easily be carried, I do not think we can get it replaced with road side mechanics at remote areas. If it is not fitted properly, it would give away soon. CBR is very reliable overall.

I have been checking with my friends who do touring on CBR spares and the common ones I see them carrying are clutch cable, throttle cable, clutch and brake levers, chain slider and spare fuses - apart from the regular chain lube, puncture repair kit and portable air compressor. A spare stand is carried if they are transporting the vehicle.

My friend went to Bhutan with his wife on CBR on a one month trip just after his marriage. Just before the trip he serviced his bike properly. Other than a spare clutch cable fitted next to the existing cable, he did not carry any spares. The one month trip went fine without any issues. He got stranded when he went to office just after the trip because of some ignition connection issue - just a connection issue which got sorted in the honda service center. He was thanking god that he did not get stranded in remote areas with his wife as pillion.

I think the best strategy is to maintain the vehicle well, get it serviced well before the trip as you have done. Thanks

[camitesh]

Originally Posted by PatienceWins

I think the best strategy is to maintain the vehicle well, get it serviced well before the trip as you have done. Thanks

Agreed, service it well in advance and continue addressing minor issues that can crop up after the service (for eg: cone set needs a readjustment after replacing) But even with fantastic service routine, things can get ugly in no time especially when you are touring in remote areas. CBR250 is simply one of the most reliable bikes in recent times but still it's a machine at the end of the day and prone to surprises, albeit lesser than other bikes I feel. I had two bad experiences with my CBR250 (bad connection at ignition key due to which bike used to die while running when the handle was turning at a certain angle and leaking oil filter due to a bad filter seal) while touring which left me stranded or delayed my rides. But it's not a deal breaker in any way and I continue taking this 8 year old gem of a machine on long rides. The key is to prepare for unforeseen events and anticipate the worst. And unless you are in a really remote corner somewhere, Honda SVC help is mostly a call away.

Ps: excellent Spiti trip report buddy. I did a solo Spiti trip in 2014 on my humble FZ16 and the memories are still fresh as ever. Missed out on Chandrataal as I went there in early May when everything was still snowed out and Kunzum la was inaccessible. Planning winter Spiti soon but off-road on CBR especially with a pillion gives me jitters now. Maybe I need the handle bar mod soon