[PrasannaDhana]

Hello my dear fellow BHPians, this is my 2nd ownership review on teambhp. This time it is my beloved pre-worshipped CBR 250R.

Prelude

There is a saying "Four wheels move the body, two wheels move the soul". That cant be more true!. Personally, both cars and bikes are equally close to my heart. I have had a fair share of motorcycles in my garage since I got my driver's license. First it was the HeroHonda Passion (2000-2008), then a 1986 Royal Enfield 350 STD(2006-2008), a HeroHonda Karizma R(2008-2010), a HeroHonda Karizma ZMR(2010-2013), a Bajaj Pulsar 200NS(2013-2016) and now a beautiful pre-worshipped Honda CBR250R(2016 - till date).

The CBR is my first pre-worshipped motorcycle and that decision was solely due to TeamBHP and understanding of lateral upgradation.








Views on Previous Motorcycles

HeroHonda Passion
Pros:
* A good point A to B commuter
* Reliable and fuel efficient

Cons:
* No soul!



1986 RE STD 350cc

Pros:
* CI Block engine with that beautiful thump
* A real Bullet

Cons:
* Sluggish performance
* A sedate rider's bike, high maintenance costs



HeroHonda Karizma R

Pros:
* Great performance for its time
* Looks
* Size and comfort

Cons:
* Build quality
* Tyres



HeroHonda Karizma ZMR

Pros:
*Everything about the Karizma R, with additional FI

Cons:
*No kick-start
*Lack of spares
*Terrible resale value



Bajaj Pulsar 200NS

Pros:
*Cracker of a 200cc
*Fuel efficient for a 24BHP motorcycle
*Handling and braking
*Addictive exhaust note after 7000rpm.

Cons:
*Bajaj A.S.S
*Lousy MRF tyres
*Hard seat and lack of fairing.





Why new(pre-worshipped) bike?

Though I loved the 200NS to the core for its performance and flickability, it was a naked, and naked bikes never appealed to me. While I was looking for a new bike after selling the ZMR, I did not have many options in 2013 except the CBR250R and Duke 200. The KTM was too small and the CBR250R was out of my budget that time. So, naturally the Bajaj Pulsar 200NS was the only choice, that too at 1 lakh rupees it was terrific value for money. But with time, I got married which let me rely more on cars and the NS200 saw very little running. 9000km in 3 years to be exact.

The seat was too hard to me and the air resistance at top end of the performance was tiring to say the least.

My requirements in a motorcycle

1. Performance: I love fast motorcycles. Period.

2. Handling: I am the type who crave cornering, twisties and crisp handling from the motorcycles.

3. Looks: It has to suit me. I am a big guy, 6'2 tall, built and weight varies from 100kg - 125kg depending whether I am eating clean or just binging. ZMR suited me perfect. Bullet Classic 350cc looked puny, NS was ok.









4. Comfort: I mean the motorcycle should not be back breaking, bottom soring above 100km of riding.


So, all these criteria were apt for 2 motorcycles,
1. The RE Standard 500cc
2. Honda CBR250R

The Bullet 500 test drive was an eye-opener. Though it was fast and comfortable, it had the worst brakes. And when i cornered it hard (not even hard, it was an average cornering), either the footpegs scraped the ground or the brake pedal scraped. It was a turn off. I knew it wont cut it, being a naked too. So only option I was left with was CBR250R.

I went to the Honda dealer, and to my shock the new CBR250R had "fancy" sticker/color scheme that would attract only kids. The red was like it was taken straight from a comic book.


Final Decision

I thought of going in for the new CBR250R inspite of the new paint scheme. And then I happened to read Aargee's CBR250R thread, just to know his machine had completed 100,000km without a fuss. That, along with another thread about lateral upgradation made me think why not an used CBR250R?

I started the hunt on Olx and Quikr for used CBR250R. After a couple of days, I saw an ad on olx from Salem, the owner was a content writer from a famous bike portal(which I came to know after a month of texting and bargaining with him. He initially quoted 93K, for a 2011 sample that had run 34000km. I was ok with 85k, but then decided to wait till the autoexpo 2016, expecting the Gixxer 250 and HeroHonda HX250R launch. I thought I would buy either of them if they were launched. To my utter disappointment, nothing exciting happened in the Autoexpo 2016. The owner knew the entire thought process of the motorcycle purchase as we exchanged texts as we were both bike enthusiasts. At one point, he told me "Prasanna, why dont you use mine till you find some bike exciting to be launched? Knowing you, I know you will look after the bike well. I havent found any good buyers too. You can have mine for 75k as the tyres are useless and you need to replace them asap". It suddenly clicked to me and I bought it.

The very first pic of the bike. I drove to Salem with my friends to take the bike.

Look at the tyres. Completely bald. I still rode it to Trichy, which was 130km from Salem.

The first thing I did returning home was buying a good 140/70 R17 tyre for the rear. After a lot of searching I got a Michelin Pilot Street radial. It was a bit pricy @ 5,500 rupees. But the grip it offered was phenomenal, like the Pirelli Sport Demon 120/80 R18 in my ZMR, if not better.

Here is the pic of both the Michelin and Pirelli of my bikes.






Before I get into the review of my CBR250R, here are some pics.









After the first three days into ownership, I observed vibes from the front suspension, and inspected the tyre. There was a bulge, about one inch tall. Though the stock Conti Go looked good, it was too old. I swapped it with Michelin pilot Street radial 110/70 R17, for 4500 rupees. Then on, the CBR has been satisfying me totally.

I bought her at 34000km and the odo stands at 38100km as of now. I have had it oil serviced at 34500km, and will again send it for service by 38500km.

What do I love about the CBR250R

Looks and Styling

For any diehard Karizma fan, the CBR250R will be a love at first sight. Partly because of the full fairing, and partly because of the engine that is very closely related to the 223cc mill from the Karizma. The bike looks big! Obviously one of the few bikes that would not look too puny with big built riders on them.
The original first generation red-silver color scheme was my personal favourite. Though Honda came up with two more iterations of so-called updates on the CBR250R with lame color schemes and sticker jobs (except all black scheme of 2nd iteration), none impressed me as the red-silver combo. I was lucky tofind a pre-worshipped CBR250R in the same colour.

Ride quality

Ok, This is what made me sell my Pulsar 200NS off. It was a pocket rocket, but not suited for touring at all. I have done Trichy-Chennai and Trichy-Coimbatore on my Karizma R and ZMR for more than 20 times each. The former is a to-fro distance of 650km and the latter is about 410km. Most of the trips were done in a day, say starting by 5 in the morning and returning the round trip by 10 in the evening. I have never felt back ache or saddle sore, even once.

I happened to ride my Pulsar from Trichy-Pattukottai, a mere 300km round trip once. I could not explain how hard it was on my back. I had to take breaks every 30km because of that useless seat and tiring wind resistance. So ride quality stood tall in my requirements. I havent ridden CBR250R for more than 20km before. But from friends and forum owners who vouched for the touring capability of CBR250R to be as good as the Karizma twins, I was sold. To my relief, the first ever ride from Salem to Trichy (130km) went by smoothly.

All the 4000km I have done on the CBR in the last 3 months, I have always enjoyed the bike without even having to have a break during trips.
I rate the comfort of CBR250R more than any of the enfields on sale today. (I ride a 2015 Bullet STD 350 regularly)

Performance

As I have already mentioned, I am a heavy weight, but still, the CBR was able to do a high speed run on an empty stretch of road, with me tucking beneath the windscreen (as much as I can to reduce wind resistance). That is impressive for a single cylinder 250cc engine. My Pulsar 200NS was able to do 143kmph on the same stretch. The difference is the pulsar feels scary at speeds whereas the CBR250R feels planted. 0-100kmph comes at less than 9 seconds.

On touring capabilities, the CBR250R does 120kmph without breaking a sweat, all day. I find it best at 6000-7000rpm, where it will be doing speeds of 95kmph - 115kmph while returning good fuel economy too.

End of the day, I am happy that I have a comfortable bike that is faster than a RC200 and yet half its cost. The charm of used bike market!

Fuel Efficiency

I personally dont care about the fuel economy figures, but for the prospective owners who would like to know about it, the CBR250R consistently gives me around 30-32kmpl, with all redlining and high speed cruising. If you are a sedate rider who does max of 90kmph on the highway, you will sure be able to see numbers upwards 35kmpl. To be honest, the CBR250R is more fuel efficient than my ZMA-R and ZMR.

Handling

It is a stable bike. Period.
If you are an experienced rider, you can exploit the bike's light weight and wheelbase to your advantage. It has brilliant straight line stability.

What I dont like about the CBR250R

Soft front suspension

The bike can take speeds well, but if you are used to KTMs and try to enter into a corner with the same speed as you would on the KTM, you will be surprised at how soft the front suspension is. It can be scary. But once you get used to its manners, you can corner it at good speeds with small tweaks to your riding style.

Brakes

The front brake is ok. The rear brake is horrible. Mine is a non ABS model. If you are someone not used to applying engine braking, and rely solely on the twin brakes, you need to be very careful with the bike. I am not sure if it is my bike or CBR250R in general. But both disc pads are new.

Pathetic Honda A.S.S

If you are a CBR250R/150R owner, you will learn the length of the limits of your patience. Ask for spares, "CBR sir? NO sir" It took me 4 hours and two service centers + an automobile spares retailer to find an end weight for my CBR's handle bar. Ask about body panels etc, they say instantly "Have to order sir, 2 months". And the buggers will never order them also.

Coming to service, they wash the radiator with spray jet . Nothing more to say about their technical skills.

Concluding the ownership review, I am very pleased with the CBR250R and I am thankful to Aargee and TeamBHP for opening my eyes about a great bike and about finding great bikes at very cheap process in the used market.
Even today, the CBR250R @ 1.85 lakhs On Road is a very good option for people who want performance, looks, comfort and reliability

A happy owner, parting with some final shots of my darling.

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Motorcycle Section. Thanks for sharing!

[biggrin]

Congrats on the CBR mate. The red + silver combo has been absolutely droolworthy and much better than the current toy-like colours and stickers on offer. Good choice. And an equally good write-up! You will find a lot in common in your Karizma R and this one, as both excel in one thing - highway touring.

Try applying a light film (or matte black sticker) on the front visor. A friend had done the same on his red R15 v1.0 and it transformed the look.

Wish you lots and lots of happy miles!

BTW you look H-U-G-E in front of your machines, esp. the Bullet.

[PrasannaDhana]

Originally Posted by biggrin

Try applying a light film (or matte black sticker) on the front visor. A friend had done the same on his red R15 v1.0 and it transformed the look.

Wish you lots and lots of happy miles!

BTW you look H-U-G-E in front of your machines, esp. the Bullet.

Thank you!

I have the habit of tucking into the visor when I feel like I need to go faster (say beyond a certain triple digit speed), I will have to look through the visor. If I apply film/sticker the visibility takes a hit, specially during nights. 😊

[naveenroy]

Congratulations on the bike. The bike is totally worth it - a bullet-proof engine and good road worthiness. Aargee is the king of the CBR 250Rs here and am certain he will do a 2lakh on the odo soon

Yes, have always thought the front suspension is a bore! And it scares you sometimes with its dive! Good that you upgraded the tyres though - the Michelins make a world of difference!

[sagarpadaki]

For the soft front suspension problem, replace the fork oil with that of Motul. It makes the front reasonably stiffer .

[IshaanIan]

Lovely write up and good choice in the CBR250. After understanding how important comfort and touring was to you, I was honestly surprised to read the Pulsar pop up in your list after the Karizmas. Good to see you are happy with the CBR. Love the original colour scheme! My friend's white and black with silver accents CBR250 was one of the first bikes I learnt how to ride on last year must say that was a stunning colour as well and his came with the same michelin tyres too My favourite colours on the CBR are white+silver+black like my friend's bike, the plain red+black and the original maroon+silver.

Originally Posted by PrasannaDhana

I have the habit of tucking into the visor when I feel like I need to go faster (say beyond a certain triple digit speed), I will have to look through the visor. If I apply film/sticker the visibility takes a hit, specially during nights. ��

Although clear is always best for night riding, I have applied an orange film on my RC390 and it works pretty well to reduce glare when tucked down and at night it has this effect of increasing the contrast making it easier to spot animals and potholes in the dark. That said, orange might ruin the clean look on your bike.

[daretodream]

Thanks a lot for this review.
Reviews like these make noobsters like me to have increased confidence to go in for a pre-owned bike i.e. a lateral upgrade with limited budget.

Wish you safe miles and hope the new bike brings smiles to your face everytime!

[Thirugnnanam]

Congrats for your baby ceeber purchase, ji. A very calculated decision, plus you get what you want on a bike - speed and comfort!

And also, very glad to see a fellow biker from Trichy on Team-BHP.


--
Thirugnnanam.

[anshumandun]

Congrats on the purchase. I too own a 2011 CBR250R and this is undoubtedly one of the best tourers in its segment. I've been riding with some enthusiasts since past few years and here is what they suggest to make the 250R even a better tourer:

1. Michelin tyres. These are much much better than the stock Contigos. It's good that you chose these inspite of their steep price.

2. Stiffening the front suspension. Stock suspension is too soft and it just won't give you the confidence when you take on high speed corners. People here at Bangalore go to X-Torque to get their front suspension modified. I am not very sure of what exactly is done but from what I've heard from fellow riders is that they close 3 holes inside the front fork assembly which changes the oil flow and eliminates the soft diving. Changing to some other oil is also an alternate solution.

3. Auxillary lights. If you do night riding, getting a pair of LED spot lights will be very helpful. Stock headlight is not good enough to support you on high speed highway runs at night.

The rear brakes are useless but that's how they are supposed to be on these bikes I believe. You've got to use engine braking and front brakes to shed speed. My bike used to fishtail when I tried to use rear brakes more but that was with Contigos. It will behave better with the Michelins. I feel that less powerful the rear brakes are, less the chances of skidding, specially for non ABS version.

Happy riding!

[crdi]

Man! Is it the same you in all the pictures? Fond changing yourself frequently? Nice. Good write-up too.

[PrasannaDhana]

Originally Posted by crdi

Man! Is it the same you in all the pictures? Fond changing yourself frequently? Nice. Good write-up too.

Haha, yes. That is the same me in all the pics. I lift weights and my weight keeps changing according to my diet.

[VishJ]

Wow, quite a beauty she is. Congrats on your selection. CBR is definitely an able performer. Wish you for many long rides with this new beauty. Happy to see a BHPian nearby my City. And definitely you just chiseled your body mate.

[CGB]

Originally Posted by PrasannaDhana

Hello my dear fellow BHPians, this is my 2nd ownership review on teambhp. This time it is my beloved pre-worshipped CBR 250R.

Congratulations on your purchase prasanna! Happy to see a Bhpian from Trichy! I would suggest you to balance the wheels as it would greatly help during spirited driving!
For brakes, Try purchasing EBH double sintered brake pads. They improve the feel and feedback a lot Wishing you a safe and happy miles!

[PrasannaDhana]

Just came back after the service. Costed me 2k for oil replacement, minor electrical stuff and labour. Also, removed the air filter box cover to see how the engine note changes. The bike sounds deeper and a little louder. I personally think that is good as it can act as a notifier when riding im villages etc.