[Teesh@BHP]

A Honda CB Unicorn 150; that was the bike I rode for 3 years, bike as a child I dreamt of owning. An elegant looking bike with a butter-smooth engine at its heart and a rather plush ride quality to complete the package. The name Unicorn that Honda decided to go for the bike made perfect sense to what it delivered. It also went on to be the name I would refer her for the next three years. I was living with a Unicorn… literally!

Unicorn instantly became an extension of my body. She followed me everywhere I went. I cared about her, and it about me. The feelings were mutual! Being in the crowning year of engineering back then, a number of short outings followed. Unicorn was serving me well. I was happy.

Probably the best picture I have of her. Taken at Mandalpatti peak in Coorg; Unicorn overlooking the clouds:



That timeless design!


Fast forward one year, I followed my passion and land into automotive domain. The transition into the corporate world was rather smooth. You know, good work and stuff. Two years went by and things were about to change. The daily routine started to suck the life juice out of me.
In every individual’s life, there comes instances in life, where he gets himself sucked into a mental black hole and sees no way out. Things were getting stale. I needed a change.

Things weren’t the same with Unicorn as well. With time, short fun rides drastically reduced. With time, it became a commuter bike.

Now all my life I have been a travel buff. I love the journey that involves in getting to a destination. The journey matters the most to me, the destination, not so much. Unless; that destination is a secluded place, pristine and untouched by gen pop. I had forgotten what it was like to go on those quests. Perhaps, the only way to redeem myself I thought.
I had found the change I so desired. However, change comes at a price. I had to make a decision, probably one of the most emotional and hard ones I had to till date. My Unicorn, I had to let her go.

Although I loved her as much as I did, she wasn’t perfect. The brakes were downright pathetic. Period. Fishtailing wasn’t rear; they were common, way too common! High speed manners were nowhere good, couple that with mediocre engine and horrendous brakes, long highway trips were both risky and scary. I wouldn’t even imagine to make those long trips on her. I had to get my hands on an established tourer, Unicorn had to go. I found a buyer who would take good care of her.

On June 15th 2016, after 29763kms of togetherness, I let her go.


Meanwhile, I started looking for a perfect replacement. I mentioned about getting my hands on an established tourer. My requirements were as follows:
• Had to be fast with equally good if not better brakes
• Had to be comfortable
• Had to be reliable
• Above all, had to make me smile

The choice was obvious; it had to be a Honda CBR 250R. And of course, the one which comes with ABS.

Wait, there were no other options considered? Well, of course not, it had to be a Honda. After all, a Honda is a Honda. Thanks to Unicorn, I was sold to Honda for their unmatched reliability and engine refinement. My future acquisitions in the 2 wheeler segment shall continue to be Hondas; that I am quite sure of.

I wanted to get my hands on a new bike, but thanks to Honda India, the bike was ‘updated’ in 2015 with ‘updated’ graphics and paint job. The new graphics are a joke. They are hideous; I couldn’t possibly live with it. Instead of getting the 300R, we get this from Honda! What a shame!

Thanks to this forum, it was obvious that 250R was a pretty reliable bike. I started looking at the pre-worshipped market. Personally, I find the 2013 version of 250R in red scheme with black alloys to be smoking hot!! Makes me drool whenever I see it on road. I would have loved to get my hands on that, but unfortunately, I could find no one in the used market to give it up yet.

The color schemes with which the bike was originally launched were pretty good. It didn’t matter which of those 3 colors I would end up with as long as the condition of the bike itself was good. Then I found her, an August 2012 Silver ABS version of 250R, with just 25k on the odometer and under extended warranty. I instantly liked it from the pictures posted online and decided to call up and meet the seller. Turns out, he never wanted to give up the bike, but was forced to since he was leaving the country for masters. He had taken good care of the bike, and I could sense the emotion over the bike in his voice and body language. My kind of a guy I thought. Took a short test ride and I was sold! The bike was aesthetically good, no deal breaking scratches anywhere and the condition of the engine and the brakes were top notch. I didn’t even bother looking for other options and pretty much sealed the deal for a sweet price.

Coming 25th June 2016, I would take her home.

The first thing I did after getting the bike was to get it thoroughly serviced from Tansi Honda in Varthur road. The CBR technician over there Mr. Karthik has a pretty good reputation in Bengaluru and I second that. The depth of knowledge he has on the bike is commendable. He had a quick look at the bike and assured me the condition of the bike was good apart from minor issues and promised me that he will check everything and make sure the bike felt newer and fresher after the service. This kind of customer engagement you generally don’t find in a bike service centre. My Unicorn never did, in that very same service centre. Karthik shares the same passion and enthusiasm towards CBR as we owners do, and that is something which separates him from the crowd. After engaging in talks with him for several times, and seeing the quality of his work, I can say that I have immense respect for him. CBR owners in Bengaluru, if you are having tough times with your ASC, make sure you check this one.

All day along, I was waiting for that one call from ASC like a kid. I finally get the call and the person says, “Sir, your bike is ready, please come by and pick it up”. I had smile written all over my face. I was going to take delivery of a new bike; the excitation were on that same level. Then I saw her, standing there, waiting for me. She looked happy to see the excitation levels on her new owner. She looked eager to partner me on all those future quests. She was ready.
Took her for a short spin to check the quality of the service, and boy was I blown away to further levels. The bike felt newer. I was smiling again.

Meanwhile, I knew what I was going to call her.

Fitting name I thought.

Made justice to what the bike stood for and what the name represented I sensed.

Fellow BHPians, I present to you, my SILVER SURFER!



That face! Still a looker on the street. More so in places away from the city:



Proportions people:


Butch, butch, butch!


Probably the best angle to capture her. Looks so so good:


Yes, I have got 26 of 'em. Perfect integration, don't you think? Looks intimidating.


And this is the output of my camera in continuous shoot mode and a tripod. Picture perfect! If you look closely, you will notice that it's our beloved hoodie I am wearing!



For those of you who don’t know, Silver surfer is a character from the marvel universe and looks like this. Pretty close no?



A short intro:
Well, CBR 250R is no stranger to us, we have all seen the praises it has on the internet as well as in the biking community. Nevertheless, a short experience on what I have felt so far.

For a single cylinder quarter litre capacity bike, the engine is surprisingly refined and smooth almost all the way up till rev limit. The vibration at the handle bars are rather muted, there’s subtle vibs at low rpm which disappears in mid-range; however, they become noticeable as the revs approach near redline. But then again, for a single pot 250cc motor, these levels are pretty good.

The power is adequate I would say. Of course compared to the Unicorn, this was leagues ahead. It was a tad too much the handle in the initial stage but as time went by, pretty much got used to it. There is no sudden surge of torque; it builds up in a linear fashion post 4K rpm and goes all the way up till 10K rpm. However, below 3.5K rpm, there’s not much of it available. This becomes quite apparent while riding in the city. One has to constantly work with the gears to keep the engine in its happy zone. City riding took a bit of getting used to, but hey, thanks to the light clutch and a smooth gearbox, that ‘getting used to’ period was pretty short.

This machine however, is built primarily for touring. Period. The bike can do 100- 120kmph all day without straining the engine, and thanks to the impeccable chassis it has, it feels rock steady at high speeds. The suspension is on the softer side, but then again, this is ideal for touring; it takes potholes and broken roads with ease. I am no corner junkie to comment of its cornering abilities, nevertheless, it’s a joy to ride her in the twisties. For a noob like me, I am happy with the way she changes direction.

I believe that a car/bike can only be driven/ridden as fast as its braking system allows it to. And this is where the bike truly shines. The braking system is simply fantastic! The bite and feel of the front brakes is just too good. ABS works like a charm as well. It doesn’t intuit much and kicks-in only under hard braking situation. Okay, maybe I am praising the brakes way too much, but remember, I am coming from a Unicorn, with the kind of horrible brakes it had, my mind had pretty much trained my right palm/feet to actuate the brake lever/pedal in such a way that there was sufficient brake force applied on the wheels without locking them. Thanks to that experience cum training, I have observed that my braking technique makes the ABS barely kick-in on this bike even under panic braking situations.

If have to nitpick about the bike, it has to be the position of the brake lever and the gear lever. They are placed at such an angle that it is hard to find a comfortable position for my feet to rest. My feet always end up taking a slightly upright stance which becomes annoying at times. Also, the fuel tank capacity, a 17 litre tank would have been perfect instead of 13!

All in all, when it comes to my requirements to get the crown of a great sport tourer, i.e. great engine, great brakes, good ergonomics, plush suspension and a solid chassis; Silver surfer ticks all the checkboxes. I couldn’t be happier.

[Teesh@BHP]

Living with the Silver Surfer:

It was 10:40 AM when I took a detour from the highway and joined the country roads after covering a distance in excess of 350kms. What lay ahead of me were views capable of bringing peace to a person’s mind. Terrain so flat on either sides of the road, eyes could see it extending for hundreds of kilometers before touching the sky, happiness in the face of farmers at the sight of an overcast weather hoping for the rain, lush green crops which looked ready for harvesting, cattle grazing in the horizon, village life in a distance, the roads themselves smooth and pristine and straight for kilometers. I was slowly allowing myself to be consumed by nature. The freshest of the air were entering my lungs and making me high. so much so in the process that, my eyes suddenly stumble upon the speedo and it read a humble 40. The bike and its rider had synced and were moving in one flow cutting through the wind.
I came to a halt, parked the bike, relieved my shoulders from the backpack, took off the gloves, helmet, riding jacket and stood there with my companion, both staring at the horizon. My body starts tingling as the cool breeze of air swept past me and dried the sweat that was dripping down. With one big breath, I let-in as much air as I could, closed my eyes, raised my head to face the sky and smiled at my inner self. I knew the reason for that genuine smile. The peace of mind that I had craved for, hidden in abyss for so many months had re-surfaced. I found calmness within myself. Then I turned to look at her. All of this had happened only because of her. I got down on my knees, held her with my hands, rested my forehead against the headlight, closed my eyes and whispered to her, “Thank you”.

This picture was captured at that stop and is worth a thousand words. The destination of that journey was my bellowed hometown, Karwar. More on that later.




Silver surfer has been with me for 2 months now and we have clocked more than 5500kms in this short span. Needless to say there have been a number of outings. As much as I would love to pen down in detailed aspect of each and every trip, my daily routine doesn’t really permit me to. I shall highlight only the most important one and rest would be mostly a ‘photo-louge’
This goes without saying, but when a biker looks for a perfect weekend getaway, mostly only one thing pops up; Hill stations!
Why you ask? One word; twisties!

So far have conquered these two:



So Silver surfer and I had a companion on these two trips. My cousin on my Brother’s Suzuki Gixxer.

Talking about Gixxer, look at the way it looks!!


Such an amazing one this is. The 155cc motor it has is probably the best in its class, barring the tech savvy ones on the R15 and the CBR150R. No other motor comes close to what this offers. One of the rare motors which likes to be revved hard, it practically begs the rider to take it all the way till red line before shifting up. The torque curve is simply fantastic! There’s respectable torque available at rpms as low as 2K; yes, you heard me, 2000 rpm and it pulls cleanly all the way till redline. What makes it even more impressive is the way Suzuki have managed to keep the vibration levels down. There’s practically no vibes at all, neither at lower rpms nor at higher rpms!

And to make things better, there’s that chassis this engine fits into. The dynamics is simply fantastic. Gixxer is so agile and nimble that one can do wonders with it in the twisties. Even better is its straight line stability, inspires a lot of confidence in the rider. It can maintain a 100kmph on highways all day along; again, rare for a bike in this class. I would rate it to be better than my Silver surfer in terms of handling. Frankly speaking, even though the engine is so good for a 150cc, it does let down the dynamics that this bike offers. The chassis can easily handle a higher capacity motor. An awesome bike as this already is, a bigger engine with better brakes on this same body would make it perfect.
My brother still thanks me for helping him choose this bike.

Sadly though, despite easily being the segment leader in terms of what it offers, the sales chart doesn’t reflect the same. FZ still enjoys a large chunk of the sales. I hope this changes though, for Suzuki has given us a lot of bike at the asking price.

Okay, apologies for deviating.

The roads leading to Yercaud from Bengaluru are mostly 4 laned national highway, and only the last 20kms or so are hilly roads. But obviously, that stretch gives you more pleasure than the highway runs. Once in Yercaud, there’s nothing much to see around. But, that is actually a blessing in disguise considering how insanely commercialized popular hill stations like ooty have become these days. There are not many tourists around and that’s a relief.

The best part about Yercaud has to be the loop road! 32 kms of narrow roads in fantastic condition, full of corners and cuts through coffee plantations (I guess) with some breathtaking views of the hills and then return to the exact same point where you begin. The ride was so much enjoyable that we ended up going through the loop again, but this time in the opposite direction.

The roads that lead to Yercaud:


Loop road:


Silver surfer engulfed in greenery:


Beautiful Yercaud horizon:


Ooty was way too commercialized for my liking. Happened to go there on the Independence Day long weekend and boy did I not regret that decision. There were just too many people out there. The traffic situation was even worse; at times I wondered, Am I really in Ooty or am I stuck in Bengaluru?
Managed to check out only Doddbetta peak within Ooty. That’s it! There was a horrible traffic jam while coming back to town from the peak, people were stuck there for hours, some for more than three hours!! Luckily, we managed to get out of the mess in about 45 minutes or so.
Perks of having a small foot print and being on 2 wheels.

However, the best part about Ooty has to be the journey involved in getting there. Solidified my whole belief in prioritizing the journey rather than the destination. The roads leading to ooty goes through the enchanting Bandipur and Mudumalai national parks. Butter smooth tarmac surrounded by pristine greenery, the roads that flows through these parks are easily one of the most scenic roads we have in our country, with wildlife spotting all the way through. One has to truly experience it firsthand to realize how beautiful the roads are within the parks.

Just look at these:






The two companions fully loaded:


The roads continue to impress as we ascended to the top. As the altitude increased, the eyes began to see numerous tea plantations, secluded lakes here and there. Slowly but surely the visibility decreased as silver surfer and I moved in harmony slicing through the clouds; A light drizzle followed and it totally amplified the experience; it was perfect!. We were literally high on cloud 9!

The following pictures were mostly taken en route Ooty and none actually in Ooty:

The best picture from the trip. Mesmerizing landscape:




One can find many lakes as this one on the way:


Fog and greenery!




Low visibility. Parked at the edge of the road:


Just before entering the city:


Silver surfer on top of Ooty:

[Teesh@BHP]

A place known as Karwar:
As I descended the Western Ghats, a sense of excitement filled through my senses, as I finally touched the coastal highway, the NH17 (Now NH66), a surge of adrenaline rushed through my body. After all, why wouldn’t it, these were the roads I grew up in. These were the roads I travelled in countless times throughout my childhood and teenage days, in buses and cars likewise. And now, I was there in those very same roads, this time around on my bike, on my very own bike! And as Silver Surfer and I gently waded across the NH17 like a boat on still water, my mind was dancing to the tone of internal hymn. The 550kms journey was coming to an end. I was about to be home, my beloved hometown Karwar.

People take break from their daily routine and go home for vacations; they generally rest up and spend most of the time around their house. I am not the same.
I wasn’t going to rest in home, I was going to explore places. Perhaps my mother wanted her son to be like normal people. I pity her.

Karwar is a small town in Karnataka, perfectly sandwiched between the mighty Western Ghats on the east and equally intimidating Arabian Sea on the west. The beaches here are not flashy and full of life as the ones we find in Goa. Except for one beach, others are mostly secluded, again thanks to Goan beaches offering so much more. But, this is how I like it. I always find myself going in search of sea shores which is void of any human contact. Nothing beats the experience of sitting on such sea shores and indulging yourself in deep thoughts at the sound of crushing waves, smell of salty water and a stardom to look at. You end up realizing stuff, stuff which reminds us of our roots, the nature, the fragile environment which we have forsaken in the name of development.

Along with these beaches, Karwar also offers something unique, something which most coastal towns don’t offer. During monsoons, it completely transforms into a hill station. Overcast conditions, misty mountains with rich green life forms clinging onto ‘em. To compliment that, you have access to a large number of hilly roads that cut through Western Ghats to reach various settlements. To name some, the Anshi Ghat that leads to Dandeli, the Yellapur Ghat that leads to Hubli, the Sirsi Ghat that leads to Yana and Sirsi, the Honnavar Ghat that leads to Jog falls and Shimoga. And of course, the amazing roads once you enter Goa.
Thing is, with Karwar as Base, a nature lover like me can explore so many places in a radius of a 100kms. Guess I am lucky for having born in this place.

Like the loop road in Yercaud, I have my own version of the loop road. While the known loop road is 32Kms, mine is a humble 185kms



This one route I always ensure to take when I am home. While all other times, it was with Ritzy, this time it was with Silver surfer. The roads are mostly secluded and in good condition, they are laid in parallel to Kali River, and pass through various small villages before reaching Kaiga.
The roads after kaiga are very narrow and literally goes through forest. There is absolutely no soul for kilometers, sunlight barely touches the ground as there’s thick forest blocking the light and since it was monsoon, I spotted a number of tiny waterfalls, flowing in all glory beside the road. It was nature at its best. Hats off to ‘The One’ who created this Nature! The forest roads finally end after 40kms or so and the roads then join the Yellapur Ghat.
I would have loved to video log all the journey, sadly though, I do not possess an action camera. However I did try to record the forest journey with my phone’s camera. Attaching a small clip of the same, pardon the shabby quality.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUbqfkdkixY

Attaching some pictures from in and around Karwar below.

You will find views like these beside NH17:












Anshi Ghat road:


Somewhere in loop road:


Yellapur road:


Look what I found when wandering off into unknown roads in South Goa:


Speaking about Goa, look at these roadsss:




Almost missed the presence of this!! Came inches close before noticing, but what a beauty it was:


When rains were too much, I took out Ritzy:








When the rains were gone, there was always bright sunshine and beautiful sunset:




All in all, the homecoming went on for week and in these 7 days, I thoroughly enjoyed the company of my family, Ritzy, Silver Surfer and the nature. I have clocked close to 2000kms on my bike, out of which 800kms was in and around Karwar with no destination in mind. And when the rain was too much to handle for riding, Ritzy would accompany me and I have clocked close to 500kms in that. But, I would always prefer Silver surfer.

That’s the whole thing about riding on a bike, it transcends the rider to a whole other dimension, something which one possibly can’t experience in a car. Now don’t get me wrong, I am a car guy. I love 4 wheels as much as I love 2 wheels. But there’s something about riding, something which cannot be truly expressed with words. All I know is when I suit up, fasten my helmet and go off, a sense of freedom comes into me. When I ride with Silver surfer, I feel like I can conquer the world, that I can achieve my dreams. It gives me hope, strength to go on and face anything that life throws at me. It gives me peace of mind.
Its true what they say, "Motorcycling moves your soul"
It did move mine.


Thank you for reading.

[GTO]

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

[PrasannaDhana]

A wonderful review with beautiful pics!

A great choice in the CBR250R. In the used market, you get complete bang for your bucks. As an owner of a pre-worshipped CBR250R, I agree with everything you have said. Lose those rubbers and go for Metzelers or Michelin Pilot street radials. You will feel immense improvement in the way the bike handles.

With a Honda, it is never just an affair, it is a marriage!

PS: The silver looks amazing, a rare colour for the CBR nowadays.
Attached is the pic of my baby.

[Nithesh_M]

I remember my time booking a brand new one in 2011. I went in to buy the Silver one because the color combo was rare for the time, but unfortunately due to low bookings for the Silver one Honda discontinued the color within the first few months of it going on sale. By September they had stopped taking orders for silver and so I spend a good 30 minutes at the dealership confusing the sales lady between red and black. I made her write 3 or 4 slips before I finally went with red.

Have been itching to upgrade to the 650F for a year now, but the 250 is very difficult to let go. So decided to keep it aswell and then get a second big bike to share the garage.

Hope you enjoy the purchase


P.S: As stated, please switch over to a better set of tyres than those Contigos(if that's what I remember they are). They are horrible tyres and their only pro is that they will last a good while and they're very cheap. A pair of Michelin Pilot Street Radials should do wonders for the handling of your bike, get better road grip, better wet weather grip and last just as long as the Contigo for a grand or so more.

The Contigos are puncture prone and after getting 2 replacement tyres due to the uneven wear I eventually jumped to MPSR and have no regrets since.

[Mashblue]

Congratulations! Loved the write up and beautiful pictures . Cbr250Abs is a wonderful machine which I'm sure will serve you loyally for many years.
From the pictures it looks like the bike is running on Pirelli tyres? Also for the next oil change I recommend trying Shell 10w40 FS, it will make the engine more responsive and smoother. Happy riding

[farhadtarapore]

Is it worth waiting for a CBR300 or going with the 2016 250ABS?

[PrasannaDhana]

Originally Posted by farhadtarapore

Is it worth waiting for a CBR300 or going with the 2016 250ABS?

Not worth waiting as Honda may never launch the 300 here. And it isn't the best idea to go with a new CBR250R now. In the same budget you get newer and equally(more) capable bikes:

D390
Himalayan
Mojo 300
Akula 310(yet to be launched)
Pulsar CS400(yet to be launched)

You can wait for a couple of months before spending 2.2 lakhs.

[farhadtarapore]

D390 - rejected due to tiny backseat and cramped rider seating.
Himalayan- i own a thunderbird 500 so RE is out of the question. Want a peace of mind bike.
Akula - too sporty

Waiting for VS400 but that's been delayed.

[Nithesh_M]

Originally Posted by Nithesh_M

than those Contigos(if that's what I remember they are).

Scratch that. I see a MRF REVZ on the front and a Michelin Pilot Sporty rear combo.

Would still suggest a Pilot Street Radial upgrades.

[Teesh@BHP]

Originally Posted by PrasannaDhana

A great choice in the CBR250R. In the used market, you get complete bang for your bucks. As an owner of a pre-worshipped CBR250R, I agree with everything you have said. Lose those rubbers and go for Metzelers or Michelin Pilot street radials. You will feel immense improvement in the way the bike hand

Thank you for your words. And honestly everything started after I read your review, so thank you

Originally Posted by Nithesh_M

Scratch that. I see a MRF REVZ on the front and a Michelin Pilot Sporty rear combo.

Would still suggest a Pilot Street Radial upgrades.

Thank you Nithesh_M. We kinda share the same name Yes the front tyres are MRF radials which the previous owner had changed recently. They offer good amount of grip and I'm happy with it.

The rear was the infamous Contigo when i bought the bike, I immediately went to change them. Michelin radials looked way too pricey at 5.8k. decided to go for pilot sporty at 4k. These are actually very good at cornering, the straights are okayish, but I'm happy with it. Let's see, may be next time I'll switch to Michelin radials. Thanks for your words and suggestion.

[Added_flavor]

Congratulations on the silver surfer, that's a cool name! I love the silver on the CBR! Makes it look premium!

Just a small suggestion on the negatives you wrote. The shift and brake pedals can be adjusted to a certain extent so that you find a comfortable position and don't pain your ankle. Do get it done at the ASC.

Since you said you like the red-black color scheme, I'll give myself the liberty to flaunt my bike on your thread. Hope you don't mind!

Wishing you lot of happy miles on the silver surfer! I'm sure you'll be addicted to this bike.

[Teesh@BHP]

Originally Posted by Added_flavor

Congratulations on the silver surfer, that's a cool name! I love the silver on the CBR! Makes it look premium!

Just a small suggestion on the negatives you wrote. The shift and brake pedals can be adjusted to a certain extent so that you find a comfortable position and don't pain your ankle. Do get it done at the ASC.

Since you said you like the red-black color scheme, I'll give myself the liberty to flaunt my bike on your thread. Hope you don't mind!

Wishing you lot of happy miles on the silver surfer! I'm sure you'll be addicted to this bike.

Thank you Added_flavor. Your bike made me drool again

Regarding the pedals, I did raise the concern with the ASC. The mechanic said that the shifter can be adjusted easily, but not the brake pedal. He advised not to change the position of it as it might hamper with the braking. Not really sure if I should go against his words though.

[PrasannaDhana]

Originally Posted by Teesh@BHP

Regarding the pedals, .

C'mon, it is just a matter of getting used to. I am 6'2 and found it weird to have my ankles positioned awkwardly. But after a 200km highway ride, I got used to it.