[ashwinprakas]

Or read the Owner's Manual!

Lubrication and Cleaning:

Lubricate every 1,000 km (600 miles) or sooner if chain appears dry.

After inspecting the slack, clean the chain and sprockets while rotating the rear wheel. Use dry cloth with chain cleaner designed specifically for O-ring chains, or neutral detergent. Use a soft brush if the chain is dirty.

After cleaning, wipe dry and lubricate with drive chain lubricant designed specifically for O-ring chains.

If not available, use SAE 80 or 90 gear oil. Do not use a steam cleaner, a high pressure cleaner, a wire brush, volatile solvent such as gasoline and benzene, abrasive cleaner, chain cleaner or lubricant not designed specifically for O-ring chains as these can damage the rubber O-ring seals.

Avoid getting lubricant on the brakes or tyres.

Avoid applying excess chain lubricant to prevent spray onto your clothes and the motorcycle.

Lifted from the Owner's Manual of the CBR 250R.

Never bring your digits anywhere near the wheels or sprockets with the motor running, has been said a zillion times yet people still manage to mess up, pro's and amateur's alike.

Ride Safe.

[NoSugarNoSpice]

@ethanhunt and @ashwinprakash thanks for the tips, I did prepare myself for chain cleaning by watching a few youtube vids. But Amazon failed me. I got a nice deal on Motul C1 and C2 on the Independence day sale last week. But now my order is stuck as Customer support says they will deliver by 20th. I have only the brush and groller ready
.My chain has started squeaking, hence my urgency to get this done.

[ashwinprakas]

Originally Posted by NoSugarNoSpice

@ethanhunt and @ashwinprakash thanks for the tips, I did prepare myself for chain cleaning by watching a few Youtube vids. But Amazon failed me. I got a nice deal on Motul C1 and C2 on the Independence day sale last week. But now my order is stuck as Customer support says they will deliver by 20th. I have only the brush and groller ready
.My chain has started squeaking, hence my urgency to get this done.

The Owner's Manual also mentions a fall back, I.e mild detergent and gear oil. Would cost you 50~100/- at best, and is available at every fuel station.

This shouldn't even be a query, hence why it's recommended to go through the Owners Manual before actually getting on with the ownership part.

If it's urgent, then you could simply lube with gear oil and forgo the cleaning part, last time I cleaned my chain was in 2011 when I was new to motorcycles since then I have put about 200k km's and never come across any concerns arising from not cleaning my chain, when at the same time I know dudes who went overboard with the cleaning part and ended up with rusted chains, so that's that, if that is any consolation.

Ride Safe,
A.P.

[NoSugarNoSpice]

Another update after the first service. It cost ~9600, and it was worth it

Disclaimer: I bought the tail tidy and some extra nuts,bolts for fitting ali-express parts.
Service alone would have cost ~2000, I needed extra labour and fitting of my aliexpress parts.

I had just crossed 1k kms so I handed the bike over for first service:
Jobs done were:

Saree guard removal
Hugger fitting(AliEx)
Tail tidy install(Kitaco)
Reflective Rim tape(AliEx)
Bar end sliders(AliEx)
Oil and filter swap(OEM)
Chain clean and lube
Lowering of headlight
Bike wash and polish

After the service, The bike feels lighter and engine is more free revving. It has turned into a hoon machine with the mods.

The lighter feel is from the ~3 kilo saree guard removal and the bar ends. Jeez the OEM bar ends are made from lead, i think one side bar end might weigh about 500g or more. My replacements from aliEx are a mere 135 gms each. The Handlebar has definitely gotten livelier. It is snappier and stability is still good. But it definitely is a lot buzzier in the 7k+ rpms(Which now seems easier to be in due to the quicker engine). I still say buzz and not vibrations though, so I will keep and observe this.

As usual the return trip from the service centre was in rains and the bike is dirty again. Both the tail tidy and rim tape have had a massive impact on street presence and profile. The now stubby tail accentuates the bulbous and edgy tank. The reflective rim tapes give a new size to the tyres and forks. Really highlights the extremely well engineered and holistic design. I got asked 4 times, "How much did it cost ?", on the way back. A person asked "Which Honda is this?", I cheekily replied, "Honda's new Super-Bike" :P

The headlight low beam is disappointing, It does little under street lights, and in pitch dark environments has issues lighting up 5ft to 20ft infront of you, before and after which the lighting is good. This is not good for slow night driving in traffic. I had hoped lowering the headlight would alleviate this, but not so much. Short throw aux lights are needed. The high beam works very well. LED headlights are good for focused throws but not for diffused spreads(This is where the Dominar's multi-element light does better).

I still have a few more parts coming in next week, so will be taking it to the dealer again, more pics then.

Remaining mods(In decreasing priority):
0) As my daily driver, paint protection is a must, I am doing it to reduce cleaning frequency. PPF
1)Zana Crashguard
2)Phone Holder( I ordered this: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/3286...2a934c4d7wyMVy )
3)Waterproof USB charger(I plan to get a charger with the circuitry hidden near the battery and a micro usb outlet going into above pouch, Give your opinions/recommendations please)
4)Front and read fender extensions(AliEx)
5)Silver and red levers to match
Wish tier
6)Underbelly plate
Dream tier
7)Pirelli Scorpion Rally STRs
8)The blacked out parts from the 2020 Model
Lottery Tier
9) A stubby exhaust
10) The 2020 model's gold forks

Pics ofc

[NoSugarNoSpice]

I forgot to add some notes from regular commutes with the bike.

I DO MISS the slipper clutch, especially in traffic. Not for the anti wheel skid feature but for the lighter pressure required to engage. Holding it for long durations repeatedly hurts. But as my finesse increases I have learned to crawl in traffic without the throttle and can find neutral in <2 attempts now letting me take rests at short stops. The bike will glide as you start releasing the clutch. Idle rpm is ~1600, and if you do not apply throttle the bike will still pull until the rpm reaches ~1000, although once it picks up speed it will hold speed without throttle.

I have started running the tyres over-inflated at 31-35 vs 29-33 as The steering is definitely lighter and I get a lot more road feel from the suspension and tyres. I am not pushing the bike hard enough to witness traction loss. Speaking of suspension, it is jolly good. On high speeds the suspension stiffens up and any bumps are dismissed with a quick thud. On slower speeds, the tyres follow the undulations and it is quite a feeling of admiration and awe to let the featherweight bike do its pitching and rolling while standing atop the footpegs, keeping my bum safe from the Bengaluru potholes.

Handling a bike is a breeze. My office parking is quite cramped and due to terrible arrangement it is quite easy to get boxed in. But that's not a problem on the CB300R. You can grab the handlebar/pillion handle and give a quick upwardly tug and the bike will slide along.

The mirrors are wide and give a panoramic view but they are also the widest points of the bike. I twice had pedestrians walk into them as they were crossing the road and I was rolling along slowly(Admittedly some were staring transfixed at my headlights). I have had a handful of kissy-kissy incidents with other vehicle's mirrors.

[NoSugarNoSpice]

One more niggle I have is the HUD, I miss the gear position indicator, but that's not why i'm cribbing.

In their quest for lightness, Honda's engineers have had free reign. Should you try to use the console buttons with one hand, they're hard buttons, you will find that the speedo console itself flexes a lot, maybe as much as the button. This is quite unnerving to experience.

No other issues for me till first service. In the Bangalore owner's group and on global facebook groups (~3 cases), there are very minor issues of coolant leaks, mostly resolved.

Next service is post 6k kms / 6 months.

[Nithesh_M]

Do you plan to get the OEM Visor? Would it fit with the number plate there?

[NoSugarNoSpice]

Originally Posted by Nithesh_M

Do you plan to get the OEM Visor? Would it fit with the number plate there?

There is no OEM visor, The dealer offers ones from Puig.

The installer can drill through some visor's(flat bases) and sandwich them between the number plate holder and number plate.

It is a legal requirement to have the number plate in the front, hence this.

Personally I think the Puig visor are too tall. I am looking for something more form over function:(as in attachment)

[neil.jericho]

Originally Posted by NoSugarNoSpice

Another update after the first service. It cost ~9600, and it was worth it

Disclaimer: I bought the tail tidy and some extra nuts,bolts for fitting ali-express parts.
Service alone would have cost ~2000, I needed extra labour and fitting of my aliexpress parts.

NoSugarNoSpice, can you share the breakup of the first service cost? From your post, it looks as though the 1st service cost was Rs 2,000 odd and the rest of the Rs 7,600 was for fitting the parts that you brought which doesnt seem right.

[Nithesh_M]

Originally Posted by NoSugarNoSpice

I am looking for something more form over function:(as in attachment)

puig makes that too

https://puig.tv/en/tuning-motos/care...ate?bike=23878

[NoSugarNoSpice]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

NoSugarNoSpice, can you share the breakup of the first service cost? From your post, it looks as though the 1st service cost was Rs 2,000 odd and the rest of the Rs 7,600 was for fitting the parts that you brought which doesnt seem right.

The 7600 was for purchase of tail tidy + fitting.

Have attached the bills. The exact numbers are(GST Included):
Oil - 1.25k
Filter - .28k
Chain clean Consumables - 0.35k
1st Service Cost - 1.88k

Tail Tidy - 7.1k
Labour charges - 0.59k
Total - 7.7k

That's about 9.6k


@Nithesh_M - Hmm this one does look stubby, i'll find more pics of it and some installs and see

[Shumi_21]

Originally Posted by Shumi_21

Only spanner in the works is the 10L fuel tank.

Seems like Honda has addressed this gripe. According to Honda's UK website the 2020 CB300R comes with a 13 litre fuel tank!

The 13-litre petrol tank is hidden underneath the sculptured cover. It's shaped for comfort; tuck in your knees and you’ll feel a part of the bike as soon as you sit on it. Fill it up and you’re good to go for at least 390Km. It also comes with a machined aircraft style filler cap

[starter]

Originally Posted by Shumi_21

Seems like Honda has addressed this gripe. According to Honda's UK website the 2020 CB300R comes with a 13 litre fuel tank!

Or could it be a typo on the website?
'Coz in the specs, it still states 10L as the tank capacity.

[Shumi_21]

Originally Posted by starter

Or could it be a typo on the website?
'Coz in the specs, it still states 10L as the tank capacity.

I clearly remember Honda claiming a 300km range for the 10L fuel tank. The fact that they have also updated the range to 390km to correspond to a 13L fuel tank makes me feel that a typo is unlikely. Maybe the 10L in the specifications is a typo.

Anyways, I have left an email to Honda UK for clarification.

[NoSugarNoSpice]

@Shumi_21 The 13L tank is for the CB300F, I think Honda might have mixed that up.
Given the same engine, they are claiming the same mileage.

I found the windscreen I have been looking for: https://sw-motech.com/en/products/pr...2572052648.htm

But it is quite expensive, So I have turned to my best friend aliexpress for something cheaper.

I have also ordered steel handle bar weights as the aluminium ones are too light and the bike is vibey now from the lighter weights and the zana crashguard I got installed.

I got PPF (Hexis Bodyfence) work and matte plastic ceramic coating done at Krithi Car Care, pretty satisfied with the job and the bike can just be hosed down with a regular spray to clean. And it looks gorgeous almost every time. I can also be a little less worried about nicking stuff in traffic.

I have passed 2k kms and I did hit a small niggle with the coolant dripping out when I was enroute to Bangalore. I was riding quite hard 120+ for 2 hours. I lost a pretty small amount(2 levels on the dipstick). I limped back home at 70 and then took it to the dealer to check the hose nuts and a few of them were loose. They were tightened and coolant re topped up. Nothing afterwards.

@bigron was right, the chinese levers are very easy to mess with on a parked bike. I always come back to someone having reset the lever settings. Someone pulled the clutch towards the handle and this resulted in the clutch not engaging fully for shifting. Shifts were difficult until i realized the setting was wrong and corrected it.