[VijayAnand1]

Some things just don't want to leave you don't they? Welcome to the boards again Manas. With everything spic and span I think the only thing that's left is to ride the motorcycle as it deserves to be.

Cheers!
VJ

[creative420]

Does it still makes sense in 2023?

With mid-life-crisis-bike-riding bug hitting me too, I want to know if this bike still makes sense? There's a great specimen in my apartment complex up for sale. 2012 model for 95K. Bike is in great condition. First owner. 58K kms done. Tyre changed last year, not sure what brand they are. I think I can get this for 85K.

Things on my mind for this year:
1. Ride to Goa.
2. Ride to Ooty.
3. Joining my other mid-life-crisis-hit-biker-friends for monthly rides.

Will this be a good bike? What are the watchouts? Is it good for 600kms journeys at 100kmph with no vibrations? Reason why I am ok to take a risk is that I want a decently powerful bike to convince me if I should go ahead and splurge later on a better, newer bike.

PS: Happy New Year. Ride/Drive/Fly/Sail/Cycle safe.

[aargee]

Originally Posted by creative420

Does it still makes sense in 2023?

Straight answer is - Yes & No
Yes - If you're switching from car to motorcycles (sort of beginner) or commuter to long distance hauler; very strong reason - you have a light wallet for an absolutely brilliant motorcycle
No - Spares are rare these days; C250R is not welcome at all ASC; very strong reason - the production ceased ~3 years ago + the bike is due for FC in ~4 years from now!!

Originally Posted by creative420

Will this be a good bike? What are the watchouts? Is it good for 600kms journeys at 100kmph with no vibrations?

600 Kms is a joke!! Last year we did ~1300 Km in <24 hours on 1.3 Lakh ODO, such is the reliability with regular standard Honda maintenance. So 58K is nothing (unless it has been abused in past); common issues that I can anticipate (assuming it has been taken care well) are - O2 sensor, rear suspension, bent in alloy wheels, mirrors getting auto reset due to wear & tear, fairing joints, worn out rubbers between fairing, rust inside fuel tank, speedometer light.

Originally Posted by creative420

Reason why I am ok to take a risk is that I want a decently powerful bike to convince me if I should go ahead and splurge later on a better, newer bike

CB350? CB300R (this is bigger cousin of C250R), CB300F? 200/250/390 KTM/Adv? G310R is expensive, but pride is free; Ninja 300R is sheer brilliant if you don't mid the cost?

Others like Benelli, Keeyway, Ronin, VStorm (if you can research some of the key problems in TBhp & make a choice), Dominars, Jawa/Yezdi are not my cup of cake, so haven't suggested them.

RE has been excluded deliberately due to the 2 words - "no vibrations"; but then you don't want a 650 do you?

Final verdict - If you're looking to start a hobby & take a decision later, then, yes, you can opt for it; but if you're planning to own for over 5 years atleast then you may want to consider alternatives.

[creative420]

Originally Posted by aargee

Straight answer is - Yes & No

Thank you for that.

Yes - If you're switching from car to motorcycles (sort of beginner) or commuter to long distance hauler; very strong reason - you have a light wallet for an absolutely brilliant motorcycle

This is the somewhat the reason. Not new to biking. Just that haven't ridden a lot in the last decade. In my Yamaha YBX and Pulsar 150, I did cover many trips. But once I moved to Bangalore, somehow got plonked in a car.

No - Spares are rare these days; C250R is not welcome at all ASC; very strong reason - the production ceased ~3 years ago + the bike is due for FC in ~4 years from now!!

That bad? Will it make sense to look for a newer model around 1L?

600 Kms is a joke!! Last year we did ~1300 Km in <24 hours on 1.3 Lakh ODO, such is the reliability with regular standard Honda maintenance.

That's some vote of confidence.

So 58K is nothing (unless it has been abused in past); common issues that I can anticipate (assuming it has been taken care well) are - O2 sensor, rear suspension, bent in alloy wheels, mirrors getting auto reset due to wear & tear, fairing joints, worn out rubbers between fairing, rust inside fuel tank, speedometer light.

Ok. Any folk/garage from Bangalore who can help me assess this?

CB350? CB300R (this is bigger cousin of C250R), CB300F? 200/250/390 KTM/Adv? G310R is expensive, but pride is free; Ninja 300R is sheer brilliant if you don't mind the cost?

Idea was to get something around 80-99K which can be resold with little loss to upgrade after a year or two. Who knows what 2024 or 2025 have in store for us?

Others like Benelli, Keeyway, Ronin, VStorm (if you can research some of the key problems in TBhp & make a choice), Dominars, Jawa/Yezdi are not my cup of cake, so haven't suggested them.

Missed out on one 2018 Dominar. But it was SO heavy. VStrom is a great bike. Sebring's thread is a treat.

RE has been excluded deliberately due to the 2 words - "no vibrations"; but then you don't want a 650 do you?

Want a 650. Don't think I need it right now.

Final verdict - If you're looking to start a hobby & take a decision later, then, yes, you can opt for it; but if you're planning to own for over 5 years atleast then you may want to consider alternatives.

Thanks for engaging your time in my query. This will be a short-term test.

[aargee]

Hello sir

Originally Posted by creative420

That bad? Will it make sense to look for a newer model around 1L?

Well, I'm of the opinion that, whatever is destined will come to you no matter you spend Rs 1 or Rs 1000000

Originally Posted by creative420

Ok. Any folk/garage from Bangalore who can help me assess this?

O2 sensor - Very difficult to gauge as it has to be experimented using FE multiple full tank on same roads
rear suspension, rust inside fuel tank, speedometer light - ASC should help
bent in alloy wheels - Can be found using air leaks, but takes a week to analyze, not sure how you can test this
mirrors getting auto reset due to wear & tear, fairing joints, worn out rubbers between fairing - Test ride?

Originally Posted by creative420

Idea was to get something around 80-99K which can be resold with little loss to upgrade after a year or two. Who knows what 2024 or 2025 have in store for us?

Then your approach is THE BEST, no second thought about it; so if I may take a liberty to ask - why C250R? Why not something like KTM, Dominar or even R15 etc for the short stopgap?

But again, if you were riding once & are tempted to start riding again, then, I will say you're much more than what you think you are - take the plunge, buy what you like & I'm very very positive you'll adapt to what you buy, even if it's the heavy VStorm 250 or heavier Versys 650 or even the Speed Master

Good luck

[camitesh]

Originally Posted by creative420

Does it still makes sense in 2023?

With mid-life-crisis-bike-riding bug hitting me too, I want to know if this bike still makes sense? There's a great specimen in my apartment complex up for sale. 2012 model for 95K. Bike is in great condition. First owner. 58K kms done. Tyre changed last year, not sure what brand they are. I think I can get this for 85K….
... Will this be a good bike? What are the watchouts? Is it good for 600kms journeys at 100kmph with no vibrations? Reason why I am ok to take a risk is that I want a decently powerful bike to convince me if I should go ahead and splurge later on a better, newer bike.

Aargee has responded to your queries very aptly and I would add a few things.

I’ve done multiple 800-1000 kms per day sort of rides on my CBR250 and had minimal to no issues. While the engine is super smooth, it is not exactly vibration free being a single cylinder. The vibrations could be felt clearly at certain RPMs while it’s super smooth at other RPMs. On multiple occasions I’ve had my hands buzzing slightly during a break after 150+ kms of non-stop ride. It’s not very discomforting but don’t go in with an expectation of a vibration free machine.

As Aargee said, in my experience too regular Honda service centres are very busy with their Activas and do not really entertain a rare visit from CBR150/250. Before Covid, I used to proactively order and collect routine spare parts from Honda SVC but nowadays I find their support diminishing by the day. If you’re persistent, you can still get the required spares and support from Honda especially in a Tier 1 city. But be prepared to run pillar to post and wait for a long time. Since you also plan to do long rides, be aware that most FNGs may not or will not be able to entertain even minor issues on CBR250r.

On the contrary, in 2021 I’ve also had one very good experience in Honda BigWing - Jammu who went out of their way to fix my leaking forks although technically they shouldn’t have entertained a CBR250R customer which is not part of the bigwing service network.

The spare parts are expensive and difficult to source but the good thing is that once fixed, this bike is very reliable and one does not end up visiting garages too often for spares and service. For context, I did my Mumbai-Ladakh ride in mid-2021 when I replaced many parts proactively. Since then I’ve used the bike for 15-20k kms overall with nothing but engine oil and air filter replacements in between.

If you decide to go for the bike in your apartment complex, look out for the ignition key set issues. This was known to go bad in this gen of CBR250R and it would cost Rs. 10+ k for a replacement. Also look out for rusting, especially inside the tank. Get it vetted by a good mechanic who can lookout for any fuel pump issue, shim noise, chain tensioner, radiator leak, ABS sensors etc.

Lastly, I feel the price is high even at Rs. 85k for 10+ year old bike unless it is in a really good shape mechanically. For reference, I paid approximately Rs. 90k for my 2012 CBR-ABS in 2017 when the ODO stood at approximately 23k kms. We know the price difference in Mumbai vs Bangalore but it shouldn’t be that different. The only regret I have is that I didn’t pick up the newer CBR250R (2017+ vintage) when I had a chance to get it during BS3-BS4 transition. If you like the CBR250, I’d suggest you look out for a newer model (those LEDs looks lovely as well) even if it means you may end up spending 20-30 k more. It may be well worth it for the additionally peace of mind and more so if you decide that this is all the bike you need in coming years.

[Gaur]

Originally Posted by creative420

Does it still makes sense in 2023?

With mid-life-crisis-bike-riding bug hitting me too, I want to know if this bike still makes sense? There's a great specimen in my apartment complex up for sale. 2012 model for 95K. Bike is in great condition. First owner. 58K kms done. Tyre changed last year, not sure what brand they are. I think I can get this for 85K.

95K-85k for a 2012 model is too much even if its a ABS model, exactly a year back i got a 2016 non-abs,13k run,1st owner model for 85k, without much bargaining.

I would suggest you stay away from it unless you get a really good deal (60k max for ABS variant) but knowing how Bangalore rates and certain CBR owners are i doubt.

Coming to the bike itself, its a gem, no doubt about it, fairly refined, comfortable, decent fuel efficiency (25-37, city-highway), good enough performance for our roads and still looks classy.

As mentioned by others, getting spares can be a bit tricky affair which i am yet to face, in my 1 year of ownership only thing i replaced due to issue was a battery and rear brake pad, other big ticket spends like LED bulb/tyres were purely wants over need, well thats the beauty of pre-owned vehicles, you are left with cash to splurge on other things.

Try scouting for newer variants, later then 2016 and preferably ABS ones.

[siddhant]

Good suggestions from my fellow CBR riders. Few have mentioned vibrations on handlebar at highway speeds. Fortunately, I haven't felt any vibrations while I'm touring so I guess this may be specific to the BS3 model. Mine is a BS4 version and the bike is very smooth & glides at 100-110 kmph.

For spares, I am directly buying from authorized spare parts distributors. You can find the list of such distributors here or even by searching on Google Maps. If they already have the spare in stock, I buy it right away. If not, I ask them to order it, pay a small advance (usually Rs 200-300) to show my seriousness and follow up with them every 4-5 days. This is how I fetched some slow moving spares (especially the head O-ring seal and fuel filter) for my CBR last year. Here is last year's service log to give you a rough idea of the maintenance costs.

Maintenance log for 2022

[PatienceWins]

Originally Posted by creative420

Does it still makes sense in 2023?

With mid-life-crisis-bike-riding bug hitting me too, I want to know if this bike still makes sense? There's a great specimen in my apartment complex up for sale. 2012 model for 95K. Bike is in great condition. First owner. 58K kms done. Tyre changed last year, not sure what brand they are. I think I can get this for 85K.

Things on my mind for this year:
1. Ride to Goa.
2. Ride to Ooty.
3. Joining my other mid-life-crisis-hit-biker-friends for monthly rides.

Will this be a good bike? What are the watchouts? Is it good for 600kms journeys at 100kmph with no vibrations? Reason why I am ok to take a risk is that I want a decently powerful bike to convince me if I should go ahead and splurge later on a better, newer bike.

PS: Happy New Year. Ride/Drive/Fly/Sail/Cycle safe.

I would not recommend to get it now for touring, not because of the bike being old and not capable, but because of the issue in sourcing parts for a discontinued honda. When you are stranded on highway (rare for a honda), the availability of parts matter a lot or else you will have to ship the bike to your base location. I have seen people struggling in remote areas (ignition coil, ignition key set, Chain tensioner etc are usual culprits) and then shipping the bike to base location. It is an excellent tourer otherwise.

In case you are getting the bike, watch out for rust in the tank or see if the key set is changed if it is part of the initial lot.

[swiftnfurious]

Originally Posted by creative420

[b]Does it still makes sense in 2023?
...
Things on my mind for this year:
1. Ride to Goa.
2. Ride to Ooty.
3. Joining my other mid-life-crisis-hit-biker-friends for monthly rides.
...

You have some extensive responses and all those are relevant. CBR is not a vibration-free machine but can go for kilometers long touring.

It's comfortable if the roads are brilliant, bad roads definitely makes the ride uncomfortable. What I LOVE about the CBR 250 is the wind deflection - you don't feel the wind on you and makes the ride less fatigue. And it's quite stable even at a 1.5K kmph.

Certain parts are a major pain to source, in Bangalore Karthik from Highlander (HSR) is your best bet - the servicing can be expensive in general.

If I may suggest, you can check out the Hunter / Meteor 350 - a new age RE unlike an RE. Or even wait for the Himalayan 450 / 650 (a strong contender in my list) which may launch in mid-2023. These are not high "power" scary machines and suits a rookie rider; just a few years ownership for CBR 250 may not make sense for you just to experiment the love for touring.

[aargee]

Originally Posted by swiftnfurious

It's comfortable if the roads are brilliant, bad roads definitely makes the ride uncomfortable

Pls pardon me to disagree on the above; on a worst road, please try C250R & any other motorcycle (barring any ADVs from VStorm 250 to Versys 650) & you'll be pleased to see the magic of Pro-Link suspension. Not Splendour or even Access 125 can match that superior comfort with or without pillion. ADVs yes, they're made to handle the bad roads, but a sports motorcycle? Perhaps VFR (I don't know), but in this price range? None comes closer sir.

[Ratan Prabhu]

Originally Posted by creative420

Does it still makes sense in 2023?

There's a great specimen in my apartment complex up for sale. 2012 model for 95K. Bike is in great condition. First owner. 58K kms done. Tyre changed last year, not sure what brand they are. I think I can get this for 85K.

Will this be a good bike? What are the watchouts? Is it good for 600kms journeys at 100kmph with no vibrations? Reason why I am ok to take a risk is that I want a decently powerful bike to convince me if I should go ahead and splurge later on a better, newer bike.

Hello,

85k is a bit too much for a 2012 CBR250R.
75k is the maximum you should spend on it that too for a C-ABS version.

Coming to your queries, 600 km journey is a cakewalk for the bike as posted by RG. However, regarding vibrations, I personally feel the engine is at its happiest/smoothest between 80 and 90 kmph speed on 6th gear. Ofcourse it can do 100 to 120 kmph all day without any issue but above 90, there are mild handlebar vibrations. Although very much manageable. Just for comparison, I have ridden my 2012 CBR, 2019 BS4 version and Suzuki Gixxer SF250 and can say that Gixxer is the smoothest followed by BS4 CBR followed by 2012 BS3 CBR. Even R15v3 engine is smoother than CBR's.

Take a test ride of the bike and go for it. But 75k is fair deal (for ABS version) but if you fall in love with the bike, don't think much. Go for it.

Regarding parts availability, the ASCs only keep fast moving CBR parts like oil filter, air filter, coneset bearings, chain sprocket kit, brake pads, etc. For other slow moving parts like console, rectifier, fuel pump, magnet coil, etc, they don't stock it but will order which can take up to 5 to 45 days to arrive.

CBR250R is a perfect bike to get used to sports tourers before going for more expensive bikes like Ninja650/Versys/CBR650R etc etc.

[creative420]

Thanks for your input guys. Haven't been able to respond because of a sudden surge at work, plus the front of the car got banged up 2 days back. Will get back to all of you, soon.

[NB_4763]

Hello Guys

I am currently confused whether is it worth to buy a CBR 250R in 2023.

I usually prefer car for commuting but now my work location has shifted and travel distance is 50kms Daily. I had decided to do the commute on 2 wheeler as I can save time in traffic. My budget was around 80k on a second hand bike so I came across this 2016 CBR 250R ABS run 30k for 85k rupees[3rd Owner]. Is it a good deal? Should I go for it?

[saitvsk23]

The CBR is a value for money motorcycle and you can use it fully to the last penny and last gear, if you decide to use your money well.

All you need to get is good tyres, good engine oil, coolant and timely servicing done to enjoy it fully. Get a nice helmet to protect your head and a nice pair of gloves and jacket. That is since you're doing quite a bit of distance in a single day. So safety matters. Moreover, its got ABS too.

As long as you have just 10-100 grams of patience and willingness to order parts in case something needs to be replaced, you'll have the best bike India probably ever experience. Its just the right mix of sport and comfort. Literally a swiss army knife. I can help you with the parts too incase (god forbid) you need to get something ordered. Spares are just a teeny tiny little bit expensive, but they do serve the purpose. And there are always aftermarket alternatives available.

Pro tip : In case you decide to get the bike :

Get Motul 10W40 oil installed for the first 1000kms and then replace it with the LiquiMoly Street Race 10W40. Your CBR almost feels like a tuned 600cc. I'm not kidding.