[KarthikK]

Originally Posted by VishJ

Is CBR 250 good for 2 up touring with a saddle and tank bag? How good is the comfort for pillion and the rider over long distances?

It is one of the most accomplished tourers in that segment and the comfort is good for rider and reasonable for the pillion. Saddle bags and tank bags - there are tons of variations in the market. A lot of the CBR owners I am sure will be able to guide you on suitable / compatible products. Maybe you can even check some of the ownership threads for information on this

I am now kind of torn between Karizma and CBR 250. CBR feels like best of both worlds in terms of availability and service. Please give me some knowledge on above.

The CBR 250 will be the better option overall if you want to put on more touring miles. It is
- ~50% more powerful and hence faster on open roads, thereby increasing your average speed
- Option of ABS model which a Karizma cannot provide
- A tad bit more refined
- Easier to maintain considering no issues with parts availability and Honda's fuss-free service network

In the year 2020, I would only recommend a Karizma if you are either looking to collect that bike for enthusiast reasons, or you are primarily restricting the use to city commuting and occasional errands or so. For any regular touring thown in, I'd recommend you look at the CBR. Just for a few thousands more, you can land a far more capable bike for dual purpose use (city + touring)

[VishJ]

Originally Posted by KarthikK

In the year 2020, I would only recommend a Karizma if you are either looking to collect that bike for enthusiast reasons, or you are primarily restricting the use to city commuting and occasional errands or so. For any regular touring thown in, I'd recommend you look at the CBR. Just for a few thousands more, you can land a far more capable bike for dual purpose use (city + touring)

Thanks for the recommendation. Seems like CBR will be the better suited bike for me. Will check for ownership threads for further details and will begin the hunt for a good one.

[neil.jericho]

Originally Posted by VishJ

Is CBR 250 good for 2 up touring with a saddle and tank bag? How good is the comfort for pillion and the rider over long distances? I am now kind of torn between Karizma and CBR 250. CBR feels like best of both worlds in terms of availability and service. Please give me some knowledge on above.

I think KarthikK has answered this very well. For a very long time, the CBR250 was the best tourer in the market. Even today it is very good value at the price it commands in the pre owned market. That is a fill it - shut it - forget it motorcycle.

If you want to see a touring setup, do read this wonderful thread by rk_sans - Magnificent 7 states ride (Exploring the magnificent 7 States of North-East India on motorcycles).

To me, the Karizma is not even in the same conversation as the CBR 250 when it comes to all round ability. No easy parts availability and the difficulty in finding a good bike are things that should disqualify the Karizma.

Honestly, the Karizma was great for its time, but that time has come and gone.

Originally Posted by KarthikK

The CBR 250 will be the better option overall if you want to put on more touring miles. It is
- ~50% more powerful and hence faster on open roads, thereby increasing your average speed
- Option of ABS model which a Karizma cannot provide
- A tad bit more refined
- Easier to maintain considering no issues with parts availability and Honda's fuss-free service network

Perfectly summarized.

Originally Posted by KarthikK

In the year 2020, I would only recommend a Karizma if you are either looking to collect that bike for enthusiast reasons, or you are primarily restricting the use to city commuting and occasional errands or so. For any regular touring thown in, I'd recommend you look at the CBR. Just for a few thousands more, you can land a far more capable bike for dual purpose use (city + touring)

I would say for Rs 20-30K, one is probably better off getting a preowned scooter or a Yamaha FZ16 for commuting and running errands, instead of going for the Karizma and worrying about chasing your mechanic for parts.

Originally Posted by ashwinprakas

Speaking particularly about the CBR250R, the Vroom couple who've extensively toured on CBR's said that the P220 offered more grunt going up the hill, now if you ask me i.e someone who currently rides a P220 and have owned a ZMA in the past, I'd say the P220's low end is pathetic, now do the math.

Im afraid I dont follow what is the conclusion. Somebody who has ridden the CBR250R said the Pulsar 220 is better in the hills, so I assume that is meant to imply better low end than the Honda. I wasnt able to understand who is this guy? Same Kollam riding group?

Also, to you, the Pulsar 220s low end is not good but there is no comparison from your side regarding your riding experience with the CBR 250 in similar conditions. After riding the Honda, did it feel better to you? Or is it worse?

Im not able to join the dots in a simple manner here.

[camitesh]

Originally Posted by VishJ

Is CBR 250 good for 2 up touring with a saddle and tank bag? How good is the comfort for pillion and the rider over long distances? I am now kind of torn between Karizma and CBR 250. CBR feels like best of both worlds in terms of availability and service. Please give me some knowledge on above.

Short answer. YES

I own a 2012 CBR250 ABS bought in 2017 and since then I've ridden it over 20+ k kms of which atleast 5 k kms was with pillion (combined weight with touring luggage will be around 180 kgs). Highway touring is absolutely no issues (longest single day ride being Rann of kuchh to Mumbai in around 14 hours). I've been to some nearby mountains (Saputara, Mt Abu, Lonavala, Lavasa, Mahabaleshwar) and never found the lack of power or torque even on uphill climbs too much of an issue unless in stop and go situations. Only real problem I face with CBR250 are those clip-on handlebars that may be painful at times when off-roading with pillion but that can be easily fixed for under 2-3k with some mods.

I've toured extensively with pillion on my decade old carb FZ16 and did 2 up Manali Leh Khardungla few years back with some difficulties. So CBR250 really feels more than capable in most situations for me with a pillion. When I was looking for a budget tourer upgrade in 2017 for my FZ16, my options were first gen KTM390, CBR250, Dominar 400 (it had just launched and I liked it quite a lot) and even ZMR. After some test rides, I leaned on CBR250 as pillion comfort and reliability were big on my priorities and CBR hasn't disappointed yet.

If touring, especially with a pillion is your priority, ABS shouldn't be overlooked I feel so Karizma isn't what I'd recommend. Good luck

[VishJ]

Originally Posted by camitesh

Short answer. YES

I own a 2012 CBR250 ABS bought in 2017 and since then I've ridden it over 20+ k kms of which atleast 5 k kms was with pillion (combined weight with touring luggage will be around 180 kgs). Highway touring is absolutely no issues (longest single day ride being Rann of kuchh to Mumbai in around 14 hours). I've been to some nearby mountains (Saputara, Mt Abu, Lonavala, Lavasa, Mahabaleshwar) and never found the lack of power or torque even on uphill climbs too much of an issue unless in stop and go situations. Only real problem I face with CBR250 are those clip-on handlebars that may be painful at times when off-roading with pillion but that can be easily fixed for under 2-3k with some mods.

Thank you for your inputs. Good to know the first hand experience regarding touring capabilities of CBR. I will better take a test drive with a pillion and see how it suits me.

[ashwinprakas]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

Im afraid I dont follow what is the conclusion. Somebody who has ridden the CBR250R said the Pulsar 220 is better in the hills, so I assume that is meant to imply better low end than the Honda. I wasnt able to understand who is this guy? Same Kollam riding group?

Performance being a relative measure they being used to the CBR250R mentioned that the P220 has good low end torque where as the CBR250R had bad low end performance.

Now this is just their opinion of the same, I just shared it since they're quite popular on YouTube and their review of the same can easily be accessed. Sharing it below;

WROOM Couple P220

Also, to you, the Pulsar 220s low end is not good but there is no comparison from your side regarding your riding experience with the CBR 250 in similar conditions. After riding the Honda, did it feel better to you? Or is it worse?

Im not able to join the dots in a simple manner here.

Personally I dislike both Motorcycles for the given application i.e operation under load, on the hills especially on a fully loaded Motorcycle, compared to the ZMA both the CBR and P220 are equally disappointing in my books, hence why a direct comparison is missing from my end cause frankly I don't find the difference significant, on both you'd have to equally work the transmission, whereas on the ZMA you just glide along.

Again pointing out that performance is a relative measure, what I say might not make sense to someone who've only ridden short strokes their entire lives.

[HartBandit]

Hello folks! New member here! I am looking for a pre-worshipped MT15 or a Duke 250 in Chennai. Can someone point me in the right direction/page/thread, please? Thanks a bunch!

[KarthikK]

Originally Posted by HartBandit

Hello folks! New member here! I am looking for a pre-worshipped MT15 or a Duke 250 in Chennai. Can someone point me in the right direction/page/thread, please? Thanks a bunch!

HartBandit, do you mean (ad) sources for preowned bikes that you mentioned? You could check Teambhp-classifieds, or other external classifieds such as Olx and Quikr, sift through the listings, shortlist a few which match your requirements and take it ahead from there

If you meant bike specific threads, I don’t believe we have any ownership threads on the Duke 250 or MT-15 here yet, yours will be the first after you buy and post

[ManasN95]

Hello everyone, I currently own the CBR250R, whose review has found a way into this thread under the CBR section.

Let me tell you all my situation. I had bought the CBR for touring, which has not happened since last February, and I am in a sticky situation wherein I need to steady the rocking ship that is my business. So I don't think I would be able to go on a tour for at least the next 4-5 months thus defeating the CBR's utility.

Owing to the business, I need to make a couple of inter-city trips to vendors and clients and owing to the bad condition of the roads in and around, plus more often than not, Dad accompanies me, and we both suffer from back pains and wrist pains.

Sensing that I would still get a decent amount if I was to sell the CBR, I would need another motorcycle, which is good enough for these roads.

And before you all suggest some modifications to the CBR, I need the money as capital for some of my ideas in the business. (Dad has exhausted all other with loans already)

I would be willing to keep a budget of 30,000 bucks, the lesser the better, and in any way, I would love to restore a motorcycle.

Please note that I will be keeping this motorcycle for 6-8 months only, as I intend to work hard and get myself a new motorcycle by the year-end.

I have some in mind, but I would like to know your suggestions before.

[neil.jericho]

Originally Posted by ManasN95

I would be willing to keep a budget of 30,000 bucks, the lesser the better, and in any way, I would love to restore a motorcycle.

Please note that I will be keeping this motorcycle for 6-8 months only, as I intend to work hard and get myself a new motorcycle by the year-end.

I have some in mind, but I would like to know your suggestions before.

Manas, if I understood correctly, you plan to
- Sell your CBR250 since you are not really using it.
- Keep Rs 30,000 from the proceeds of the sale, to purchase your next motorcycle and the rest will be for your business.
- You will sell this motorcycle after 6 to 8 months.
- You plan to buy a new motorcycle by the year end.

With a budget of Rs 30,000 (and below) and considering inter city trips, your options probably come down to the say 2012 - 15 (just indicative) FZ16s, or Pulsars and so on. I dont think anything smaller than a 150 cc motorcycle would be great for your intercity trips, but at the same time your budget is a constraint. Maybe you could also consider a slightly newer 125cc bike as well.

The only issue with this plan is that you would be losing out on depreciation on two bikes in a year. But for bike that costs say Rs 28,000 in the second hand market today, you may not lose out on too much in resale by the end of 2021.

I would suggest that you avoid getting into a motorcycle restoration for your transitional bike. That is a black hole of time and money. Just buy something that runs well, get it serviced and sell it off when you are ready to move on.

[Doo_Dev]

Originally Posted by ManasN95

Hello everyone, I currently own the CBR250R, whose review has found a way into this thread under the CBR section.

Let me tell you all my situation. I had bought the CBR for touring, which has not happened since last February, and I am in a sticky situation wherein I ........................
Sensing that I would still get a decent amount if I was to sell the CBR, I would need another motorcycle, which is good enough for these roads.

...................

I would be willing to keep a budget of 30,000 bucks, the lesser the better, and in any way, I would love to restore a motorcycle.

Please note that I will be keeping this motorcycle for 6-8 months only, as I intend to work hard and get myself a new motorcycle by the year-end.

I have some in mind, but I would like to know your suggestions before.

My suggestion would be to
1. Sell CBR250R (Only if you need the capital for business)
2. Instead of purchasing a pre-owned one @ 30 k, try renting out bikes on a monthly basis. Since you are from Thane , you should find reasonable priced options from Mumbai.

By renting out you can
1. Find which bike is suitable for two person and intercity trips and change them if first choice is not good.
2. Would have a large pool of money for your business ideas as the rent would be a monthly outflow instead of 30K at start.
3. Don't have the trouble selling the bike after 8 months.

The possible bottleneck could be that the rented bikes might have a limit on the number of kms travelled per month and rent would increase accordingly..

Based on the monthly rental cost , you can workout which is cheaper.

[ManasN95]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

Manas, if I understood correctly

I would suggest that you avoid getting into a motorcycle restoration for your transitional bike. That is a black hole of time and money. Just buy something that runs well, get it serviced and sell it off when you are ready to move on.

Yes, that is what I want to convey.

Restoration is a 'maybe' factor. The idea behind the restoration (not from ground zero) is to understand the basic elbow grease and technical know-how. Wouldn't bother too much about it if I can't afford the time and money. So you make a fair point.

So considering the bad roads and occasional pillion, which are the options in front of me?

FZ-16 and? I was eyeing Karizma.

Originally Posted by Doo_Dev

My suggestion would be to
1. Sell CBR250R (Only if you need the capital for business)

Based on the monthly rental cost , you can workout which is cheaper.

Unfortunately, I do need the capital. It's going to be more heart wrenching than it already is.

I'm not too keen on rentals because the plans to travel often happen at the 11th hour.


So based on the scenarios above, a question for all, please help me with the options.

Thank You.

[camitesh]

Originally Posted by ManasN95

FZ-16 and? I was eyeing Karizma

So based on the scenarios above, a question for all, please help me with the options.

Thank You.

If you want fun to ride budget options, look at Apache RTR, Karizma, or Pulsar/Avenger220 but you'll only get old/high mileage options within your budget.

But keeping in mind your short term requirements, I'd suggest to get a frugal 125 cc (Honda Shine for example) from Hero or Honda stables considering the skyrocket fuel prices these days. Or choose from plethora of options available in 150 cc (Unicorn, SZ/FZ, CBZ Xtreme). Since it's just a short term compromise, focus on practical options over fun to ride ones if you have to choose between the two.

Also, hopefully you do get a good resale for your CBR250 and it's worth it all in the end. Good luck buddy

[antz.bin]

I want to get myself a KTM 390.

I could get the 390 ADV now, or I could get myself a used RC 390 (plenty of ~5k-15k run examples available on OLX here in Pune), thrash it for a couple of years, and graduate to the ADV 490 or a larger capacity motorcycle ( Interceptor / V Storm / Trident / Street Triple / Z1000 depending on my experience with the RC 390).

I am roughly 6 ft tall and weigh 82kg with a 32 inch inseam. I was about 96kilos about 18 months back but then I have consistently lost weight. At my earlier weight, I never considered a committed sports bike but now I really can and I want to experience living with one. I have ridden the all the Hyosung 650s for a total of 150 odd km in the past but apart from that, I have never ridden anything more powerful than my 220.

I used to ride a lot but now I am hardly able to ride at all. I currently have a Pulsar 220 that has run 40k km out of its total 85k on the Highways on tours. Never babied. RC 390 will probably be a weekend ride bike till I can find time again to resume my longer tours. I don't want to resume riding on the P220, I want to upgrade after all these years. I am not interested in anything below 40 odd BHP so the TVS/BMW cousins do not cut it.

How's the plan? Any suggestions?

[Doo_Dev]

With no offence to the messages / members , this thread is quickly changing to "What bike thread ? ". I am also partly reasonable by replying to some of the queries. I wish the next posts will be relevant to the original intent of the thread .