[Mpower]

Interestingly, the bike is launched and hit the showrooms but I dont see any magazine/online reviews yet!!

[Ricci]

The Honda dealer nearest to my place doesn't have one yet, said it will arrive by end of the month. He doesn't have the tri-color CBR250R either, but this isn't the biggest Honda dealer in town, the bigger dealerships might have them , will probably visit them this weekend. I'm most interested in seeing what happens to R-15 and CBR250R sales , my expectation is that many potential CB150R buyers will be tempted to trade to the 250 instead, while those looking for a 150 only will still pick Yamaha.

[blue_pulsar]

The CBR150R is actually priced more than the KTM Duke(initial pricing). Not sure how the market will take it. I agree that the purpose of both bikes is different, but, I feel the public will prefer the KTM more. KTM also feels more VFM due to the larger engine and more power, not to mention the smashing looks. Anyone wanting the CBR150R would stretch another ~30K and go for the CBR250R instead.

[Furebo]

I haven't seen, many pics here so I decided to check out the bike in person, to be frank the proportions are pretty good and the size was better than what I had thought it to be, but as discussed the 150cc is a downer.

[ashwin.terminat]

Just got back from a Test Ride of the CBR150R at Silicon Honda, R.V Road, Basavanagudi, Bangalore.

-First Impressions:

The bike available for test ride was a bike with an orange similar to the Repsol Honda orange. Looks fantastic, a definite eye catcher and the alloys are black on the 150R unlike on the 250R. They had a black and green combo bike inside the showroom which looked pleasing as well.

Originally Posted by Furebo

Attachment 916839

I haven't seen, many pics here so I decided to check out the bike in person, to be frank the proportions are pretty good and the size was better than what I had thought it to be, but as discussed the 150cc is a downer.

The have really gone a step up with the colour schemes available compared to that on the CBR250R. Take a few steps back and everything looks just right.

-The Ride Itself:

A guy at the showroom pulled the bike out the parking space and got it onto the road, started it, put it on side stand and then gave room for me to accommodate to the rider's seat. Swung my right leg across and I immediately felt at ease. Held the throttle and noticed that the vibrations seemed to be on the higher side for a bike at idle. Then noticed the Tacho reading 2000rpm. Guess idling settings weren't all that ideal. Anyway, so I slotted into the first of the six available gears and set off and found that the tank doesn't accommodate the side of your knee very well like the Pulsar family and at 5'11", I'm not that tall as well. Couldn't really test the bike's performance as the bike had run less that 100km and I was asked to keep the bike below 60kmph. Set off, acceleration, nothing to rave about. But what caught my attention was the smoothness in the bike. For bikes with high torque, you'd expect a slightly more gruff engine. But not this one, it seemed to scream "I'm A Honda" all alone. Exceptionally smooth. Impressed I was waiting at a signal and thought of fiddling with the headlight switch and here came the biggest disappointment. Apparently, Honda had overproduced the switchgear for their 90s bikes and decided to slap them onto the 150R. The switchgear seems like a history lesson! The starter switch, headlight switch, indicator switch, beam switch all belong to bikes way way below the 150R's standards. Observe carefully and you'll notice I missed 2 more switches, an Engine Kill Switch and a Pass Signal. No, I didn't forget, was never there to be written about! Everything about the switchgear is in complete, complete contrast to the engine that dwells right beneath it. The rest of the test ride was spent in contemplating why Honda made such a big blunder with such a simple task. But what caught my attention again was the weight of the bike. At 138kg, a full 30 kilos lesser than its bigger sibling, the 150R was nimble to move around. Took U-Turns too easily which is a general worry with the bigger bikes. Bike feels in control of the rider and not the other way around. The smoothness, grunt in the gears and nimbleness of the bike is something to really appreciate. Overall, a very good bike but massively let down by the switchgear.


-Other notes:
Priced at 1.40L and a 1-month waiting period.

[abhinav.s]

Originally Posted by ashwin.terminat

Just got back from a Test Ride of the CBR150R at Silicon Honda, R.V Road, Basavanagudi, Bangalore.

That's a good brief write up of the CBR150R. Could you also comment on the seating position. How did you find it comparing it say an RTR/R15v2?

Missing an engine kill switch and a pass switch on a 1.4L bike is blasphemy!!

[n_aditya]

Originally Posted by ashwin.terminat

But what caught my attention was the smoothness in the bike. For bikes with high torque, you'd expect a slightly more gruff engine. But not this one, it seemed to scream "I'm A Honda" all alone. Exceptionally smooth.

Nice crisp review Ashwin. Some CBR 250R owners complained of vibes and harshness so curious to know if this is better than the bigger sibling.

Now to wait and watch to see if this grabs a major part of the pie which the R15 has been eating all this while, plus its a lot more comfy than the aggressive stance of the R15.

@Abhinav - Ergonomics-wise this should be the same as the cbr 250R.

[abhinav.s]

Originally Posted by n_aditya

Ergonomics-wise this should be the same as the cbr 250R.

That should swing some of the R15 v2.0 customers towards the CBR, but only those who dont want the aggressive seating posture of R15 and of course die-hard Honda loyalists! But gathering a major share of R15 is doubtful since the price is close to its bigger sibling, so maybe it will end up boosting the sales of the CBR250R!!

Having said that, the R15 is a beautiful package with that brilliant chassis and suspension set up. The v2.0 has got that grunt to the exhaust note as well which was missing earlier and it has everything a hardcore biker desires barring a pillion seat!! So sport bike aficionados will still stick to R15 IMHO.

[ashwin.terminat]

Originally Posted by abhinav.s

That's a good brief write up of the CBR150R. Could you also comment on the seating position. How did you find it comparing it say an RTR/R15v2?
But gathering a major share of R15 is doubtful since the price is close to its bigger sibling, so maybe it will end up boosting the sales of the CBR250R!!

Missing an engine kill switch and a pass switch on a 1.4L bike is blasphemy!!

Tell me about it! I thought a missing Engine Kill Switch on my Hunk was a rip-off, but I know I'm not the one who'll be complaining the most.
Can't comment on the seating position to be honest. Not ridden either an RTR or a V2. Ridden the 250R though and as Aditya pointed out, it's the same seating position.

And grabbing a portion of the R15 sales is obvious but not to the point where Yamaha will mind I think. Because the 12,000 price difference is hard to justify. It's not leaps and bounds ahead of the R15 to be priced that much higher, rather can't say if it's ahead of the R15 at all!

Originally Posted by n_aditya

Nice crisp review Ashwin. Some CBR 250R owners complained of vibes and harshness so curious to know if this is better than the bigger sibling.

@Abhinav - Ergonomics-wise this should be the same as the cbr 250R.

Hmmm, by smooth I didn't mean Unicorn type smooth. There were vibes but not to a point where you'll get a free massage. I guess the engine is not as harsh as the 250R. I guess the high RPM at idling is making me feel that the vibes were kind of abnormal.
But a friend of mine who owns an R15 did a test ride of the same bike and said the engine was smoother than his bike. And he takes good care of his machinery.

And to add to the details of the switchgear, I found this picture of a Splendor(I think) which bears the exact same switches as the 150R. The 150R didn't have the pass switch though. And the headlight switch had 3 steps, one for off, one for parking lights and 3rd for headlights. The starter switch was pretty much like the one provided for the High and Low beam in the below picture.

[sriramv.iyer]

Originally Posted by ashwin.terminat

Held the throttle and noticed that the vibrations seemed to be on the higher side for a bike at idle. Then noticed the Tacho reading 2000rpm. Guess idling settings weren't all that ideal.

Thanks for sharing the report Ashwin! My 2000 Fiero had an engine kill switch! Missing it in a 1.4L bike is atrocious - Btw, are there tests done when you turn the key to 'On' position? If not, it may slightly reduce the impact of not having the kill switch. Otherwise, the on-board computer will run all tests every time you switch off and on

Secondly, the idle RPM is decided by the ECU - It will settle down well below 2000 after the engine is all warmed up. Leave it to FI / ECU

Originally Posted by ashwin.terminat

And grabbing a portion of the R15 sales is obvious but not to the point where Yamaha will mind I think. Because the 12,000 price difference is hard to justify. It's not leaps and bounds ahead of the R15 to be priced that much higher, rather can't say if it's ahead of the R15 at all!

People will blindly trust a Honda - People may not do enough research to figure out Yamaha R15 v2 has an edge in handling, build quality and also in the chassis. I see a lot of R15 customers moving to the baby CBR

[ashwin.terminat]

Originally Posted by sriramv.iyer

Thanks for sharing the report Ashwin! My 2000 Fiero had an engine kill switch! Missing it in a 1.4L bike is atrocious - Btw, are there tests done when you turn the key to 'On' position? If not, it may slightly reduce the impact of not having the kill switch. Otherwise, the on-board computer will run all tests every time you switch off and on

Secondly, the idle RPM is decided by the ECU - It will settle down well below 2000 after the engine is all warmed up. Leave it to FI / ECU



People will blindly trust a Honda - People may not do enough research to figure out Yamaha R15 v2 has an edge in handling, build quality and also in the chassis. I see a lot of R15 customers moving to the baby CBR

No, no tests were run by me. The bike was started and given, so I never really had the need(Read, presence of mind) to turn the ignition to 'On'. And yes, that makes sense, warming up the engine and then settling down the idling RPM. But I guess the On Board Comp. runs tests ever time you flip the ignition. Lets wait and watch, the CBR150R is stuck between the devil and the deep blue sea with its pricing. Only time will tell how the consumers mind will sway. As for me, SOHC or not, an R15 v2 please!

EDIT: The gear lever seems to be shorter than it is on the 250R, my size 10 foot was finding it difficult maneuvering around the lever.

[sriramv.iyer]

Originally Posted by ashwin.terminat

Only time will tell how the consumers mind will sway. As for me, SOHC or not, an R15 v2 please!

I love R15, and I have the v1 - I just got lucky to own a CBR250R and a Hyosung GT650N as well.

IMO, if 150R is anywhere like the 250R, it should be much more fun to ride in the city instead of R15. I am in love with my R15, but, I don't take it if I have to ride it in traffic. 250R is ideal for roads with traffic. Not that it is a saint - There are vibes at higher RPMs, build is pathetic, weld lines are exposed, engine is harsh (not butter smooth) etc. But, I prefer to take it out anyday during my office commute instead of R15.

Once you hit a speed breaker, you have to rapidly downshift a few times to make the R15 move. 150R may score in in-city driving.

[ashwin.terminat]

Originally Posted by sriramv.iyer

I love R15, and I have the v1 - I just got lucky to own a CBR250R and a Hyosung GT650N as well.

Once you hit a speed breaker, you have to rapidly downshift a few times to make the R15 move. 150R may score in in-city driving.

The low-end torque of the V1 is well documented. I guess these issues are fixed on the V2. So I doubt the lack of pull on higher gears and lower speeds are still noticeable. But yes, the 150R is not a track oriented bike as is the R15, it's more of a sport tourer. But will not be a slouch in my opinion.
I had asked the guy at the showroom why the switchgear is so pathetic, he said that the bike is imported from Thailand and the CBR150R has been on sale there for the past 4 years. He believes that the CBR150R from Thailand has the same switch set. I'd have liked to ask him about CBU and CKD import duties but decided not to be a prick.

[Ricci]

The CBR150R has been around in SE Asia for a while, yes , and it's no sport tourer. Such classifications seem irrelevant on meager displacement motorcycles ; no , I'd say they are commuters with a bit of sportiness added on. The R-15 is perhaps the closest to a genuinely sport-oriented bike among low displacement bikes. Until recently, sub-250cc bikes were rarely considered "sport" bikes, though there were cruiser, dirt and standard (naked or semifaired ) types.

[neoakshay]

Hey fellow bikers,

I took a test-ride of the CBR150R at Saphire Honda in Bangalore yesterday. They have a green-black on display and a orange-white for test rides. Bike is comfortable to sit on, and pulls well even with the showroom exec sitting pillion. The bike had barely 100km on ODO, so the engine felt quite tight.

First impressions:
Super smooth engine
Brakes are fantastic
Exhaust note is addictive (bassy and growly)
Gears kept getting stuck on the test ride bike (explained below)
Pillion seat is comfy as well

Revved the bike a lil at standstill, and the revs rise real quick! On the move, the bike felt zippy in the first 3 gears, but the combination of my heavy weight, pillion load, Bangalore traffic () and a barely run engine ensured that I couldn't get anywhere close to even 8,000rpm in the next few gears. Suspension is great and soaks up bumps that would rattle your bones on an R15. I made the showroom exec ride for a bit since I wanted to check pillion comfort. The guy was SOOO rough on the gears that I now knew why the test-ride bike gearshifts were so screwed up! I'm sure the bike will be BRILLIANT once properly run-in!

My RaceConcepts R16 felt MUCH more powerful when I left the showroom, but I really loved the feel of the lil Honda. I'm looking to change my bike solely for better comfort, and right now I'm considering getting the 150R rather than the 250R. Why? Coz I'm quite happy with the power these 150cc rockets provide, and you get the added benefit of extended tank range due to the better fuel-efficiency.

Negatives according to me:
Switchgear - Although the switchgear works well, it is a little disappointing to find stuff from bikes a category or two below (read Stunner/Shine)
Lack of an Engine Kill switch and a Headlight Flasher
The speedo console looks like a shrunken-down version of the one on the 250R and looks decidedly lower quality.

Conclusion:
Honda has given us Indians an awesome alternative to the Yamaha R15. The R15 is a little too focused for regular commuting, and this is where the lil CBR makes sense. In every-day conditions the softer suspension, comfier riding position and better visibility courtesy the 55W headlight makes the riding experience that much better. Will I get one? I'm still in a dilemma between the 150R and the 250R.. Whichever one I go for, I'm sure I'll be happy. My Yammy has served me quite well in these past 22 months (37,000km on ODO and ridden far and wide) and I've realised that I needed something more comfortable. Will definitely take a longer test-ride, WITHOUT a pillion to finally decide.

Ride hard and ride safe! Cheers..