Original Source: HMSI Launches Next Generation Dio for Rs. 42,362 from BikeAdvice.in

After showcasing 7 new product at Atuo Expo 2012, India’s largest scooter manufacturing company Honda Motor scooters India Pvt. Ltd. (HMSI) has now launched the next generation Dio with the price tag of Rs. 42,362 Ex-showroom Delhi. The next generation Dio will be available in showroom by February end. The next generation Dio is built on a platform to give an unmatched ride experience with high level of fuel efficiency. The next generation Dio has been revised in all the parameters. Be it styling, ergonomics, safety or engine.

The next generation Dio has got new advance and highly reliable 110cc engine from Honda which is 10% more powerful than old Dio and can generate of power of 9 bhp. The new engine is equipped with several cutting edge technologies like roller rocker arm, reduced valve spring load, reduced cooling fan diameter size and better stability of weight roller & load of pulley spring. All this new features has enable next generation Dio to reduce friction and generate 15% more fuel efficiency than the old 102cc Dio which is around 55 Kmpl.

Next generation Dio has got all new unisex motoscooter styling. The aerodynamically designed front and the unique premium 3D emblem and sporty shaped integrated rear with elegant tail lamp will surely win the heart of youths. It has got host of new features like the new combi brake feature for improved riding stability and braking efficiency, tubeless tyres for better comfort and convenient riding, increased leg space for comfortable ride experience, convenient  maintenance free battery, Vicious air filter and spacious under seat luggage box.

The next generation Dio will be available in five colors – sports red, matt axis grey metallic, pearl sunbeam white, candy palm green and liblon violet metallic. With the ex-showroom price of 42,362 next generation Honda Dio will surely do good numbers.

- Mahavir Kothari 

Original Source: CBR 250R Mostly Faster than Kawasaki Ninja 250R, Says MCN Road Test from BikeAdvice.in

MCN, one of the most reputed and popular source of motorcycle news, has conducted a road test to see who amongst CBR 250R and Kawasaki Ninja 250R meets the expectation. As you know that CBR 250R is one of the hot topics discussed these days, MCN decided to conduct a road test between the CBR 250R and Kawasaki Ninja250R. The results of this road test roll out the fact that CBR 250R is mostly faster than Kawasaki Ninja 250R. The results of the test show that Honda’s CBR 250R is somewhat faster than its peer Ninja. Let us now have a look at the main points rolled out during the test.

Let us first take a good look at their engines. The 2011 CBR 250R comes with a single cylinder. The engine has packed in pretty much of innovation like spiny cylinder outer liner, world’s first roller rocker arm on DOHC engine. The displacement of the engine is 250cc and sports 4 valve cylinder producing 25 Bhp at 8,500 rpm and 23 Nm at 7,000 rpm. The Ninja on the other had comes with a cylinder extra, as it is a parallel twin that displaces 250cc and is liquid cooled. Like the CBR, the Ninja’s 250cc engine is liquid cooled, uses four valves per cylinder driven by a DOHC layout. The bike is capable of producing 32Bhp of power at 11,000 rpm and 22Nm at 9500rpm.

Well, the MCN road test seem to portray an altogether different picture of CBR 250R. Many of the riders would think see CBR as a sports cum street bike but the test results show some radically different stats. The road test lay out that Ninja stands out as far as the speed is concerned. Ninja beats CBR comprehensively by 5 Kph as far as the top speed. Apart from top speed there was not any other area where Ninja really outclassed CBR. To sum up, Ninja ruled the top speed criteria while the other areas are kind of dominated by CBR. Take a look at the performance figures of both the bikes below

The other aspects of road test seemed to be ruled by the CBR because of its torquier engine that makes it easier to ride than its peer. In every aspect, including the roll-on timings, the CBR250R noses ahead of the Ninja. The road test tested both the bikes on various criteria like top speed, 0 to 60mph and roll ons. Also an important factor that will lead to increased sale of CBR is its price. Overall, the MCN road test lay out that CBR250R is mostly faster than Kawasaki Ninja 250R.

Original Source: Fuel Efficiency – Honda’s New Mantra for Success! from BikeAdvice.in

Honda is a brand that has got a huge market and goodwill in the country. Post their separation from the 26 year old Joint venture, the company now is taking every possible action to gain more and more of the market share and goodwill. The CEO and representative Director, Yamamoto, of Honda R&D said that the company is the largest in two wheeler production in the world but they are still lacking behind in India. He further said that the demand for fuel efficient models is huge in India and thus the company is keenly focusing on that constrain. He said that the company wants to introduce more and more fuel efficient bikes in the country so that their products can be sold hands on.

Mr.Yamamoto also said that the company is working on the fuel efficiency constrain and is keen to develop that technology. Also, the company is planning to introduce more fuel efficient models in the coming days especially in the scooter segment. There are few things that a Honda scooter lover can cherish; firstly the company is striving for fuel efficient scooters and bikes (more emphasis on scooters) and secondly the company is planning to develop the small scooter market in the country by introducing more scooters in the coming year.

Mr.Yamamoto said that after the breakup from Hero, Honda has a standalone brand which is developing day in and day out. He didn’t give any info on the future models that are to be introduced by Honda; however he said that the company is planning to introduce a 125cc fuel efficient scooter very soon however timeline wasn’t disclosed. It is clear from the statements of Suzuki that Honda has got its focus set on the fuel efficient engines and the scooter market. Mr. Yamamoto lastly said that fuel efficiency is utmost important and the company is looking to develop it further. We will have to now wait and see if Honda can deliver what it promised.

Original Source: Honda Introduces Unicorn Dazzler Deluxe @ Rs.66,198 Ex- showroom, Delhi from BikeAdvice.in

Honda is one bike manufacturer that has just underwent a separation from its 26 year old partner Hero and is trying to stabilize the market for them. Day in and day out Honda is trying to come up with something interesting so that it can grab a healthy market share. Aiming to bag major market share, Honda came up with introducing a new deluxe version of CB Unicorn Dazzler @ Rs.66,198/-. With the introduction of this new bike Honda is aiming to increase their revenue and the market share. The new CB Unicorn Deluxe comes in two dual tone color options to suit the requirements of different classes of consumers. The different color options are Pearl Sunbeam White (with Red) and Black (with Grey).

The new deluxe version features is a good looking model with enhanced graphic features which makes it look cooler. The bike features good graphics on both sides of the tank and side cowl. The company said in a statement that the bike will up for grabs by the end of November, 2011. However one thing that has the potential to disappoint people is that the technical specifications have remained unaltered i.e. they remain same for old and the new models.

Dazzler rolls out a power of 14bhp with same 150cc engine. The bike also  comes with tubeless tyres accompanied with alloy wheels. One can also get maintenance free batteries and air filter equipped with the bike for more convenience. One thing that has to be noted is that the standard (old) version will continue to be available @65,198 while the deluxe version of the bike is priced at 66,198 (Ex- showroom, Delhi). Well this was basically about the bike but unaltered tech specs surely will disappoint a lot of people. We shall have to wait and see if Honda manages to grab any buyer attention with the introduction of this bike.

- Atul

Original Source: Honda Dio Review by Alan from BikeAdvice.in

I have been wanting to pen my review on the Honda Dio since a long time but never got the time to take good pics. Even now I don’t have any but thought of writing the review and then getting a few snaps clicked. For starters I have been thinking why I haven’t seen too many reviews of automatic scooters on BikeAdvice and realized that it could be due to 2 reasons.

One could be that they are scooters and so the reviews cant be included in a bike site. And the other could be that the scooter riders aren’t passionate enough to write reviews on their vehicles. Whatever the reason, I thought of taking the plunge and writing a review and leaving the rest to Deepak to decide if he should publish this.

In our house we have always had at least 1 gearless scooter since 1986. After the first 2 kinetic honda’s we bought an Activa when it was launched in 2000. It was a completely different experience from the KiHo’s. After a few years it was time for me to work in Bangalore and I moved the Activa here and used it for a few months before it started giving me trouble and I decided to change it.

At the time, though the Activa was still on the top of the list, I decided to go for the Dio as I was fedup with the plain jane looks. I bought my first Dio in Oct 2008 which is when Honda had made cosmetic changes to the Dio which included all black wheels and I think introduced the light pink colour. Please don’t jump to any conclusions here, mine was a deluxe blue colour “motoscooter”.

Unfortunately my scooter was stolen from my residence in March 2009. As I couldn’t do without a vehicle in a city like Bangalore, I immediately lodged a police complaint and booked myself my second Honda Dio (again blue). It was a painful 3 months of following up with the cops and Insurance company to get my amount claimed. But it happened finally.

Till now was the story of how I happened to own the Dio I presently have. It has been 2.5 years since I have this scooter and from here I will write about the pros and cons of owning a gearless scooter in a city like Bangalore.

Pros

• In a city plagued with traffic jams, riding a gearless scooter is the easiest way to commute. You don’t have to bother about changing gears in slow moving traffic.
• The amount of luggage you can load on the Dio (as well as other similar scooters) is quite comparable to the storage space available in the boot (or what is available of it) in the hatchbacks. This cannot be attempted on any of the bikes. My wife’s and my trips to Star Bazaar amaze us when we come back home with so many huge bags of grocery.
• In the looks department, I find the Dio the best looking among all the other similar products being offered in the market. I differ with the “The Top 5 Best Looking Scooters in India” article published in June this year on Dio being the 5th best. The parrot green and purple colours available presently (though not to everyones liking) are unique and a great hit in Goa.
• I have got the front glove box installed and so I can keep my raincoat handy always. The glove box is optional.

Cons

• The Dio having a fiber body will be a drawback for the people wanting an all metal body scooter. But this helps in getting a slightly higher mileage on the Diocompated to the Activa.
• The mileage while nothing to boast about, is decent at about 38 kmpl in city riding conditions with a pillion 90% of the time.
• Being a Honda, the service centre is too busy and nowadays is not able to return the scooter the same day even if it is the first bike given for service that day.
• Pillion sitting position is quite awkward. The footpegs that are not the foldable kind,make it difficult for the pillion to find the them. While the seating position is not good, it makes the width of the moto scooter less and thereby making it easier to squeeze in during traffic jams.
• In case you decide to buy a Dio, it has a 2-3 month waiting period in Bangalore.

Maintenance

I used to give my Dio for free services regularly, after which I give it only when I face any problems. At approximately 14000 kms on the odo, the cost for a paid service was about Rs. 1200/- After that due to the rush at the service centre, I get the issues rectified at a local mechanic. But till now from 14k till 21.5k I only changed the engine oil once (Rs. 183) and changed the front bearings (Rs. 250 including labour).

The rear tyre has about 1mm of tread remaining, which I think will last for another 1-2k kms. I was checking if any other tread pattern is available for the Dio but haven’t been able to find one. May be someone can help me with suggestions. The battery on my Dio was weak after about a year (as you might have realized that I don’t do a lot of maintenance activities) but that automatically got sorted out as now my office has changed and I get longer stretches of road during which the battery gets charged.

I usually fill petrol for Rs. 200 and check air pressure at each visit to the petrol bunk. This helps in achieving a better mileage. I hope this review helps people make a decision on the automatic scooter to go for.

Unique Features

I am not sure if these or similar features are available on other scooters (am sure they are there on the Suzuki Access). I have not gone through the Owner’s manual fully to confirm if there is a mention of these in it.

Hand brake, there is a small lever in front of the rear brake that can help in keeping the brake lever pressed and in turn act as a hand brake. Additional hooks to lock additional helmets. These hooks are located below the seat (pics attached) and are useful to lock additional helmets or lock your helmet, in case you need to keep some other items in the under seat storage.

Hope you liked my review. Awaiting your valuable comments and feedback

Regards,
Alan

Original Source: Honda CBR 250R – Review & Road Test from BikeAdvice.in

Every single bike maker in India has atleast one product in the 150 cc segment. This is the reason why there is a fierce battle right here in this segment, just like the Premium hatchbacks in the four wheeler passenger car segment.

Taking the present scenario into consideration, 250 cc bikes are the very next leap for those who are fed up with the (traditional) 150 cc bikes. India, at present can only boast with two 250 cc bikes and the best part is that both these bikes are Japanese by nationality. One being the Kawasaki Ninja 250R and the other being the Honda CBR 250R, both being International models and successful as well.

I, for BikeAdvice reviewed the latest offering among these two which is the Honda CBR 250R. Here, in this post I have consolidated my insights along with incorporating the bike’s review.

It’s Not Infatuation, Its Love @ First Sight!

It’s very mandatory for a bike to impress the rider, right at the very first sight and not every bike does it well. The Honda CBR 250R has got that hot looks to tempt you to get your hands on her. I would not say that the bike is completely sporty and is capable enough to boast about its size. The visual looks are really cool and Honda has proved the point very well that it’s not the body graphics which determine the looks of the bike. There are two powerbikes from Honda that can be seen within the CBR 250R. The front fairing of the bike is the exact replica of the VFR 1200F and the rest of the body gives you a feel that you are in a bike which is inspired from CBR FireBlade. It’s in fact ideal to mention this bike as ‘Baby FireBlade.’(How is BFB? It’s a TLA – Three Letter Acronym!)

The design of the bike is not perfectly racing inspired, but offers the best of looks. The two tone colour scheme is made standard in all the three colours available in India.  The colours of this bike also reminds the VFR 1200F. The VFR is available in 2 colours schemes and both these schemes of Candy Prominence Red and Seal Silver Metallic are as such incorporated in the CBR 250R, though there is an additional colour of Black as well. The CBR 250R is one of the few bikes in India which looks stunning when seen from any angle, irrespective of it being front, rear or the side.

Impressiveness Of The CBR 250R

The Honda CBR 250R is very impressive in almost every single factor that we’ll talk about in the following paragraphs. The exhaust shape is very gorgeous and the stainless steel coating on it adds beauty to the beast.

Engine

The 4 stroke Liquid cooled engine with a displacement of 249.6 cc does a brilliant work under the frame. It aids the bike in providing a smooth ride without any vibes observed, thereby paving way for a brilliant riding experience. It offers a power of 25 bhp, which makes the bike really fun to ride and despite the fact that the CBR is to be pushed with full throttle at higher gears, I loved revving up the bike in first and more in the second gear.

This is exactly where the power is felt. As in the case of every high performing bikes, the CBR 250R is also fitted with Fuel Injector and to be even more specific, it houses the PGM-FI system which is Honda’s FI incorporated in most of its bikes across the globe. This aids in the bike’s decent fuel efficiency despite its high displacement.  Riding it for just a short distance is enough to make you realize the power and potential of this bike. The engine alone (as most of your would have known by now) has as much as 9 patents registered. Honda’s engines are always highly trusted across the globe and the CBR 250R is no exception to it. I was able to feel the heights of engine refinement as I tested her.

Size is Inversely Proportional to the Handing

This is the most interested part any review writer would be interested in. I rode this bike along the open highway at both low and high speed, apart from the regular Bangalore city traffic too. The bike is capable of handling brilliantly, irrespective of where you ride this gorgeous woman. Along the highway, its well designed aerodynamics minimises the air resistance considerably if leaned forward and this can be clearly felt (and enjoyed too!). It’s size is inversely proportional to the handing. Would anyone believe when I say this? But, it is true. The machine is pretty big but handling is comfortable to the core.  The wheel base is another important reason for the bike’s stability at high speeds. It never makes you feel scary. The cornering capability of this bike is also stunning. Agsin, the wheelbase makes the tyre gets gripped on to the tarmac, thereby offering a great cornering experience. This made me feel that I’d rather tested this bike in Chennai or Coimbatore so that I could have tested this ‘Baby FireBlade’ in the closed track, which is yet another ideal place for this beast.

Experiencing The ABS

The bike I tested for BikeAdvice is the top end variant with ABS. It was indeed great fun to ride a bike with ABS. If you wanna experience what precise braking ever means, this is the machine to be tried. Get your foot set on the brake pegs, hands on the clip-on and throttle her up and up and up. Then you gotta brake her hard. You’ll notice that the bike comes to an instant halt without pulling the front wheel up. Oh, that was great man. I tried pulling the front disc when I was at 120 kmph and what I saw was amazing. Within a fraction of a second, I saw the digital speedo showing 72, 48, 22 and the bike halted.

With a Combined – AntiLock Braking System like this, the confidence within you will increase manifold when you rev up this bike along the open highway. Coming to the wet road part of it, there was a small patch or road along the Bangalore – Mysore NICE road which was wet (It is another different story that I went hunting for a wet road for miles together just to brake the tyre).  Everybody knows the fact that the bike would not skid and that’s what the ABS is for. But, I’ll have to also tell you that the braking was as precise and smooth as it can be on a regular surface. This C-ABS adds another feather to the Honda CBR 250R’s crown, apart from the rest of the features that this bike boasts about. To end with, lemme tell you that ABS cannot be disabled in this bike unlike the Apache RTR with ABS.

Instrument Cluster

The Instrumental cluster is neatly laid out and the design matches flawlessly in the gap between the headlamp fairing and the clip handlebar. The speedo cluster is a combo of analog and digital meters. The major area is covered by the Tachometer which is the only analog meter out here.  The rest is all digitalised. The silver coloured finishing adds more beauty to this machine. The best part about this cluster is the Blue backlight that is offered by Honda.

This makes the meters look very clear even when the bike is being used in the night time. It has a fuel meter, speedometer, trip meter and a clock. But, there is one small feature which disappointed me. Unlike every other bike here, the CBR 250R houses only one trip rather than two in most other bikes.  But, there are lotta people who don’t make use of the second trip, so this should not be an issue for them. But, for someone like me who makes use of both the trips during long drives. But still, it’s unworthy of blowing this issue now. The clock is very utilitarian and kudos for that. The headlamp is another factor on this bike you can really depend on. The 12V 60/55W H4 lamp offers confidence to you during night rides and this is one area where many bikes lag.

Speedability

I know that there is no word like this (Speedability) but still it conveys what it intends, right? Well, this bike is capable of touching 100 kmph within short strips, which is enough boast about its ability. I pushed this bike to 148 kmph and the bike didn’t just seem to pant and puff.

There was still a little throttle left but the traffic flow grew over a period of time which restricted me from pushing her still. There are users who have crossed 150 mark with this bike, which clearly proves that speed is just not at all issue to be worried and hence this is an apt bike for ‘SpeedManiacs’ who consider Speed as an important criterion. The rear tubeless tyre with a dimension of 140/70 17 plays its role very well here.

City Slicker or Racer or Cruiser?

This is the most difficult question to answer. Hmmm, but still lemme try. The bike is capable of commuting easily despite its heavy size. But, why do you need a 250 cc bike for merely commuting within the city limits? But, surely for the other two options mentioned, the CBR 250R can carry both of them very well.

Yes, its amazing cornering ability combined with the high performance delivering engine, it can bring out the racer inside every biker.  This bike is also an amazing cruiser. The reason for this is its seating position which leaves you with no back ache at the end of the day. It is also to be specially mentioned that neither the engine nor the body parts vibrate at any point of time and at any speed as well. This aids in better dependability of the bike which is very mandatory for a bike used for long rides.

Negative Deeds

Despite all the above mentioned appreciations for the bike, there are also a few drawbacks that are to be rectified by the company (atleast) over a period of time.

• The sound of the horn is something which is not at all suited for this bike. How did the company even decide to install this horn, man?
• I observed heavy vibration along the fuel tank is too high once the key in inserted into the slot and is turned on. The meters in the console are the point of origin of these vibes which will have to be rectified by Honda. You’ve managed to design an engine which doesn’t vibrate at high speed, then why can’t you do this minor thing?
• The rear part of the bike lags foot peg for ladies. That being the case, what is the point in having saree guard? Of, course, the company has got nothing to do with this issue.
•  I observed the fit and finish of the bike in two different coloured bikes. In this black one which is tested, the quality of the plastic doesn’t appear to be too cheap as it matches perfectly with the colour scheme. However, when it comes to the red one there are signs that the plastic quality all along the body could have improved and so is the finish of the bike.
• Honda could have installed LED lights for the rear lamps. Looks pretty outdated when it come to this factor.
• The Rear View Mirror looks too dated without any exclusive shape. Could have worked on it.
• The rear seat is too slippery. Like the R15 V2.0, the CBR 250R too should have come up with slip resistant seats.

Specifications

I am least interested in boring you guys with a detailed spec sheet out here. Here is the link which will navigate you to the Honda CBR 250R’s spec sheet.

Colours

The Honda CBR 250R is presently available in three colour schemes in Indian sub continent. All the three schemes are unique in its own way and the three schemes are

• Candy Ruby Red with Accurate Silver Metallic
• Sword Sliver Metallic with Accurate Silver Metallic
• Asteroid Black Metallic with Accurate Silver Metallic

Price

The ex – showroom price, New Delhi for this all rounder is INR 1,43,001 for the standard variant which doesn’t house ABS and INR 1,68,001 for the ABS variant. The respective on – road price, New Delhi are INR 1,56,903 and INR 1,84,185 respectively.

Verdict

Finally, India has got the bike which is a perfect all rounder along with the peppiness to make the rider go mad as he rides this mean machine. Though, the cons of the bike are few in number, the delay in waiting period adds woo to the customer. It is high time for Honda to concentrate on this issue and resolve it as efficiently as possible.

Rating: ★★★★½ 

BikeAdvice Score: 4.5/5 and I’m happy in offering this bulk score for the Honda CBR 250R.

BikeAdvice thanks Mr. Diwagar from Bangalore for having shared his Honda CBR 250R with us to come up with a detailed review of India’s (once) most hyped bike.

Regards,
M.Naren.
Author – BikeAdvice.in

Original Source: Honda CBR 250R Ownership Review by Sherman from BikeAdvice.in

Hello Everyone! My name is Sherman, and this is the story of my new baby, the black Baby Ceeber aka CBR 250R (ABS). I’ve been following this site for over a year now, and I know for a fact that these reviews have helped out countless folks (hell, I’ve been there too!) I’ve always wanted to contribute, but never really got around to doing so. You know what they say- the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. But Deepak’s Ownership Review Contest No.10 was like a shot in the arm to a lazy bum like me, so here I am, and without further ado, I now present to you, the one, the only. Baby!

Wait a minute. “Baby?!” That’s what you must be thinking, right? Who in their right mind would name their bike “Baby”? Well, I have thought of a hundred different names before I honed in on this one. The Black Widow? Nah, that’d mean I was dead. The Black Panther? Nopes, it reminded me of Bagheera from The Jungle Book. Black Devil? Noo! I thought I was beginning to sound quite strange by then with all the weird names, and when the name Dark Temptation actually popped into my head, I knew I was on the totally wrong track (For all those who have forgotten, Dark Temptation is the name of the chocolaty fragrance launched by Axe deodorants some years ago).

It was time to just look inside my heart and call her what I knew she was to me. And it struck me – Baby. She’s my baby. She’s gonna stick with me, and stand by me, in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, till rust do us part. It just sounded perfect. Baby. And as we all know, nobody puts Baby in a corner (the famous line from Dirty Dancing). Even then I thought I’d jazz it up a bit by tweaking it to “Babe”, but for some obscure reason, it kept reminding me of a cute and fat little pink pig and that was the last straw. My Baby she will be.

Before I get into more details, I’d like to start with how all this actually came to pass. I had struck a deal with my Dad that in return for not riding till I was 18, I would be presented with a bike when I turned a major in 2004. It was difficult, but I kept my word. It was going to be a second hand bike to start with, I knew that. You see, there is this unspoken rule in my family that the first vehicle is always a second hand one. I guess it’s because if you can learn to care for it when it isn’t new, then you’re really worthy of having a new ride. Or something like that. I just thought it was a brilliant excuse for my folks to not spend extra cash. Anyway, I chose a secondhand Caliber 115 Hoodibaba! in excellent condition (she was a 2004 model). The rationale being that I would rather have a bike which was simple yet stylish and could go on and on than have a Pulsar (which was all the rage then) that I would have to park in my garage and say goodbye to every morning before walking off to school because of the paucity of cash to fill her up (I knew a lot of friends with such issues). And even years later (I still have my 115); I have never once thought that I made a wrong choice. She was my first love. But enough about her, I will save that for Review No. 11 (Deepak, are you listening? Anyway, with the Indian biking scene finally opening up, I knew it was time for me to take the next step.

I was mulling over buying the Ninja 250R, but once I saw the pics of the baby Ceeber, I just could not decide which one I wanted, that is, until the C-ABS tilted her in my favour. Finally, I knew what I wanted, and thankfully, I didn’t have to rob a bank to have her. Thank you Honda!

So I booked her in January, as soon as bookings were made open, at Haiku Honda in Domlur (Bangalore). Turned out I was only the 2nd person to book the C-ABS model there. And from then on began an unending wait.

Being an MBA student, I had to go to Europe for a study tour in April, and then to California for my internship for the next two months, and even while I was drooling over the Ducatis and Harleys. I couldn’t help thinking about when I’d get my Baby. It had been over 5 months since I booked her, but seemed more like 5 years, not helped by the fact that no one from the company could even offer a tentative date as to when the bike would be out. It was during one such bright and sunny day in California, that I got a text on my phone. It was Haiku Honda, asking me to call them back urgently. I did so, and imagine my anguish when the lady said, “Sir, your bike is ready; you can come now and collect it.” It felt like my heart just shattered into a thousand pieces. It was a struggle for me to tell them that I wasn’t in the country and it would take me at least 20 more days to reach Bangalore- could they hold it for me until then? “Sure sir, no problem, we’ll sell this bike to the next person on the wait-list and you can buy it when you come here, if it is available.” She said that very sweetly, that much I’ll admit, but she could’ve told me just as sweetly to jump off a cliff. Which was precisely what I felt like doing right then.

But life goes on, and I was back in the country in 20 days, and I popped into the showroom to enquire about my chances and get a test ride. I was a little apprehensive, for I had never ridden any bike above 150cc before, and certainly not one with the 1down, 5up gear sequence. But the CBR surprised me- I didn’t find her in any way difficult to ride, in spite of having almost exclusively ridden a 111cc bike for the last 6 years. And all that power between my legs just felt awesome! Yes, I’m still talking about the CBR, so please focus people!

“Sorry sir, your model hasn’t yet come”, was the reply I got upon my enquiry. OK, I said, and booked a holiday trip to my hometown of Mangalore to drown my sorrows. The following Monday, I got a call, “Sir, your bike is here, if you can come now for the formalities, you can take it tomorrow.” Deja vu? But this time citing some emotional excuse (I don’t even remember what I said that time!); I got them to hold it for me till Thursday, when I would be back in Bangalore. On Thursday, when I went there, I was shown my bike. Only thing was- it wasn’t my bike! It was a silver non ABS version. Imagine being pointed to someone else’s wife saying you could have her- that was exactly how I felt! I raised a hue and cry, and told the person in charge there without mincing any words that if they didn’t have my bike there within the week, they could keep the deposit and cut my name off the list. And if they did that, I would write a review so scathing, that people would think twice before even stepping foot into the showroom. An image of an angry Hulk kept popping into my head, and I told myself it was time to calm down, and taking a few deep breaths, I left the showroom.

Luckily, God heard my prayers. Or maybe it was the manager who heard me. In any case, I was told in a couple of days that my model had arrived. I couldn’t take it anymore- I rushed to the showroom, and there she was, a Black CBR250R, her silver spots gleaming under the spotlight. I just wanted to get astride her and ride away into the sunset like a prince from all those fairy tales I read when I was a kid. But I was brought back to reality when I was told that if I paid the cash today, she could be mine the next day. What?! The next day?! Man, this couldn’t be happening to me!

In spite of all my entreaties and curses, they would not budge. So I paid a hefty advance, submitted my documents and began counting the minutes to when I would finally take possession of her. The next day, I got the long awaited call, and off I was again. I took a few friends along, and was made to wait while the bike was being spruced up. But it was all worth it. When she was finally presented to me, boy oh boy, was she gleaming! She cost Rs. 1,97,651 on road plus a few hundreds more for the number plate and a Teflon coating. And I was smiling from ear to ear listening to all the praises she was getting, and when I did ride off into the sunset, the looks of admiration I got from everyone on the road just made my day. I would like to take this moment to thank my Dad for making this possible- thank you Dad, for this awesome ride.

Up until the first 500 kms, it was a struggle not to take her to her limits- I mean, come on, mine was a filmy love story so far, and now finally, against all odds, me and my Baby were one. But I restrained myself commendably, well, except for 3 occasions when I just lost my head and rode like the wind, hitting 130 kmph without any fuss. I did feel a little guilty later, but hey! I deserved it!

One of the first things I did was to equip myself with a DSG riding jacket and Axo gloves, the first time I’ve ever used riding gear. Now we look like we’re made for each other, the black & silver combination on my Baby mirroring the black & silver on me. Do you remember the old series in the 90’s that used to air on Doordarshan, called Street Hawk? Well, I kinda feel like that when I’m attired.

After 500 kms, it was time for the first free service. I don’t know why they call it a “free” service, when I was charged 1,048 bucks for it. I should shoot off a mail to Honda I guess. But performance-wise, she became even smoother after the service. Smooth as butter.

I have had her for two and a half months now, but managed to cover only 1,500 kms during the period. Actually, considering the situation, I’d say it’s pretty good. I stay at my college hostel and my classrooms are just a 5 minute walk away. And so far this year, I didn’t get a chance to go on long weekend rides, so when you realize that the entire stretch of 1,500 kms is ridden purely within the city of Bangalore; you know that’s an achievement!

I’m not going to mention the specifications of the CBR in my review; you can look them up from the company website. I will, however, tell you about my actual experience with the CBR 250R, which I think will be more useful to a potential buyer looking for actual user knowledge than a list of specifications on paper. Like I said- been there, done that!

Handling

She lets herself be handled quite well, and the only problem I have with her on that front is the turning radius. It is HUGE! I mean, on my Caliber, I could almost bend the handlebars back towards me and take a V-turn backwards (only slightly exaggerating, of course), but the turning radius on my Baby is almost like an Avenger. It takes a majestic U-turn, no doubt, but the fairing prevents it from minimizing the radius. But once you get used to it however, you will have no problems judging turns to perfection.

Rider fatigue- nil. I find her comfortable to ride or stop (thanks to the C-ABS), with no backaches whatsoever. There was a slight ache in my wrists for the first few rides, but it went away after that.

And of course, I am yet to answer the eternal Indian biking question- Mileage? Ah, yes, I had forgotten. I think the mileage is pretty good for a bike of this calibre, it gives me around 35-40 kmpl quite easily, maybe a little more. I would like to remind you again, that this is under pure city driving conditions, which does not include long rides, and also considering that I’ve hit a top whack of 151 kmph on her.

And what a ride that was! It was on the elevated toll way on a well illuminated night, with not a vehicle in sight. Let me tell you how she speeds up first. The meat of her performance lies within the 4.5 to 9k range on the tacho. Under 4.5, I won’t say she’s sluggish, it’s more like she’s modest and doesn’t want to show her capabilities off to the world. Only you know, with a hand on her throttle, of the fury she can unleash if you let her. But between 4.5 and 9k, man, is she in her elements! One moment the needle’s on 4.5, and I swear, in a blink of an eye it’s on 9 and it’s time to upshift! The sheer acceleration is simply brilliant! After 9, even though it can go all the way to 11.5, it’s rather boring compared with the adrenaline rush you just got getting there. The 6th gear is for cruising I feel, because you can get to 135ish in 5th gear without any problems, but when you upshift into 6th, your speed keeps increasing at a diminishing rate, just like the Law of Diminishing Marginal Utility. Sorry, no academia in a bike review.

After 135 kmph, you need a lot of road, patience and belief to finally get her to 150 kmph, but if you can persist, she will get you there. On that ride, I had a weighted backpack on me which I could feel was creating some drag in spite of me bending over, so without it and with some more road. I reckon I could just squeak up to 155kmph on the speedo, but that’s the maximum possible. It’s still pretty good for a bike actually, considering my good ol’ Hoodibaba could barely make it to 100 kmph after some major engine tweaking. And the good thing about it is- Zero Vibration even at such intense speeds.

Now to the Pros & Cons

Pros

• The envious stares you get from everyone else on the road because of her killer looks.
• Raw power on tap till 135 kmph, top speed in excess of 150kmph on the speedo.
• Smooth and vibration-free handling at any speed.
• The comfortable riding position; you can actually choose your riding posture (upright for normal travel and bent over for speed).
• C-ABS. This is the single best feature I love most in my bike. In fact, just minutes into my first ride back from the showroom, a tempo cut across in front of me and braked. I too slammed on my brakes instinctively, and with a sinking heart, as the distance was just a few inches between both vehicles. But in spite of my reaction time to brake, she came to a halt well behind the Tempo. And what’s more, I was in total control the entire time! C-ABS saved my bike a few scratches and dents, and saved me a broken heart. Ever since, I think it’s a great piece of technology that every bike should have, especially on slippery roads. On the flipside, I sometimes feel unsafe on other bikes now upon hard breaking at higher speeds.
• The headlines are normal 12V 60/55W H4, but they’re pretty bright – no need to upgrade them I’d say.
• Comfy seats for both rider and pillion- long distance travel is not an issue.
• The ignition responds with the lightest touch- some say that not being able to kick start it might be a problem, but I’m OK with having just the electrical start. Only time will tell who’s right.
• The tyres are pretty grippy too, never once have I felt them slip even under acute cornering.

Cons

• The saree guard just doesn’t gel with the rest of the bike, so I got it removed on the very first day. You would be mad to sit on it in a saree anyway, so no big deal.
• The front fairing is styled in such a way, that any water on the road along with the dirt stuck with it is all over your shoes and your jeans, unless you’re travelling under 10kmph. And if you are, the vehicle overtaking you is gonna splash you with a lot more muck, so it’s a lose-lose situation in any case.
• And just so the pillion doesn’t have a smug smile on his face at the ordeal of the rider, the (lack of) rear mudguard will make sure that enough water/muck is splashed over the back of the pillion’s shirt too. Hence, it is always advisable to ride with a waterproof jacket that is easy to clean. And if the pillion’s got a backpack on, well, Lord have Mercy is all I can say.
• Another tiny niggle I have with the Ceeber is the positioning of the brake. On my Hoodibaba, I could keep my foot on the footrest, resting lightly on the brake pedal, and press down when required to brake. On the CBR however, the seating position is such that the footrest is a little lower (or the brake pedal extends a bit higher). Thus, resting your foot on the pedal means that the brake will be slightly activated, but not enough to hinder speed. Still, I found it quite uncomfortable initially (maybe because I have no prior experience on such bikes?), and my ankle felt quite sore for the first few rides. Used to it now.
• The engine radiates heat quite easily, even in city traffic where you don’t get a chance to speed up. You can feel it on your legs when you’re in traffic, and then the cooling system does its job. However, the engine gives off a peculiar smell when it heats up. Initially I was concerned thinking my engine was overheating, but the mechanic at the service centre told me not to worry, it was probably the paint on the engine wearing off. Even after 1,500 kms it still gives off that smell, but now only after high speeds, and the intensity has reduced.
• The horn is a puny one compared with the size of the bike, but I’d still go with it in the name of preventing unnecessary noise pollution.
• No centre stand- not a problem for me though, coz I never use it anyway.
• Last but not least, the very stares of admiration I keep getting are now becoming a source of irritation. Riders actually switch lanes all of a sudden when they see the Ceeber, just to ask me how much she cost, and what’s the mileage and what’s she like, etc- all this when I’m still riding. When this first happened I couldn’t help but think that I must be on the hitlist of some biker gang, but now I’m used to it. It still irritates me sometimes though, but in a good way.

Conclusion

The list of Cons may appear larger in size than the Pros, but to me they’re just minor niggles. I’ve just stated whatever I could think of in case it comes in handy for those looking into my review to make up their minds about the CBR. I mean, is a normal-sounding horn really a Con? Some may feel so, I don’t. Even if it is, it isn’t a make-it-or-break-it deal for me. But it might be for others, you never know.

The bottom-line is: I knew what I wanted. I knew it was time for me to upgrade from a 111 cc bike to the next level (my long-term aim is to own a Harley Davidson Fat Boy). I was clear that I wanted looks, power and safety, and in high doses. I don’t do wheelies. I don’t drag race. I don’t stunt and I do not take part in on-track races. I wanted a bike which was as comfortable in the city as it would be outside it. One on which I wouldn’t have any problems pottering about in traffic or speeding up on the highway. One who would set my heart aflutter every time I saw her, and who would keep me safe even under most intense braking at high speeds.

I got what I wanted, and a lot more, when I bought my Baby. If these are your needs, you couldn’t go wrong with the CBR. Don’t expect everyone to understand, though. Even today, a lot of guys come up to me and tell me that I’m a fool to buy the Ceeber when I could’ve had an entry-level car at this price.

I don’t even bother answering them. I just smile and walk off to my Baby. After all, who can explain true love?

Regards,
Sherman

Original Source: Honda CB Twister Review and Road Test from BikeAdvice.in

I got a chance to drive Honda Twister on last Sunday morning. My friend owned a Grey Twister three weeks ago and we were waiting for RTO registration till date. I had driven it for 60 kms including city roads and highway with two halts. So here I am presenting my review for little Honda Twister.

Engine and Transmission

It falls into 110 cc segment. The engine produces sufficient power to roam in the city with this 110 cc capacity. Engine looks very tiny and engine compartment almost appears roomy. That helps in improving the cooling of engine. Heat generated from the engine during long journey is in moderate region in comparison with other bike in this segment.

Twister is having longest inlet manifold in 110 cc segment with decreasing cross section towards engine inlet. This cross section helps to create better swirl in the inlet manifold to mix the petrol with air. Another attractive feature of this bike is recirculation of exhaust gases into the cylinder. This high temperature exhaust gases help to improve the initial vaporization of petrol in the inlet manifold itself.

Then this vaporized mixture of air and petrol is supplied to the cylinder for further vaporization. This is done with the help of small EGR unit embedded in space above the engine. A vacuum pipe from inlet manifold is connected to the diaphragm of EGR unit. The vacuum in the inlet manifold controls the opening of diaphragm valve.

Vacuum created in the inlet manifold is the only factor that decides how much exhaust gases should be circulated in the circuit (Obviously the total quantity is very small because of small engine capacity). You can observe one pipe connection coming out from cylinder block of Twister nearer to exhaust port. This connection takes the exhaust gases from the manifold and delivers it to the EGR unit.

After sufficient opening of the diaphragm valve, exhaust gases are propelled up to the air filter. The wet type air filter removes the heavy carbon and dust particles from the exhaust gases. After passed through a filter, the exhaust gases are mixed with the fresh air and petrol in the carburettor and sent to the cylinder. With the help of these two astonishing stuffs, my friend is getting fuel consumption of 68 kmpl in his Twister.

Engine runs very smoothly up to 60 kmph while driving with pillion and bike preserves its name “Twister”. After 60 kmph, engine becomes bit hard and generates some juddering and noise. I guess, Twister can maximum go up to 90 kmph. Transmission is one of the best attractions of this bike. The gear shifter travel is very small and gear shifting is very easy. Clutch lever travel is also very small.

In combination, both the levers reduce effort to shift the gear. We can say a perfect butter smooth shifting. I personally feel that the clutch free pedal is diminutive. This tends to wear the clutch plates earlier than normally does. With 110 cc engine capacity, Pick up of the bike is just up to the mark. You can observe a small oil leakage from top up cap during these 60 kms in one of the photo.

Rating for Engine and Transmission:

Handling and Balancing

Handling and balancing of the bike depend on CG point, weight, tyres, suspensions, frame construction, wheelbase, and steering geometry. Twister is noticeably very light weight machine: thanks to optimized double cradle diamond type steel tubed frame and FRP parts. Optimization of the frame is exposed at the axle of swing arm mounting.

A unique sectional element is used at this mounting instead of using heavy fabricated steel stripes. Many other locations are there to observe the light weight frame construction. Also the engine compartment is very spacious. This tends to shift the CG bit high. As the CG is at considerable height, it is difficult to retain the balance constantly.

That is why you have to move the steering constantly from one side to another in dense traffic. The steering system is also bit light weight than other bikes; it is easy to shift the steering from one side to another. Steering geometry is perfectly designed for driving in city. Wheelbase is small which opposes the longitudinal stability of the bike because of which Twister is not suitable for highways.

Besides this, short wheelbase helps to prevent the long turning radius and pitching of the bike. That’s why; Twister becomes most favourable bike for city roads. I think rear tyre is over optimized for improving mileage. Too thin tyre losses its grip at the time of sudden acceleration as well as on the wet roads. This tyre serves sufficiently during normal ride.

Rating for Handling and Balancing:

Braking and Acceleration

Acceleration of Twister is just like a dirt bike. The front wheel easily gets lifted a little if you don’t synchronise between clutch release and accelerator twist. It is not because of power developed by the engine, but because of torque delivered to the rear wheel through first gear reduction and chain drive reduction.

Twister is advisable to drive up to 15 kmph on 1st gear, up to 30 kmph on 2nd gear, up to 40 kmph on 3rd gear and above 40 kmph on 4th gear for better mileage and braking. Both the front and rear brakes are efficient for stopping the bike within 10 mtrs from 60 kmph.

Rating for Acceleration:

Rating for Braking:

Instrumentation and Control

Instrumentation panel comes with unique shape and checkered stickers but without any digital screen. Speedometer pointer vibrates too much because of which it is difficult to read the correct speed. Other instrumentation contains very basic stuffs like neutral indicator, side light indicator, high beam light indicator and fuel level indicator. These indicators are evenly distributed on panel.

Not a single control is provided on right hand side in basic model. All the controls are on clutch side. Deeper light switch is push button type which may has small life then the conventional one. Quality of the switches is not up to the mark and looks very dull.

Rating for Instrumentation:

Rating for Control:

Electricals

Head light looks attractive and sufficient capable to illuminate the road. Both the low and high beam filaments are incorporated in a single bulb.

Tail light shape is also good and looks gorgeous at night. Side lights look very conventional. Horn is audible within 50 mtrs area in dense traffic.

Rating for Electricals:

Ergonomics

Ergonomics deals with the ease of driver to drive and control the bike. The distance between steering handle and seating position is small. It is not advisable to drive Twister for long distance if you are having height more than 5ft 8in. You might get pain in your wrist, triceps and shoulders.

I think Twister has got stiffest kick ever in the history of Indian bikes. My friend has already registered his complain about kick at Honda head office. Honda people have started working on his complain. Controlling the Twister is not very big issue as the top speed and weight of the bike is in limit.

Rating for Ergonomics:

Aesthetics

As per my opinion, Twister is the best looking bike with in 110 cc segment. Majority exteriors are made from FRP with pleasurably gorgeous shapes. Though it is a 110 cc capacity bike it appears muscular. Fuel tank along with the sharp knife edge cowls provide macho look to this tiny packet. Rear view mirrors are with twisted octagonal shape and look good enough. Paint quality is excellent unveils the Honda standards.

Rating for Aesthetics:

Overall Rating and Summary (110 cc Segment)

The most worthy bike within 110 cc. Very light weight and just made for driving on the city roads. It is not at all suitable for constant long journey on highways because of small fuel tank capacity and small wheelbase. It is a machine with excellent aesthetics and better mileage. It costs between 51,000 (Basic model) to 54,000 (Top model).

Overall Rating: 

Regards,
Dhruv Panchal

Original Source: Honda CBR250R Ownership Review by Tojo from BikeAdvice.in

Hello everyone, I am Tojo, a B.Com student from Kerala, this is the review of my bike, the CBR 250R, Its been with me for nearly 3 months now, So without further a due, let’s start with the review. The Kawasaki Ninja 250R had redefined the word “fast” for the masses in India, even at close to 3 Lakh Rupees, there were plenty of takers, but there was only one problem, the price tag.

Which, to be honest, was more than a fully loaded entry level car in this country. For a two wheeler, it was simply out of bounds for many, especially for students like me. The next less expensive sports bike available in the market was the Yamaha R15 which went for approximately 1,10,000Rs which wasn’t a very convincing price-tag for a slightly under-sized bike. For someone who wanted something in between the Pulsar 220 or R15 and a Ninja, there was simply no choice. This highlighted the huge gap between these two segments of bikes which had to be filled, sooner or later. On one end, it was the Ninja 250R and on the other the R15 and the Pulsar 220.

Many expected TVS to show up at the party with the RTR 250, or Yamaha with a Fazer 250, to no avail, time passed with absolutely no news, except for a lot of rumors, until, one day, Honda announced worldwide, that it was introducing a new ‘world bike’, to be sold in all major markets across the globe, and that too a single cylinder, 250cc mini CBR.

The motorcycling community and myself was awakened to this fresh rumor, soon pictures of camouflaged test mules in different disguises, roaming around all four corners of the globe were spotted, and slowly, bit by bit, the camou started to disappear, eventually revealing the machine itself.

Then came the news I was waiting for, that this new CBR 250 was actually coming to our shores. Before it actually did so, it was launched in USA, a few European countries and several countries in Asia including Thailand where it proved to be a huge hit with fan websites and owners clubs popping up overnight.

Initial impressions made by Honda CBR250R were very good to say the least; The online forums and ownership reviews had nothing but praise about the bike, after going through a few of the forums I finally decided, that if it is launched under 1,50,000Rs, this is the bike I would buy. I was even more impressed with the adverts which appeared on Indian television showing the bikes unique features and highlighting its rider friendly nature and sporty design.

So, the day came when I was finally able to book one, within a two months of booking, the bike was in my garage, and it was also one of the first CBR’s on the road in Kerala, hence the attention it gave me was tremendous. Anywhere you go, the city, the movies, the traffic signal, all eyeballs keep chasing the bike. It’s a star around here. Now let me take you through the different aspects of the bike.

Looks and Features

The first impression I had of the CBR 250 from a visual stand point was that it could easily be mistaken by people who don’t know, to be a liter class bike, there’s no single part that I could put a finger on, the front fairing, the tyres, the body, all are voluminous, The overall design of the is one that speaks a lot of sportiness and aggressiveness.

It’s a good looking machine and also a very photogenic one the amazing color combination of red and silver simply highlights the beauty of this bike, every angle I could take a picture from, even from up close, looked good, there is no spot from where it seems disproportionate or odd.

It’s simply beautiful, this just shows the level of attention the bogs at Honda have paid to designing this machine, just the fact that there has been no common negative opinion about any aspect of the CBR’s design, worldwide, is enough to give an idea of how good this machine looks.

Speaking of the attention to detail of the Honda CBR250R, despite the bike having ridden in excess of 1000km’s in pretty bad roads, I couldn’t not come across any misaligned panel or an ill-fitting component, absolutely anywhere on the bike, considering that Honda is currently working overtime to meet the unexpected number of orders for the CBR.

I expected at least a tiny lapse in this area, it was quite simply, engineered and assembled to perfection. My only gripe is that the tail light area has a bit of a resemblance to the CB twister and the single light bulb just lights up too lazily to be of justice for such an athletic machine, an LED unit would have improved the already good looks even further; now, how about the features?

Speaking of features, this bike surely has a long list. Starting with the design, it’s based on the VFR 1200. The bike is wind tunnel tested and it has an aerodynamic profile owing to the fairing, the side blades and the great windscreen help it channel air around the rider very well and also aids in increasing stability in high speeds and at high wind speeds.

The engine on the CBR is a single cylinder, fuel injected, liquid cooled unit tilted forward for the best center of gravity and performance (more on that later). The bike also sports a good looking instrument console, featuring a digital speedometer and an analogue rev counter, the unit displays water temperature, time, total kilometers covered, fuel level (which is missing on the Ninja) and the usual twin trip meter.

The unit also has a separate engine fault indicator which glows in case of any malfunctions, Also as an option, was the combined ABS feature developed by Honda, it basically activates both the brakes in the right proportion in case of any detected wheel slip, this helps in decreasing braking time as well as distance leading to a safer ride, I had not chosen the ABS option mainly due to the considerable difference in price for which I could get myself proper safety gear, Now let’s move on to the best aspect of the CBR.

Engine and Performance

One well known aspect about Honda is that they have a stellar reputation in building truly rock solid engines, examples are in plenty in India, from the Hero Honda Splendor to the Unicorn to the Karizma, this is not because of any secrets they have, its due to the fact that they create mechanically simple engines, which are built of high quality materials.

In addition to this, they put in enormous amounts of time and effort into the testing of these engines, for the Honda CBR250R it had to be so, especially because it is a ‘world bike’, which had to perform equally well in regardless of different climates, fuel quality, air quality, altitudes, riders and roads.

Hence they had to develop an engine that was not only supremely reliable and powerful, but also very versatile, one which could be used equally well from the streets of New Delhi to New York from Bangalore to Bangkok. While meeting the challenging environmental, noise and safety regulations stipulated by the major automotive markets in the world. This, my friends, was no easy task.

Hence, they tested the engine for over 3 years riding over a combined million kilometers conducting tests in different climates, altitudes, roads, and fuel and riding conditions. The result is the gem of an engine featured on this bike, an all-new, single cylinder 249.5 cc, fuel injected, liquid cooled, featuring four valves per cylinder and a counter – balancer.

The power peaks at a comparatively low 8,500 RPM, producing a claimed 25 bhp and 22.9 nm of torque at 7,000 RPM. As mentioned earlier, Honda had 27 patents for this machine; almost all of them were just for this single cylinder engine. Well, a lot of patents could mean only one thing, that there is something special in the engine.

There is a reason why they had to have so many patents for just an engine, as you may know, single cylinders are known for their tendency to create vibrations, due to the lack of an extra piston that would otherwise have balanced it. As the cc’s get higher, so do the forces and hence the vibrations, here, in the design of this engine, Honda focused on three major aspects, mainly, low friction, low operating noise and the elimination of vibration.

They used innovative components in the design and construction of the engine through which they have managed to eliminate drivetrain losses (the difference in power produced at the engine and received at the wheel) due to friction to a large extent, dyno tests show that the bike products 23.5 Bhp at the wheel, just 1.5 Bhp short of the 25 Bhp produced at the crankshaft while at the same time making it very silent in terms of operation and not exhaust, and free of any noticeable vibrations at the red-line or anywhere between it.

Well, that’s all what it is in theory, now how does it feel in real life? Sit on the bike, turn the key on, and the fuel injection system does a whirr while the speedo and tachometer does the self-check, push the starter and the engine eagerly comes into life, settling into idle with an exhaust note which is quite similar to that of the FZ, but louder; give a few quick twists of the throttle in neutral and you instantly notice how responsive the engine is, reaching the redline in the blink of an eye and due to the lack of the rev-limiter, it touches 11,000 RPM in half a second and makes that awesome bouncing-over-rev noise.

The noise it makes is loud and filled with bass. Speaking of vibrations, a keychain can best display any signs of vibrations on a bike since it rests in the area above the engine. At 11,000 RPM and over the red-line on the CBR, it barely even shook as you can see in the video, a testimony to Honda’s effort and all the patents gathered on the engine in this regard. It also shows how well the counter-balancer has been implemented in the engine to eliminate any vibes.

The first time I rode the CBR, it was a test drive bike at one of the main Honda dealership’s, It was an experience that I remember way too well. As I started the bike, I put it into first and released the clutch, the bike moved forward just like any other machine, no burst of power, no jerks, basically giving no hint of the 25 odd- horses under its tank till this point;

Got onto the road, went ahead and shifted to second at 4,000 RPM, for me until then It felt just like the Karizma R / ZMA, smooth, responsive and calm, but that was only until I twisted the throttle to its very limit, expecting a mild surge, man, was I in for a shock! Soon the needle went past 4,000 and after that it was like “hang-on brother!!”.

The bike screamed and pulled so hard, that I was pushed backwards and my hands almost came off the handlebar, boy, I wasn’t prepared for this, I got serious and continued, and even before I knew it, the speedo showed 79 km/h at the red line while I was only in second gear, shifted to third, the wind became so prominent that I had to lower the helmet visor.

The next time I looked at the speedo, it showed 102 km/h while I was in third gear, went forward and touched close to 110 in fourth gear and that’s when hit the brakes and slowed down due to traffic. It wasn’t just fast, it was much faster than what a normal person is used to, If you are a person who has not ridden the Ninja 250, or anything beyond a Pulsar 220, rest assured, the CBR will not just impress you, it will truly blow away your minds by its performance, it simply blew away my mind, it’s honestly hard to explain the adrenalin rush this machine offers, before long I found myself taking U-turns to repeat the same just for the thrill of it.

It’s addictively powerful. To put this into perspective, it has a 0-100 km/h time of 8 seconds, which Is faster than most luxury cars available in the country. Speaking of top-speed, you would need a really empty stretch of road, one that is safe from any surprising obstacles like pedestrians, animals etc, having said that it was hard to go over 130 in Kerala, the only time it can be done is either during early mornings or during the midday.

On the NH 47 on the way to Cochin, I managed to hit 145km/h before I decided to back off the throttle. So if you ask me about top-speed I’d say there is enough and more of it. After the first service was completed at 1,100, the engine felt really smooth and best of all, it sounded really good, it has a bass to its exhaust note combined with an edge which is quite similar FZ, only that it’s much louder.

In my experience I learnt that the bike seems to have a twin character to it, one of a very relaxed bike that is very similar to a Karizma, silent, smooth, refined and responsive and another akin to a performance machine with a lot of power and character, this happens when the bike is either below 5000RPM or above it. Its most comfortable zone is around the same mark, at this spot the engine feels settled and on the boil.

Overtaking with this mini-CBR is also something to mention about, it can be done in two ways, assume you are behind a long truck doing around 50 km/h in 6th gear, simply twist the throttle and hold it there and watch the bike glide forward quickly towards the front of the truck, making no fuzz about it, another way is to shift down to 2nd and open it up, in this scenario, not only do you overtake the truck, you end up teleporting 2kms ahead of you in a flash.

It’s simply too quick when you want it to be and at the same time, quiet and comfortable when it’s asked to be so. In a way this is the highlight of the bike, it’s not just the peak power that seems to have been the focus of Honda in the development of this bike, but, the overall usability. It performs admirably well in a variety of conditions. Slow speed riding in traffic, red-lining all the way to glory, overtaking on the highway, are all taken very well in its stride.

The smoothness of the engine can be felt at all times adding to a really pleasant journey. The cooling system is also very efficient at dissipating heat, since despite being a new bike having run just over a 1000 km’s and even after several red-lining and high speed driving sessions in mid-day heat, the temperature never shows over 3 bars out of 6 on the display.

Ride, Handling and Braking

When you take a look at the Honda CBR250R, it gives a sense of size, in relation to other bikes, it seems to be taller, wider and heavier than say, a Pulsar 220 or a Fazer, but all that perception is blown away, once you sit on it; To start with, the saddle is quite low to the ground, giving average height (175cm / 5ft; 7inch) guys like me plenty of breathing space in terms of footing.

Even though it weighs in at around 161 Kg’s (with fluids) it feels surprisingly light, which can be attributed to the lightweight materials used for the front fairing, the side and rear panels. The handlebar’s fall nicely into the hands and the rear set foot-pegs keeps the legs busy. The riding position and even the handle bar position was more or less the same as that of the RTR 180, it was sporty yet comfortable.

The handle bars were thick and were pleasant to hold on to. Special mention has to be made of the seat which was soft and well cushioned. The raised rear split seat is also designed to keep the rider from sliding backwards under hard acceleration which this bike is very well capable of. All in all, in terms of the ergonomics, it’s a well thought out layout, which is flexible enough for a wide variety of riders, from tall to short, slim to the not – so – slim.

With such soft seats and a comfortable yet sporty layout, long trips can be carried out with the ease of sitting on a couch, well, almost. The only problem I have when riding nonstop for long distances is a slightly painful knee since it rests on the foot pegs in a slightly bent-backwards style.

On the technical side, The bike features a ‘diamond frame’ with a steel truss structure, is a very rigid layout owing to the extensive use of steel in its construction, the engine is the stressed member which means that its block is designed to act as a part of the frame itself, this sort of a layout makes the chassis very stiff while allowing a slight degree of chassis flex to aid in handling.

Adding to this chassis setup was the suspension which was the standard twin shock absorbers at front which had a generous 130mm travel and the pro-link monoshock at the rear with 105mm of travel. Complementing the whole chassis and suspension setup is a pair of Continental tyres branded Conti GO!, the front had a width of 110mm and the rear 140mm, both are 17 inchers which gives a lot of choice for tyre replacement.

Over smooth roads, the CBR simply glides along like a magic carpet this is due to the well sorted suspension and the soft seats, the excellent continental tyres give the great confidence when taking curves quite fast, it has limits much higher than one would want on a bike, hence it feels safe.

When bad roads are shown to it, the front suspension takes bumps and potholes very well, the rear, due to its firmness tends to be a bit harsh, but the real purpose of this setup can be understood when a pillion is on board the bike, in such a scenario, the firmness of the rear suspension is reduced and it feels very settled. With such a setup, kilometer after kilometer of roads, can be covered with the least of fuzz.

Overall, in terms of ride comfort over our Indian roads in general, it doesn’t make you complain and Honda seems to have put in a lot of effort to make sure that the suspension features the best of both worlds, that is ride comfort as well as control and stability, like the other bikes in the market, it features an adjustable rear shock which can be set between five settings from soft to hard, this can be chosen to match the type of road that it would be ridden on thereby adding to an even pleasant journey.

When taking it around the twisted roads, the suspension system and the good tyres coupled with the massive levels of torque and acceleration makes the bike a balanced and poised athlete around the bends, taking it all very well, without creating any drama. Even mid corner bumps are handled with ease by the CBR.

Another important aspect of the CBR that is worth attention is the brakes, it features a 296mm disk setup in the front and a 220mm disk at the rear, both are manufactured by Bybre, which as you may know is the Indian motorcycle arm of the world’s best car and bike braking specialist, Brembo. I tested the brakes several times just to be sure of its limits.

What I noticed was that even though the front disk had enough and more bite to stop the bike very well, it required an effort on the pedal, to stop real hard, the front brake lever has to be pulled to nearly 60% of its total travel when going at over 70km/h, mind you, this is despite the bike having adequate fluid and no air in the braking system.

But still, its braking performance was superb, the fat sticky rubber up front and the Bybre made the CBR come to a complete halt in about 4 bike lengths from where I applied the brakes. No other bike offers the confidence that the CBR offers when braking, this was even without ABS.

The Competition

Now, coming to the topic of the competition, well, there is only one other bike in the 250cc segment in India, for now at least, and that as you all know is the Ninja 250, it’s hard to compare these two bikes since, there is a fundamental difference in the engine, the CBR is a single cylinder while the Ninja is a twin cylinder, this means that in the CBR, it’s just a single 250cc engine, but in the Ninja, its two 125cc engines working in parallel.

This makes a lot of difference in terms of power delivery, throttle response, torque curve and engine note. A complete picture of the differences and the cohesions of the bikes can be known through a side by side test and comparison of both the bikes, these are some of the performance statistics of these two bikes in completely stock condition.

Honda CBR 250R

0-100 km/h : 8.0 sec
Top Speed : 151 km/h
Dry Weight : 152 kg
HP : 26.4
Price (OTR) : Rs. 1,52,000 (Std) / Rs. 1,81,000 (ABS)

Kawasaki Ninja 250

0-100 km/h : 7.7 sec
Top Speed : 160 km/h
Dry Weight : 161 kg
HP : 33
Price (OTR) : Rs. 2,96,000

With bikes, a lot of variations in figures like top speed and 0 – 100 times arise due to a variety of factors, mainly, rider weight and wind conditions. The above is an average of what each bike obtains from a mix of conditions. Looking at the figures above, it’s clear that the CBR is definitely not a replacement for the Kawasaki in terms of performance, but it definitely is a tough competitor especially when the other aspects of the CBR are compared to the Ninja such as its lighter weight.

Its better features like ABS, it’s easy to ride nature, the great fully featured digital console, the arguably better looks, the variety of colors, and most of all, the excellent pricing, the CBR turns out to be a very, very good competitor. Expect to see a lot more CBR’s on the roads within the coming months, also with the growing rise in its popularity across the world, it wouldn’t be too long before after market performance kits like ECU upgrades, exhaust kits and other performance parts start to appear for the CBR.

Hence, with such additions, the differences in real world performance compared to the Ninja may be eliminated. For a moment let me share my opinion on how it’s well and good to choose the CBR over the Ninja, to this date I have not seen a Ninja at a traffic light, and I don’t mind losing to a signal light drag race as long as I can beat almost all other cars and bikes on the road.

Secondly, as far as top speed is concerned, it’s almost irrelevant for a bike capable of going over 150 since, those kind of speeds appear very rarely on the speedo and that its useless unless and only unless you plan to ride on the real open highways, going from state to state.

All things considered, If I were to pay 1,50,000 more over the price I bought my bike at, I would get a machine that was, statistically speaking, just 0.3 seconds faster to 100kmph and which has just a 9 km/h higher top speed and much lesser mileage. Speaking of which this bike gives me a consistent 30kmpl + all the time, the best was 35, the worst was 27, not bad in any way for such a powerful machine.

The Imperfections

Someone once said, no person is perfect, well, the same goes to bikes, the CBR does have its tiny niggles, let’s start from the beginning:

Firstly it’s the problem with Honda and the delivery of bikes, there is already a long queue for the CBR 250R around the country, adding to this is the occasional strikes at their plant. In addition to this, even though there are plenty of showrooms that sell the bike, there are only a few that have mechanics trained to service the CBR.

Parts for the bike are also not yet widely available and parts arrivals take anywhere from a week to a month of ordering depending on the location, So far the service center has been very courteous and prompt at servicing my bike at I hope that It stays the same way in the coming months, the only problem is having to ride 60km to the service center which is capable of servicing the CBR.

The bike also has another problem and that is with the front mudguard, you would notice from the pictures that it doesn’t cover the back of the front tyre, the problem with this is that, it kicks up all kinds of nasty stuff onto the engine, the hot silencer and the equally hot radiator, since the engine itself is covered by the fairing from the sides, cleaning in and around those areas would require the use of a high pressure water pump.

It is almost impossible to reach those places with bare hands, I have noticed that the R15 doesn’t have such an issue since the mudguard is longer and also the engine is actually protected very well from dirt by the design of the fairing which only has an opening for the radiator, leaving only the radiator exposed to any mud or dirt. This needs to be looked into by Honda since the last thing anyone would want on their engine and especially the radiator and silencer, is a load of dirt and slush from road which can’t be cleaned.

Another tiny issue I noticed was with the left hand side mirror and its bolts, the bike despite being just under a month old had two rusted bolts at the base of the mirror, and this was also reported by other Honda CBR250R owners in message boards in India itself, some have reported receiving free replacement bolts of better quality, as a solution, one can apply a bit of grease on the bolt itself to prevent rusting.

The Impression

Overall it must be said that the CBR is a brilliant package, for 1,50,000 (non-abs) approximately, you get a touring machine, a powerful screamer, a wheelie popper, a city slicker, an eye catching photogenic model, a technological wonder, all rolled into one very versatile package, the fact that this has a Honda badge on it is enough to send people running for their check books without even looking at the bike and with such a tempting price for a such a long list of goodies.

If you are in the waiting list for one of these bikes, having paid the booking amount, rest assured that once you open it up after the break in period, you would in all certainty, fall in love with this machine, being a performance enthusiast myself, I have ridden almost all of the bikes in the Indian market including the Pulsar 220, the R15 and the ZMA, but the CBR is a bike that is very different from the rest.

It has a lot of character to it, and it by all means exceeds the best of expectations, I have been very satisfied with my ownership of the CBR, I do believe that this bike would perform in the exact same manner 3 or 4 years from now and that it would still electrify my nerves then as it does today. This is exactly what makes Honda bikes the most sought after in the country. Thanks for reading, hope it was informative. Leave your comments!

Regards,
Tojo

Original Source: Honda CBR250R – 4500KMs Ownership Review by Sharat from BikeAdvice.in

Hi, this is Sharat here. Well I am a final year degree student now. My passion for bikes started right from my schooling days and learned riding a bike when I was in 8th Std. Since then the passion for bikes never stayed the same, it went a notch higher with each day and now I am a complete devotee of bikes. I am a hard core fan of bikes and I never get bored of riding.

Previous Bike

Well I have a Pulsar 180Dts-I along with my baby fire blade. I have done more than 1,00,000Kms on my Pulsar and still running in very good condition with a beautiful average of 53+Kmpl. That was the 1st model of the DTS-I which I got with the spoke wheels. This is the bike which I used to start my biking journey.

Selection and Pricing of the bike

Then the day came where we decided to get another bike, while Royal Enfield was the 1st thing me and my dad had in mind. My dad had eye on Royal Enfield even at the time of purchasing Pulsar. But I had pursued him to purchase Pulsar. Then Honda announced the news of launching CBR250R in India with a very aggressive pricing. Compared the bike head on with all the other bikes and felt, this is the bike designed for me. The bike costs 1.99 laks ( C-ABS Variant) on road which is higher than the normal commuters’ bike and way below Ninja 250 which is the only so to say the competitor in this segment.

Booking And Waiting period

My dad booked for the red C-ABS model in the 1st week of April and kept it as a secret from me and kept on telling that he is considering whether to go for RE or CBR. Somehow after one or two months he told he has booked. That was the moment I jumped in joy. From then; it was the worst period of my biking life waiting for the bike for the next 2-3 months.

During that time I had made a hell lot of calls to the showroom asking for the bike n wrote letters after letters, mail after mail for the Honda requesting for the early delivery of the bike. Mean while myself and my dad went on research, regarding precautions to be taken during running in period. We were regularly chatting, exchanging websites, discussing in this regard.

Delivery and 1st ride

Finally the day came when we got a call from our showroom saying, “Sir, your bike has arrived. Pls come and collect it.” That was the time when I was dancing all around. Despite very low attendance, without any 2nd thought went and booked the tickets for Hubli as I am living in Bangalore. 20th July, that’s the date which changed my biking life.

We went to showroom early in the morning even before the showroom was opened and was waiting for the officials to come. Once they came, we were given a royal treatment in the showroom as that was the 1st ABS model being delivered in that showroom. All in all I was feeling like the king of the Universe then.

Running in period and oil changes

This was the time when I was feeling very difficult to ride the bike. Though the bike had so much of power between my legs, I had to keep it in low speeds. I rode the bike in a max of 4000RPM for the 1st 750Kms. Went up to 5-6K RPM till the end of 1700kms. Took it to 7.5K RPM for the next 1000kms and then on used the complete band for some time.

I also changed engine oil and oil filter after 50kms, around 300kms and then around 700kms. At the time of 1st service at around 1200kms. We used semi synthetic oil all the time. Changed to synthetic oil after 3000kms, now the engine is very smooth.

Engine

This is the thing which stands a class apart from the other bikes. This is the best kind off engine I have ever seen or rode. Very smooth even at higher speeds like 150+ and has no vibration. Stable as if it is in idling.

This has a fuel injected engine which works like a normal commuter bike below 5K RPM and is the beast above that level. Its a kind of bridge between the city bike and a highway beast.

Looks

Redesigned from VFR 1200R, has an amazing design which attracts eyes of everyone, even those who are not interested in the bike. Where ever you take the bike, on road, in parking lot, in Petrol bunk, in signals, people are enquiring about the bike.

I feel the pride when it catches all the attention of people passing around when I am riding on the bike.

Handling

The 140mm rear tyre is the highest of this segment, which offers a great road grip. I have taken this bike out for a spin when I am riding it in heavy rain and attacked the corners at 140s and the bike never lost any balance and was completely stable. The cornering feels a little bit sloppy when you are having a pillion and in high speeds, but better than any other bike which I have rode.

The suspension works great as I have taken it into a few path holes at high speeds and I didn’t receive any kind of shock, I just heard the tyres sound of hitting the pit and up. Also I must mention that, when I took this bike on thick wet muddy surface, the bike never moved away from its lane and did exactly what I wanted to do and never lost balance. Weighing around 180kgs, the bike never feels heavy and feels very light while riding it.

Tyres and Breaks

The real big fat rubber offers a great road grip. I have a feeling, it could be soft tyres as I feel the bike handles better when the roads are wet. (My personal opinion based on my experience.) The breaks are the best feature of this bike. Honda is well known for its safety and proves here too. Since I own a C-ABS, never gets afraid of high speed.

That’s the confidence I have on the breaking system. Once I was doing more than 120s and I had to break suddenly in a highway. And when I did that, the bike just came to stop in a few Mts which is very much less than half of the distance which stops a normal bike like Pulsar or a FZ or a Karizma, that too on wet roads.

The bike never lost balance even though I have tried this many times. It is very stable even during hard breaking and never skid.

Comfort

The riding position is amazing and feels very aggressive and comfortable. Have taken this bike out on a ride for more than 600Kms a day and I and the pillion had nothing to complain like back ache or butt ache.

This shows the amount of comfort the bike offers. The wind direction is also superbly done while it flows to the face and upper chest making it feel like we fly while riding.

Lights and Dashboard

A HID with a projector would be a killer, but still the 55Wt halogen bulb works great. The reflector in the head light is really amazing. I am wondering whether it is 55 Wt halogen bulb. I had to Google it out to confirm it is 55wt bulb. The dash board looks great with a cool blue and gives feel of flying when cornering and riding it at high speeds.

Performance

The 22,900 Nm torque and 27 BHP offers a great power and pick up. The power is simply superb, just pulls like a dream. While I want to overtake, will think twice if it will be possible or not.

But practically when I try that, would have completed the act a lot easier and would have done that in half of the distance which I personally would have thought would be required to overtake.

Average

This is the most common question I am asked by the people checking out for the bike. I am getting up to 38kmpl on highways and sometimes even more if I ride it without pillion and giving proper respect to the RPM meter.

While in cities I have to ride the bikes in just 1st 3 gears and if shifted higher, must break and down shift due to traffic, signals, speed breaker, etc. I am getting about 30kmpl+ in Bangalore city traffic which I feel is very good for any 250cc bike.

Riding Experience

I have done more about 4500kms on this bike already and have possible taken the bike to all possible terrains. Smooth tar roads, wet roads, muddy roads, on stones, hilly regions, etc. Other than on small stones or pebbles, the bike never loses its grip and is a great machine to ride. I have never faced any kind of problems on any surface, other bumper to bumper traffic in Bengaluru, feeling the machine is not made for these roads.

What makes CBR250R Unique

• There are 22 different kinds of sensors in the bike which does all kinds of major inspection as soon as the ignition is turned on.
• The Combined-ABS works great. C-ABS means, when the rear break is applied, 1 among the 3 callipers of the front disk too get applied and the front break works independently. The ABS works on almost all surfaces except on the pebbles. I have never faced any issues of wheel locks and skidding in this bike.
• The head light reflectors is superbly designed, while in the low beam, the right hand side of the head light is cut down, so that it doesn’t affect the riders and drivers coming from the opposite direction. Thinking about other riders and drivers on road is a very good responsibility which Honda thought of.
• The speedo meter is not directly connected to the front wheel. It is connected to the ECU and then to the engine and rear wheel which makes the speedo work by the chip, which makes it even efficient.
• Once the ignition is switched on the RPM meter moves to its max and then comes down to 0. The speedo goes to 188 and then starts a reverse countdown and ensures all the digits in the meter are working perfectly. The engine sensors powers up and check all the major things about the bike, and once everything is perfect the Yellow engine light on the dash board goes off making it ready for the beast to start roaring.
• The C-ABS indicator light will be on and once the bike does 10kmph+ speed, the light goes off switching on the ABS system. If the light doesn’t goes off, then there would be some problem with the breaking system and needs to be taken for the service centre, while the breaks still works. ( Same with the case of Engine sensor Light)
• The bike doesn’t have complicated stuffs like fuel tap, etc., which reduces the maintenance cost and which makes it more secured fuel flow.

Pros

• Engine is the class of its own.
• Superb power and pick up.
• Great handling.
• Breaking is the class of its own.
• No vibration felt at any RPM level.
• Looks like a superb hot bike.
• Very easy to ride and push around in the city and highways too.

Flaws in the Bike

Well every bike has some or the other flaws and CBR is no less.

• The bikes get very dirty when taken for a ride on wet roads. The mud guard is not properly designed. Rider gets his pants dirty and the pillion would have a mud design till their shoulders when it rains.
• The plastic parts seems to be a little of low quality in the beginning, but as time passed by I feel it’s just good enough. Not sure about what others think about this point.
• The design of saree guard is worst and there is no provision for the ladies to keep their legs on it. But I have a question on this, in this kind of a bike, which is not designed for that, who would sit around, cross in that bike like that with a saree. (My personal point.)
• The light seems to be a little less powerful on highways, but is very good within city limits. A HID would have been a better option.
• In this world of LED tail lamps, the tail lamp look like an old model bike, but is very capable of doing its job properly.
• The radiator collects a lot of mud when it rains and is a real head ache to clean.
• Spare parts are real headache and are still not available. God only has to save if there is any accident even if it is minor.
• There is no option to switch off the ABS system just as in the RTR. I personally feel why such options should be there when we are shelling 25K+ for option. Why safety should be compromised?
• A real long waiting period makes the people to lose interest over the bike some times.
• Another 5 BHP would have made this bike a nuclear bomb.
• The service centre people were not trained properly in the beginning and were spoiling the bike during the services, but now the Honda has resolved the problem.
• The side stand of the bike feels of very low quality for its weight. ( Again my personal opinion, though not sure)

Conclusion

Whatever the flaws are, the bike is just amazing and feels great to ride. Every bike has its cons, but the pros of it just make the Cons ignorable. I love this bike since I heard about this bike, and my opinion on it will never change.

It seems to be little expensive, but after a little research and spending some time with this bike, I am sure each and every one, would say its worth every penny spent on it.

Ride Safe, Ride Happy. Leave your comments.

Regards,
Sharat Aaryan