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

Original Source: Honda Unicorn Review by Chetan Bedse from BikeAdvice.in

Hi friends this is chetan bedse from Jalgaon, This is my experience with one of the smoothest and reliable Indian Bike the Honda Unicorn. I have had experience with two different Unicorns one is a 2006 model and another is a 2008 model more or less both were the same except for the one difference, the later was smoother and the former was little more aggressive.

Here is my review about my friend’s bike. At first he was very confused to choose the bikes in the 150cc segment because of that he had many options like Bajaj Pulsar (which is common), Hero Honda CBZ Extreme, Hero Honda Hunk (lack in finishing), Suzuki GS150R, Yamaha FZ, FZ-S, Fazer are awesome looking bikes but mainly lack in mileage.

Because of all these research and home work, he taught that thinking is such a waste of time and finally decided to go for the Honda Unicorn. The bike also feels very comfortable and also rides like a dream with the completely silent engine sounding characteristics. To start off with one can say Unicorn has the most refined engine among the Indian bikes and no other manufacturer can beat the quality of this machine.

When one rides this bike the first thing he would feel is the comfort and ride quality, It is unbeatable and top class, the engine glides like butter and the riding position and handlebars gives you a quality and comfort ride throughout. The 150 cc engine producing 13.3bhp at 8000rpm and torque 1.3kgm at 5500rpm Is the smoothest I have ever rode and there were no vibrations even on 100+ kmph speeds.

The gear box too is the smoothest only Yamaha has similar quality in other Indian bikes, It has great pickup and a reasonable midrange too, But the new editions have smoother engines and their throttle response is not very quick and if you have not revved the engines during the run in time you won’t be having a descent midrange, and I personally feel that the new version is too smooth and hence you feel like riding an underpowered engine in a big body.

If you are on the adrenaline pumping category then you won’t be satisfied with the new Unicorn, when the bike is idling you won’t feel the engine running and might hit the start button again. Even though the engine produces the same power as of a 150cc Pulsar it always had an upper hand while on road and the 2006 model even managed to do a 112 kmph as indicated by the meter and since one of my friend was lagging behind in a Pulsar.

It seemed real too, But the 2008 model didn’t perform on that par the highest ever got on it was a 103 kmph. The disk brakes are good but little spongy, but not bad and with the rear combination it is passable though not as sharp as apache’s and Fz’s. The electric start system seems to have problems during cold start, and sometimes it even takes few extra kicks to start in the morning, and there seems to be complaints about carburator in the new ones.

It gives a very descent mileage of around 55 kmpl making it an ideal commuter and will give around 60 kmpl on highways. The build quality is top class and all the parts used are of superior quality and hence the bike gives you a solid feel and is reliable as the brand name itself, the 2006 model I mentioned before still has the same smooth feel and it never had any major spare part change or overhaul except for the normal wear and tear.

Ride quality is another big plus, with the monoshock setup, a wide comfortable seat, well positioned handlebar and a correct posture this machine is the most comfortable one to ride after the bullets and Karizma, it takes out small potholes on road with ease and is not much of a strain to your back, it is best for a long distance travel too, and this bike has a very comfortable pillion seat too ( your girlfriend may not like the looks of the bike but will surely like the seat).

Handling is another advantage with the long wheelbase and good tires, but the weight of the bike makes it little trickier during cornering and on low speeds or traffic zigzags you will surely feel the weight, but the bike is extremely stable at all speed ranges and even at high speeds handling is quick and safe.

The Honda service is average considering the fact the bike is build with maximum quality the service is not on par with it though. Sadly this bike sure looks outdated in today’s bike market, it has a very simple appearance (I personally liked 2006 version better than today’s variant), even the 125cc Stunner and 110cc Twister looks far better, and if your fashion conscious this bike is not for you.

It will not get you any attraction and sometimes may even be confused with a passion or shine, and it surely won’t look hot alongside an FZ or an apache (again looks are more of a personal choice though). The instrument cluster too is outdated compared to other bikes in its category it doesn’t offer any gizmos but still does majority of the deeds right, headlights could have been brighter, horns are not much help they sound like ones of the 100cc bikes, indicator design is not crash proof (rubber fixed) like Pulsars and Apache’s.

Looks apart, still Unicorn is one of the most reliable and sought after bikes in India, you have to wait 50+ days for the delivery, and your parents will love it, that may not be the case with your girlfriend though, If you’re looking for a descent looking not very fancy reliable bike then Unicorn is for you, it has good power, good mileage, descent looks and a good resale value so this bike is for the family person who doesn’t mind not having fancy instrument clusters and LED tail lamps.

If you want same kind of performance with some added style you can consider hero Honda Hunk and CBZ Extreme they both have the same Honda engine but less refined. So happy biking guys.

Regards,
Chetan Bedse

Original Source: Honda CBR250R Photos (New Update) from BikeAdvice.in

Here are some fresh pictures of the Honda CBR250R which has been updated on 31/1/2011 by Honda.

I am eagerly waiting to test drive this bike. Most probably will buy it if it is good. And I believe it will be. If it doesn’t impress me, next choice would be 2011 R15.

Original Source: 2011 Honda CBR125R Detialed First Look from BikeAdvice.in

Globally the 125cc motorcycle segment is considered to be an entry level segment. It is the segment where a new rider learns riding motorcycle. Ease of ride and handling, Light and compact structure, reliable and low maintenance are some of the characteristics of this segment.

For the same purpose Honda launched the CBR125R in 2004. The old CBR125R was positioned as a 125cc lightweight sports bike. Today Honda CBR125R is considered to be having qualities such as compact, lightweight, refined engine, ease of use and class leading handling.

But according to Honda the time has come for a more sophisticated sports bike, a 125 with the ‘feel’ more often associated with bigger machines and to cater this demand Honda chose their existing CBR125R. The idea behind creating 2011 CBR125R was to create a 125cc sports bike which can give feel of big and expensive sports bike while retaining the traditional qualities of old CBR125R.

The entire design of CBR125R has been revised first time since its launch in 2004.  According to Honda the new CBR125R is first sports bike for a new generation of riders. Let’s have look to new CBR125R.

Engine and Transmission

The new CBR125R is equipped with 124.7cc, liquid cooled, 4-stroke, 2 valve SOHC single cylinder engine. The bore x stroke of 58 x 47.2 mm gives it bore/stroke ratio of 1.23 which means a short stroke engine with lower friction losses and torque generation at higher rpm. The compression ratio 11 : 1 which indicates better initial pick up and power output. The engine is enable to produce maximum power of 13.13 bhp (9.8 KW) @ 10,000 rpm (electronically controlled.

The power to weight ratio stands at 95.9 bhp / tonne which is higher than its current offering in India Stunner CBF’s 90.62 bhp / tonne despite weighing 9 KG more than Stunner. The new CBR125R engine produces maximum torque of 10.41Nm @ 8,000 rpm (electronically controlled).

Now this is the area where the figure has gone down compare to Stunner CBF which produces maximum torque of 11.2Nm @ 6,250 rpm.  The reduction in torque figure and increment in bhp and compression ratio demonstrate the CBR125R’s ability to outperform in any riding condition be it commuting, racing with friends or a ride with girlfriend.

The fuel delivery in CBR125R is handled via Honda’s patented PGM-FI (Programmed Fuel injection System). The advanced PGM-FI system with electronic ignition ensures a lean and perfect air/fuel mixture for the given throttle position be it racing, cruising, or top speed.

This system also ensures optimum throttle response to boost the confidence of its rider. The new FI settings on CBR125R has made the engine more fuel efficient than its predecessor. The other good thing Honda did by moving the filter outside the tank which supplies fuel to the fuel injection system. This makes the service and maintenance process simple and fast. There is no need to worry about overheating condition of engine, as the engine is cooled via liquid cool system.

The transmission is handled via six speed gear box with wet multi plate coil springs clutch. The short gear ratios suggest better initial pick up and faster gear shifting. The difference between first and second gear ratio is more than its elder brother CBR250R which means that this bike has more fun than CBR250R.  Honda has revised final drive ratio in order to improve fuel efficiency of new CBR125R.

As always seen in Honda product the clutch feel is very smooth and precise. Moreover the bike has sporty half chain cover which looks great but it require more maintenance than the full chain cover. In order to avoid chain slackness in CBR125R Honda changed the conventional chain to O ring chain.

As we have seen in CBR250R the new CBR125R also got new exhaust system incorporating an oxygen sensor and tri metal catalytic converter which helps to reduce pollution of gases like carbon monoxide, nitrous oxides and hydrocarbons.  The pollution further reduced at source by the PGM-FI system, which analyses the exhaust gases via the oxygen sensor to maintain the air/fuel ratio at the ideal for clean combustion. All these things have made CBR125R future proof for emission standards.

Chassis and Suspension

The new CBR125R got lightweight pentagonal-section steel twin spar frame. This is the same kind of frame which we have seen on new CBR250R and ensure the same advantage of stiffness.  According to Honda this design is proven one, linking the critical areas of the headstock and the swingarm pivot point using a straight and unbroken spar on both sides of the engine.

The frame gives feel of sports bike frame while also being light and compact. Though the steel frame is heavier than aluminum frame, it is more stiffer and stable compare to aluminum frame. Whether you ride solo or with pillion the new frame boost your confidence to push the bike to the limit.  The wheelbase of 1313 mm and trail of 90mm has been kept lower to the wheelbase of 1369 mm and trail of 95 mm of CBR250R to give the feel of fun riding in 125cc segment.

The new CBR125R got the best out of lot suspension for 125cc segment. The new CBR125R got 31mm hydraulic telescopic fork as a front suspension which offers travel of 120 mm slightly lower to CBR250R 130mm while the rear got damper monoshock suspension which offers travel of 126mm much higher than 104mm of CBR250R.

The bike is more pillion friendly compare to CBR250R. Honda guarantee you superb ride feel and control by the new CBR125R’s premium suspension components. Overall the new CBR125R ride feels comfortable be it on road or off road.

The new CBR125R got the same treatment as its elder brother CBR250R in tire and rim department to ensure firm road grip in any condition. The front got rim size of 2.5 x 17 inch with tire size 100/80 x17 the rear got 3.5 x 17 inch rim size with tire size of 130/70 x 17 which is considerable broad enough  compare to the stunner CBF which uses tire size of  80/100 x17 for front and 100/90 for rear. In India the trend for 17 inch tire started with Discover 125cc and It seems that 17 inch rim and tire are gaining more recognition over 18 inch tire and rim due to its advantage of low center of gravity and reduced mass.

Another good thing about chassis is wide spread use of mass centralization concept. The new CBR125R weight 136.9 KG and the entire mass is distributed between front and rear wheel in 49:51 ratio which means class leading ride and handling ability. In short the CBR125R is ready for anything, from super-smooth open roads to the traffic-packed and bumpy challenge of the city.

Braking

The new CBR125R generates power of 13.13 bhp which can easily be handled by front disc brake and rear drum brake but for giving complete feel of sporty machine, the new CBR125R has got disc brake at front and rear both. It seems like Honda did not want to leave any room for improvement for CBR125R. The front has got 276mm disc with dual piston caliper and sintered metal pads, which seems like largest for 125cc class. The rear got 220 mm disc with single piston caliper. With this configuration of braking is the one department where CBR125R will be far ahead compare to other 125cc motorcycle.

Styling and instrument Panel

This is the area where the new CBR125R looks ditto to new CBR250R. The new faring has been design to provide protection from windblast. As we seen in CBR250R case the front cowl and headlight is largely derived from the VFR1200F and the muscular tank and sharp rear tail look like derived from its larger sibling CBR1000RR. The new CBR125R got 55 watt light for its monoblock Y shaped integrated headlight with separate left/right position lights which makes the visibility better during night journeys.

The clear lens for turn signals looks sporty and futuristic. For the taillight lens Honda chose a honeycomb cut for improved light distribution. The middle cowl designed to provide an aerodynamic feel, taking on a high-efficiency air management function that aims to achieve both high cooling performance and low Cd value (A measure to check aerodynamic efficiency). The under cowl is designed to channel air directly to the engine and catalyzer, in order to boost cooling performance.

The seat of CBR125R is 31 inch (793mm) above the ground level slightly above to the new CBR250R 784 mm. As seen in CBR250R the new CBR125R also got a separated seat to enable the rider to enjoy wide variety of situations from touring to sport riding. The location of the handlebars and footpegs has been revised for improved control while maintaining outstanding rider comfort. The riding posture of CBR125R offers optimum comfort and safety. The airy cockpit provides ample amount of air around head and shoulder.

To give sporty look and feel of large bike the new CBR125R got all new multifunction LCD instrumentation panel derived from CBR250R. The new instrumentation panel boasts wealth of information and are dynamically designed and coated in silver. The LCD area and indicators includes information like rpm meter, speedometer, engine temperature, six segment fuel gauge level, clock, odometer, trip meter and neutral and light indicators. With a brilliant orange LCD backlight, the display looks modern and futuristic.

A special silencer with an irregular pentagonal section was chosen for the muffler design in order to reflect the cutting-edge design of Honda motorcycles. The black coated stainless steel muffler with matte silver coated protector is one of the features which add five stars in the style department.

Colors

Currently Honda offers three color schemes for new CBR125R which are Terra Silver Metallic SE, Ross White Tricolour and Asteroid Black Metallic.

Optional Accessories

The CBR125R comes with following Optional Accessories

Seat Cowl: The seat cowl designed to cover the passenger seat if you ride solo. The color scheme of seat cowl designed to match with the front faring of CBR125R.

Rear seat bag: The rear seat bag designed to provide extra carriage space while riding.

Tank pad: The tank pad for preventing bike from scratches.

Wheel stickers: To give feel of super sports bike Honda offers you wheel stickers for CBR125R

U-Loc: The U-Loc is specially designed to fit under the seat of CBR125R it also prevent from theft of bike.

Overall it seems like Honda has developed a new CBR platform for 125-250 cc range. Take any one CBR125R, CBR150R or CBR250R, they all share a common styling, chassis type, suspensions, brakes and Instrumental panel.  It is possible that Honda will position this as a new platform for entirely new customer segment.   For example Honda CBR125R might be positioned against KTM Duke125.

Similarly Honda CBR150R and CBR250R might be positioned against Yamaha R15 and upcoming 250cc bikes respectively. Another thing, this common platform is going to save huge amount for Honda. Be it R & D, manufacturing process or sales and marketing.  Think about the amount Honda had to spend if there were three different motorcycles to be developed.

Honda can save large amount while sourcing parts as most of the parts are same for all three new CBR series bikes. It also gives an advantage of economy of scale during manufacturing process. A common styling has much more brand recall than different one.  So it might be possible that the expected India launch of CBR250R in April 2011 might be followed by CBR125R or CBR150R but as if now Honda did not mention when they are going to launch CBR125R or CBR150R in India.

2011 Honda CBR125R Specifications

Engine:

Type Liquid-cooled 4-stroke, 2-valve SOHC single

Displacement              124.7 cc

Bore X Stroke              58 x 47.2 mm

Compression Ration    11:1

Maximum Power        13.13 bhp (9.8KW) @ 10,000 min-1 (95/1/EC)

Maximum Torque                   10.41 Nm @ 8,000 min-1 (95/1/EC)

Transmission

Clutch                          Wet, multiplate with coil springs

Clutch Operation        Mechanical; cable-actuated

Transmission Type      6-speed

Final Drive                   O-ring sealed chain

Fuel System

Carburetion                 PGM-FI electronic fuel injection

Throttle Bore              30mm

Fuel Tank Capacity      13litres (including LCD-indicated reserve)

Electrical System

Ignition System                       Computer-controlled digital transistorized with electronic advance

Starter                         Electric

Battery Capacity         12V

Headlight                    55W x 1 (low)

Chassis

Frame Type                 Pentagonal; steel twin-spar

Dimensions                 1,946 x 704 x 1,089mm

Wheelbase                  1,313mm

Caster Angle               35°

Trail                             90mm

Seat Height                 793mm

Ground Clearance       185mm

Kerb Weight                136.9kg

Suspension

Front                            31mm telescopic fork, 120mm axle travel

Rear                            Monoshock damper, 126mm axle travel

Wheels

Rim Size Front             17M/C x MT2.5

Rim Size Rear              17M/C x MT3.5

Tire Size Front             100/80-17M/C ()

Tire Size Rear              130/70-17M/C ()

Brakes

Front                            276 x 4mm dual hydraulic disc with dual-piston caliper and sintered metal pads

Rear                            220 x 4mm hydraulic disc with single-piston caliper and sintered metal pads

Note: All specifications are provisional and subject to change without notice.

- Mahavir Kothari

(Source: Official Honda Press Release)

Original Source: 2011 Honda CBR250R Detailed First look from BikeAdvice.in

From the makers of VFR1200F here is the new baby. Honda CBR250R is a 250 cc bike from Honda to challenge world’s best 250cc bike Kawasaki Ninja 250R. New 2011 CBR250R is a 250 cc bike equipped with traditional CBR qualities like performance, dynamic behavior and perfect ease of use. The CBR250R is designed to meet the needs of the most demanding riders. Honda said that the concept behind developing CBR250R was ‘Sport Quarter for One World’.

Engine and Transmission

The new Honda CBR250R is equipped with 249.4 cc, 4 storke, DOHC, 4valve water cooled engine. With the Bore x stroke size of 76 X 55 mm, CBR250R is able to produce massive power of 26.4 bhp (18.7KW) which peaks @8500 rpm (Electronically controlled) which makes the power to weight ratio at 163bhp/tonne.  You don’t need to engine rev hard as the maximum torque of 22.9Nm produced @7000 rpm.  As most of the power available at lower rev the bike will fire at traffic points.

The fuel delivery is handled by Honda’s patented PGM-FI (Programmed Fuel Injection system) which ensures smooth and precise fuel delivery result more power with less fuel consumption.  The fuel filter of CBR250R is placed outside the fuel tank to facilitate any intervention and reduce maintenance costs.

The engine mass is kept as low as possible by elimination of unnecessary parts and keeping the moving parts like rod and piston light weight. The friction between engine parts also reduced to significant level which you can feel in engine noise. The Iridium spark plug to squeeze out maximum from every drop of fuel. You don’t need to worry about overheating of engine as liquid cooling system ensures the engine temperature at recommended level.

The Honda CBR250R got six speed gear box with wet multi plate clutch. The short to long gear ratio means you can quickly move into the next gear. The gearbox is designed to exploit the characteristics of the engine at the same time ensuring quicker acceleration and low fuel consumption.  The gear shift feel is very smooth and precise.

In order to reduce pollutant discharges, the CBR250R incorporates the latest technology in exhaust. The catalyst metal tri limit emissions of carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons to a minimum. An oxygen sensor placed in the exhaust allows the electronic control unit to further reduce emissions by ensuring the best possible combustion.

Chassis and Suspension

The CBR250R got twin spar steel diamond frame. This steel frame with perimeter configuration ensures optimum stiffness. The perimeter frame means the steering head jointed to the swingarm at shortest possible distance which makes the frame lightweight and rigid. Though, the global trend is towards aluminum perimeter frame, Honda chose steel frame which is stiffer than aluminum. The higher level stiffness of the frame has improved stability and handling qualities of new CBR250R.

The new CBR250R got hydraulic 37mm fork as a front suspension which offers travel of 130mm the rear got Pro-Link Monoshock suspension which offer 104mm travel. Thanks to the combination of the front and rear suspension, the CBR250R is able to deliver excellent ride quality with or without pillion.

The new CBR250R got special treatment in tire and rim department. The new CBR250r got new tires and rim from its larger CBR series to ensure firm road grip in any condition. The front got rim size of 2.75 x 17 inch with tire size 110/70 x17 the rear got 4 x 17 inch rim size with tire size of 140/70 x 17.

The combination of Chassis, Suspension and tires offers dynamic driving position on CBR250r that provides perfect control of the vehicle and which appears pleasant and comfortable on long trips leaving room for the concentration of the driver. It also made the bike weight limited to 161 KG.

Braking

Honda is known for making safest vehicle in the world and that’s what Honda proved in case of CBR250R. The new CBR250R got C-ABS (Combined braking system with Anti lock braking system). This is the first time any 250cc bike having feature like C-ABS. The Combined Braking System is known for its effective braking control. It ensures the required combination of front and rear brakes which make sure that the braking torque generated in required manner on front and rear wheel.  CBS with ABS (Anti lock braking system) surely going to do wonder’s in braking department.

The new CBR250R got 296 mm disc with dual piston caliper for the front brake while the rear brake got 220 mm disc with single piston caliper. But the C-ABS system will come as option on CBR250R. The C-ABS version is 4Kg heavier than the non C-ABS version.

Styling and Instrument Panel

Front biased styling for motorcycle is trend in Japan and CBR250R has followed the same trend. The new CBR250R features a new full fairing and reinforces its sporty design with sophisticated and dynamic lines. In addition to its sporty look, the fairing proves comfortable for the driver side and weather disturbances. The new CBR250r got 55/60 watt light for its monoblock integrated headlight which makes the visibility better during night journeys. The front cowl and headlight is largely derived from the VFR1200F. The muscular tank and sharp rear tail look like derived from its larger sibling CBR1000RR. The concept of mass centralization is widely used while designing the bike.

The seat of CBR250R is just 31 inch (784mm) above the ground level which means even 5 feet 6 inch tall rider will not face any problem for seat height. . In addition, a separated seat that enables the rider to enjoy a wide variety of situations from touring to sports riding. Apart from this the new CBR250R is hosting a storage space under the seat that can carry easily a “U” tools on board or other rain gear. The position of handlebars and footpegs are in line with the seat to support a sporty driving style. The riding posture of CBR250R offers optimum comfort and safety. The airy cockpit provides ample amount of air around head and shoulder.

The new CBR250R got brand new multifunction LCD instrumentation panel which include speedometer, rpm meter, engine temperature, fuel gauge, clock and odometer. A neutral light is also there. With a brilliant blue LCD backlight, the display looks modern and futuristic. A special silencer with an irregular pentagonal section was chosen for the muffler design in order to reflect the cutting-edge design of Honda motorcycles.

Fuel Efficiency

Honda is known for its gasoline (petrol) fuel efficient engine throughout the world and the new CBR250 is not expectation. The new CBR250R is able to deliver fuel efficiently of 27Km/liter (WMTC mode). With 13 liter fuel tank it can give you range of more than 350 kilometer which is good enough for long rides.

Colors

The new CBR250R will be available in 3 colors Red (similar to VFR1200F), the HRC Red-white-Blue and Black.

Optional Accessories

As we seen in case of Honda VFR1200F the new CBR250R also going to have accessories list like a purpose designed tail pack, a carbon look seat cowl, wheel rim stickers, tank protection and a u lock designed to fit under the seat of the CBR250R.

Price and Availability

Honda CBR250R has big plan for India and Honda also said that they will produce the bike in India. It means that more localize part which will reduce cost dramatically. The Honda CBR250R is expected to launch in April 2011 in India with expected price of below Rs. 1.5 Lakh ex-showroom.

Complete Specifications

Dimensions:

Length: 2030mm
Width: 709mm
Height: 1127mm
Wheelbase: 1369mm
Seat Height: 784mm
Ground Clearance: 148mm
Rake: 25°
Trail: 95 mm

Engine Type: 4 stroke, DOHC 4-valve, water cooled
Displacement: 249.4CC

Bore x Stroke: 76 x 55 mm
Compression ratio: 10.7 : 1
Maximum power: 26. 2 bhp (18.7 kilowatts) @8500 rpm (95/1/EC)
Maximum Torque: 22.9 Nm @7,000 rpm (95/1/EC)
Carburetion: Electronic Fuel Injection PGM-FI
Diameter of the venture: 38MM

Ignition: Transistorized with electronic advance
Transmission: Clutch: Wet multiplate with coil springs
Gearbox: Constant mesh 6-speed return
Final Reduction: Ring Chain
Final Drive: Chain
Training: Mechanical cable
Primary reduction 2.808
Final reduction 2.714

Electricals

Start Electric
Battery 12V/ 6AH
Headlight 55/60 watts
Chassis Frame Type: Double beam type steel tube (Diamond frame)
Kerb Weight: 161 KG/ 165 (C-ABS version)
Fuel Tank: 13 liter

Rim Front 17 M / C × MT 2.75
Rear 17 M / C × MT 4.00
Tire Front 110/70 ×17M / C
Rear 140/70 × 17M / C
Suspension Front telescopic fork, 37 mm, 130 mm travel
Rear Pro-Link Monoshock, 104 mm travel
Brake: Front Hydraulic disc 296 x 4.5 mm with 2-piston caliper and resin pads
Rear hydraulic disc 220 x 5 mm with single piston caliper and resin pads

- Mahavir Kothari

Original Source: Honda to Launch New Bike this Diwali from BikeAdvice.in

Update: Honda will launch the CBR250R in India by 2011. Please disregard the following news.

Honda India is all set to launch a new a range of motorcycle in premium segment in India. Yes it’s true; they have four bikes in their pipeline namely

• Honda VTR 250
• Honda CBX 250 twister
• Honda CBR 150R
• Honda CBR 250R

The hot news is that Honda is launching a new motorcycle in this Diwali. Yes, that is on 5^th November 2010.  But nobody knows that will they lauch from the above list as they are playing a silent game now. This will be only cleared on the day of  Diwali.  Let’s take a quick look on all the bikes that excites us.

Honda VTR 250: Honda VTR 250 is the most gorgeous looking street fighter bike from Honda that is available in many European countries. The Honda VTR 250 features a liquid cooled four stroke DOHC 90 degree V-twin cylinder gasoline engine with four valves which produces a ground churning power of 30 bhp and 22 nm of torque.

The VTR 250 features Honda’s most premium PGM-FI technology. The bike also features 296 mm single disc at the front and 220 mm disc at the rear.

With the launch of this bike, we will have two bikes in real street fighter segment namely Yamaha FZ and Honda VTR 250. The expected price of this bike will be around 1.5 lakh rupees.

Honda CBX 250 Twister: Honda CBX twister is the upgraded version of the current Honda CB Twister. This bike features four stroke air cooled 249cc DOHC engine. In terms of looks the bike looks like a Hero Honda karizma without fairing. This bike produces a peak power of 24 bhp with a torque of 24 nm which is very suitable for city riding.

This bike features Honda’s PFM-FI technology so it will churn a great mileage for 250 cc engine. It also comes with a 276 mm single disc at front and 180 mm drum at the rear. It is expected that this bike will produce a top speed of 160 kmph. The expected price of this bike will be around 1.30 lakh rupees.

Honda CBR 250R: Honda CBR 250R is the younger sibling of the most famous Honda CBR 1000RR. The whole bike looks awesome and its design is inspired from Honda VFR 1200F. Can also be called out as a miniature of the VFR as everything remains the same with the design element in mind. The bike features a Liquid cooled 4-stroke Dual Overhead Camshaft 90° V-twin cylinder gasoline engine.

It also features the same Honda PGM-FI technology with 296 mm single disc at the front and 220 mm disc at the rear with mono shock hydraulic suspension at the rear. This bike also features digital speedometer that is a rip off again from the VFR 1200F. The expected price of this bike is around 1.5 lakhs rupees if we are lucky.

Honda CBR 150R: Honda CBR 150R is the smallest sibling of the entire CBR series from Honda. As per the average biker’s point of view Honda CBR 150R 2011 edition is the most gorgeous bike among all the bikes listed here. Honda is planning to launch the new 2011 edition of this bike in India as it is already launched in Thailand.

The design of this bike is also inspired from the Honda VFR 1200F. The CBR 150R features a 4 stoke liquid cooled 149.4 cc engine which produces the peak power of 18.5 bhp with 16 nm of toque. It also features a 276 mm disc at the front and 220 mm disc at the rear. . the expected price of this bike will be around 1 lakh rupees which is very competitive . The main rivals for this bike will be Yamaha r15 and Hero Honda karizma ZMR.

My Opinion: If these bikes are launched in India, surely they will change the biking trend in our country. The news is confirmed that Honda will launch bigger bike in India on 5 th of November but no one knows which bike, but it is sure that it will be one from the listed bikes here or all of them. In my opinion they should launch Honda CBR 150r and Honda CBR 250R or Honda VTR 250. Good going Honda, best of luck for new bikes.

Source: Xbhp, maxabout etc.

– Mazid Hussain

Original Source: Honda to Increase Production of Activa from BikeAdvice.in

The next time you go to a Honda showroom to book your favorite scooter, Activa, you would not have to wait very long. Honda is increasing the production capacity of its 110cc Activa scooter by 300 units per day. Currently, Activa has a long waiting period in most of the parts of the country which ranges from 1 month to 5 months.

Honda currently produces 2100 Activas per day at their Manesar plant and with its increased capacity; the production would go upto 2400 Activas per day. Honda is India’s largest scooter manufacturer with a share of more than 50 percent with Activa forming the major chunk of sales every month. Very soon after its launch during the initial decade, Activa became the largest selling scooter model in India and has helped Honda completely kill Bajaj’s supremacy in the scooter market. Recently, Honda upgraded the long serving 102cc engine with a more efficient 109cc engine with a bump in power as well as fuel efficiency. This news will surely relieve a few of the prospect buyers.

- Saad Khan