Dear BikeAdvice Readers, here comes the first comprehensive ownership review of the Honda CBR250R on BikeAdvice. I always dreamt of having a bike of my choice right from my early childhood. I was very much into stuff like bikes, cars and all. In other words I loved them to the core.
I started to learn the bike on Pulsar 180 in 2004. That is where my biking history starts. Right from then I have never stopped riding and each day my passion towards bike keeps increasing dramatically.
Booking the CBR250R
The day came when we finally decided after a long research about which bike I should get and finally it was decided its the Honda CBR250R.
It was the end of march when we had decided and booked the bike after considering so many other bikes like the Bullet Classic, Karizma ZMR, Pulsar series and the Ninja.
Delivery
Just like you and every other reader here, this was the worst period of my biking life. 4 long months writing letters after letters, and making calls after calls to the Honda company and the showroom, finally got my CBR250R on 20th of July.
I had booked the bike in Hubli and after listening to the news that I will be getting the bike, I booked my tickets to Hubli never making a second thought about bunking my college despite of low attendance. The day came when I reached showroom to get the bike and it was really a royal treatment in the showroom for me, as I was the 1st customer to be delivered with the ABS built in.
Looks
Lets start of with the most basic aspect any college student would want from his ride. In looks, it has no compromise. Its one of the best looking bikes I have ever seen in this segment.
The body balance right from the head light to the tail grab is superbly done with a great balance making it look like the pearl on the roads.
Performance
This is what makes this bike stand out from all the other bikes. Powered with a 250cc single cylinder engine, whit 26 BHP, it has a superb power which anyone can realize by riding the bike for just for a few meters. I found it very very difficult to keep the speed in control while the bike was in the run-in period.
The throttle response is too sensitive and works amazingly. Not to be shocked, the engine alone has 19 patents out of the 22. And, the engine smoothness is as good as any other Hondas engine, very smooth producing a huge power. And also I was getting a very good average of about 35kmpl even before the 1st service.
Handling
The bike handles like a flower. Though its too heavy, while riding the rider gets the feeling of being flying in the air with its beautiful aero-dynamics and wind path. The wheelbase is one of the largest in this segment, making the bike very stable. I drove the bike on wet, dry and muddy roads and to my surprise the bike never lost its balance even though I was speeding in the wet and dry roads at high speeds.
While I was a little careful on the muddy roads not able to speed, but still it was a lot stable than the while any other bike would have lost its balance while I was doing 20+ kmph on such places.
Price
There are 2 versions of CBR250R available, the standard version and the Combined-ABS mounted variant.. The standard version costs 1.69 laks on road while the ABS model would cost a 30,000 more, 1.99laks. And I personally feel the ABS is really worth the extra penny making your ride more secure and pleasure.
Special Features of Honda CBR250R
The 1st special thing I observed in this bike was the head lamps (55wt Halogen bulb) are extremely powerful any clearly visible. The credit goes to extreme reflective principle used in this bike.
And also to my surprise while on the dip mode, the lights at the left part of your road is more wide and powerful when compared to the right side, making it very pleasant for the vehicles coming from the opposite direction.
The next interesting thing about this bike is, the speedometer is not connected to the front wheel. Its connected to the ECU and then to the engine and then to the rear wheel making it completely controllable during any emergency breaking.
The dash board looks too good and the clear wing like structure gives it a “flying” like feel while riding the bike. And when you switch on the engine, the RPM needle goes to the max and returns and the digital speedo starts the reverse countdown from 188, making sure the digital display is working correctly.. The engine sensors makes a quick check if there is any fault and makes the bike ready to start the engine.
Braking
The C-ABS system gives a 50% breaking pressure on the front wheel when the rear breaks are applied. Overall the ABS system is great. I applied the breaks so hard while riding at 70KMPH and I was amazed by the stopping distance.
Cons of CBR250R
- The plastic parts used are not of the Honda’s standards and the finishing of the frame and all looks a bit sloppy.
- A real long waiting period.
- While riding on wet roads, be sure to have an extra set of shoes and pants as the shoes and the pants become dirty by the water spilling over them.
Conclusion
Overall I am very satisfied with my CBR250R. I love it so much and will continue to do so. It may seem a little expensive at first but just have a look at the market – with some research you will find out that CBR250R is worth the money.
As with all Honda products, it will have excellent resale value and your investment will be justified.
Leave your comments on my review!
Ride safe, ride happy 🙂
– Sharat Aaryan
