In Japan there are three classes of licenses 1) Less than 50cc where you can use your car licence 2) 51 to 400cc and 3) Over 400cc. At each level the costs goes up. The next thing is inspection and road tax.... it is required for all bikes above 250.
This is why the 250 hits a nice sweet spot.... easier to get a license and no inspection and road tax!
For me though... it was just that it looked so cool... and I can only have a limited time to ride due to never ending business trips :-)
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Honda CBR250R <-- Current Ride
Suzuki Lets II / Kawasaki KZ1000 / Suzuki GSX250E Katana
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my adult children wont have cars due to pollution,
but two have motorcycles and their sisters are
interested in and thinking of getting scooters..
Take a ride on a Honda PCX150. It is incredibly light to pull out of parking spots and easy to ride with a sit up position and auto trans. It has a top speed of 110kph and is perfect for cruising at 90kph while getting 95 mpgUS, 2.5 L/100km, 40.4 km/L.
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It's a shame that Honda don't sell this in the US. It's the most economical bike I've ever owned. It used to average 146 mpg (imperial) and the best I got out of it was 159 mpg. The worst I had out of it was 120 mpg. Easy to self service, with adjustable tappets, and a better cruising speed than a scooter.
Is fuel mileage really that big of a deal? I've ridden just over 10k miles so far this year and according to my calculations a bigger bike with about 20 mpg less would have cost me an extra $250 in gas. That's not even enough money to worry about.
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Is fuel mileage really that big of a deal? I've ridden just over 10k miles so far this year and according to my calculations a bigger bike with about 20 mpg less would have cost me an extra $250 in gas. That's not even enough money to worry about.
$230 at US prices in gas savings with a CBR250R getting 70 mpg versus riding a 650 at 50 mpgUS. $570 savings in Europe. The savings versus a 35mpg liter bike or Harley would be $570 per year USA and $2000 in Europe. It adds up.
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Fuel economy is a green philosophical issue. Do more with less. Do you need a 600SS or liter bike to get where you are going? Save the planet.
I can only share my personal reasons for buying a small bike. I am in the "older" category of 50-up. I never rode a street motorcycle in the past, but always wanted to. I have a short inseam, so I also did not want a large/tall bike...but I don't identify with cruiser culture so the low seat height of a cruiser didn't attract me either. I like technology and modernity, so ABS and EFI are "musts". I also like to swim against the current, and a small-displacement single-cylinder bike fits that psychological need. Aesthetics are important to me in cars/trucks/boats/motorcycles...and the CBR looks dynamite. Lastly, the price of the bike brand new is absurdly low in the context of the US market. To be honest, fuel economy was never a consideration at all for me.
9 0f 10 I agree. I am mid-late 40's myself and haven't ridden in 20+ yrs. I needed cheaper-than-a-car transportation and liked the mpg possibilities with bikes as well. I also just wasn't feeling the cruiser vibe and I also had the urge to do my own thing vs the stereotypical cruiser bike with a 40 something on it.
The ABS brakes played a big role and the very affordably priced CBR 250r had everything I was looking for.
I just came back from Rome and there were thousands of bikes and scooters there and maybe 5 of them were Harley's or cruisers.
Reading back thru this thread a few more things popped out to me. The fuel injection now avail on small bikes was also a plus for me. Im riding 50 miles a day in my commute and thats year round. Cold weather starts are a fact of life for me so that was important.
The ABS for $500 was a no brainer as well. The mpg was a great thing but not the main thing. I'm glad the 250cc gets 60-80 mpg but I wouldn't be interested in going down to a 125cc even with the great mpg they have.
The CBR 250r really hit a sweet spot. at least for me.
I like mine for one simple reason: It is just plain fun! I enjoy so much riding it hard asking everything it can give. I could never be that agressive with a larger displacement bike and still be alive or walking.
I'm 50 yo, it is my sixth bike in 32 year and I would not anything else.
Well... its my 50th birthday tomorrow... First time in life I'm pissed off by a number...
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