[Honda CBR 250 Rider]

good...

So I got the bike almost a whole month ago (used with about 500 miles on it) and I have road it many times (more recently than initially). I still don't have a license or insurance so I've been limiting my rides so not to push my luck with legal issues. I also have no riding experience prior to riding it away from the dealership and am hoping I'll be able to take the riders courses this coming weekend so I can finally go for my license and insurance. Texas requires that you take the courses before you can even take the written test which makes legally starting on a bike more expensive than a car.

But anyway. At first riding was slightly scary because I always worried I would push the bike too hard while turning at slow speeds or would shift up improperly, but now I'm almost completely confident while riding it as after some practice, I realized the bike is much easier to handle than I thought and have manage to figure how to shift smoothly and quickly.

I also realized one night while riding that at least on the bike, that MPG ratings for motor vehicles are determined using a poor method. They base it on distance of highways and streets, when its really about how long the gas lasts at lowest appropriate RPMs. I realized this when I compared my first time riding to when I was more experienced, as when I started out, I would always shift up when I was at high rpms and at the end of about two hours of low speed riding my bike at lost about half its tank (according to the digital meter). Although now that I know the lowest rpms I can smoothly ride at in the gears, my gas lasts MUCH longer. It really has NOTHING to do with distance, just how much work your making your engine do. So I have no idea why they base MPGs on distance.

I also learned quickly that I didn't need to hold the clutch slightly in at all after I got the bike going, lol. I did that at first because I thought the bike would stall if I didn't have it slightly pulled in while riding. My left hand was killing me for holding it so long. lol

I have yet to pop the clutch and have no intention of mistreating the bike in such a way as it sounds and feels painful to the bike when I've misjudged to smoothly shift up and end up over revving and the bike slightly jerks and makes a popping sound when it gets into gear, so I've gotten better on smooth shifts.

My least favorite part about riding is engine braking. At first I didn't even attempt it because I didn't want to risk stalling the bike, so I would pull the clutch in and use just the brakes to slow down, but when I found out how it actually works, I was introduced to a new more forceful method to slowing down, and I honestly DO NOT like it. The lower the rpm, the slower and gently the bike will slow down, whereas the higher the rpm, the more quickly the bike will slow down resulting in stronger negative force, which to me gives the feeling that the bike is trying to throw me forward, which is a scary feeling if not prepared for it.

I also think that for those who don't know how to properly engine brake, it would be a dangerous affair as the other night I was coming to a stop at a light, I was engine braking, and as I shifted into first gear I didn't think about my speed, so as I released the clutch I was doing close to 20 MPH and the bike forcefully slowed down, pushing me forward and I swear my rear tire locked up and skidded for about half a second until I pulled in the clutch again to brake on my own. So yeah, I'm getting the hang of it, but it just doesn't feel like I'm the one controlling how I stop.

As for performance, its more than I need. I may even prefer to have less power if it saved more gas. I like the sport bike look, but I don't want the sport bike performance, but that's not to say I haven't tried pushing the bike on the highway and I certainly have when there are big gaps between traffic. My max speed on a short but steady leveled road was 91MPH and there was definitely room for more speed to be had, but my max overall is 95 MPH on a short decline, which could have easily reach 100 at redline.

As for maintaining, its more of a pain that I originally thought, mostly because I didn't realize a mile was so short, so the gaps between when I need to maintain it are going to be shorter than I originally thought. I've just put over 400 miles on top of the original 500 and it makes me sad because its happened so fast and don't feel like I've been riding it THAT much.

I've managed to clean and lube the chain on my own and that was a real pain because I didn't have the tools to make the process easier and I decided NOT to try to change the oil myself so I took it to the only Honda Bike dealer closest to Austin which is about 20 miles south of downtown into the next town. My only regret in getting it serviced there was that I didn't watch them do it to make sure they actually did anything that I asked, but I'm sure they did, otherwise my bike will let me know soon. Lesson learned.

So at the moment my experience has been a learning process, but after just getting the bike, I'm really not all that excited about it at all. Its cool to ride and I really enjoy just cruising around town with no real destination to get to. I think my lack of enjoyment has much to do with the fact that I don't know any other riders, the fact that I feel more of a loner with the bike than I did without it (but I was expecting it to happen), and the fact that I DO NOT like the black version of this bike. Its just horribly bland to me. I wanted the red and silver, but they didn't have one available and used, so I will have to settle with it unless I decide to have it painted white and black, which I'll have to be careful about doing.


So that is my experience with the Honda CBR250R so far that I wanted to share. I certainly am not going to get rid of it. Its an investment and I will do my darndest to put my hard earned $4000 plus machine to good use!

If anyone has a comment to share or would like to give some advice it'd be welcomed!

 

[Ibex250R]

Never mind....

 

[llory]

Good to hear you're enjoying the bike. Get insurance on the bike ASAP! Remember that insurance protects you not only against mistakes you may make yourself and others, but it also protects you from theft!

You should try and get together with ptcary and txtarheel, they are from the Austin area as well.

 

[200Fathoms]

So I got the bike almost a whole month ago (used with about 500 miles on it) and I have road it many times (more recently than initially). I still don't have a license or insurance...

I think I'll stop reading here.

 

[live_to_ride]

Sounds like your riding experience thus far appears to be leaning towards the negative side. I'll try to be encouraging. First off, good on you for the tentenacity in teaching yourself. You seemed to have picked up some good tips from this forum i.e. engine braking. This forum also has advocated the MSF course which is where you will be taught the proper skills in a safe and static enviornment. Self teaching oneself in a street setting is neither safe nor confidence inspiring. In addition, you are looking over your shoulder with the fear of getting caught as an unlicenced rider. Worse yet would be the scenrio of an accident in which for sure it would be discovered you are unlicenced and uninsured. These factors would indeed take away the joy of riding.

The MSF course would also give you the opportunity to ride different bikes which aids the new rider in a future choice of a bike. In time, one learns what type of bike they'd like as well as discover what style of rider they are. Some people decide the cruiser is the style they want. They're quite content poking along and enjoying the scenery while others latch onto the sport bike, taking the twisities at mach 10 while dragging their knee and comment "what scenery?". Again the MSF course gives the new rider an introduction to these bikes. This forum has also suggested buying a previously owned bike to learn on as new riders are more able to relax without the fear of dropping their new bike.

As far as maintenance is concerned, it's a part of the sport. However I have not felt it a chore. Most of us find it a part of the hobby. Safety is a prime concern therefore no biggie.

Sorry the black color is not working out for you. Perhaps you should of waited for the red. On a positive note, since you are going to hang on to this investment you can add some mods to personalize it to your taste.

When you take your MSF course you will meet other new riders. Following the conclusion of the course maybe you guys can hook up for future rides. All will have the same skill level so no one will feel pressured to ride beyond their skill/comfort level. Give yourself time to hone your skills. Whenever learning something new in life there are peaks and valleys. Naturally this applies to riding. Something I have learned while riding is "One has to WANT to learn to ride....not the idea of riding".

Hang in. Take the MSF. Get a different bike is needed. Be patient.
Cheers

 

[Pete]

Glad your experience has been positive. I won't go into a long response but you ARE, in fact, doing a few things that are "mistreating the bike" and the basic MSF course will fix that as well as making you safer and more confident.

 

[jkv357]

A couple of things -

No experience, license, or insurance and you've hit 95! Wake-up! Park the CBR until you have completed a MSF course and have your license and insurance.

You are too impatient. Why buy a black one if you don't like it? You are not ready to ride anyway, so just wait. Do you have gear? You need more than just a helmet. Jacket, gloves, boots, and pants are a real good idea.

A cycle is not an "investment" - the value is constantly dropping from day 1. It's much closer to a toy for most of us.

Slow yourself down and get some training immediately. If you aren't sure you're having fun, it may not be for you. The test is when things go bad - that's when you decide if riding is your thing or not.

The consequences for impatience and mistakes are higher than you think they are.


Jay

 

[Brian]

Honda CBR 250 rider, good job. I know I would have a hard time waiting for every thing to be done so I could ride. Judging from your post, it sounds like you use your brain, that is good. On a motorcyle to me the most important insurane is uninsured motorist. Motorcycles usually come out of an accident with the short stick. Where I live we have plenty of illegal aliens (from everywhere) that obviously dont care about the laws, or they would not be here illegaly. So I upped my uninsure motorist, becausewhen they run you over, they are not too worried about auto insurance either.
I am interested in what you think of the riding class. Will it be MSF? Keep us posted.
And congratulations on you new bike, be safe.

 

[Pete]

On a note about the insurance I don't carry collision. Bikes depreciate so rapidly that you could total your ride on the way home from the dealer and the most you would collect would be $3500. That's not much payback for a very expensive ad-on to the policy. I DO carry $50,000 worth of property damage liability. I live in the SF Bay Area which is full of BMW's, Teslas and other expensive cars and it's quite easy, even on a little 360 pound bike, to cause tens of thousands in damage to today's unit body built cars with one mistake.

 

[spdklls]

good...

So I got the bike almost a whole month ago (used with about 500 miles on it)
[sucks that you bought the bike 100 miles away from the 1st service which costs around $250-$300]S


I also realized one night while riding that at least on the bike, that MPG ratings for motor vehicles are determined using a poor method. They base it on distance of highways and streets, when its really about how long the gas lasts at lowest appropriate RPMs. . It really has NOTHING to do with distance, just how much work your making your engine do. So I have no idea why they base MPGs on distance.

[I am the confused one here...would you prefer they configure mpg's by someone shifting at high rpms at in lower gears for a whole tank? It would have what? maybe a rating of 20mpg then...and my jeep which gets 13mpg would now only have 5mpg]

I also learned quickly that I didn't need to hold the clutch slightly in at all after I got the bike going, lol. I did that at first because I thought the bike would stall if I didn't have it slightly pulled in while riding. My left hand was killing me for holding it so long. lol

[This one really confuses me...what reason on this gods green earth made you ever think you had to RIDE the clutch ...you will be lucky if you didn't glaze the clutch (which is very bad)]



My least favorite part about riding is engine braking and I honestly DO NOT like it. The lower the rpm, the slower and gently the bike will slow down, whereas the higher the rpm, the more quickly the bike will slow down resulting in stronger negative force, which to me gives the feeling that the bike is trying to throw me forward, which is a scary feeling if not prepared for it.

[Engine braking is as much a part of motorcycle riding as is accelerating]

I also think that for those who don't know how to properly engine brake, it would be a dangerous affair as the other night I was coming to a stop at a light, I was engine braking, and as I shifted into first gear I didn't think about my speed, so as I released the clutch I was doing close to 20 MPH and the bike forcefully slowed down, pushing me forward and I swear my rear tire locked up and skidded for about half a second until I pulled in the clutch again to brake on my own.

[have you read your manual under your seat, it clearly states that first gear is good to i think it says 12mph... that goes both ways, including engine braking...your inexperience is clearly showing here]


As for performance, its more than I need.

[I would agree]

My max speed on a short but steady leveled road was 91MPH and there was definitely room for more speed to be had, but my max overall is 95 MPH on a short decline, which could have easily reach 100 at redline.

[I would think that the last thing you need to be doing at this point is going anywhere top end...its dangerous enough when you are an experienced motorcycle rider]


I've managed to clean and lube the chain on my own and that was a real pain because I didn't have the tools to make the process easier

[What exactly is so hard about a rag and a spray can of chain lube?]

So at the moment my experience has been a learning process, but after just getting the bike, I'm really not all that excited about it at all.

[It is what you make of it i guess, lets just hope you dont learn the hard way while your out pushing the bike at 90+ mph..or at the very least you dont take someone else out during your learning process ]

o. I think my lack of enjoyment has much to do with the fact that I don't know any other riders, the fact that I feel more of a loner with the bike than I did without it

[I enjoy going out for long rides alone immensely...once again, i guess it it what ever choose you choose to make of it...you feel alone and abandoned simply because you would rather have an experienced group of guys leading the way around for you to follow?, or maybe your just one of those people who would always prefer to be around other people...I would prefer myself to ride where i want at the speed i want and not have someone else leading the way or having to woryy about matching there speed or direction or them mine.]



and the fact that I DO NOT like the black version of this bike. Its just horribly bland to me. I wanted the red and silver,

[I agree...it was always red/silver for me....black was never an option....they got in 3 blacks ones at my dealer over the 2 months I was waiting for my red]


S I will do my darndest to put my hard earned $4000 plus machine to good use!

[Maybe you should have just ordered a new red one..mine was $4500 TOTAL OUT THE DOOR PRICE...I would expect to have payed much less than $500 off for a used bike]

try to enjoy your bike rides by yourself....slow down...and take the riders course as soon as you can

 

[remusrm]

Hey man, I wanted the black but after a while I think the color is not that important, and I do kinda like the red after all. Try to get your MSF course and look for people around. Also on the being lonely, just go to a Starbucks put your helmet on the table and see how chicks will smile

 

[Honda CBR 250 Rider]

Sounds like your riding experience thus far appears to be leaning towards the negative side. I'll try to be encouraging. First off, good on you for the tentenacity in teaching yourself. You seemed to have picked up some good tips from this forum i.e. engine braking. This forum also has advocated the MSF course which is where you will be taught the proper skills in a safe and static enviornment. Self teaching oneself in a street setting is neither safe nor confidence inspiring. In addition, you are looking over your shoulder with the fear of getting caught as an unlicenced rider. Worse yet would be the scenrio of an accident in which for sure it would be discovered you are unlicenced and uninsured. These factors would indeed take away the joy of riding.

The MSF course would also give you the opportunity to ride different bikes which aids the new rider in a future choice of a bike. In time, one learns what type of bike they'd like as well as discover what style of rider they are. Some people decide the cruiser is the style they want. They're quite content poking along and enjoying the scenery while others latch onto the sport bike, taking the twisities at mach 10 while dragging their knee and comment "what scenery?". Again the MSF course gives the new rider an introduction to these bikes. This forum has also suggested buying a previously owned bike to learn on as new riders are more able to relax without the fear of dropping their new bike.

As far as maintenance is concerned, it's a part of the sport. However I have not felt it a chore. Most of us find it a part of the hobby. Safety is a prime concern therefore no biggie.

Sorry the black color is not working out for you. Perhaps you should of waited for the red. On a positive note, since you are going to hang on to this investment you can add some mods to personalize it to your taste.

When you take your MSF course you will meet other new riders. Following the conclusion of the course maybe you guys can hook up for future rides. All will have the same skill level so no one will feel pressured to ride beyond their skill/comfort level. Give yourself time to hone your skills. Whenever learning something new in life there are peaks and valleys. Naturally this applies to riding. Something I have learned while riding is "One has to WANT to learn to ride....not the idea of riding".

Hang in. Take the MSF. Get a different bike is needed. Be patient.
Cheers

Thank you very much LTR for your feedback and advice. I really appreciate it.

I honestly think I would be having a better time with the bike if I had just wait a bit longer to be more prepared for what I need and want, so its really my own doing for being impatient, but I see that and will work with it and learn on the way to a better riding experience.

 

[Honda CBR 250 Rider]

A couple of things -

No experience, license, or insurance and you've hit 95! Wake-up! Park the CBR until you have completed a MSF course and have your license and insurance.

I understand and completely agree with you and intend on doing that as soon as I can.

You are too impatient. Why buy a black one if you don't like it? You are not ready to ride anyway, so just wait. Do you have gear? You need more than just a helmet. Jacket, gloves, boots, and pants are a real good idea.

I bought the black because the only Red/Silver ones available were none at any dealership because the used black one. Getting a Red/Silver would have taken time and would cost the bike and a half (which I didn't want to risk put myself in that kind of financial situation with little experience on buying a vehicle. I also only have a official Helmet, but no riding gloves, jacket, or boots because its all too expensive at the moment, so right now I'm using temporary substitutes.

A cycle is not an "investment" - the value is constantly dropping from day 1. It's much closer to a toy for most of us.

By investment, I mean what I will be using it for in the future and it has proven useful to my everyday needs. I bought the bike with convenience, style, and confidence in quality, so that I wouldn't regret buying a crappy chinese scooter that can't be taken on the highway and would just me feel like I'm riding something ugly. I don't dislike having and using the bike.

Slow yourself down and get some training immediately. If you aren't sure you're having fun, it may not be for you. The test is when things go bad - that's when you decide if riding is your thing or not.

I agree. I think I will surely enjoy it, but its just worrying and frustrating because of how I rushed into getting the bike when I was not prepared to properly and safely learn and get legal. The bike itself I do like, just not how much I worry about what I need to do ASAP.

The consequences for impatience and mistakes are higher than you think they are.

Understood and there is no excuse for me to be riding it without proper training and the legal stuff.


Jay

I'm not jumping on your response, but I want to reassure that I am not a wreckless rider. I do follow the speed limit all the time on the street and have only pushed myself a handful of times on the highway to see how fast the bike could actually go, but no further. I have no intentions of treating the bike as anything more than a convenient form of transportation that has good looks, until I am READY to step it up.

 

[Honda CBR 250 Rider]

Honda CBR 250 rider, good job. I know I would have a hard time waiting for every thing to be done so I could ride. Judging from your post, it sounds like you use your brain, that is good. On a motorcyle to me the most important insurane is uninsured motorist. Motorcycles usually come out of an accident with the short stick. Where I live we have plenty of illegal aliens (from everywhere) that obviously dont care about the laws, or they would not be here illegaly. So I upped my uninsure motorist, becausewhen they run you over, they are not too worried about auto insurance either.
I am interested in what you think of the riding class. Will it be MSF? Keep us posted.
And congratulations on you new bike, be safe.

Thank you, Brian. I appreciate it.

And yes I will be taking MSF with these guys this weekend:

Austin Moto Academy - Class Schedule and Reservations

I just need to ask my manager to let me have sunday off (its the first day of the work week) so that there is no risk of conflicting hours.

 

[Honda CBR 250 Rider]

try to enjoy your bike rides by yourself....slow down...and take the riders course as soon as you can

[I am the confused one here...would you prefer they configure mpg's by someone shifting at high rpms at in lower gears for a whole tank? It would have what? maybe a rating of 20mpg then...and my jeep which gets 13mpg would now only have 5mpg]

I am saying that I think it would be better to determine how much time it would take for the bike to use up gas based on low, mid, and high RPMs. It might be a more complicated method, but I think it would be more informative.

[This one really confuses me...what reason on this gods green earth made you ever think you had to RIDE the clutch ...you will be lucky if you didn't glaze the clutch (which is very bad)]

I only did it the first two times riding. I didn't know any better at that time.

[What exactly is so hard about a rag and a spray can of chain lube?]

That was the easy part. The hard part was getting the rear mud guard off. took longer to get off than put back on. lol I need the proper tools.

[I enjoy going out for long rides alone immensely...once again, i guess it it what ever choose you choose to make of it...you feel alone and abandoned simply because you would rather have an experienced group of guys leading the way around for you to follow?, or maybe your just one of those people who would always prefer to be around other people...I would prefer myself to ride where i want at the speed i want and not have someone else leading the way or having to woryy about matching there speed or direction or them mine.]

Its not riding by myself on occasion, its just the whole lack of socializing I've experienced and that may be mostly my fault, but now every time I go out and see another biker, I get excited, then sad because I'm to scared to make contact.

[Maybe you should have just ordered a new red one..mine was $4500 TOTAL OUT THE DOOR PRICE...I would expect to have payed much less than $500 off for a used bike]

If I ordered a new one it would have cost 50% more than the bike itself and I just don't make that kind of money.

Thank you for you comment SPDKLLS.

 

[200Fathoms]

I want to reassure that I am not a wreckless rider.

Quote of the year.

(With the double negative, I think that means he wrecks.)

 

[Honda CBR 250 Rider]

Quote of the year.

(With the double negative, I think that means he wrecks.)

It seems like that would be the case, but besides the fact that I spelled it wrong (because of common error), it actually means to be careless.

I was saying that I'm not a careless rider.

 

[Spiked1]

The skills I learned at the MSF course were things I never would have known being a first time rider. I may have been fine for a bit, but when a situation comes up, I now know what to do. I am sorry, but a first time rider jumping on and learning on the street with no lessons is a bit wreckless. Not just for yourself, but for others. Glad you are taking the class though.

 

[PhoenixWithin]

I'm worried for your machine if you took it to the Buda dealer... I've heard very bad things about their service department!

Gratz on your bike and ride safe!

 

[live_to_ride]

You're welcome and no worries. It is excellent your course is coming up. You will learn lots along with confidence gaining. As you said you were impatient which tells me you want to learn. A healthy fear is good so lets keep it that way. Enjoy and have fun on your MSF course. Get as much out of it you can. Ride safe and keep the shiney side up