[Michael]

I am new to forums, but not new to motor cycling. 45 years ago, at the age of 11, I got home from school to find my father had bought a Honda CT 90 to use on our farm in New Zealand. A few weeks later, in the school holidays, I learned to ride.

Dad showed me how to start it, how to stop, and how to put it in first gear, and left me to it. Off I wobbled on a flat piece of ground. He came back a few minutes later and asked if I had found second gear. I had not so he showed me how to change up. My training from then on was just the School of Hard Knocks, softened a little by briar bushes, mud and grass.

Off road falls come with the territory. On the road I have had only one potentially serious tumble. That was 35 years ago, when I was sideswiped by a fast moving car passing another. "Didn't even see you," said the driver. Fortunately I only suffered a few bruises, cuts and a broken finger, nothing worth going to the doctor about.

From that experience I learned the importance of positioning on the road, anticipation, and making use of eyes, ears, and mirrors to be aware of what is going on around me on the road.

I got my provisional licence a couple of weeks after my 15th birthday, and my full licence a week after that.... as was allowed in NZ at the time. Since then I reckon I have covered more than 350,000 km's in 15 countries, including about 125,000 km's in Thailand where I live for now.

I have ridden bikes from 50 to 1,200 cc, and have come to prefer lightweight, simple, practical motorcycles for day to day use. I far prefer the byways to highways, and tend to take the scenic twisty routes in preference to the fast ones. I still enjoy riding off road too.... and I love riding my bicycle as well.

I have owned several motorcycles, most of them for quite a while. I own two at the moment. In Thailand I have a 14 year-old Honda Dream (180,000 km on the clock, 100,000 of them mine. The engine was overhauled for the first time last year at at about 170,000 km). In NZ I have a 1983 Honda MB 100 that I bought in 1985. It has done well over 100,000 km's. Some young fellows use it to hack around the hills these days.

My favourite motorcycle was a Honda CB 250 RS that I owned for several years in England in the 1990's, until it got stolen. It was a great machine for day to day use, and also touring UK, Ireland and Central Europe. My pattern of work left July free, so I would bungy a tent and other gear on the back, a bag of clothes on the tank, and head off for three or four weeks of adventure.

It has disappointed me that for the past couple of decades marketers and manufacturers have focused on flashy heavyweight and sporty bikes for the "developed country" markets, and utilitarian bikes for "developing countries".

The new CBR 250 R is a breath of fresh air. It looks to be an incarnation of the CB 250 RS. What I have now suits my present needs well, but this thoroughly modern quarter litre could well be my next motorcycle if it is on sale in NZ when I return there in a couple of years.

 

[BikerSuz]

Thats a wonderful detailed intro there.
Welcome to the community, Michael. Good to have you here.

 

[Michael]

Thanks BikerSuz,
Your signature suggests you have the same attitude to motorcycling as I do. Sure I enjoy a nice handling, adequetly powerful bike on an interesting bit of twisty road; I enjoy the journey while I am on the journey.... and there are times when just going for a ride is what it is all about. On the other hand, the bike and the road are just the means to get to a destination.

I'd have to add regarding the CBR 250 R, it looks good, and reports suggest that it is good to ride. However, it is 30 kg heavier than the CB 250 RS I used to own, and not so practical. It lacks the facility to carry much. As day to day transport and a weekend scratcher it looks the business. As a tourer the older bike worked well for me; I could carry all I needed for camping in remote areas. The CBR 250 R looks like it would be more suited to carrying a change of clothes for a weekend at a hotel.

Could it be that the designers focused too much on the riding with this one and forgotten the reason for riding? Time, and the market will tell.

Still, it is nice to see that they are taking an interest in the middleweight sector again, and it does seem to be well received.

Admin.... being new to this forum thing, I got it wrong with the name of the thread. It should be obvious, but the first few words should not be there. How do I go about changing it?

 

[kutter]

Breath of Fresh Air for Sure

I too, share your thoughts about the lighter, lower displacement machines and eagerly wait for my new CBR250R. I have no real desire to ride 1300 cc machines and my desire for life keeps me away from a new liter Ninja, although it looks very intriguing. I fear I would push it and the gear-head in my blood would dominate. I wring everything I can out of my 1982 CM450 custom & I suspect its 35 ponies will feel bested by the modern 250's 26. I look forward to (after properly breaking it in) run that little CBR250R for all its worth. I've got luggage capability on the CM450c I'll keep for my touring machine.

 

[Honda-biker]

As being a new rider, or coming from someone who hasn't done much touring, the way i see the cbr250r is more of just a sportier, not so much touring bike and more of a city bike. For new comers to come along and gradually move on to another bike that is suited to our needs.

For my needs i don't carry much that i need on a day to day basis, and i just feel that i wouldn't travel very far with a bike like this. I would honestly just go upon my daily needs as a better opt'd way of transportation. if i were at all to tour with bike throw on a saddle and cram anything i can into the extra storage options. As for this bike not being released in North America yet i cant say, how much storage space i have and etc.

But for my needs of daily travel in a city it suits my needs, but i do see where you are coming from.

 

[CBR_Guy]

As being a new rider, or coming from someone who hasn't done much touring, the way i see the cbr250r is more of just a sportier, not so much touring bike and more of a city bike. For new comers to come along and gradually move on to another bike that is suited to our needs.

For my needs i don't carry much that i need on a day to day basis, and i just feel that i wouldn't travel very far with a bike like this. I would honestly just go upon my daily needs as a better opt'd way of transportation. if i were at all to tour with bike throw on a saddle and cram anything i can into the extra storage options. As for this bike not being released in North America yet i cant say, how much storage space i have and etc.

But for my needs of daily travel in a city it suits my needs, but i do see where you are coming from.

For your needs, the CBR250R can take care of all of that at the least. For you this is a sick commuter bike, good choice. I think of it as a commuter bike with a little kick in it.

What would you need to carry on the CBR250R for your daily commute? I'm sure it will have enough space. Are you a student? do you work?

Only problem I see with the bike is that some people may get bored of it easily and in need of more power!

 

[AF Twin Turbo]

nothing for me that a backpack can't handle!!

 

[Michael]

Quarter litre - all the bike I need

For your needs, the CBR250R can take care of all of that at the least. For you this is a sick commuter bike, good choice. I think of it as a commuter bike with a little kick in it.

What would you need to carry on the CBR250R for your daily commute? I'm sure it will have enough space. Are you a student? do you work?

Only problem I see with the bike is that some people may get bored of it easily and in need of more power!

I have been down the more bigger bike, more power path. Each to their own, but for me it seems an expensive path to nowhere. If I was a racer it would be a different story, but even there less is more on the weight front.

Marketers and manufacturers seem to pandered to the desire for more bigger and more powerful for a couple of decades now. Thankfully Honda Thailand has come up with something different.... maybe. In its home market the CBR 250 R is the biggest and most powerful locally manufactured motorcycle.

I never got bored with the CB 250 RS that I owned. It did what I wanted. It was reliable, easy to ride day to day transport, but sufficiently powerful, handled nicely, and was fun to ride. I had some great trips on it.

I'll never forget the day one July in the mid 1990's that I packed up my tent in Chamonix, France, rode through the Mt Blanc Tunnel into Italy and down into a valley below. I was thinking of heading further south, but in an inspired moment took a left on to a lesser road which took me over the St Bernard Pass into Switzerland. I continued down to the outskirts of a small town, where once again I took a left and headed back up the into mountains. I camped the night behind a small, hospitable mountain pub. The next day....

I covered a variety of roads, and enjoyed some magnificent sights. My senses were tickled by a variety of smells and temperatures..... Yes, I use an open face helmet.

There have been many great days.

Each to their own, but to me the bike is not the be all and end all. It is just the means.