[250 Tom]

Wondering if the availability of the 2012 will be better than last year. Numbers were extreemly limited and some dealers couldnt get any to sell. If dealers can order what they want and get them it will be intetesting to see how well they actually sell.

 

[feliz]

I wonder as well! At the dealers around me the new bikes coming in are still 2011s.

edit: I should have added that there is no shortage of bikes here, the dealers have crates piled up but they're 2011s.

 

[sendler]

My dealer hasn't even ordered their 2012 bikes yet. They ordered 12 CBR250Rs last year. Got 4. In September. So they cancelled the remaining orders so as not to get stuck with too many bikes over the winter. I went 160 miles out of town and payed a $300 premium to get mine in July. I don't think they make much on a 250 though so they don't really seem to care if they have any or not. They are a top selling Goldwing dealer. I keep telling them to get the 250 in and I will help them sell them. It will be interesting to see how many they get.

 

[cbr9927]

Does Honda even make money on this bike. Seems like a break even bike just to make future CBR600RR sales.

 

[250 Tom]

Does Honda even make money on this bike. Seems like a break even bike just to make future CBR600RR sales.

You may be right, cant believe theres much profit in this little bike. Its really a good value for the consumer

 

[sendler]

Honda must make money on the CBR250R everywhere. In the US it is considered a toy or learners bike but in India and East Asia it is actually the opposite. The CBR is selling as an upscale bike for people moving up from $2000 125 cc bikes.

 

[spdklls]

My dealer still has 1 2011 red one sitting in their floor...i wouldnt expect to see any 2012 models popping up till late spring or early summer..besides the new tri color change here in the U.S. you wouldnt know the difference anyway

 

[sendler]

^ True. No reason not to buy a left over 2011 just because of the number on the title. Especially if Honda offers incentives or you can get a better price.

 

[Turbo DV8]

I can't wait to see if the 2012's mysteriously eliminate the engine rattle.

 

[somebody5788]

It is sad to think that for the same price I almost bought a 1998 CBR600 F4I instead of this thing. I've been extremely happy with the price, gas mileage, and just how easy and fun it is to ride.

I can't believe in some countries that it's the upscale bike... Even as a beginner I felt right away why people get the 600's so quickly. Myself, I'm enjoying the fact that it's reliable and cheap so if I want a 600 I'm going to buy a project one in cash instead of a loan like I did on this.

 

[trixter]

I can't believe in some countries that it's the upscale bike...

Some countries aggressively tax engines over a certain size, not just registration but excise taxes, sales taxes, etc. This dramatically influences the "free market" (why it hasnt existed anywhere for over 100 years). There are of course other considerations but government regulation is often the best known largest most common reason for the "window of engine sizes" to slide up or down.

 

[Wynne G Oldman]

I've been going on holiday to Turkey for the last 4 years, and there's loads of bikes over there. Most of them are scooters and 125's, you don't see many larger motorcycles. I think a lot of it's cost, but also, there's no real need for anything bigger on their roads. One thing I noticed in Turkey, all filling stations have LPG as well, something you rarely see in the UK. Not many people wear crash helmets, even though they should by law, and lady pillions sometimes ride side saddle.

 

[Michael]

I can't believe in some countries that it's the upscale bike...

Some of ya'll need to get real and realise that there is a world outside your backyard. From what I see on this forum, a lot of members from one large wealthy country have little idea of how others live.

Here in Thailand the market for motorcycles is about 1.8 million a year. Motorcycles out sell cars nearly three to one. They are day to day transport for the masses here, most of whom don't earn even $US 5,000 a year. The minimum wage is about $7.00 a day.

Currently a bit over 50% are 100 -125 cc auto clutch step-thru machines, and about 45% are 110 cc automatic scooters.

The CBR250R is a big step up, costing two or three times as much, which makes it the preserve of of a privileged few. Most wouldn't even consider buying one.

 

[no phone]

Here in Central Europe it's sportbike country. There are very few long, straight stretches of highway, and very many twisty mountain roads. It would be frustrating to ride a Harley Road King on these roads, but a middleweight or smaller bike with good cornering and acceleration is ideal here. The 600 c.c. class is the most common by far.

Big BMWs are also popular here, but riders go for the dual-sport style, not the big cruisers. Most riders I know buy the nicest bike they can afford, but I don't know anyone who owns more than one bike.

 

[sendler]

Here in Central Europe it's sportbike country. There are very few long, straight stretches of highway, and very many twisty mountain roads. It would be frustrating to ride a Harley Road King on these roads, but a middleweight or smaller bike with good cornering and acceleration is ideal here. The 600 c.c. class is the most common by far.

Big BMWs are also popular here, but riders go for the dual-sport style, not the big cruisers. Most riders I know buy the nicest bike they can afford, but I don't know anyone who owns more than one bike.

Do most people there use there motorcycle for transportation or do they also have a car or take the bus?

 

[no phone]

Do most people there use there motorcycle for transportation or do they also have a car or take the bus?

It's a bit hard to generalize. Slovenia is a relatively wealthy country, and people buy the best car they can afford (or get credit for). Go a bit further south and it's different. I never see anyone around here driving an old Yugo any more, but I have seen quite a few still on the road when I visited Serbia and Montenegro.

I seldom see people riding motorcycles during the winter; anyone out on two wheels is on a scooter or a moped. I think people who can afford a motorcycle also can afford a car, and just use the bike for recreation, but if they can only afford a moped or a scooter, they use that for basic transportation.

The bus and train service here is very good, much better than in the U.S. or Canada (I lived in Toronto most of my life before coming here in 1996). You can live anywhere in the country and commute to your job or school by train or bus. It's a very small country, the trains are all electric, and the ability to afford a car is a very recent phenomenon, compared to North America.

 

[sendler]

Slovenia

Are there license restrictions or insurance pricing there to keep new riders off of high powered motorcycles like the 600s? Do cars watch out for bikes well?

 

[no phone]

Are there license restrictions or insurance pricing there to keep new riders off of high powered motorcycles like the 600s?

I don't think so. When I arrived here I already had a Canadian motorcycle and car licence; I just got a Slovenian car licence automatically, but I had to take a short course to get the motorcycle endorsement. They didn't make me do the classroom part, just the practical part: three hours around the pylons in the parking lot, then three hours on the road with the car following behind, then the test. In retrospect, I'm glad I had to do it. I hadn't been riding for a few years and needed the practice.

New drivers of all ages here have to take a course for a car licence, and a different one for a bike licence. By the time you're finished, you have some experience on city roads and the highway. Then it's up to you to keep out of the way of cars.

Do cars watch out for bikes well?

In Austria and Germany, most drivers are polite and will yield the right of way to you.

In the Balkans (former Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Romania, etc.) it's like the wild west. You have to assume everybody is out to get you, because some of them really do drive as if they are. It seems that once drivers get the licence, they forget everything they were taught in driving school.

 

[Wynne G Oldman]

 

[no phone]

I don't think I'll plan a motorcycle trip through India!