P.S. - the CBR didn't burn an ounce of oil the whole trip, even with the fast Interstate runs.. ok, now I'm done
CBR250R Endurance Tour- 5 days, 2500 miles, Interstate, canyons, dirt and hail
There are a few elements to this ride report, so I will break it up into two pieces. Part One is a summary, including my goal, the trip stats, the bike, the gear and its weight, the preparation and key performance data and comments. Part Two is about the scenic route through Minnesota, South Dakota, Wyoming and a small sliver of Montana.
PART ONE
Introduction:
Having been a motorcyclist for 25 years, one principle continues to be most attractive to me; the simplicity of our sport. While it is interesting to read about the new technologies that crop up each year, most of my daydreaming has focused on the pursuit of going to faraway places with minimal gear, over a variety of road types. In addition to motorcycles, I enjoy backpacking and “traveling light.” Many of you are this way too.
After owning 12 motorcycles and renting another 10, my attraction to simplicity has ended up getting stronger as time goes on. Thoughts of a light, single-cylinder street bike had been on my mind for many years, and dual sports just weren’t doing it for me, even though occasional trail riding is fun (I’ve owned a Suzuki DR 350S, a Honda NX250 and a new-model Kawi KLR 650). I wanted a street single, and neither the Ninja 250 or 300 were that. I knew I needed a CBR250R after it was released.
11 months ago (June 2013), I got mine and immediately began thinking about the possibilities, while also teaching my wife and three teenaged kids how to ride on the street with it... see how unselfish I am? My VFR and Super Magna are jealous.
It was time to put my CBR250R to the test.
The Trip Goal:
To take the CBR through every possible terrain I like to, or have to ride, to see how it performs. High-speed across the plains, high mountain passes, touring National Parks, canyon carving and bombing down mostly-graded dirt roads.
The Trip Stats:
- Friday May 23rd, 8:00am to Wednesday the 28th at 1:30am... technically Tuesday night, 2014
- 2510 miles total
- 1062 miles done in 18 hours on the way home <Iron Butt status!> from Cooke City, WY to Stillwater, MN, only stopping for gas, coffee, Subway and Snickers (canyon / mountain riding for 2 hours, 75 mph Interstate for 13 hours straight, 65 mph highway for 3 hours)
- 45 miles on dirt roads South of the Badlands to the Black Hills and outside Jackson, WY (do not ride an ABS CBR on dirt roads at speed)
- 6.5 miles on a 4x4 trail in the Gros Ventre Wilderness from the dirt roads West of Jackson, WY to camp for the night (never ride an ABS CBR here!)
- Elevation range: 750 to 9800 feet above sea level
- Multiple mountain passes in the Bighorn Mountains, Teton NP, and Yellowstone NP
- Torrential rain and 1/2 inch hail pellets in Eastern Wyoming for 45 minutes, riding in over 2 inches of standing water in the midst of lightning and thunder (yes, I could have stopped)
The Bike:
- Holdover 2012, non-ABS model, purchased for $3799 in June of 2013; red and silver.
- Broken in as per Honda’s specs in the manual, with a little extra throttle in miles 450-600. Friends... Honda wants their bikes to last and is not holding back secret break-in information from their riders, just do what they recommend!
- 600-mile service done at the Honda shop for $175.
- Still riding stock IRC Road Winner tires; getting thin at 5875 miles (post-trip)
- Engine and exhaust are bone stock
- Recycled and modified windshield from my garage and a simple aluminum rail to support soft bags, bought at Lowes for $6.00; see pictures.
The Gear + Me:
- 43 year old, semi-balding male; 6’ 1” and 190 pounds
- Arai Vector Helmet, Vanson Leathers, Sidi Boots, thick jeans - 13 pounds
- Cortech tank, tail and saddlebags - 8 pounds
- Modified shield and small homemade saddlebag mounting rail - 3 pounds
- REI solo ultralight tent - 2.5 pounds
- EMS down sleeping bag and Ridge Rest pad - 2.5 pounds
- clothes and small items - 3 pounds
- Total weight carried by the CBR - 222 pounds + gas
The Prep:
Repurposed a Maier Universal Stealth windshield I got on sale for $100 from Dennis Kirk 3 years ago for my Magna. It was on the shelf in the garage and I noticed its geometry and angle closely matched the front fairing angles of the CBR250R. Taking the idea of the black, bolt-on Honda screen on the Tyga site (and seeing how many people were not happy with other aftermarket options), I cut the screen apart, made shims from leftover plexiglass pieces and mounted it with longer bolts, clamped in the mirror stalks right over the stock screen. Perfect fit, covers my chest shoulder-to-shoulder, clean air to helmet, NO buffeting! Removes in 2 minutes
Talking routes with my friend David, mostly retracing routes I have done in the past. David was riding his Aprillia Caponord 1000, top-heavy packed to the hilt with only HIS stuff!
The Performance Data + Comments:
- Interstate going West at 75 mph: going West means high winds coming right at you and some struggling up hills, but never dropped below 70 mph; gas mileage dropped to a record lows between 52.7 and 58.6 mpg and the throttle was 3/4 open and occasionally pinned on uphills
- Interstate going East at 75 mph: not fighting the wind means much better mileage between 59.9 and 61.7 mpg with plenty of throttle to spare; cruised at 80 for a while with room to spare
- Canyon riding at various elevations: VERY surprised here - the CBR did well at all altitudes up to 9800 above sea level with two, 5th gear climbs to the reach the tops of passes, never dropping below 62 mph; passing slow cars requires advanced planning on steeper uphills, but nowhere else; handled WONDERFULLY in the curves uphill and downhill with steep lean angles, hanging off with my knee out and ready to drag; suspension can get nervous on high-speed sweepers with irregularities in the pavement, but never unsettled - efficiency was 67.7 to 77.3 mpg at altitude!
- Dirt road riding on hard pack at between 40 and 65 mph - scoot forward in the seat, put your elbows up, take the weight off the bars and let the little 17” front wheel search around for the best path; if you haven’t ridden dirt, ease into this one; the 250cc thumper performs well and quite controlled on loose surfaces (I beat my friend on the 1000cc Aprillia when things got sketchy); Again, do NOT ride an ABS model on gravel
- 4X4 trail - OK, you can do this but take it easy - I never exceeded 20 mph... you have to guard your front rim and fork seals! That said, we found a great campsite that my VFR could have never imagined visiting, although the old KLR would have been bored; did I say you shouldn’t use an ABS CBR here?
- Top speed run fully loaded with bags - 89 mph with a slight tail wind…
- Tourist speeds in Yellowstone at 40-50 mph enjoying the scenery and pulling off the road regularly .... drum roll... 103.47 mpg! At altitude!!
PART TWO
(scenery, roads and ride suggestions, coming soon)
PART ONE
Introduction:
Having been a motorcyclist for 25 years, one principle continues to be most attractive to me; the simplicity of our sport. While it is interesting to read about the new technologies that crop up each year, most of my daydreaming has focused on the pursuit of going to faraway places with minimal gear, over a variety of road types. In addition to motorcycles, I enjoy backpacking and “traveling light.” Many of you are this way too.
After owning 12 motorcycles and renting another 10, my attraction to simplicity has ended up getting stronger as time goes on. Thoughts of a light, single-cylinder street bike had been on my mind for many years, and dual sports just weren’t doing it for me, even though occasional trail riding is fun (I’ve owned a Suzuki DR 350S, a Honda NX250 and a new-model Kawi KLR 650). I wanted a street single, and neither the Ninja 250 or 300 were that. I knew I needed a CBR250R after it was released.
11 months ago (June 2013), I got mine and immediately began thinking about the possibilities, while also teaching my wife and three teenaged kids how to ride on the street with it... see how unselfish I am? My VFR and Super Magna are jealous.
It was time to put my CBR250R to the test.
The Trip Goal:
To take the CBR through every possible terrain I like to, or have to ride, to see how it performs. High-speed across the plains, high mountain passes, touring National Parks, canyon carving and bombing down mostly-graded dirt roads.
The Trip Stats:
- Friday May 23rd, 8:00am to Wednesday the 28th at 1:30am... technically Tuesday night, 2014
- 2510 miles total
- 1062 miles done in 18 hours on the way home <Iron Butt status!> from Cooke City, WY to Stillwater, MN, only stopping for gas, coffee, Subway and Snickers (canyon / mountain riding for 2 hours, 75 mph Interstate for 13 hours straight, 65 mph highway for 3 hours)
- 45 miles on dirt roads South of the Badlands to the Black Hills and outside Jackson, WY (do not ride an ABS CBR on dirt roads at speed)
- 6.5 miles on a 4x4 trail in the Gros Ventre Wilderness from the dirt roads West of Jackson, WY to camp for the night (never ride an ABS CBR here!)
- Elevation range: 750 to 9800 feet above sea level
- Multiple mountain passes in the Bighorn Mountains, Teton NP, and Yellowstone NP
- Torrential rain and 1/2 inch hail pellets in Eastern Wyoming for 45 minutes, riding in over 2 inches of standing water in the midst of lightning and thunder (yes, I could have stopped)
The Bike:
- Holdover 2012, non-ABS model, purchased for $3799 in June of 2013; red and silver.
- Broken in as per Honda’s specs in the manual, with a little extra throttle in miles 450-600. Friends... Honda wants their bikes to last and is not holding back secret break-in information from their riders, just do what they recommend!
- 600-mile service done at the Honda shop for $175.
- Still riding stock IRC Road Winner tires; getting thin at 5875 miles (post-trip)
- Engine and exhaust are bone stock
- Recycled and modified windshield from my garage and a simple aluminum rail to support soft bags, bought at Lowes for $6.00; see pictures.
The Gear + Me:
- 43 year old, semi-balding male; 6’ 1” and 190 pounds
- Arai Vector Helmet, Vanson Leathers, Sidi Boots, thick jeans - 13 pounds
- Cortech tank, tail and saddlebags - 8 pounds
- Modified shield and small homemade saddlebag mounting rail - 3 pounds
- REI solo ultralight tent - 2.5 pounds
- EMS down sleeping bag and Ridge Rest pad - 2.5 pounds
- clothes and small items - 3 pounds
- Total weight carried by the CBR - 222 pounds + gas
The Prep:
Repurposed a Maier Universal Stealth windshield I got on sale for $100 from Dennis Kirk 3 years ago for my Magna. It was on the shelf in the garage and I noticed its geometry and angle closely matched the front fairing angles of the CBR250R. Taking the idea of the black, bolt-on Honda screen on the Tyga site (and seeing how many people were not happy with other aftermarket options), I cut the screen apart, made shims from leftover plexiglass pieces and mounted it with longer bolts, clamped in the mirror stalks right over the stock screen. Perfect fit, covers my chest shoulder-to-shoulder, clean air to helmet, NO buffeting! Removes in 2 minutes
Talking routes with my friend David, mostly retracing routes I have done in the past. David was riding his Aprillia Caponord 1000, top-heavy packed to the hilt with only HIS stuff!
The Performance Data + Comments:
- Interstate going West at 75 mph: going West means high winds coming right at you and some struggling up hills, but never dropped below 70 mph; gas mileage dropped to a record lows between 52.7 and 58.6 mpg and the throttle was 3/4 open and occasionally pinned on uphills
- Interstate going East at 75 mph: not fighting the wind means much better mileage between 59.9 and 61.7 mpg with plenty of throttle to spare; cruised at 80 for a while with room to spare
- Canyon riding at various elevations: VERY surprised here - the CBR did well at all altitudes up to 9800 above sea level with two, 5th gear climbs to the reach the tops of passes, never dropping below 62 mph; passing slow cars requires advanced planning on steeper uphills, but nowhere else; handled WONDERFULLY in the curves uphill and downhill with steep lean angles, hanging off with my knee out and ready to drag; suspension can get nervous on high-speed sweepers with irregularities in the pavement, but never unsettled - efficiency was 67.7 to 77.3 mpg at altitude!
- Dirt road riding on hard pack at between 40 and 65 mph - scoot forward in the seat, put your elbows up, take the weight off the bars and let the little 17” front wheel search around for the best path; if you haven’t ridden dirt, ease into this one; the 250cc thumper performs well and quite controlled on loose surfaces (I beat my friend on the 1000cc Aprillia when things got sketchy); Again, do NOT ride an ABS model on gravel
- 4X4 trail - OK, you can do this but take it easy - I never exceeded 20 mph... you have to guard your front rim and fork seals! That said, we found a great campsite that my VFR could have never imagined visiting, although the old KLR would have been bored; did I say you shouldn’t use an ABS CBR here?
- Top speed run fully loaded with bags - 89 mph with a slight tail wind…
- Tourist speeds in Yellowstone at 40-50 mph enjoying the scenery and pulling off the road regularly .... drum roll... 103.47 mpg! At altitude!!
PART TWO
(scenery, roads and ride suggestions, coming soon)
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These bikes are a beast. I figure the bike being made in Thailand that it can definitely handle uneven/dirt surfaces.
Glad you made it back home !
Glad you made it back home !
These are built for durability and adaptability for sure. In the US, the moto press compares the CBR to competitors like the Ninja, but I don't personally feel Honda was even operating under the same design philosophy.These bikes are a beast. I figure the bike being made in Thailand that it can definitely handle uneven/dirt surfaces.
Glad you made it back home !
Single cylinder, durable, high efficiency, long maintenance intervals, first gear ratio, light weight means a bike that is actually designed for more than "beginner" sport riding in the US market for sure.
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