[CBR-STL]

My first post - Put money down on a red abs all the way back in early March. I was told after several attempts at getting the information that my dealer in St. Louis will have their initial non abs shipment on May 2nd with the ABS 3-4 weeks behind this. Of course they don't ever seem to know what is up, so I am taking this with a grain of salt. I am not a know-it-all by any means but it always cracks me up that I know more about their bikes than they do. I mean just simple things you would think someone selling a product would know. I have been waiting for years for Honda to make a small displacement bike after growing up riding a '74 cb450. The Crf230M was just too disappointed to consider. Getting back into riding a few years ago I talked the wife into a Honda Ruckus (fun), then a Vespa GT200 (more fun). My friends unexpectedly got into motorcycles so now of course I need one too! (even though I can pretty much keep up on my vespa with the moto guzzi and Harley). I was looking at the sv650abs and aprilia shiver abs but this seems more practical, fun and safer than those. I was doing 90mph on the shiver on a test drive and it felt like 30mph. 40mph on the Ruckus felt like 60mph if you catch my drift. I plan to ride my 250 like it was stolen for sure. Do that on a bigger bike and I am scared of the results. Plus insurance, maintenance etc. will all be cheaper with better resale value. Looks like I just talked my self into being patient again but man its tough. I have riden the ninja before and to me it just didn't have that ergonomic satisfaction you get with most Hondas. So no other option but to wait and really as it was well said earlier I am sure Honda is doing their best and we should just be more concerned about the well being of the unfortunate victims in Japan and not about an arrival time of a motorcycle. Sorry to ramble on but I have been reading posts on this site daily for a long time and thought I might share too.

 

[Xplorguy]

Hey St. Louis Guy, welcome to the forum as an official contributor ! You are off the sidelines.......
I, too, am sure Honda is doing their best and looking at the beyond their expectation North American demand as a good thing. So we all wait....One of the neat things to look forward to will be all the customization. Since this is a world bike that will have a large and instant following there will be a lot of companies getting into aftermarket CBR250 specific stuff.............

 

[CBR-STL]

Thanks for the welcome Xplor. The aftermarket mods will be very interesting. If you have seen the Ruckus I was always tempted to go crazy with some mods but in the end, kept it pretty stock. Something cool about keeping a bike stock too. Of course the exhaust has to be changed. I like the exhaust note of a thumper but it definitely needs some grunt too it. After re-reading my own post, I had to laugh again about how many times I asked about 200 to 400 cc blkes possibly getting in to the U.S. at the Honda Dealership and always getting the same response. A chuckle from the salesman saying, "No one would ever buy that in America". It still mystifies me how a company as smart as Honda could be so wrong in their marketing research for products. I feel vindicated that what I and many others considered common sense has finally come to fruition. I think this could be the start of a rethinking of marketing stratagy by many motorcycle companies. I have wondered what would happen if Harley made a small displacement bike? Anyway, with gas prices going up I truly hope it gets more people on two wheels which benefit everyone as more people would be more conscious of riders. On another topic, I have been looking into airbag jackets and truly believe I might purchase one. I wonder if anyone on this forum has any experience with them. Even though I don't wear all the proper gear most the time now, I will probably become more conscious of that when I get a proper bike.

 

[kutter]

Hey CBR-STL. I am subsisting on a vintage 450 as well as in a CM450c I restored also yearning for years that more small displacement bikes would hit the markets. Especially from a company like Honda. The CBR250 with its 65-70 gpm & good performance had me longing for it with my first impression reading about it. I have a red ABS coming & I too ordered it in March. It would make me very happy if it actually came in June. It is a long time but it will come.

 

[riverguide]

Ontario deliveries

Just called Honda Canada and was told the CBR250 will be available mid May. I was also told there will be no problem getting bikes.

Hi Topherguns - any news from your dealer? Did you got to the open house in Barrie on Saturday? I sent an email to my dealer earlier today and did not get a response

 

[calgary250r]

Haha thankful this is the only thread for problems on the 250! I'd have to agree too, the big problem is we all don't have possession of one yet!