[bluefire1914]

I was at the Fox Valley dealership yesterday evening and someone was there who had bought the cbr250 and was in asking questions. (Unfortunately he didn't have the bike with him, he was out shopping with his family and stopped in).

We got to talking and I told him my dilemma. He offered to swing by today (he lives close by) and to let me test his bike out. I showed him my motorcycle endorsement on my license, just to put him at ease a bit, and he said no problem.

I kind of didn't believe he actually would do it, but he just texted me and said he can swing by in a few minutes if I have time!!

He said that he doesn't want to tell me his impressions of the bike yet, so that I can make my own decision without influence.

My quest for a decision between the Ninja 250 and the cbr250 is almost complete!!

 

[bluefire1914]

My Review!

All right, my friends. I have ridden the cbr250. It was amazing. And. . .

Here is my quick review:

Keep in mind, I'm 5'6", 135 pounds, and although I've got a couple of years' riding experience, I still consider myself to be a beginner because I haven't ridden in about 3 years.

PRO's:
The seat is definitely very comfortable! The seating position seems to be a little on the high side, in a good way, meaning I feel confident being able to see my surroundings.

The mirrors are perfect, my body doesn't obstruct anything.

Torque is definitely noticeable. Taking off from a dead stop, the quick acceleration caught me off guard a little, but it was definitely a plus.

It's bigger than it looks in pictures. I can tell it's thinner than the Ninja, but it might be a hair taller. (I know the seat heights are supposedly the same, but it just seemed a little taller to me).

"Nimble" doesn't do the bike justice. This thing reads your mind and follows the line you want. I actually had to stop myself from looking in the wrong direction during a turn because the bike would instinctively follow it.

CONS:

I'm not a big fan of the sound. Sounds tin-canny.

Although very nimble, it's almost a little bit TOO nimble. It kind of feels like a bicycle with a motor on it. I don't feel like I'm PART of the bike, enclosed within it, (I know I'm not explaining that right, but some of you might understand what I mean). It's missing a little bit of, I don't know, mass, I guess.

Going 60mph and above, it got a bit buzzy. Anything higher than that, and you could tell the engine was struggling. I pulled the throttle all the way in 6th, and it just took forever to get up to 85.

In corners, it was pretty good, but felt a little bit "flighty" on the front. It didn't feel as planted as the Ninja. I never felt that I would lose control of it or anything, but it felt a little bit like the front tire wasn't really on the ground, even though I know it was.

The brakes were good, but they were a little softer than I like. This could have been because the bike is still new and the pads haven't been broken in all the way, I don't know.

The nose and headlight are just a little off, looks-wise. Seems a bit too tame. This is purely subjective, of course.

That muffler is freaking ugly, I'm sorry.

Okay, that's it. So, it's an amazing ride, but I just didn't get that feeling of "HOLY CRAP I HAVE TO GET THIS BIKE!". I'm going to the dealership nearby to see if they will let me test-ride the Ninja. I only have a 3-year old memory of it.

 

[madd-trapper]

Im 509 200 lbs and had no problem with the accel. Did 70-75 on Rt 20 from Rt 59 to Randall Rd. Never seemed like it was running out of power. 6th seems geared higher, down shift to 5th for more power. Seems like my brakes took 50-60 miles on it to seat in.
Had to ride approx 3-4 miles on a road they had grooved up for repaving yesterday. handled awesome. Never felt like I was gonna loose control, I was surprised of that. Rode thru similiar construction on my Volusia with its bigger tires and it scared the **** out of me.
Im used to bigger cruiser type bikes so for me this is a totally different ride. I feel more like im one with the bike instead of riding it like a horse.
If the Ninja feels better then definetley go with whats better for you.

 

[bluefire1914]

No, it's not like a dirt bike at all. Not even like a dual-sport, really.

It's a great ride. I guess that the main concern I have is;

1. Brakes aren't as immediate as I would like, but that is most likely due to them not being seated in yet.

2. It doesn't feel as "planted" around corners. But that is most likely due to my own light weight. I think heavier riders might find it more grounded.

As far as acceleration goes, I think Mad-Trapper's right, I should have had it in 5th near the top for quicker acceleration. I went into 6th gear upon hitting 60, and it just took a long time to get faster. If I would have put it in 5th, I think it would have jumped up faster. Oh well.

Mad Trapper, do you find the motor to be a bit tin-can sounding? Is there any way to change that?

I'm still mulling it over.

 

[w0rM]

Always nice to hear another perspective from someone who's actually ridden one. Thanks for sharing.

 

[madd-trapper]

Nope I like the sound. Im used to loud cruisers though, its nice to be actually able to hear my surroundings.
To me theres nothing better then the sound of a Thumper in the morning.

 

[HSR01]

honestly, there are some CONS that i have to agree with bluefire1914.

the muffler sound isn't really great, doesn't have 'depth' in it or in my own words there's no 'bass' sound to the muffler.
but the bright side is, when i'm riding the cbr250 nicely in a crowded neighborhood, it wont disturb anyone.

second, the wheel that doesn't grip the road, sometimes i find it not gripping enough when ride through a fast corner (riding my bike through the corner in 100kph or 60 mph).
it could be the stock tire (i don't think its the best in the market, but good), or perhaps the road it self doesn't really good (bumpy, old asphalt, etc). i never ride it in a circuit or track before. Yet, i agree with bluefire1914.

just reminder i'm 5'8" with 150 lbs.

 

[madd-trapper]

What tires do you have? Keep in mind that tires need to be worn in too to get that slickness off of them. Luckily I ordered the magical grippy tires.
Im also spoiled with this bike compared to my other bikes. Had to move the Sportster around for the wife and cant believe I ever bought it, handles so bad.

 

[Macca]

How many kms on the bike you tried?

I have found from when it was new, that the engine now rides soo much better with 1000kms on the clock.

 

[bluefire1914]

How many kms on the bike you tried?

I have found from when it was new, that the engine now rides soo much better with 1000kms on the clock.

I'm not sure on km's, but it had, I think, about 175 miles on it.

 

[bluefire1914]

thank you bluefire1914 that was one of the things that was wounding about

If you're referring to my comment on the motor noise, please keep in mind that it's completely subjective. Mad Trapper, for example, didn't think it was tin-can sounding. I felt that it was.

Could it have been because the engine needs to settle in a bit more? Perhaps.

One other thing. After I told the owner my opinion, he agreed with me on the brakes issue and also on the engine sound issue. But he said that he felt it was very planted in corners (he is significantly heavier than me), and that he thought the seat was way more comfortable than a Ninja, and that he loved the looks of it. (red/silver).

He did say, however, that he felt that he would outgrow it sooner than he would a Ninja, mainly because of lack of top-end speed. He said that he would probably buy a 600 next summer and give the CBR to his wife. If he had gotten the Ninja, he probably could see himself sticking with it longer.

But, all in all, he is glad he got the CBR over the Ninja. He likes the bottom-end torque a lot better, and he prefers the more conservative look of the bike over the Ninja.

 

[bluefire1914]

dos the motor feel like it is being haled back any because i know honda puts restrictive things to there small motors

I didn't get that feeling at all, but maybe the guys who actually own one would have a better opinion on that.

But, in my short, 20 minute ride, it seemed like it was very even throughout, except for a short stint on the highway, when I tried getting it to max speed. There, it did seem to struggle. I did not feel confident getting in the far left lane at all. Probably the far right or middle would be a good comfort zone for this bike. Of course, shifting it to 6th after hitting 60mph might have been a mistake. If I would have kept it in 5th gear until the red-line and then shifting to 6th might have been better, but I didn't want to red-line and/or ride it too hard since it's not my bike.

But, all in all, I really did enjoy the CBR. That's why I haven't decided to ditch my plans of getting one yet. I have to decide between getting a new Ninja now, or waiting a month to get a CBR. It's a very hard decision. I wasn't able to test ride a Ninja yesterday, but I'm planning on doing so tomorrow if possible, and I can post my experience on that here as well.

 

[CBR250R]

He did say, however, that he felt that he would outgrow it sooner than he would a Ninja, mainly because of lack of top-end speed. He said that he would probably buy a 600 next summer and give the CBR to his wife. If he had gotten the Ninja, he probably could see himself sticking with it longer.

I know what he means about outgrowing a bike. I wouldn't buy a 600cc sportbike because I would outgrow it too quickly compared to my CBR125R and CBR250R. I would quickly outgrow the 600cc bike's poor fuel-economy, more complicated maintenance, high servicing costs, high parts costs, high insurance cost, poorer handling, and high speeding ticket costs. More power and top end speed - but less of everything else. No thanks. No interest in downgrading to a 600RR. That would get old very quickly for me. Just like this guy....

Third times the charm - found a CBR125 replacement - Honda CBR125R Community Forum

Mike

 

[Dave101]

I know what he means about outgrowing a bike. I wouldn't buy a 600cc sportbike because I would outgrow it too quickly compared to my CBR125R and CBR250R. I would quickly outgrow the 600cc bike's poor fuel-economy, more complicated maintenance, high servicing costs, high parts costs, high insurance cost, poorer handling, and high speeding ticket costs. More power and top end speed - but less of everything else. No thanks. No interest in downgrading to a 600RR. That would get old very quickly for me...
Mike

+1. Agree with everything your saying here. Been there done that with larger displacement bikes.

 

[debra stanley]

I find the bike handles great, responsive, sticks to the road and at higher speeds 130 ks did not feel the bike wishing to wander. Admit im not afan of the engine sound but it enriches at higher rpms. Plan in the future to replace the exhaust anyways. I owned a sportster and felt like I was riding with a plant up my butt. It tended to vibrate at higher speeds and I felt the wheels wanted to go in different directions therefore felt unsettled. The cbr 250 in my opinion is a more stable bike that comes into its own at higher speeds and I never felt it was going to run out of steam. Power was always there for the taking.

 

[JPC]

Quick question about the higher speeds. How maintainable is the bike at 75 to 80 mph, or comparitivly 120 to 130kph. Meaning if I wanted to take a 30 min drive lets say at highway speeds, how does it feel driving that long at such high rpms?

 

[qlred]

If you tuck out of the wind, it actually goes pretty good at 75. It turns about 8k rpm, so it's real happy there. I expect you could take it for 30 minutes or so. I don't really drive 80 but I would think that's about it for maintainable speed.

 

[mellow]

i drive to the next city on a road that is 55mph,then converts to 65 mph,once converted to the 65mph road i went up to about 82 with ease,and still had more in it to go faster,i just didnt want to get a ticket like i have before on that road,and at 82mph,the bike didnt struggle at all.

 

[debra stanley]

K........I must reply. When I picked up my bike, I had an hour ride home, all highway speeds and I reached 120 -130kms per hour. Could have pushed it further but I kept in mind the engine had to be broke in. The bike relished the higher rpms. Felt it could have went faster, no problem. I was pleasantly surprised as I read this bike tends to top out faster than the ninja. Learned may not be the case

 

[madd-trapper]

I had a 30 mile 45 or so minute ride home when I picked mine up. Handled highway speeds in the 70-75 range fine and had more on tap. When you red line it it gets up and really goes, but is fine in the 4k range, 7k or so it starts to get up and go.