Swiss Army Knife
My classification .....swiss army knife. I have read of numerous posts from riders trying to point how the CBR250 is actually fast, can race etc. I say call it like it is. Any honest 250 rider knows that when you are going 80mph your tach is at 8,500 rpm and if you attempt to quickly pass a cager then it simply won't happen. You need a wind at your back and about a 1/2 mile of real estate to go from 80mph to north of 87mph. So don't try and tell me that it is a sport bike. I like to instead simply focus/enjoy on what the lil 250 does. I can commute 50 miles per day with this fantastic machine and have a smile for every mile while getting 70mpg. I does this not babying the 250 the least bit but making it work and get me to work in a timely fashion. I have no buyer's remorse with this machine. The $20/month in insurance is easily justified by the monthly fuel savings vs. driving my truck which gets ~ 15mpg. I have also used the 250 to haul my 13 year old to soccer games, errands, etc. While I am not ready to perform a cross country trip w/ two on this lil machine, I have had no problem at all performing local trips/errands with 2 up riding (Note - The passenger belt/handles from Outlaw Racing ($25) are very helpful)). Like I said... I use it as a commuter and drive it rain or shine. Have driven it in pounding down rain and haven't had any issues. There are safety concerns with the 250 when it comes to 25mph+ crosswinds. Not saying it can't be safely done but one needs to be knowledgable about how to handle those situations (e.g. leaning, no death grip on handlebars, knees tight against tank, etc.). The 250 is a blast to ride. With this cycle, I feel like I can make any turn on a dime, I just think about leaning and I am leaning. Finally... I don't know quite what it is but every time I get on the 250 I feel like I could drive it all the way across the USA. A writer from Canada described this as the "Honda Effect". The machine is built well and performs in excess of my expectations. I place a high value on what I am able to accomplish on this machine and still get 70mpg. My wife has started learning to ride using the 250 and the next one in line to learn is the oldest boy. Bottom line - this cycle is staying in the family! I will service/maintain it to reasonable standards and hope that I can get at least 135,000-150,000 miles out of it. It's already in the 10,000 mile club and I like it better without the rear OEM tire. The Bridgestone Battlax that I replaced it with has a great deep tread and grips real good. Crazy idea department - I am considering modification of the motorcycle trailer (trailer that a motorcycle can pull) that Harbor Freight has. Its a lightweight trailer w/ 12" wheels that runs about $300. Its not something I would use beyond local trips but I would really dig being able to use the 250 to haul a trailer to help me accomplish errands and such. If I perform the project and 250 is able to haul it in a safe manner I will certainly communicate that on this forum.
My classification .....swiss army knife. I have read of numerous posts from riders trying to point how the CBR250 is actually fast, can race etc. I say call it like it is. Any honest 250 rider knows that when you are going 80mph your tach is at 8,500 rpm and if you attempt to quickly pass a cager then it simply won't happen. You need a wind at your back and about a 1/2 mile of real estate to go from 80mph to north of 87mph. So don't try and tell me that it is a sport bike. I like to instead simply focus/enjoy on what the lil 250 does. I can commute 50 miles per day with this fantastic machine and have a smile for every mile while getting 70mpg. I does this not babying the 250 the least bit but making it work and get me to work in a timely fashion. I have no buyer's remorse with this machine. The $20/month in insurance is easily justified by the monthly fuel savings vs. driving my truck which gets ~ 15mpg. I have also used the 250 to haul my 13 year old to soccer games, errands, etc. While I am not ready to perform a cross country trip w/ two on this lil machine, I have had no problem at all performing local trips/errands with 2 up riding (Note - The passenger belt/handles from Outlaw Racing ($25) are very helpful)). Like I said... I use it as a commuter and drive it rain or shine. Have driven it in pounding down rain and haven't had any issues. There are safety concerns with the 250 when it comes to 25mph+ crosswinds. Not saying it can't be safely done but one needs to be knowledgable about how to handle those situations (e.g. leaning, no death grip on handlebars, knees tight against tank, etc.). The 250 is a blast to ride. With this cycle, I feel like I can make any turn on a dime, I just think about leaning and I am leaning. Finally... I don't know quite what it is but every time I get on the 250 I feel like I could drive it all the way across the USA. A writer from Canada described this as the "Honda Effect". The machine is built well and performs in excess of my expectations. I place a high value on what I am able to accomplish on this machine and still get 70mpg. My wife has started learning to ride using the 250 and the next one in line to learn is the oldest boy. Bottom line - this cycle is staying in the family! I will service/maintain it to reasonable standards and hope that I can get at least 135,000-150,000 miles out of it. It's already in the 10,000 mile club and I like it better without the rear OEM tire. The Bridgestone Battlax that I replaced it with has a great deep tread and grips real good. Crazy idea department - I am considering modification of the motorcycle trailer (trailer that a motorcycle can pull) that Harbor Freight has. Its a lightweight trailer w/ 12" wheels that runs about $300. Its not something I would use beyond local trips but I would really dig being able to use the 250 to haul a trailer to help me accomplish errands and such. If I perform the project and 250 is able to haul it in a safe manner I will certainly communicate that on this forum.
