[earwigy1990]

Hey Erryone!

ive been getting ready to buy a 250 any day now. i was chatting with my buddy whose been riding various bikes since he was 16 (25 now).

i told him i was about to pull the trigger on a cbr250 and his reply was that its a great bike to start with but that i shouldnt ride on the freeway almost at all. when i asked why, he explained that the bike is so light that any wind force could potentially knock me over. he said that his kawi 650 is obviously heavier and hes had a few close encounters of wind force from a passing semi or just a windy ass day knocking him over. i do plan on going on freeways quite often because i live in San Diego, you cant get anywhere without going on several diff freeways lol.

so what do you think? any issues like this when your riding?

im 6'2" 185lbs 21y/o if that helps

 

[Michael]

Hey Erryone!

ive been getting ready to buy a 250 any day now. i was chatting with my buddy whose been riding various bikes since he was 16 (25 now).

i told him i was about to pull the trigger on a cbr250 and his reply was that its a great bike to start with but that i shouldnt ride on the freeway almost at all. when i asked why, he explained that the bike is so light that any wind force could potentially knock me over. he said that his kawi 650 is obviously heavier and hes had a few close encounters of wind force from a passing semi or just a windy ass day knocking him over. i do plan on going on freeways quite often because i live in San Diego, you cant get anywhere without going on several diff freeways lol.

so what do you think? any issues like this when your riding?

im 6'2" 185lbs 21y/o if that helps

What a load of nonsense. The CBR250R is way heavier than it should be. My CB250RS was over 30 kg lighter. My CB350, a twin, 12 kg lighter.

I have ridden far lighter bikes on all sorts of road (and off road) in all sorts of wind conditions. My MB100 is only 85 kg, and no problem in a howling gale, or with buffeting from semi's, busses or whatever. People should learn to ride, not blame vehicles for their own shortcomings.

The only time i have not been able to ride was on one Nor-westerly day in Hawkes Bay, NZ.... Nor-westers are strong there. I was on a Honda CB350. I came to a cutting just a couple of km from where I was going. The wind was funneling through at enormous speed. It was like hitting a wall. I stopped, parked the bike and continued on foot. For about 70 metres through that cutting I could not walk. I had to crawl on my hands and knees.

 

[earwigy1990]

What a load of nonsense. The CBR250R is way heavier than it should be. My CB250RS was over 30 kg lighter.

I have ridden far lighter bikes on all sorts of road (and off road) in all sorts of wind conditions. My MB100 is only 85 kg, and no problem in a howling gale, or with buffeting from semi's busses or whatever. People should learn to ride, not blame vehicles for their own shortcomings.

The only time i have not been able to ride was on one Nor-westerly day in Hawkes Bay, NZ.... Nor-westers are strong there. I came to a cutting just a couple of km from where I was going. The wind was funneling through at enormous speed. It was like hitting a wall. I stopped, parked the bike and continued on foot. For about 70 metres through that cutting I could not walk. I had to crawl on my hands and knees.

lol cool story. well it will be my first bike, im working on getting my license right now. so with lack of skill that i have, you still dont think it will be a problem?

 

[DoubleRGirl]

your friend is retarded

ps: i only commute on the highway and i'm a foot shorter than you

 

[somebody5788]

First week of owning my bike I was riding through 30 mph side winds. It was scary but I managed.

 

[Kyle]

im on the 405 daily going 80-90 with no prob!

 

[TheInkedOne]

Its managable. I'm 5'10 and 155lbs, I get pushed every now and then but its never anything serious

 

[Luke]

You'll be fine on the interstate - you will get pushed around some by trucks (car carriers seem to be the worst), and IMO if all you are doing is interstate travel a heavier (and bigger) bike would be a better choice.

However, you'd give up a superb handling bike that's a joy to ride, one that makes you look for back roads with lots of curves. Although it's only 17 miles from my house to work, there's been many a night when it was 30 miles home - it's that much fun.

Good luck!

 

[Metalstorm]

The wind ain't no thing once you get used to it and learn to lean into it.

I love how light this bike is. It's almost like pushing a bicycle.
I haven't ridden into the City yet (San Francisco) but this thing will be a dream when I have to park it sideways on a steep hill.

Slow speed maneuvers are also soooo easy on this bike. I could ride around in slow tight circles all day with it.

The 250 is an excellent starter bike but let me tell ya, I've been riding all kinds of bikes for 26 years now and this 250 is also an excellent bike for experienced riders who want a gas sipping everyday get around bike. The power is just enough to not be overwhelmed by traffic even on the freeways (in Nor Cal, dunno about So Cal freeways or other parts of the world) and the wind can be anticipated and compensated.

 

[tasbill]

I pretty much agree with everything here. The 250 i got 2 months ago is my first bike and i took a MSF class and got my license about 2 weeks before i bought the bike. This bike is probably the 2nd best thing i've ever bought. Wind on the interstate does take some getting used to, but you will learn. I still learn everyday. If i can tell its extra windy on the way to work then i just use as little of the interstate as possible. Regardless of what your buddy says man. This bike will get you incredible gas mileage, its easy to operate, its comfortable, its fun as hell, and since you are new like alot of us you can feel good that the bike doesn't have a whole lot of top end speed to get in trouble or worse.

 

[earwigy1990]

thank you for all the replies keep them coming.
if i get a bike its def gonna be a 250 i wouldnt get a 650 to start but just wondering peoples opinions and personal experiences.

cant wait to ride mates!

 

[Aufitt]

Ask your fiend if everything is ok at home.. or downstairs lol...big bike Nazis are always a laugh.

Tell him to learn to ride with his legs & feet more and control his motorcycle better.
.. winds and trucks are part & parcel of motorcycling.
And yes the cbr250 is a bit of a porker at 162kg for a single, but is probably more aerodynamic than what he rides.

 

[earwigy1990]

haha excuse the question if its nub-ish, when he told me this i was getting all nervous of throwing down 4500 on a bike i cant ride everywhere lol. thanks everyone. are there any legit negatives to having such a light bike then?

 

[w0rM]

your friend is retarded

Well said

 

[Aufitt]

haha excuse the question if its nub-ish, when he told me this i was getting all nervous of throwing down 4500 on a bike i cant ride everywhere lol. thanks everyone. are there any legit negatives to having such a light bike then?

Yeah ppl will envy your excellent choice for buying a practical motorcycle.
In spite of their inferiority complexes.

(Show your friend this form)
Enjoy.

 

[spdklls]

Ive ridden on I40 at 80 miles an hour and didnt have any problems with wind buffeting from trucks at all...riding behind the trailer of a semi on the interstate at just the right distance is is not fun but at no time did I even start to get blown into another portion of the lane I didnt want to be riding in at the time...I would just back off or pass them to get out from behind them..
this also goes for big trucks passing you on 2 lane hwys....sure..you feel a wind gust as it passes but not any where close enough to even start to make you move out of the line you've chosen to ride in on your lane of the road (which for me is almost always the middle until I get to a stop sign or red light then i move to one side or other of the huge grease strips left in the middle there)

 

[awksedgreep]

My other car is a Dodge RAM 1500 and I get blown around by semis. I'm thinking of getting a bigger truck. What do you think I should get?

In all seriousness, semis stir up wind in a big way . . . it affects ALL CARS and motorcycles. This bike has been no harder to ride than a big harley with a windshield(windsail?) would be, in fact I think you'll find it's a lot easier. Also remember sport bikes are really light, especially the RR variety. This bike is actually heavy for a sport bike of its displacement. Some 600s are only like 50lbs heavier.

Buy it, you won't regret it. It's the best all around bike out there and works in all situations except one . . . passing a car doing 90 on the highway. If you do that all the time, this isn't the bike for you. If you drive reasonable speeds and want to pass the occasional slow guy, perfect bike for all situations.

I'm giving serious thought to touring on mine and that will mean a lot of interstates and I'm not scared one bit(unlike your friend).

Hope this helps . . .

'njoy,
awk

 

[sendler]

Into the wind

I've ridden 2000 highway miles on my CBR250R. The aerodynamics this bike has actually make it lean itself into any sidewinds. The nose of the bike goes straight down the road while the wheels do tend to ride back and forth under you to automatically keep the bike on line. Ther are heavier, more powerful bikes around but they cost a lot and guzzle more gas.

 

[earwigy1990]

thanks to all the replies i really appreciate it. i dont have any more hesitations now. so excited!

 

[phuddu]

whoever says that cbr250 is heavier and ok for high speed commute is lying . I have ridden my buddy's cbr250 and you will get pushed around by trucks and SUVS.
There is no doubt about this