[fieldassembly]

I'm a new rider - got my first bike, 2012 tri-color CBR250R last week, and I've been riding it everywhere I can. I am also scared to rev the engine above 6,000 RPM, because it gets so loud, and sounds like the engine might explode! I know that it's just the nature of a high-revving engine - what I can liken the sound to is when I first drove a Honda Civic Si; I was scared it too might blow up...

I know it's ok to take the engine all the way up into its power band, but I suppose I need some reassurance from you guys that it's fine. The bike is mechanically sound, with zero issues, and around 8,200 miles. I'm not looking to go fast right now as I'm still learning - but I feel like I'm short-shifting each time I ride. I'd appreciate your input and advice!

 

[don'tpanic]

Have you signed up for a MSF riding course, yet? If nothing else, you will meet riders (instructors) who can tell by listening if all is well with your bike.
How do you know it is mechanically sound? Have you had it in the shop since you bought it?

Does it have an aftermarket muffler on it? If so, scare up a used original and put it on. You will find it is a completely different motorcycle. The OEM muffler is quite heavy, but it includes the catalytic convertor, and a well-damped muffler.
Quite possible that is where your noise is coming from.

You can hurt the engine if you lug it (run it at low RPM).

 

[cbrlocal]

6k RPM is just when the engine is starting to come alive. Wring its little neck and don't feel bad about it; they love it!

Seriously; ignition cutoff is 10,500 RPM. It's good for an engine to be revved occasionally, and will do absolutely no harm to the bike as long as your maintenance is up to snuff. If it's in good running condition, twist the wrist, and the growl coming out of the pipe will be an eager and anxious reassurance that your bike is happy to please.

 

[CBR Blaize]

Well on the road shifting at 6000 is perfect. There is no need to go super high revs if your not planning on going fast. Also try to cruise above 3000 though, because under that it will start to lug and that is harmful. But you are going to have to get comfortable with going into the high rpm range. On the highway you will be at a minimum of ~6500. This bike does get very viby above 6000 and its something you'll have to accept.

Glad that you have started riding and on such a good starter bike!

 

[Schroeder]

´
This bike does get very viby above 6000 and its something you'll have to accept.

Odd, mine doesn't. Mine's rather viby below 4,500 rpm.

 

[fieldassembly]

Have you signed up for a MSF riding course, yet? If nothing else, you will meet riders (instructors) who can tell by listening if all is well with your bike.
How do you know it is mechanically sound? Have you had it in the shop since you bought it?

Does it have an aftermarket muffler on it?

Yes, I've taken the MSF course and have my motorcycle endorsement/license. The bike is mechanically sound - I've had it looked at by a local shop I trust. No aftermarket muffler.

What I'm getting at is that it's more of a psychological thing; it's me, not the bike. Having driven cars/cages most of my life, it's just a lot more visceral than anything else I've had on the road, and I'm getting used to the sounds. It sounds loud, but I'm learning that's perfectly ok.

 

[don'tpanic]

Try ear plugs. Most serious riders won't ride without them. I wish I had started when I got my first bike in 1976.
It did take awhile to get used to them (the quiet), but after that, I couldn't snap the chin guard on my helmet shut without them. That would remind me!

It is mostly about wind noise, and it will damage your hearing!

Have fun, wear all the gear you have, all the time, and get the gear that you don't have.

See my signature links.

 

[pooder7]

Try ear plugs. Most serious riders won't ride without them. I wish I had started when I got my first bike in 1976.
It did take awhile to get used to them (the quiet), but after that, I couldn't snap the chin guard on my helmet shut without them. That would remind me!

It is mostly about wind noise, and it will damage your hearing!

Have fun, wear all the gear you have, all the time, and get the gear that you don't have.

See my signature links.

LISTEN to this guy . . . while you still can!

I rode without ear plugs for too many years, and now I have tinnitus from it. You don't want tinnitus. And yes, it's about the wind noise 'cause most of my early riding was on a quiet K75 with stock exhaust and I was wearing a full-face helmet.

So, please wear ear plugs when you're at highway speeds for longer than a few minutes; your ears will thank you.

 

[jkv357]

As others have noted - earplugs may help.

Zipping up to redline on occasion isn't bad, and it helps clear the combustion chamber of deposits. There are a few threads here that talk about engine problems like burned valves and such, and the rider admits to short-shifting and lugging the engine.

Always make sure the oil is fresh and up to the proper level, as there isn't much in there. Make sure the engine is up to operating temp for a while - then let 'er rip!

Just be sure you are in a safe location, and know where the road is going, as the extra acceleration may catch you off-guard initially. Power peaks about 8500, but you are safe to go up to the red - no problem.

 

[fieldassembly]

Thanks for all of the input. It's not an issue of being too loud and damaging my hearing (although earplugs are a good idea!) but I feel "bad" revving it above like 6,000 RPM because it's just loud and engaging, but I'm getting used to it.

6k RPM is just when the engine is starting to come alive. Wring its little neck and don't feel bad about it; they love it!

I went on a fun ride this afternoon after work, and noticed myself getting used to the engine sound the more I ride. I thought about this post and kept telling myself out loud to "wring its little neck"!

 

[zerocool]

I'm a new rider - got my first bike, 2012 tri-color CBR250R last week, and I've been riding it everywhere I can. I am also scared to rev the engine above 6,000 RPM, because it gets so loud, and sounds like the engine might explode! I know that it's just the nature of a high-revving engine - what I can liken the sound to is when I first drove a Honda Civic Si; I was scared it too might blow up...

I know it's ok to take the engine all the way up into its power band, but I suppose I need some reassurance from you guys that it's fine. The bike is mechanically sound, with zero issues, and around 8,200 miles. I'm not looking to go fast right now as I'm still learning - but I feel like I'm short-shifting each time I ride. I'd appreciate your input and advice!

You will eventually get used to it. Even I bought mine last November. Took me almost a month to get settled.
Remember, Do not pamper your engine by shifting early.
High revs are way better than lugging the engine.
Check out my channel on YouTube: Piston Head to see how I'm treating my babe from day one.
Completed 6.4k kms till now. Done 2 big rides. One was 2000kms in 3 days and 750 kms in 2 days.
Ride safe and Always ride within YOUR limits.

 

[jkv357]

Thanks for all of the input. It's not an issue of being too loud and damaging my hearing (although earplugs are a good idea!) but I feel "bad" revving it above like 6,000 RPM because it's just loud and engaging, but I'm getting used to it.

I went on a fun ride this afternoon after work, and noticed myself getting used to the engine sound the more I ride. I thought about this post and kept telling myself out loud to "wring its little neck"!

That's the part that most of us like best!

They sound better when you are accelerating and shifting constantly, rather than holding the RPMs steady in that range.

Be sure to check your oil level regularly. Some engines will pump some oil from the cranckcase breather into the airbox when run in the higher range. Not usually a problem as long as you keep an eye on the oil level. As I said before, the CBR doesn't hold much oil, so the oil needs be be high quality and kept at the proper level.

 

[shisoshin]

[longish response for novice, experienced just scroll on bye if as you say its in your mind then distraction via removal of sound ie, earplugs, could be one option as a sort of mind bandaid.. so long as you direct your intellect to an idea such as 'a-ha, this loud noise is a worry, lets turn it down'.. but to get at the root of this fear/concern best to take mind thru a walk in the park of your engine and how it works, plus what it 'likes' and what is 'normal' for it,, as members have advised.. [ie, not just listening/reading about it, but the deliberate act of ingesting this understanding,, as if you were helping someone worried about something you know is not a worry] your/our engines do and will make noises.. mine is making a sort of 'fluttering' sound probably the 'rattle' some speak of, and when she goes in for her first service shortly i will ask the young tech to take her for a ride to check it out.. probably camchain, but still.. i wasnt aware of it until i removed cheek pads from helmet to allow on/off avoiding contact with ear/nose recent surgeries.. and it didnt happen at idle/low revs.. noticing this, is good.. being aware of your engines feedback is a good thing, which might forestall a real disfunction etc, should that happen.. in martial arts for eg, you want to be prepared and aware, but not jumping at every shadow or noise,, thus teaching yourself to be nervous and brain to direct its attention to every shadow and little noise.. brain training.. train your brain to listen and hear then to respond appropriately to whatever you hear... if you had those members here who have reassured you about use of revs etc [as normal etc] with you and hearing your engine, they would be telling you and brain the same things.. its ok to talk to yourself [within reason] and good to tell brain whats what.. 'its ok,, its only the breeze',, thus developing a natural pleasure in simply feeling the nice breeze,, or your engine working.. throttle control is if not 'everything' then a good part of it, and should be smooth,, gentle,, flowing, regardless of how fast or slow you move it.. hand is one of brains best friends in human beings, and responsible for using throttle and clutch on your motorcycle.. we dont want hands to be scared of causing alarm by normal throttle use.. practice, as members advise here, such as using throttle somewhere safe is practicing the skills and also brain training

 

[fieldassembly]

[longish response for novice, experienced just scroll on bye

Ahhhhh!! I got a response from shisoshin, I feel honored! I enjoy reading your poetic-formatted posts - even if my internal monologue tries to find some sort of poetic meter in which to read it. Although your post to this thread is more of a block style paragraph.

You're totally right - it's much easier to figure out a problem when you can break it into discrete parts, or symptoms, or whatever. Like you said, the "fluttering" or "rattle" sound isn't some esoteric random engine noise conceived out of nothingness, but is a piece of the engine interacting with another part in ways which operate outside of the design. That's great advice to listen and be in tune with your bike, so there's greater awareness when something isn't going right. The same can be said for life, really.

 

[shisoshin]

well i just sit and type direct, according to the post or question raised,, no attempt to mimic bhagavad gita 9 or 11 syllable per line or any other constuction.. as to block presentation that post, seems i cant use 'quick reply' which reproduces my individual units of the idea etc, so using 'reply' alternative, which clumps them all together.. different way of reading and different experience of ideas expressed.. [there was a line break after 'construction' above, which has probably been removed, joining 'construction' with 'as to block presentation'] say someone starts talking and just keeps going, as if something is urgent or somehow important enough to be blurted out in one go,, your attention will drift away as mind typically responds to ideas - with additions or differences of view etc - which go together to form - communications.. someone speaking rapid fire no breaks style is probably trying to sell you something, including 'hiding' an idea within the herd of supporting ideas [etc].. thus my preference for giving ideas or concept components their own space.. if you find that presentation poetic then there must be a poet in there.. i think in segments, as well.. so type it out that way.. [this is also a test given the subject is alive thru members feedback as to their difficulties with the site, as in jsonders goodbye thread, so this was typed in 8 units separated by a line break.. lets see if its been made into a block of text by 'reply' box] life is also an experiment

 

[cbrrider111]

I feel kind of nervous maintaining revs 9,000-10,000 it just feels so terrible for the bike, but riding on Dutch/German freeways at 130-140km/h requires it. My bike is at 9,000km and maintained well.

If i ride sustained periods at these RPMs (almost redline) would damage be done? By sustained, I mean 100+km without stopping.

 

[jsonder]

It is a water-cooled bike. As long as you stay 500 rpm below redline, everything should be fine.

However, high speed riding with small engined bikes often leads to sucking a bit of oil into the intake box. Keep a eye on your oil level and check the air filter for oil accumulation.

 

[Schroeder]

I feel kind of nervous maintaining revs 9,000-10,000 it just feels so terrible for the bike, but riding on Dutch/German freeways at 130-140km/h requires it. My bike is at 9,000km and maintained well.

If i ride sustained periods at these RPMs (almost redline) would damage be done? By sustained, I mean 100+km without stopping.

Are you sure you're using all 6 gears? Or did you change the sprocket size? Because at 130km/h my bike runs at 7.800 rpm in 6th.

 

[shisoshin]

around 8.5 - 9.5 is maximum hp range [depending on dyno and particular bike'] so around 9 is designed max hp range.. generally, 1000rpm is lost at gear change, so for performance you might go to redline going for acceleration so as to drop back into max hp range [max torque about 6 - 8].. for sustained speed in top probably about 8 - 8.5 given the necessity to ride in that speed range.. you want to run around average traffic flow speeds, too slow being a hazard near distracted micro-sleeping drivers, but its up to you where/how you ride..
i like to find a 'sweet spot' for individual motorcycles then ride around that rpm.. here [nsw aust] max speed on highways is 110kph [about 70mph] so thats well within most bikes comfort zone.. of course many drivers exceed limits,, so on long runs my habit was to find a driver with good habits going about my speed preference, then sit behind him back a bit,, then after a while overtake and take turns leading.. esp at night its good to have a break behind.. good drivers recognise this, while prawns assume your dropping a challenge by overtaking.. another handy idiot recognition response..
varying speeds even slightly gives feedback to brain which automatically notices such things thus stays alert,
whereas sitting on one speed can be hypnotic and sleep inducing for tired drivers [even riders]..
elegantly simple hint is to leave early10 minutes or more, giving yourself extra time for slowing to a stop and break to stretch, take a leak, have a drink etc..

 

[chris6801]

Mine vibrates like crazy near redline and I can really feel it at slower speeds. From what I understand this is pretty normal for a single cylinder design. I like it to keep it around 7/8k myself most of the time.


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