Honda CBR 250R 1989 ????

[Kool Scoota]

Andrew and I have been thinking the last couple of months of getting a bike!!!!.

Remembering we are very new to all this so don't have a great understanding of what is good or bad or even really what to look for.

I've never been on a bike so the idea of clutch, gears etc... totally freaks me out, but this nagging, annoying little voice in my head keeps bringing it up evil...

So we both seem to be fond of Honda's at this stage and found a CBR 250R that we like but have no idea about them...

So please help, all feedback would be greatly appreciated... even advice to stick with scooters

[mekros]

These things came in a grey imports so servicing will NOT be performed by a dealer, but a mechanic (say like everything 2 wheels) will service them.

They are 20+ years old now so are showing the signs of being thrashed hard. The R compared to the RR model is less desireable for boy racers, and as a result is a bit cheaper. They are still good bikes and can be pushed hard.

What sort of bike are you looking for and what sort of riding are you planning to do with it?

[Kool Scoota]

Thanks Mekros, appreciate your feedback.

Both Andrew and I ride scooters daily to work (no matter the weather) and use them on the weekend for leisure.

The bike will be shared and maybe used from time to time for work but mainly to replace my VS125 on weekends as it has trouble on the hwy keeping the speed .

So I suppose we are looking at something that will be easy to learn on and reliable, weight is also another factor being 53kg I find heavy bikes intimidating, Andrew will most likely be the main user but will be used by me on weekends when his arthritis is playing up.

We are hoping to do longer rides out to the country with some overnighters which at the moment are not achievable with my little scoot.

The CBR 250R we found claims to only been used on weekends with only around 16,000!!??.. The guy mentioned that it starts first pop when cold but is a little harder when warm. Your thoughts are greatly appreciated as I said before as we have no clue.

[SlowStu]

If your planning on doing some longer rides I would think about a bike with a more upright riding position, the CBR is very much a sports bike riding position and may not be comfortable over a longer trip. If you are only little it may work for you though and as always the advice is sit on as many bikes as you can before making a decision.

The other option is always get a bigger scooter, there is plenty of nice ones out there with a larger capacity

[Kool Scoota]

Originally Posted by SlowStu

If your planning on doing some longer rides I would think about a bike with a more upright riding position, the CBR is very much a sports bike riding position and may not be comfortable over a longer trip. If you are only little it may work for you though and as always the advice is sit on as many bikes as you can before making a decision.

The other option is always get a bigger scooter, there is plenty of nice ones out there with a larger capacity

Thanks for the feedback Stu,

Didn't think about riding position, good call.
Sounds like it maybe okay for me but Andrew is my opposite and leaning forward I would presume means more pressure on the upper body?.. have no idea.

Can you suggest any that are more upright in position for us to look at? Will also investigate further on the scooters, do like the Honda 300 Scoot.

Cheers
Mel

[SlowStu]

Originally Posted by Kool Scoota

Sounds like it maybe okay for me but Andrew is my opposite and leaning forward I would presume means more pressure on the upper body?.. have no idea.

Can you suggest any that are more upright in position for us to look at? Will also investigate further on the scooters, do like the Honda 300 Scoot.

Cheers
Mel

Yep leaning foward means more pressure on wrists & shoulders, especially at low speed.

If your looking for something in the 2 fiddy range then the Honda VTR is a good bike from all reports, but it is naked, otherwise there is the tried & true Kawasaki GPX250 (getting a bit old now but bulletproof) or its latest incarnation the 250 ninja. You could look at a Hyosung which looks sporty but has a more upright position as far as I know however is a bit heavier. I'm sure there is plenty more, just cant think of any at the moment.

[Tigress]

if you are more used to sitting upright on a scooter, id suggest a bike like mine, honda cb400, and theres a couple of nice yellow ones on ebay right now.. going price is around $8500... two thousand cheaper than new.. low mileage, and low maintenance... and on the LAMS list but still has some guts

[kenny]

Mel, Unco (Julie) has the new Kwaka Ninja 250 and she is having a ball on it on the Snowy ride. She had little trouble maintaining 120kph all day to keep up with us an it's so small she was handling the tight stuff with ease. They are very popular and are basically a GPX 250 with updated bodywork and the things go forever. As others have said, simply get into the shops and get your bum on some seats to see what might suit ya. A sat morning Elizabeth St wander might be the best bet to see most of what is on the market.

[Jac]

Mel l had the CBR250RR as my very first bike and l loved it to bits, but my style of riding back then was lean off the bike and to go hard and fast. But most of my riding back then was short quick rides

If your planning to do long distance rides...or should l say a full day of riding, then l wouldnt opt for the sports bike, especially if your hubby has arthritis

Just some questions so we can help you beter

What kind of price are you looking to spend Mel?

What height are you? ..as some bikes can be quite high in the seat and if you are on tippy toes..can throw your riding straight out the window

[canuck13]

just to be a bit off the wall...... you could always look at a 250 trail/duallie. Several of those are set up with street tyres as pseudo mortards. They have light weight, upright position but could be a bit high. As for fuel range, it can be increased with an aftermarket tank. oh and prices are cheap