125 vs 250 and Ninja vs CBR

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dale.gribble

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Well I just passed my m2 test. I am looking at a motorcycle. I did the course on a 125 honda cbr and I really like it.

My first question is there a big difference in handling between a 125 and 250? What are the differences between the 2.

My second question is, I would like to get a cbr because I did the course on one, but I hear since the cbr 250 were just released there are alot of issues with them. If I do decide on a 250 am I better of getting a kawi?
 
As an owner of a cbr250r that has said issues, I can confirm the issues are rare enough that barely anyone experiences it, enough so that the dealer totally draws a blank when you ask him to fix it, and most owners will probably not know about it unless they like surfing forums for problems they don't have.

For myself the problem of random stalling mostly went away after a while, but it's definitely something that Honda will eventually have to address. They are probably just waiting until someone gets pancaked at a light.

It's peppier than the 125 for sure; I hated the 125 in the class, felt pretty weak to me. The 250 is awesome everywhere except the 400s highways.

Side by side with the Ninja it's probably a matter of taste, and how much you value fuel injection and the Honda brand.
 
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Congrats on getting your M2 and welcome to the forum!

Once I completed my M2 I also purchased a 125 just to see how I would like riding, and whether I would like to continue in the sport...I love it and have just upgraded to a CBR250R a few months ago and am loving this bike. I haven't had any 'issues' per se but there's a few things I want to have the shop look into as it may just be the nature of the bike which I'm not used to.

To answer your question yes there is a huge difference between the two bikes. The 250 is considerably bigger and allows for highway riding much better than the 125. The 125 was great around the city but once I got on the highway I wanted more as it topped out around 110/120kph. The 250 is much steadier in my opinion, and frankly more usable all around then the 125. I have heard great things about the Ninja but haven't ridden one so can't comment.
 
eljay said:
As an owner of a cbr250r that has said issues, I can confirm the issues are rare enough that barely anyone experiences it, enough so that the dealer totally draws a blank when you ask him to fix it. For myself the problem of stalling went away after a while, but it's definitely something that Honda will eventually have to address. They are probably just waiting until someone gets pancaked at a light. It's peppier than the 125 for sure, I hated the 125 in the class, felt pretty weak to me. The 250 is awesome everywhere except the 400s highways.

Side by side with the Ninja it's probably a matter of taste, and how much you value fuel injection.
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Eljay, what issues are you having with your 250? There's a few things that bother me but I don't know if they're 'issues' or just characteristics of the bike?

For instance:
- a buzzing from the front end...as if something is rattling (could be the windscreen)
- around 5500-6000rpm the engine seems to lug/whine...hard to explain without sound
- a weird smell (as if some oil/brake pad is burning) although when I try to find a leak or the source I can't place it...typically noticeable at stop lights - my 125 had the same smell actually now that I think of it.
 
For smells I'd say it's "stuff" burning off... I think if you stuck your head under the hood of a card while it's running you'd probably smell something similar.
 
Ninja 250 .. IMO better response on high speed which is important on highway ... yes its carburated, but w.e not much difference after a few blocks and the bike is warm.
 
eljay said:
For smells I'd say it's "stuff" burning off... I think if you stuck your head under the hood of a card while it's running you'd probably smell something similar.
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Yes, the smell is there, like overheated brakes, no idea what's causing it (I don't worry too much about it though). There is some buzzing in the 5500-6000 range, nothing that bothers me. The bike is great so far, over 2k on it and loving every minute.
 
I figured it was just a characteristic of the bike but wasn't sure...125 had the same issue with engine struggling below 6k rpm...could simply be the fact it's a single cylinder and that's common...
I'm glad I'm not losing my mind then! LoL

Alex_San said:
Yes, the smell is there, like overheated brakes, no idea what's causing it (I don't worry too much about it though). There is some buzzing in the 5500-6000 range, nothing that bothers me. The bike is great so far, over 2k on it and loving every minute.
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You guys got some issues with your 250's.
Luckily for me I have had 0 issues with mine.
haven't experienced any of the said issues and yes I maxed out the 250 going at 175 km/hr :) took a while but it can do it.

As for power...u guys aren't launching the bike higher than 6k rpm -_-
 
UJelly said:
As for power...u guys aren't launching the bike higher than 6k rpm -_-
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haha, oh yes I am! It's just relative to the ninja it seems to have less take off from a higher speed... the ninja goes from say 100 to 130 a lot faster than my cbr.
 
for the CBR, how is the vibration of the bike on the top power ? on the ninja I feel nothing, but I have the Honda rebel to blame due to how much vibration it used to make after 100kmh ... I sometimes miss having my feet tingle when going on the highway
 
I have no unusual vibration at any speed/rpm

afelotreyu said:
for the CBR, how is the vibration of the bike on the top power ? on the ninja I feel nothing, but I have the Honda rebel to blame due to how much vibration it used to make after 100kmh ... I sometimes miss having my feet tingle when going on the highway
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eljay said:
haha, oh yes I am! It's just relative to the ninja it seems to have less take off from a higher speed... the ninja goes from say 100 to 130 a lot faster than my cbr.
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I dunno...I find that the cbr has more torque to it compared to the ninja 250 when starting off ...*shrugs*

ridden both ninja and honda but that's my opinion and yes the ninja gets to top end speed a lot quicker than the honda :|

I usually ride my 250 like a 600....but it just isn't the same :'(
 
You managed 175 on the cbr? Wow... Was it downhill with the wind on your back?
Not saying it's not doable, I just can't figure how I could pull that off on mine...
 
Alex_San said:
You managed 175 on the cbr? Wow... Was it downhill with the wind on your back?
Not saying it's not doable, I just can't figure how I could pull that off on mine...
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wind on back, fully tucked, long stretch of road. Plus i weight 150 lawler. It took a while
 
UJelly said:
wind on back, fully tucked, long stretch of road. Plus i weight 150 lawler. It took a while
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or you could coming from burrito boys and ripping some good farts to help the bike get to that speed...
 
I have the 250r I do experience a rattle, its my keys lol, none other than that. as for stalling havnt experienced it, but did read about it and some people say its been fixed with a valve adjustment. whining noise i dont get, burning smell i dont get.
burning smell could be the pads try replacing them with aftermarket ones.
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