RED21

What's normal highway speeds? I might be able to join this time...

Yup, that D-ring is for the helmet lock. Was very happy when I found out it had one... BTW, mine's matte black too.

Coming back from my house in the city to the staff residence where I work, could smell the familiar burning scent just a few meters away from Mae Malai market even with a balaclava on underneath my helmet. A few kilometers ahead near one of the government offices in Mae Taeng was a huge blaze, it was also near the highway... I guess a few pyromaniacs finally had a field day this evening:D. A coworker who just arrived after me said the blaze became huge that she got scared it would reach her car as she was driving on the road. With the police station just nearby (they could probably smell the burning too) it makes you wonder...

Ease up people... before this thread becomes as polluted as the CBR250 thread...

Here I made a sandlot for you guys to play on...

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/624414-brakes-and-braking/

Just trying to keep the other threads on topic...

Throwing this one at you guys to start things up...

I just realized I've had my CBR150 for more than 2 years and use it to drive to work in the boonies from home and vice-versa. I haven't checked the kilometers but it has long been in the five digits.

Reminiscing...

I took it from the dealers on the last week of December during 2010 after patiently waiting since there was a long pre-order list then.

My wife told me that the bike was going to be registered after the New Year so even if it was bought in 2010 it says on the registration its a Honda CBR150R FI 2011,

I was going to get the red one because, "Da red 'uns go fastah". Unfortunately, my friend who was ahead of me in the pre-order list got a red one before I did.

I was set to get the white one instead, but when we visited the dealership to finalize my order I saw a black one loaded on the pick up truck for delivery it looked, "meaner" so I decided to get the black one instead.

When I arrived at the dealership to sign papers for the sale and have the bike delivered at home some 250s just arrived, and the guy handling the papers asked if I wanted a black 250 instead since there were a couple that have not been reserved. I only had enough money on hand to pay for the 150 in cash but I could put a down payment on a 250 and pay the rest after 3 months. Looked at my wife but she would have none of it. It was difficult enough to convince her to allow me to get the bike ever since hearing from an old riding buddy how foolhardy I can be on two wheels (probably from being overconfident since I learned to ride a real motorcycle when I was still in grade school).

One thing I remember when I got the bike was that I had no illusions of getting something like a real sports bike. To me the bike was a better alternative to riding a Wave to work since it offered better stability (try riding beside a big trailer on the highway, the strong wind blast would make a Wave or a scooter wobble). I also didn't look as awkward riding it compared to a Wave, being of heavy build.

So it's been kilometers ever since I got the bike, here's a few observations.

- Design wise I would have preferred the R150s look but they're not available here, when I posted pictures to my Mom and Dad they actually said the CBR150 looks better compared to the R150... then again it's all a matter of preference

- In terms of construction, the bike is solidly built (though some might digress), as expected of a Honda bike, it should be no surprise however that they did cut some corners; one of my pet peeves with the bike is that the exhaust system was just painted with black heat resistant paint (now mines all rusty but I'll be replacing it with a chromed aftermarket one soon), years ago even a cheap Econo70 had chrome pipes

- Never had any problems with a noisy chain, but I lube and tighten the chain on the bike regularly, the only time I had a noisy chain was when it was too loose because I didn't bother doing maintenance on it after some kilometers riding in the rain for a couple of days. If I recall correctly, the manual says to lube the chain every 500km or whenever it is ridden through unfavorable weather conditions.

-Brakes are not as good as I had expected (especially the front), it takes time to get used to, but I'm used to them now. Sometimes, I smile at myself whenever I inadvertently make the bike fishtail and recover. They are way better than the ones the underbones we use as runabouts at home have.

- The damn screws on the bike are very tight as I said before in the post I made after changing the front windshield myself.

- While it would be nice to have CB®500F®(X) or an ER6N/F I'm quite satisfied with my little 150, especially with the speed limit for motorbikes on the roads I travel being lowered to 80 kph. The bike is still fun to ride while not costing too much on gas. There are times when I look for that extra "oomph" and then I say to myself I'm selling it and getting a bigger bike... but then there are days when I'm grinning ear to ear inside my helmet. That being said if I had a bigger faster bike I'd probably be back at doing crazy stuff.

The two helmets look very similar in quality so how do the prices compare ?

You can get a G-Force g13 for 2400baht and the Defender for 2500 baht. These are the listed prices but honestly, I paid slightly less for mine since I've been a regular customer for a few years.

You can also get a G-Force g11(the 2011 model) for less than 2000 in the shop.

Got a pic of the Bilmola? Hows the weight and balance compared to the REAL?

Here's the video of the owner giving the helmet an overview...

Here's the overview for the 2013 G-Force...

I think most of the shop's customers now it by now, but it's better to deal with the owner at the back than the girls up front, especially if you're still deciding on what to get.

*know

Got a pic of the Bilmola? Hows the weight and balance compared to the REAL?

Here's the video of the owner giving the helmet an overview...

Here's the overview for the 2013 G-Force...

I think most of the shop's customers now it by now, but it's better to deal with the owner at the back than the girls up front, especially if you're still deciding on what to get.

All that... and stay on one side of the lane not in the middle...

Let's get back on topic guys shall we...

The Honda Streetfire or the bike the CBR150R should have been in the first place..

I guess this will be available only in Indonesia, and maybe India...

Transform and roll out!

reDoes anyone know where I can buy a Furby in Chiang Mai?yes ... a few shops in airport plaza have some but the best selection of faces colours and price ( down from 6800 baht to 4500 baht in two weeks )is this shop in kskfrom the front go up to the fourth / phone shop floorhead off the escalator at one oclock heading towards the backright and look for this shop : )dave2

I think Dave2 meant Central Kad Suan Kaew, not Robinson's Airport Plaza. This is the same place I was talking about in my previous post.

Kad Suan Kaew / Central has them up for sale in the third or fourth floor where they sell mobile phones and accessories.

Was out an about last Friday in Maetang, and in the farm just a few blocks from where I stay they were burning stuff again. Sigh... Was tempted to whip out my camera and take pictures... The sun is now a flourescent red instead of yellow-orange during dusk, and when I look up during the day it's all grey.

"Shit happens..." That's what my boss says.

It does not matter how good you are, sometimes it's just pure luck.

So blackpanda, do you recall what made that big irregular dent on the tank? Just curious. My Dad had an accident on his old UJM involving a big black stray dog while coming home from a graveyard shift at the mill when I was in grade school, and he had a dent on the gas tank. When a basketball team mate, who came by the house to see how he was, asked what made the dent on the tank he replied, "What else? My balls of steel!"

Just got back from a visit to the helmet shop across Suriwong Bookstore.

Was looking to either get a new G-Force, or something with a double visor as the glare can be really annoying during the afternoon in the boonies.

There were 3 models of the same helmet on display the latest 2013, the 2012 model, and the 2011 model. The 3 models were almost the same except for the graphics the lining material inside was also the same.

He was putting up the original 2011 models up for sale and I was about to get one, but then I asked him what else was he having up for sale. He said he had 3 Bilmola Defenders up for sale, and some LS2 351s. Ended up buying the black matte Defender because I liked the fit when I tried it on and it had a double visor system, plus it was ECE -R 22. As usual he gave me a huge discount.

I was talking to the owner how in some aspects (ventilation, wind redirection and noise suppression) the G-Force was better than the HJC CL16 which I bought from him almost 2 years ago but I preferred the HJC because the liners would never smell bad after riding in the rain. He told me that the only possible solution was to wash the helmet liners on the G-Force regularly.

From this month's issue of Cycle World.

I am wondering about the value statement. Has anyone ever actually tested these Real helmets or seen one after a crash?

For me, value comes from having a better price to performance ratio. That or offering similar performance at the same price and better features. That's why I buy HJC helmets.

Of course you are right with this point. But isn't it the same with all lower priced things? For me a helmet (especially in Thailand) is a "use one or two years and then throw away" product. They get dirty and start to stink after one year. My helmet was 1400Baht. Do you think a helmet for 10k Baht is 7 times as safe? Maybe its a bit more safe in general. But what happens after two years when the foam gets hard and brittle? Noone really knows.

Real helmets are DOT rated, some even ECE rated. As a consumer i can only trust these statements. And for my limited knowledge about helmets they look OK, made to "soften" any impact, lower the acceleration of the brain. For me the foam looks and feel "professional". Its not just styropor like in the supermarket helmets.

I use a cheap Real helmet on my CRB150. I never ride faster than 130kmh, the limit of the bike. If i had a faster bike i may would buy a more expensive helmet. But security is always a compromise if you are not a sponsored professional or rich. Everyone has to find the level were he/she feels save enough to have a good time. Some Thais just need a T-Shirt, i need an armed motorcycle jacket to go faster than 100kmh

And professionals often use modified products, aren't they? Even if there is a HTC logo on the helmet, are you sure its the same unmodified helmet you can buy in a shop?

One concern i have about the lack of a DD-ring. I guess these locking mechanisms are not part of any test. Not sure. But a DD-ring may be safer in a bad crash. And it cannot get broken like these plastic thingies.

As far as I can recall the quick snap plastic locks are a requirement for an ECE seal.

One nice thing about the D-ring is that most bikes come with a helmet locking mechanism that works with it. Most of us here though are not comfortable leaving our helmets outside with the bike:D and with good reasons...

LOL

You guys from the china hater brigade crack me up. I am too busy at the moment to discuss your problems with ex-GFs. But for once we agree in one thing, Real helmets are a good value for money, even though they are made in Thailand.

Anyone having experiences with Bilmola helmets, which seem to be made in China (or Thailand?)? Difficult to find information about them.

Bilmola make very good hemets. They offer very good quality for the price you pay. The shells are made in China, but they are assembled here in Thailand. It is the same with my AGV. It says made in Italy, but the shell was made in China. There are loads of helmet factories in Guang Zhou, China. All of the major brands have their shells made there.

In terms of graphics Bilmola has the one up over Real. From visual inspection alone the finish is also a bit better but they're also priced just a bit higher. I've never used one though...

What I miss of my old Real G-Force was the ECE compliant quick release straps which you could lock and unlock even with leather riding gloves on.

Well, I crashed with a Real Helmet but I never really hit my head, that or I didn't feel the impact because the helmet did its job well enough...

Anyone willing to part with a new helmet can do a "bounce test".

There's 95 benzine until the supply lasts, but yeah it can be pretty expensive at almost 50 baht a liter...

You mean they're not making any more 95 benzine? Just using up an existing supply?

I meant until they stop supplying us with it too... or until they stop selling it.

Keeping the thread alive.

Kittaco handgrips I got from Brian (Sumet Cycle), installed a few weeks ago.

There's 95 benzine until the supply lasts, but yeah it can be pretty expensive at almost 50 baht a liter...

I had a Real G-Force before and my only complain about it was that it stank after a few rides in heavy rain... Ventilation and noise suppression was actually better than my HJC helmet which was more than twice the price...

Not to mention the money collector guys use them & ride two up

they must be ok

Well most of those money collector guys are lithe... Haven't seen one who's 6 foot tall and weighing around 16 stones

I definitely agree that the 150s give more bang for buck in terms of price, fuel consumption and maintenance... that's probably why I kept mine.