JonnyF

No, I'm not keen on that one - I meant this one...

Thanks for the pics.

Anyone know what that Honda Dax looking thing is? It's got BigBull written on the case which I assume is the manufacturer but I've never heard of them.

^^ Yes there's a few about. None that get rid of the entire section though. All just start under the stock rear light.

Get rid of that who section, get in a piece with new rear light under the seat and have it looking like:

I think it might take more than removing the tail section to make your CBR look like the heavily modded/photoshopped version of how the CBR "should" have looked. And even if you could make it look like that, it would still be a sheep in wolf's clothing with that little single cylinder hiding under all the plastic.

You are absolutely right Johnny! Why the fupp did I buy a CBR sheep for my 10km commute, around town use and 3-4hr trips in the mountains when I could have had a 300kph wolf? I wish you'd have posted here before I'd bought it so I could have seen the light and then spent more than double what I did on a bigger, faster and thirstier bike!

Why do some 'big bike' owners see the need to knock and mock other bike owners so much? It's my first bike and is absolutely perfect for what I use it for! Like many bike owners I may well move on to bigger and faster bikes in the future or I might not, either way I won't prowl bike forums taking the piss like you and some others seem to enjoy doing.

I actually agree with your point about the suitability of the bike. If you re-read my post you'll see that it was 100% accurate. Nothing wrong with using a CBR250 for a daily commute because it's extremely well suited to that. I sometimes use a KSR110 for trips through heavy Bangkok traffic because it's so well suited to it. I also ride a Nouvo to the 711 so I'm not biased towards big bikes, neither am I taking the piss. The CBR is however a sheep in wolf's clothing whether you like it or not so I don't see the harm in stating it. You could say the same about my KSR. I accept that my KSR is a bit weak but I like it anyway because it looks good and it's fun. It seems like you have the same realistic attitude to the CBR so good luck to you.

^^ Yes there's a few about. None that get rid of the entire section though. All just start under the stock rear light.

Get rid of that who section, get in a piece with new rear light under the seat and have it looking like:

I think it might take more than removing the tail section to make your CBR look like the heavily modded/photoshopped version of how the CBR "should" have looked. And even if you could make it look like that, it would still be a sheep in wolf's clothing with that little single cylinder hiding under all the plastic.

That Z1000 is nice, I'd rather see the 2011 ZX10R though. Anyone know if it's going to be at the show or subsequently sold over here?

The show starts on Friday (25th) I think.

I would guess kwaker consider ZX10R too high tech for the Thai market, and consider Z1000/Ninja1000 to sell better and at a lower price

They've sold the ZX10R here for the last 2 years, although not in large numbers as far as I can tell. The 2011 is a big step forward from the 2010 model and also a bit smaller and a lot lighter, which is why I'd be interested if it's brought over. Maybe better to go to Red Baron though, I'm guessing the 2011 from Kawasaki will be restricted same as the 2010 was whereas RedBaron's bikes are full power and their mechanics are used to working on sportsbikes.

That Z1000 is nice, I'd rather see the 2011 ZX10R though. Anyone know if it's going to be at the show or subsequently sold over here?

The show starts on Friday (25th) I think.

That's okay, by time it takes the ninjette to downshift it'll be eating pretend sportsbike smoke.

And God help it if it's 2-up. Being humiliated by a fino can't be much fun.

Not everyone finds themselves in the wrong gear regularly. I suggest you learn to read the flow of traffic around you and put yourself in the correct gear well in advance. This will help you in terms of using engine braking as well as accelerating. It applies to all bikes, not just small bikes like the Ninja and that legendary "torque monster", the mighty CBR250.

Bikes are more reliable than they used to be in the 60's and 70's, you won't break it by riding it over 3k rpm (although that extra 20 baht a week for gas can really add up over the decades).

The 1050 is a lovely bike, where did he get it from? Import it himself or buy from a dealer in LOS?

Not sure about all the hen-pecked stuff though. It's his money, he earnt it so he can buy whatever bike he wants, why try to hide it? Doesn't make sense to me.

Or just rent a little auto like a Mio for the day. Give him 10-20 minutes to get used to it and he should be fine, especially if the electric one is (relatively) big, fast and heavy.

If I was you I'd get the er6n (or the 650R if you're going to be touring). I had the same dilemma deciding whether to upgrade from the Ninja 250R when the er6n was released and decided against it - but if I was buying new now with the extra choices available to me then I'd go for one of the 650's for sure.

I'm sure that's the real reason that objective metrics have the 'race' so close....I'll agree with you that subjective comments such as "frolicsome little motorcycle with cool styling" and "elicting more toothy grins" or "might be the best two-wheel thing" should be ignored, comments like "you can cruise at 3500 RPM in top cog" (try that on your Ninja) and "not only does it keep up...it actually ekes away from it corner by corner" are simply items that can not be brushed off as sheeple fodder...

And btw, if the 2x displacement four strokes consumed the same amount of fuel and had much better torque across the board what was wrong with running them against the smaller 2T?

I really don't get the obsession with cruising in top gear at 3500 RPM. It's a sportsbike not a diesel van, why would I want to cruise "corner by corner" at 3500 RPM when I have 6 gears and a redline way above 10k RPM?

btw, motorbike racing is classed by cc (250 class, 500 class etc), not fuel consumption and torque curves - you don't see a "36 kpl" class do you. The problem was that the manufacturers were giving an unfair advantage (double the cc) to the more expensive "latest technology" bikes that they wanted to push to the consumers and the bike publications predictably backed them up with their reviews at the time. Not so off topic when you compare the new CBR250 vs the old one i.e. producing an inferior bike and then trying to pass it off as the latest and greatest technology (with the help of bike reviews using meaningless phrases like the ones you quoted above).

Cycle World magazine just did a comparison of the US versions of both bikes in the April 2011 issue. Although they do like the Ninja a lot, they gave the overall edge to the Honda. They especially liked the user friendly torque curve and handling of the Honda. I personally think the Ninja has a definite edge in the looks department, but would probably go with the Honda based on what I read in their comparison test and the lower price of the Honda. In the past, I have always picked Kawasakis over Hondas when actually buying.

I've read three comparisons now and the only one which gave it to the Ninja was sponsored by Kawasaki

Very few of the big publications independent. Normally their reviews are based on which manufacturer pays them the most advertising dollars. Just because a magazine isn't owned by Honda, doesn't mean it isn't "owned" by Honda.

Thought this was common knowledge? This is a global bike with massive investment (much of it in advertising) from the largest bike manufacturer in the world - what do you think the magazines are going to say?

Same reason the 4 strokes were suddenly so "superior" to the 2 strokes in all the major Motocross publications back in 2004, despite them blowing valves all the time, having lower power to weight ratio, being heavier, more expensive and needing twice the capacity to compete with the smokers. Why? That's what the biggest hitting manufacturers were pushing. And the sheeple lapped it up.

Just wait (not long now!) until your favourite 250 riders are riding thumpers - they'll be the best design known to man! Better than the 2 strokes, even better than the inline 4's! Bike devolution led by Honda's profit margin. Let's all get behind it

Blatant scam, surprised he's still trying it on here. What a wanke_r!

http://www.ip2location.com/free.asp will tell you the location from the IP

I've seen very clean NSR's for 15-20k. In a couple of years if you look after it then I'm guessing it will be worth about the same as it is now or maybe a couple of thousand less. Spares are available and very cheap. The new FI CBR150 is nearer 80k as far as I know so it's going to be a long time before you make that 60k difference back on gas savings. Also the NSR150 makes more power and will be a more fun ride (assuming you're not averse to riding at high RPM's to make that power). I believe the insurance is the same but it's only going to be a few hundred baht either way anyway.

The notion that a well maintained 2 stroke is unreliable is nonsense. I think Thanh (sp) from the forum has done tens of thousands of kms on his 2 stroke, and I'm always seeing the 20 year old Kawasaki 2 strokes bashing their way through Bangkok with a gas canister on the back and the token old guy smoking a cigarette up front. If they were that expensive/unreliable then I don't think you'd be seeing this.

But not the SP.

I saw clean SP's for under 20k when I was looking 2-3 years back on Phuket. Not on the farang websites but just parked up on main roads or in mechanics shophouses with a sign on them. They looked good aesthetically and even if they had mechanical issues it would have only taken a few thousand baht to sort them out. Just have to keep an eye out and take your time.

I've also seen them advertised for 30k or even more on bahtsold, TV etc. but I'm not sure if people are actually buying them at these prices.

I've seen very clean NSR's for 15-20k. In a couple of years if you look after it then I'm guessing it will be worth about the same as it is now or maybe a couple of thousand less. Spares are available and very cheap. The new FI CBR150 is nearer 80k as far as I know so it's going to be a long time before you make that 60k difference back on gas savings. Also the NSR150 makes more power and will be a more fun ride (assuming you're not averse to riding at high RPM's to make that power). I believe the insurance is the same but it's only going to be a few hundred baht either way anyway.

The notion that a well maintained 2 stroke is unreliable is nonsense. I think Thanh (sp) from the forum has done tens of thousands of kms on his 2 stroke, and I'm always seeing the 20 year old Kawasaki 2 strokes bashing their way through Bangkok with a gas canister on the back and the token old guy smoking a cigarette up front. If they were that expensive/unreliable then I don't think you'd be seeing this.

There was a thread on this very recently, have a search for it. I think people who'd done it said it took about an hour and cost and 100 baht.

....Being so old, they're going to break down. But mechanics are cheap in Thailand, and if it is just a "fun bike" you're not going to run it every day anyways.

The age of the Bike is not so important, because i am able to fix most things by myself (i had an engine repair company in Europe in my "former life")

And I have also some contacts in Europe, which could provide me with some spare parts, if eventually not available in Thailand.

Well, in the meantime, I saw some relative inexpensive Honda CB 750's.

Price is from 80-100K depending on the age of the bike. (1990-1995 all come with green Book) Is that ok?

Just make sure the green book is 100% legit and not transferred from a previously crashed bike. When I bought my gsxr I paid a contact at the LTD to check the book (page 18 etc.) for me - cost a few hundred baht but provided peace of mind and when it came to transferring the plate from Chiang Mai to Bangkok it sailed through the inspections so it was money well spent.

You can get a nice VFR400 with a clean book for under 100k but it might take a while. Lovely bikes (but a bit old) and most decent big bike mechanics here will know them well and have contacts for spares etc. They sound awesome and look good with updated (Tyga?) fairings. I'd buy a rough bike with a clean book before I bought a clean bike with a fake book. Mechanics and spares are cheap but dealing with the LTD and the police is anything but. And it will only get worse.

Second hand Ninja's are around the 100k mark, or you can get a new CBR250 for a few thousand more depending on which dealer you go to but if you after a bit more power and this isn't you daily ride then I'd get a CBR400/VFR400 if I was you.

Kind of like an inline 4 version of the Ninja 650R. Not sure about the looks but it's probably a good bike for Thailand, let's hope Honda get it together re. big bikes over here.

I can't speak for others, but I've never had anything but great service from Honda at the airport in CMX, and most especially with the new 150. Case in point. A week after buying it I had a minor accident. Got the bike off the road and into the parking lot of Louis Silver. Wife took me home on the back of her Scoopy. Got home, called Honda, and less than an hour later they were there with truck and 2 guys to load it up and take it in. Wife told them to just replace clutch lever and shifter. 13 days later they call and said bike is ready. They had replaced EVERYTHING that had even the smallest scratch on it. The bill came to 4k, but then after my wife said something to the man who always takes care of me, they cut it in half. Plus, because I've bought 4 bikes there in the past 3 years (Airblade, CBR 150 - old model, Scoopy, and new 150), I now get discounts on dam_n near anything I buy there now, regardless of what it is.

So you wanted the clutch lever and shifter replacing and they replaced stuff you didn't order and then charged you 2000 baht? And that is an example of great service from APe Honda? At my local Kawasaki dealer you tell them what you want, they fill in a works order and then you sit in an air con room with free wi-fi, order a couple of free coffees from the staff, watch the repair through the big glass window and then you get the bike back with a bill so low that you can't believe how they can possibly make a profit.

The expression "Buy expensive and cry only once" springs to mind.

Back to the original question, I think the BMW GS wasn't necessarily the best choice, but not much different to riding a Versys instead of a er6n/650r when 95% of your riding is on road or dusty dirt tracks. Or buying a Fortuner/pickup just because there are a few potholes on Thai roads.

I enjoyed the show, nice change from the usual rubbish.

Nice report Tony, really good to see all those bikes, some pretty rare bikes anywhere in the world but in Thailand - quite a collection!

How did you go on the track? Good finish?

Unfortunately there is no local "Mae Hong Song loop". If you want twisty roads then you can head up to the Khao Yai national park for some good twisty roads on a one day trip (a couple of hours each way), or for a 3 day trip go further up to Petchabun - that's the next trip on my list and from what I've seen it's the closest thing you'll get to the famous loop although it's not exactly local - about 400 kms from where you are I think. 3 days would be about right for this trip if you want some time to explore while you're up there.

If you go South East from Lat Krabang you can head down to Rayong or down to Koh Chang. Much straighter roads on this trip but it's a decent weekend break if you want to get out of the city. If you leave early you can be on the ferry to Koh Chang before lunch - driving over the poorly maintained, super steep, super tight "twisties" on Koh Chang can be quite interesting dodging the tourists on rented scooters and Hayabusa's, pickup trucks etc!

Dave, I respect your opinion even though it is clearly biased (by your own admission) - but I've read a few reviews of the CBR now - I'd suggest you test ride it for a while before you trade in the Ninja, even as a proud "Honda Whore" you might end up regretting it.

AFAIK, this is the only head-to-head review that has been done. I've read a review or two where the person had ridden the Ninja and the past and was attempting to compare his then current ride to his memories, but I don't recall a real head to head.

There is that Japanese link that definitely contradicts the website posted today, as does the numbers and the video evidence...I'm just saying.

Plus I'm too tight to buy a 250. When I out-grow the Ninja Honda may actually have big bikes. And considering the limited time I get on my current bike (and lack of making time for a track day for accelerated learning) APe Honda has quite a bit of time to bring out those assumed new models!

I'm always a bit skeptical of videos with the bikes going head to head because there are too many variables, primarily the rider. But the bikes seem pretty close so there would be little point trading one for the other and taking the depreciation hit twice.

Yep a 600 might be the way to go. I'd love Honda to release the CBR600RR in Thailand although it seems that the litre bikes are much more popular over here so I'm guessing when they finally get round to it that the CBR1000 will be the first one available.

ABS is a great advancement IMO and I wish I had it on my bikes, but applying the front brake when you step on the rear is a step too far for me.

There's times I drag the rear brake a bit through a corner because I don't want the bike to "drop" into the corner in the same way it does as when you apply the front brake - and now it's going to do that anyway? No, Independent ABS would be the preferred option for me.

Um, actually you've got it backwards there mate-

The rear brake helps drop the bike into a corner while the front brake stands the bike up.

I suspect that's why the CBR gets the wobbles when you apply the rear brake in corners- the rear wants to lie down and the front wants to stand up. NOT A GOOD THING!

Then again, one should never be on the back brake that hard in a corner unless you are Valentino Rossi or Ben Spies and actually WANT to kick the back end out-

And that's why I prefer unlinked brakes.

Ride On!

Tony

Double post

ABS is a great advancement IMO and I wish I had it on my bikes, but applying the front brake when you step on the rear is a step too far for me.

There's times I drag the rear brake a bit through a corner because I don't want the bike to "drop" into the corner in the same way it does as when you apply the front brake - and now it's going to do that anyway? No, Independent ABS would be the preferred option for me.

Um, actually you've got it backwards there mate-

The rear brake helps drop the bike into a corner while the front brake stands the bike up.

I suspect that's why the CBR gets the wobbles when you apply the rear brake in corners- the rear wants to lie down and the front wants to stand up. NOT A GOOD THING!

Then again, one should never be on the back brake that hard in a corner unless you are Valentino Rossi or Ben Spies and actually WANT to kick the back end out-

And that's why I prefer unlinked brakes.

Ride On!

Tony

I'm talking about in wet/slippery conditions. Try taking a corner tight in the wet and applying the front brake too hard, there's not enough grip for the bike to stand up - the front will wash out and you'll go down on the low side. Happened to me many times off-road.