Honda Cbr150

[Crow Boy]

Last weekend I went to watch the MotoGP in Chiang Mai (Downunder bar Th. Nimmanhamin Soi 9) and it seems that the CBR150 is the bike of choice. As the owner of a three year old CBR150 Repsol I was used to being one of the few. It was suggested that we have an online thread to discuss the merits of this superb little bike and to help put owners together to for ride days, meets, drinks etc.

The forum is open to any owner anywhere who owns or is thinking of buying one on these motorbikes

So here it is - and here we go. I will put up a photo of mine after I wash the dirt off of it from today's ride to work in the rain.

Cheers

CB

[bobbin]

One of the few, one of the proud...

I was an early adopter of this fine little machine, Bought mine in Dec.2002. As I stated in another thread about the CBR150, I think it is a fine choice for a motorcycle in Thailand. Repairable just about anywhere in Thailand, though after 19K I've yet to have any major problems. Only had to replace the endless(no link) chain after an over-zealous mechanic at "raan Honda" over-tightened it. Pricey at Baht1200!

Rode it from Pattaya to Chiang Mai for Bike Week 3 years ago and had great fun riding through the mountains. It really came into it's own and spending the day riding with that superb little engine screaming at 9000-11500 rpm was a blast! I WAS wearing ear-plugs.

I'm soon to be replacing the tires(tyres to you Brits) and would like to find a replacement to the IRC oem tires. Would prefer to be on Dunlops or Michelins. Have found Dunlop 900tt here but they are tubes not radial so not happy to go backwards in technology. Anyone have any ideas where to look? I suppose Bangkok is my best bet.

I've actually been waiting for 4 years now to see the other manufacturers answer to it. When they were all building 2-strokes, there was a choice of sport-bike from all of them. Now only Honda.

Would love a chance to buy a 200cc twin-cylinder version tho. Why do they only build singles in Thailand? Also, if someone will tell me how to post a link, I can lead you to a web-site that claims the 200cc limit is no longer in effect in Thailand.

I have a tip as well. About 3months ago, at the regular oil-change, I used Mobil 1 fully synthetic oil. Wish I had gotten over the price of it earlier. Better engine lubrication and heat protection. Smoother gear changes as the 1 litre capacity is shared with the gearbox. Plan to adjust for the higher price of the oil by extending interval to 10,000km. I have a pamphlet from Mobil that claims 15,000 mile intervals so have no concerns on that point.

Anyway, will enjoy seeing how many of us are out there. Sure to hear from PeaceBlondie. Oh, one other point. The closer you are to average-size Thai male, the better to enjoy this bike!

bobbin

[mcgriffith]

I bought my 07 model in Dec 06- first one to hit the showroom in CM.

I absolutely love the bike. Although used to the liter bikes in the US (had a CBR1100XX, R1, GSX-R 1000, still own a 04 Aprilia RSV-R Factory), I find this bike more than adequate for around town and brief loop trips (Samoeng, etc.). Haven't gone any great distance on it yet, but plan on doing so as soon as it cools down a bit.

[PeaceBlondie]

I arrived to live and work in Chiang Mai on 30 May 2003, and as soon as I had a job that was many km away, I knew there was only one bike to buy. 44,000 km and almost four years later, there's been no problem (except some weird carburetor thing that still puzzles me). Oh, they did deliver it to me with a bad battery that died at 948 km! This battery has over 43K and still going.

I've ridden 2 or 3 times to Mae Sai, once to Mae Hong Son (that's a good ride in less than a day).

There was also a Repsol on the showroom floor of Niyom Panich when I bought the standard model, and my mate's girlfriend bought the Repsol a few days later.

The standard tire is tubeless, not radial. I'm a few thousand km's away from another set, maybe my fourth. I had one puncture, which was fixed at a car tire shop across from the Honda dealer, because he knew how to patch tubeless tires.

I wish there were a trip odometer. And eleven more horsepower!

A CBR150R still commands a lot of respect in this country. The locals know it's the top of the line, late model sportbike with all the right looking bits. Of course, it's only 15 or 16 horsepower, but that sure beats a tired, old, four-speed Honda Dream 100 driven by Granny at 2,000 rpm.

Signed,

Gramps (while listening to Guns N' Roses sing Appetite For Destruction)

[Skyline]

Lovely bikes those CBRs but I was a little disapointed with the power output compared to my NSR.Maybe because I'm used to the RC valve on the 2 stroke opening at high RPMs and giving the bike a kick in the ass effect.

There is a brand new black CBR in the local Honda dealers and I must say,it looks great.

The NSR puts out 37bhp (apparently),so what about the CBRs power?

[bobbin]

The NSR puts out 37bhp (apparently),so what about the CBRs power?

When I asked one of the Honda mechanics in Thai how many horsepower(raeng maa), he told me "yip song" or 22.

[mcgriffith]

Yeah, the 4 stroke doesn't compare with the power output of the NSR, I admit. I've owned many 2 stroke street bikes (Kawa H2, Kawa F5 Bighorn enduro cafe'd out, etc). They're lighter, and when they hit the optimal powerband (completely dependent on cylinder port and expansion chamber characteristics) they take off like a scalded cat. However, they (the 2's) tend to sag in hot conditions. Wring their little chicken necks long and hard, on a hot day, going up a mountain, trying to keep up with your buddy on his CBR600 (or whatever)...expect a seizure. Not a happy state of affairs. CBR150 is heavy for its power, BUT (my emphasis) is water cooled. Bulletproof motor, overengineered for the power. Crow Boy, when you gonna tell us about the TOP SECRET Yoshimura kit. You know what I'm talking about....

[ajahnlau]

There's a cbr 150 on phuketgazette.com for 40,000 and less than 900kms.

[PeaceBlondie]

If they can wring 102 net horsepower out of a CBR600R (and they do), that's almost 26 horsepower for each 150 cc cylinder, and at lower displacements, that could be 28. However, then it would resemble an NSR150 or other typical 2-strokes, being almost gutless below 6,000 rpm.

I can apply full throttle at 4000 rpm without the engine bogging down, but it keeps gaining power until 11,000 (try fifth gear and it keeps climbing in ground speed).

The British magazines rate the smaller but very similar CBR125 at 12 or 13 horsepower, so I wonder about the estimate of 22 bhp.

I'd love to have 50% more power. How about a fuel-injected, high performance CBR170RR?

[Crow Boy]

If they can wring 102 net horsepower out of a CBR600R (and they do), that's almost 26 horsepower for each 150 cc cylinder, and at lower displacements, that could be 28. However, then it would resemble an NSR150 or other typical 2-strokes, being almost gutless below 6,000 rpm.

I can apply full throttle at 4000 rpm without the engine bogging down, but it keeps gaining power until 11,000 (try fifth gear and it keeps climbing in ground speed).

The British magazines rate the smaller but very similar CBR125 at 12 or 13 horsepower, so I wonder about the estimate of 22 bhp.

I'd love to have 50% more power. How about a fuel-injected, high performance CBR170RR?

I sometimes wonder about this because at my old home in Doi Saket there were two boy wonders on their NSRs. I could quite easily beat them in either a straight line drag over a quarter mile or on any of the winding hills around the village. I am fairly quick but at 98 kilo against their 65kg am still giving away a lot of weight in both man and machine.

In a posting from McGriffith he is asking about something extra I found when I first rode the CBR to BKK, shortly after I bought it. The Repsol was and still is the most unusual colour and I spotted one there. His didn't sound quite like mine and was MUCH quicker of the mark. It turned out that he had a Yoshimura kit installed which converts it to a 250cc hot bike. The kit is to replace the head, piston, rings, gudgeon pin, carb mod, exhaust etc and he took me to the shop there that does it. I got a card but have since lost it and cannot find the &^%*ing place nor find anyone who knows where it is.

The shop said that the bike is the same model as the 250cc from the head down and is used for mainly the Asian Market. Thailand has the 150, Japan the 125, Australia gets the 250cc and various other countries get different models. The CBR is made here in Thailand not Japan which is why we get the odd ball size.

When I went back to Oz last time I checked out the 250cc and they now have a different model which is used for entry level riders (max cc rating unless the rider has had a drivers licence for more than 5 (?) years - depending on which state the rider lives. My intention was to check out the go fast kits and possibly bring one back but the class is not popular for upgrading, because everyone moves up to a minimum 400cc as soon as they get a full licence. I know you can buy full race kits for the 250cc because it is a racing class but they are a different proposition. The last problem is cost - to purchase and to import. The kit in BKK was quoted at 18,000Baht fitted which would make it a very happy and fun bike to ride. The guy who took me there said the BKK police can see the Yoshimura exhaust and will stop the rider for not having a standard model but the shop can cover the Yoshi muffler with the standard Honda split down the middle and put over like a sleeve. It won't sound or perform like standard but will look normal. I didn't get it done at that time becuase the bike had less than 1000km on the clock and I didn't want to mess around with a new motor.

I have asked a couple of times up here at various bike shops if anyone knows if I can get one in CNX or where the shop is in BKK but not got any help.

CB

[Grover]

Really looking forward to getting my hands on a new CBR when I arrive in Thailand, which hopefully should be in a few months time

dont suppose anyone would know the resale value of a 1 year old CBR ?

[mcgriffith]

Really looking forward to getting my hands on a new CBR when I arrive in Thailand, which hopefully should be in a few months time

dont suppose anyone would know the resale value of a 1 year old CBR ?

I'm just guessing here, but would imagine somewhere in the 45-50K range, depending on condition, mileage, etc. Great if you're a buyer, not so good if you are trying to sell your (almost new) CBR.

If you have one, it really makes little or no sense to sell it, because of the depreciation. I haven't seen any for sale here recently in CM.

[bobbin]

There is a racing series here in Thailand for thr CBR150. At least they race in a seperate class in those bike races you sometimes see on television. And after 4 years of production there should be a reasonable customer base now for mods. Anybody looked in one of those Thai bike mags? Perhaps a business opportunity for one of the owners here. A CBR150 hop shop!

The easy mods are to run 95 octane, use fully-synthetic oil, and an upgraded silicone spark lead they sell in some Honda shops for about 150-200 baht. These things I've done and am happy about the small but cumulative changes. Next easy is to fit a K&N filter which is available but which I have not yet done.

Then there is changing the CDI ignition box, which one poster in another thread claimed gave +20-25 kph to his Yamaha 135. Available in Bangkok for 3-5000 baht. If there is a credible performance can available then you're set for "too fast, too furious" mode.

But I want better tires.

Buckle on the Shoei.

[PeaceBlondie]

It's more like 6 or 7 years of production. My 2003 is the third year, I believe.

The fun of having a club, or a meet, is that I could try out your bike and see if mine has lost power, handling, etc.

[LivinLOS]

Really looking forward to getting my hands on a new CBR when I arrive in Thailand, which hopefully should be in a few months time

dont suppose anyone would know the resale value of a 1 year old CBR ?

I'm just guessing here, but would imagine somewhere in the 45-50K range, depending on condition, mileage, etc. Great if you're a buyer, not so good if you are trying to sell your (almost new) CBR.

If you have one, it really makes little or no sense to sell it, because of the depreciation. I haven't seen any for sale here recently in CM.

Your guessing high.. I know of a 900km one.. Still in new condition.. Farang owned..

40k baht !!

[PeaceBlondie]

When mine was for sale last year, I asked 25,000 baht and it had about 32,000 km on it. I didn't try very hard, but nobody was interested. About that time, a news article said that 'sportbikes' only made up less than 5% of the market for new bikes in Thailand, and that might have included models like the Sonic 125. So, you have to work hard at finding buyers.

But if you want a sportbike that's legal in Thailand, there's no competition, except from older two-strokes like the NSR150, or a Ducati 999R, or BMW's.

[BlackArtemis]

If they managed a turbo on a vespa, I bet someone could fab up a kit for the CBR.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...35400295297703

I do like the looks of the 150, but for the price I would sooner get a 400cc bike, though PB is correct about the whole legality subject.

Personally I like honda Chalys haha I am putting on a dream 100 engine now. I think a CBR150 engine might be a little big, even if I swap out the fork and put on 14" mio wheels... But it might be worth a try haha.

[geoffphuket]

This advertisement has just appeared in the Phuket Gazette..... An 'as new' CBR150 for 40,000Bt with just 900 Klms on the clock

http://www.phuketgazette.com/classifieds/p...8_ref_74852.asp

[mosquitoman]

The British magazines rate the smaller but very similar CBR125 at 12 or 13 horsepower, so I wonder about the estimate of 22 bhp.

By British law these machines are restricted to 12 Brake Horsepower as anything below 125cc is considered to be for learners, I know of people with full motorcycle licences who have had similar 125cc bikes unrestricted and managed to get 18hp so I guess 22hp from 150cc does not seem unreasonable.

When I have some spare cash I will treat myself to one of these wonderfull machines.

MM

[PeaceBlondie]

Thanks - that makes more sense. The imports to the UK could say they're only 12.5 even if they're 16 or 18. When I was a kid (Abe Lincoln used to have log-cabin building contests with me ), they would say that scooters only had 5 hp, when mine probably had 7, and Abe's only had 6 hp.

Changing subject slightly: I think the red non-repsol 2003 paint jobs are also too busy. I'd like more solid red, and solid black. Are there shops in Chiang Mai that could take off the lower fairings and repaint them for just a few satang?

[Crow Boy]

Thanks - that makes more sense. The imports to the UK could say they're only 12.5 even if they're 16 or 18. When I was a kid (Abe Lincoln used to have log-cabin building contests with me ), they would say that scooters only had 5 hp, when mine probably had 7, and Abe's only had 6 hp.

Changing subject slightly: I think the red non-repsol 2003 paint jobs are also too busy. I'd like more solid red, and solid black. Are there shops in Chiang Mai that could take off the lower fairings and repaint them for just a few satang?

PB - I had to get some paint work done on my repsol - some idiot pushed it over in the Anusarn market when he tried to drive his Explorer over 12 bikes getting out of the parking spot. I went to the Honda Dealer on Nawarat Road (opposited the Prince Royal School). THe Repsol has special colours - the orange and the metalic blue are non standard and the shops had difficulty matching it. THey also had the full set of decals which I bought for about 200Baht and use to replace the ones like the "repsol" and "HRC" which people like to steal from my bike if I leave it parked somewhere. They did a good job of it, I don't think they do it one site but have not been able to find out where they take the bike for the spray. I was told about them because someone I knew had his CBR600 done with a full custom spray job and was told to go there.

CB

[Crow Boy]

Over the weekend I caught up with my ex partner - I bought her a red CBR150 at the same time as my Repsol version. I told her about the CBR150 group and she would love to come along. This could make it an interesting afternoon.

I also happened to meet up with an English friend of mine who was up in CM from Lamphun. He has a CB150 and will be getting onto Thai Visa to check us out soon.

That makes two more of us

Sad news though is that Gus (who owns a Black CB150) has sold his bar (the Downunder) on Th. Nimmanhamin He signed over the paperwork on Sunday while I was in there watching the MotoGP (go Troy Corser and Ducati). He will be running the place for about another month but after that he will be free to go riding with us which is a small consolation.

CB

[Crow Boy]

There is a racing series here in Thailand for thr CBR150. At least they race in a seperate class in those bike races you sometimes see on television. And after 4 years of production there should be a reasonable customer base now for mods. Anybody looked in one of those Thai bike mags? Perhaps a business opportunity for one of the owners here. A CBR150 hop shop!

I went to one in BKK when I took the bike down south on an extended run (Chiang Mai to the Malasian Border and back) I know there are several around but I lost the card for the one I really wanted that had the Yoshi gear.

The easy mods are to run 95 octane, use fully-synthetic oil, and an upgraded silicone spark lead they sell in some Honda shops for about 150-200 baht. These things I've done and am happy about the small but cumulative changes. Next easy is to fit a K&N filter which is available but which I have not yet done.

My CBR hates 91 octane and fusses and farts if I run it so I always use 95. In my experience I use either Shell or Esso because the others seem to be either adulterated or lower quality. I made a mistake once and filled with Gasahol from Blue Leaf, I had to dump the entire tank and refill with 95 octane. It took a couple of tanks for it to get back right. The gasahol has a much higher water content which really upsets my bike.

I agree about the fully synthetic oil and now take my own container with me when I get the bike serviced and ask for the empty as some sort of proof they actually used it. Got to get the silicon lead and the K&N filter is a good idea. I think I know where I can get one in CM.

Then there is changing the CDI ignition box, which one poster in another thread claimed gave +20-25 kph to his Yamaha 135. Available in Bangkok for 3-5000 baht. If there is a credible performance can available then you're set for "too fast, too furious" mode.

Do you know the make, model, and where to get them?

But I want better tires.

I have never had a complaint about the tyres. I find they are pretty good and unless I was going to do some pretty major hard riding would not worry too much. As far as I can tell there are only two types of tyres readily available here. The standard set and an aftermarket one which is available at a couple of "go fast stores" Being a relatively small volume bike they don't attract much in the way of extra bits so things like the tyres are harder to get unless you import them and in that case good luck.

you mentioned that you had a parallel thread - if so can you set a link to it. I will then ask Peace Blondie to combine the two and save wasting the extra electrons in running both.

This happens to me every year and I am wondering if any of the other owners has the same problem. I ride the bike to work every day and now that the rain has started I find an irritating but confusing problem. I start the bike and wait a few moments for it to warm up and then ride off normally but the bike will not rev out. It lugs and shudders up to about 7,000 rpm and then if I kick up the revs drop immediately. If I keep the bike at around 7,000 it will start to surge and then suddenly it will rev out. It is either condensation in the carburettor or inside the ignition module. It feels to me that it is electrical and needs sufficient heat to come of the motor to cause the moisture to vapourise. I only happens during the rainy season so is moisture related - anyone else got something similar?

Buckle on the Shoei.

Unfortunately someone stole my real shoei by cutting the strap at the D ring where I had it locked to the clip under the seat at Carre Four. I had to walk back inside and buy a "made in Thailand Index full face". I just know it is going to be top notch in safety because it cost me 1,300B ($30) as opposed to my $320 Shoei.

CB

[bobbin]

Crow Boy

I have learned how to use single quotes but not multiple ones yet ie quoting you and my previous post as well so people can follow, so will just get on with replying to your points.

1. Good to learn there are shops in BKK that have the go-fast bits for the CBR150, as I am going up there in the next couple of weeks. Will try to find them. Unfortunately I don't know the city very well. If I come across the shop with the Yoshi gear I will get their card.

2. Regarding the CDI ignition. Apparently there are a couple of areas in BKK that cater to the motosai go-fast crowd. The fellow who posted responded to my question about where to buy.

"At the bike market especially if your living in Bkk, is easy to access! I heard there is a performance center somewhere in MBK top floor or something, so go have a look.

Yeah you will get that little extra consumption of 17 CC's I think or more, different bikes different setup for the CDI, plus this particular one I'm talking about, the "Kitti XBOC Racing chip", costs around 3000 baht and is plug and play, so no need for all that heavy configuration with your bikes system."

The above in quotes was the response I got.

3.Tires. Yes the IRC tires are good enough. But I would still rather ride on Michelin or Dunlop. In the export markets where they are sold, they are an inexpensive tire. Given the footprint of the CBR tires, I want to be riding on (relatively) expensive tires. But as you point out, getting them here in Thailand is easier said than done.

4. I don't have the moisture (?) problem you are experiencing. Have gone thru 4 or 5 rainy seasons. No problems.

5. I lost an Index helmet the same way. These stupid kids can't even correctly use the helmet after cutting the D-ring strap! I purchased a new but old model (late '90's) Shoei at the Paddock in Bkk a few years ago for about 4,000 Baht. They had many good helmets but not all were cheap. I don't use it in town. Helmets get so sweaty here. Better to buy a new Thai-made helmet every year. I now have a 1 metre long Kryptonite-type cable that I can run thru the face-shield opening and thru the frame. They ain't gettin' that helmet without taking the whole bike! And funnily they don't steal CBR150's very often. No market for the parts.

6. There is no parallel thread. That was a reference to a website that claims there is no longer a 200cc restriction on Thai-made bikes. Bring on the Thai CBR250!

Edited May 9, 2007 by bobbin

[Crow Boy]

Crow Boy

I have learned how to use single quotes but not multiple ones yet ie quoting you and my previous post as well so people can follow, so will just get on with replying to your points.

Not a problem - wait until you learn how to use multiple nested quotes from multiple messages in a single reply - then they give you a merit badge

1. Good to learn there are shops in BKK that have the go-fast bits for the CBR150, as I am going up there in the next couple of weeks. Will try to find them. Unfortunately I don't know the city very well. If I come across the shop with the Yoshi gear I will get their card.

I found the shop by accident following another CBR rider who took me there. THe other option is to ask the motorcycle taxi guys to guide you there. Tell them you will pay if they go slow enough for you to follow without being killed in the traffic.

2. Regarding the CDI ignition. Apparently there are a couple of areas in BKK that cater to the motosai go-fast crowd. The fellow who posted responded to my question about where to buy.

please let us know the results

3.Tires. Yes the IRC tires are good enough. But I would still rather ride on Michelin or Dunlop. In the export markets where they are sold, they are an inexpensive tire. Given the footprint of the CBR tires, I want to be riding on (relatively) expensive tires. But as you point out, getting them here in Thailand is easier said than done.

I would like a nice soft pirelli or Michelin tyre but they get torn up very quickly on the roads up in the north. I know someone who brought a big Metzeller for his Kawasaki and they hit him with a big bill for the freight plus the import. He tried to bring it in from Australia as "hand luggage".

4. I don't have the moisture (?) problem you are experiencing. Have gone thru 4 or 5 rainy seasons. No problems.

I have had it every year from new and is definitely moisture related. I know of two other bikes with the same problem. The mechanics at Nihon Panich have not been able to fix it so it is just one on those undocumented features

5. I lost an Index helmet the same way. These stupid kids can't even correctly use the helmet after cutting the D-ring strap! I purchased a new but old model (late '90's) Shoei at the Paddock in Bkk a few years ago for about 4,000 Baht. They had many good helmets but not all were cheap. I don't use it in town. Helmets get so sweaty here. Better to buy a new Thai-made helmet every year. I now have a 1 metre long Kryptonite-type cable that I can run thru the face-sheil opening and thru the frame. They ain't gettin' that helmet without taking the whole bike! And funnily they don't steal CBR150's very often. No market for the parts.

These guys cut the tab from the D ring so it won't cut through the main strap, I was really pissed off about it but nothing I can do. I have never seen anyone wearing it in CM so it may have just been stolen as a spur of the moment thing.

6. There is no parallel thread. That was a reference to a website that claims there is no longer a 200cc restriction on Thai-made bikes. Bring on the Thai CBR250!

The CBR250 is a really sweet little bike but in Oz they are denegrated as being a gutless learners machine. Here they would be a nice ride, not sure if Honda would bother selling them here because of the limited market. I know the 150 is made here in Thailand and I am 95% sure they also make the 250 for export so it theoretically should be possible to get one from a Honda dealership.

Have fun and ride safe. You aren't in Bangkok, where are you located?

CB

[PeaceBlondie]

I have a carburetor problem, and it has reared its ugly head again with the rainy season. It does not want to rev up from takeoff, and just sits between 3000 and 5000. As soon as I rev it to about 9000 (with clutch disengaged), it finds its manners and runs fine. May be related to cold starts and wet starts, but it started in the dry season and Niyom Panich didn't really fix it despite their disassembly and their stories.

I'll try 95 octane (non ethanol) to see if that helps. So, even though we want better tires, nobody knows which ones or how to get them. A western website like Dennis Kirk dot com is no help at all for that size.

Nobody has tried to steal my Nolans yet, even the flip-jawed model that retailed for $229.

[Crow Boy]

I have a carburetor problem, and it has reared its ugly head again with the rainy season. It does not want to rev up from takeoff, and just sits between 3000 and 5000. As soon as I rev it to about 9000 (with clutch disengaged), it finds its manners and runs fine. May be related to cold starts and wet starts, but it started in the dry season and Niyom Panich didn't really fix it despite their disassembly and their stories.

I'll try 95 octane (non ethanol) to see if that helps. So, even though we want better tires, nobody knows which ones or how to get them. A western website like Dennis Kirk dot com is no help at all for that size.

Nobody has tried to steal my Nolans yet, even the flip-jawed model that retailed for $229.

PB I think you have the same problem as me, I think it is electrical not carburetor. I find it takes a while to warm up then suddenly if is fine. I can rev it out in Neutral up to the red line but not under load. I checked and thought it may be water droplets forming in a jet causing it to block but it doesn't seem to be. I had the same stories at Nihom Panich too.

Strange little beasties sometimes

CB

[PeaceBlondie]

Crowboy, what about all those times it happened in the dry season? I don't think it can be attributed to being surrounded by klongs. Ding dong, ting tong, long, King Kong, singalong, Sing Sing, wrong, klong song.

[Crow Boy]

Crowboy, what about all those times it happened in the dry season? I don't think it can be attributed to being surrounded by klongs. Ding dong, ting tong, long, King Kong, singalong, Sing Sing, wrong, klong song.

Well assuming you don't park the bike IN the klong you are probably getting something different. Mine only happens at this time on year with all the rain around. One of the guys who has a CBR150, is a mechanic, he's gone back to Oz on a replenishing the funds exercise, has the same problem. He and I were trying to sort out the problem and were trying to find a sealed ignition module for the bikes to see if that would fix the problem. We did find out by accident that 91 octane fuel seems to frequently get mixed with gasahol and also varous other lower grades of fuel. We think that because the Gasahol has a higher water content it may be part of the problem and because the bike is a comparatively (not really) higher compression to normal the lower grade fuels don't burn properly until the motor heats up. Opening up the throttle will do that and vaporise the water which will of course not burn. I know my bike takes much longer to warm up - obviously and this is the only time I need to use a touch of choke to get her to start and then idle. We wondered if the the thermostat in the radiator doesn't close to prevent the water from circulating until the engine heats up which makes some sense because my bike normally warms up to its operating temperature but in this weather it will take ages unless I can get it to rev out. One burst and it seems to correct the problem. We think it is a mystery - we also can't get our hands on a work manual. I thought I would be able to get one from the UK but the only one we found was in Japanese which isn't much use to us. The mechanics at Nihon Panich told me they only have the settings for the motorbike and don't have anything like a workshop manual, which would need to be in Thai for them.

CB

[Crow Boy]

I got online to BikePoint in Australia just to check out some prices - there are a lot of Honda 250s there because it is a common learner model.

Second Hand inported from Japan CBR250RR sell for about AU$7,999 which at 28.47 Baht to the dollar works out at about 228K which is pretty ###### expensive before even taking into account shipping one here plus the import tax, registration etc.

A second hand CBR260R is somewhere about half that amount.

They don't have 150cc models so there isn't any way of doing a direct comparision but I would estimate that a new one would be about 200K - goes to show the price difference between here and there. I was wondering if it could be a viable market of getting 250cc models from Japan shipped here, this is where a lot of the Australian ones are coming from.

FYI the RRP for the 07 model VTR250 is AU$7,990

The RRP for the 06 model CBF250 is AU$5,490

They don't show the CBR which must be imported by parallel imports as a second hand motorcycle and not supported by Honda Australia

CB