Honda Cbr150

[JUDAS]

songoku777, I just took delivery today of the NMF system ( second from bottom in your line up ) Will be heading up north in the next few days, where I keep the bike. After I get it fitted I'll let you know how it feels, though don't expect a professional review

[jbeck]

songoku777, I just took delivery today of the NMF system ( second from bottom in your line up ) Will be heading up north in the next few days, where I keep the bike. After I get it fitted I'll let you know how it feels, though don't expect a professional review

Second one up... - how much did that titanium system cost, where did you get it, and what is the weight savings over the stainless steel system? Did you the noise killer too?

thanks,

Jeff

[JUDAS]

songoku777, I just took delivery today of the NMF system ( second from bottom in your line up ) Will be heading up north in the next few days, where I keep the bike. After I get it fitted I'll let you know how it feels, though don't expect a professional review

Second one up... - how much did that titanium system cost, where did you get it, and what is the weight savings over the stainless steel system? Did you the noise killer too?

thanks,

Jeff

Jeff. Slight mistake on my part, the NMF I've got is aluminum not titanium. I ordered it from faddybike @ 3900 Baht. Was also in email contact with aseanmoto but thought Yos from faddybike was very helpful and swift with his replies. Mine has db killer fitted though still has the sticker on the side say "for racing only" Faddybike did say they could get a carbon kevlar system but he'd had reports of them "melting"!!

[jbeck]

songoku777, I just took delivery today of the NMF system ( second from bottom in your line up ) Will be heading up north in the next few days, where I keep the bike. After I get it fitted I'll let you know how it feels, though don't expect a professional review

Second one up... - how much did that titanium system cost, where did you get it, and what is the weight savings over the stainless steel system? Did you the noise killer too?

thanks,

Jeff

Jeff. Slight mistake on my part, the NMF I've got is aluminum not titanium. I ordered it from faddybike @ 3900 Baht. Was also in email contact with aseanmoto but thought Yos from faddybike was very helpful and swift with his replies. Mine has db killer fitted though still has the sticker on the side say "for racing only" Faddybike did say they could get a carbon kevlar system but he'd had reports of them "melting"!!

Probably a stainless steel pipe, and an aluminum end can. . .

[withnail]

I'm in the club now. Just rode home on my brand new Black CBR. It was noisier than I expected it to be but definitely going to be fun. Got her up to 120km/h without even really trying, definitely fast enough for Bangkok. The only downside is the standard tyres for sure. Feels like a step down in that respect from my Fino.

Expect lots of dumb questions. I've been following this thread for a while now and am somewhat interested in modding the bike, although as it's new I'm not really interested in any screwing around with the mechanics, more things you can easily change back if there's a problem. I've already got a woman at the shop looking out for Michelins for me, if not I'll order the Pirellis. What I would like to know about are things like the YSS gas shock. Has anybody installed this and noticed a big improvement. Also little things like brake levers and handlebar grips, are these woth getting and any particular place/brand.

In the future I might consider a new exhaust and/or down pipe and possibly a k and n filter, but probably not yet. I gather it's not recommended to do so without also tweaking things a bit, and that's where I lose interest (and knowledge).

I also wanted to ask about faddybike, it's the nearest shop to me by far, has anybody actually had anything fitted there? Are their mechanics any good?

Thanks in advance for help and thanks for encouraging me to spend another load of money I can't really afford.

[phobic]

I'm in the club now. Just rode home on my brand new Black CBR. It was noisier than I expected it to be but definitely going to be fun. Got her up to 120km/h without even really trying, definitely fast enough for Bangkok. The only downside is the standard tyres for sure. Feels like a step down in that respect from my Fino.

Expect lots of dumb questions. I've been following this thread for a while now and am somewhat interested in modding the bike, although as it's new I'm not really interested in any screwing around with the mechanics, more things you can easily change back if there's a problem. I've already got a woman at the shop looking out for Michelins for me, if not I'll order the Pirellis. What I would like to know about are things like the YSS gas shock. Has anybody installed this and noticed a big improvement. Also little things like brake levers and handlebar grips, are these woth getting and any particular place/brand.

In the future I might consider a new exhaust and/or down pipe and possibly a k and n filter, but probably not yet. I gather it's not recommended to do so without also tweaking things a bit, and that's where I lose interest (and knowledge).

I also wanted to ask about faddybike, it's the nearest shop to me by far, has anybody actually had anything fitted there? Are their mechanics any good?

Thanks in advance for help and thanks for encouraging me to spend another load of money I can't really afford.

Congrats and welcome

Good call on the tires. If you talking about the shocks that you can change the way it acts, they are def an improvment.. especially if you are a heavier rider. It makes the ride more smooth if nothing else. here are some good webs you can check out.

- http://www.cbrclubthailand.com/forum/ <-- some english speakers here which is nice if you have questions or want to buy something you can find yourself **thai/english**

- http://www.cbr150club.com/ <- same here, but i found that the first one i mention first is alot more friendly **thai**

- http://www.akunar.com/ <- A good shop, got most mods for the CBR and if they dont have it on the website they can usually order it for you anyway. **english**

- faddybike you know i see and aseanmoto i did not write down since imho they are way overpriced. **english**

- http://www.boyzathailand.com/board/index.php <- I recently found this forum, sells aftermarket parts and list shops.. both copies and genuine parts. Lots of different parts to be found. But i have no experience with this one **thai**

The mods i would do, if not changing anything to the mechanic bit. tires, change to 14t front sprocket ( i dont count this to the mech since its a very simple change and if you dont like it you can change back to 15t easy ), a rear hugger ( for looks and keeping the dirt away from the rear shock and internals ), new rear set, new grips ( i dont like the standard, to hard and my gloves didnt get the best grip in them ) and adjustable levers ( i like to have the levers close to the grip ). And of course you could buy aftermarket hoses and cables such as braided brakecables etc.. most of this items you can find on the sites i mentioned and they are mostly non mech parts.

hope this help.

/peace

[dave_boo]

Echoing the congrats here.

I've never really felt the need to update my suspension, and I'm sure it gets its workout with my lard ass on it. I did crank up the pre-load however.

[withnail]

Congrats and welcome

The mods i would do, if not changing anything to the mechanic bit. tires, change to 14t front sprocket ( i dont count this to the mech since its a very simple change and if you dont like it you can change back to 15t easy ), a rear hugger ( for looks and keeping the dirt away from the rear shock and internals ), new rear set, new grips ( i dont like the standard, to hard and my gloves didnt get the best grip in them ) and adjustable levers ( i like to have the levers close to the grip ). And of course you could buy aftermarket hoses and cables such as braided brakecables etc.. most of this items you can find on the sites i mentioned and they are mostly non mech parts.

hope this help.

/peace

Thanks

What difference does the front sprocket make on it's own? I take it that would be cheap. I will definitely be getting some adjustable levers, I have some on my fino which look nice and I'd imagine would make a lot of difference with all the clutch work in BKK. How about the grips? Where's a good place to get them from?

[StatlerandWaldorf]

Perfect bike for Bangkok. I used to ride an R6 and although it was a great bike it was just too cumbersome for what I used it for. The CBR has enough power to get around and is narrower than many of the scooters for nipping through the traffic.

This is the second one I have had, 11,000 KM and no problems although I have noticed that the exhaust is prone to rust which I don't remember happening on the one I had previously (circa 2003).

[phobic]

What difference does the front sprocket make on it's own? I take it that would be cheap. I will definitely be getting some adjustable levers, I have some on my fino which look nice and I'd imagine would make a lot of difference with all the clutch work in BKK. How about the grips? Where's a good place to get them from?

Changing to 14t front makes it acclerate faster through the gears ( takes away some top end though ).. nice when driving around in bkk or similar and topspeed isnt so much of an issue( you will still reach 130km/h or more depending on your weight. I use it when i do city driving, and the 15t for long drives. Shouldnt cost more then a few hundred baht for a new sprocket and the labour to change it.

I bought my grips from Akunar, actually i bought a new throttlekit ( domino ). But you can go around and look in some of the accessories shops ( have alot of shops listed in one of the link i listed ) that you have plenty of in bkk. Progrip, domino are the most common ones i think..but you have alot of different brands. just visit a few and see if you can find some you like and have your style. Shouldnt cost more then a few hundred baht aswell.

/peace

[BigBikeBKK]

[songoku777]

I'm in the club now. Just rode home on my brand new Black CBR. It was noisier than I expected it to be but definitely going to be fun. Got her up to 120km/h without even really trying, definitely fast enough for Bangkok. The only downside is the standard tyres for sure. Feels like a step down in that respect from my Fino.

Expect lots of dumb questions. I've been following this thread for a while now and am somewhat interested in modding the bike, although as it's new I'm not really interested in any screwing around with the mechanics, more things you can easily change back if there's a problem. I've already got a woman at the shop looking out for Michelins for me, if not I'll order the Pirellis. What I would like to know about are things like the YSS gas shock. Has anybody installed this and noticed a big improvement. Also little things like brake levers and handlebar grips, are these woth getting and any particular place/brand.

In the future I might consider a new exhaust and/or down pipe and possibly a k and n filter, but probably not yet. I gather it's not recommended to do so without also tweaking things a bit, and that's where I lose interest (and knowledge).

I also wanted to ask about faddybike, it's the nearest shop to me by far, has anybody actually had anything fitted there? Are their mechanics any good?

Thanks in advance for help and thanks for encouraging me to spend another load of money I can't really afford.

Welcome and congrats on your new CBR150 withnail. Before anything, ever thought of the break-in method you will do?

I once got a YSS monoshock for my bike, but i eventually sold it for the following reasons:

1. Too hard (if you're close to 200lbs ..i think its ok)

2. Too high (the seat only went down about ±¼" from stock) -lowest setting

The good:

1. That separate nitrogen canister surely attracts attention ^^

2. Good damping (with FNU)

3. Two way adjustable (height -vs- damping)

4. looks a lot cleaner & professional than the stock shock

5. Nicer tail height look (good for tall people -not me)

note: that canister is supposed to be mounted under the tail with the nice alloy bracket that comes with it, but i didn't have the heart to drill any holes or modify the plastic fenders one bit :/

Good one...

[withnail]

Welcome and congrats on your new CBR150 withnail. Before anything, ever thought of the break-in method you will do?

Thanks for the info re the shock, I think there are other things I'd rather buy first and to be honest I think the stock is OK for now.

Haven't really thought about break in, so far I haven't done anything adventurous on the bike yet (and only got about 30km on it I think) so I guess as it is I'm sticking with the manual's suggestion of not going too crazy for the first 500km. I'm aware that this is somewhat of a controversial topic though and would appreciate any suggestions.

[dave_boo]

Thanks for the info re the shock, I think there are other things I'd rather buy first and to be honest I think the stock is OK for now.

Haven't really thought about break in, so far I haven't done anything adventurous on the bike yet (and only got about 30km on it I think) so I guess as it is I'm sticking with the manual's suggestion of not going too crazy for the first 500km. I'm aware that this is somewhat of a controversial topic though and would appreciate any suggestions.

Well, I babied my CBR 150 for the first 250km. By babied, I mean I followed the manufacturers recommendations to a "T". It still got its 500km service, just didn't bother wasting my time on those last 250kms trying to be so strict. The bike has given me now problems.

On the other hand, my Ninja was pretty much NO break in and also hasn't given me any issues.

Once upon a time tolerances and metallurgical technology was such that a proper break-in was a requirement. Now-a-days those issues are more or less skirted.

[jbeck]

I once got a YSS monoshock for my bike, but i eventually sold it for the following reasons:

1. Too hard (if you're close to 200lbs ..i think its ok)

2. Too high (the seat only went down about ±¼" from stock) -lowest setting

For a significant improvement in high performance riding and varying conditions/rider weight, the minimum shock adjustments you want to have are spring preload, compression, and rebound.

But - an 'expensive' shock can be USELESS without the proper spring for a rider's weight as a starting point.

When you sit on the bike without even moving, the bike should 'go down' about 25mm-35mm.

Does anyone have the experience in Thailand, of buying just a spring to suit their weight? Where?

I've tried to email and call YSS with no success- in English.

You had either the wrong shock altogether, or a spring that was way too stiff.

Or if there was a compression damping adjustment, you may have had that turned all the way IN (too much).

YSS is "supposed" to be the best you can do, as far as I know, and the proper shock and spring should be a major improvement over the stock shock. People race these bikes (and others) with YSS shocks.

Has anyone else bought and used a YSS? Which model? What were the results?

Thai people aren't 200lbs so the shock is not likely to be designed for someone of that weight.

But I "heard" that even aftermarket shocks are designed for riding with a passenger.

If true, that would make it no good for a single person unless you're 'big', or change the spring.

A good shock should make a huge improvement and even make the bike safer by giving more traction in every type of road condition.

Sorry if you guys already know this...

Thanks,

Jeff

[songoku777]

Thanks for the info re the shock, I think there are other things I'd rather buy first and to be honest I think the stock is OK for now.

Haven't really thought about break in, so far I haven't done anything adventurous on the bike yet (and only got about 30km on it I think) so I guess as it is I'm sticking with the manual's suggestion of not going too crazy for the first 500km. I'm aware that this is somewhat of a controversial topic though and would appreciate any suggestions.

What you think is normal. Actually a shock is quite expensive and is often the least priority. However im vertically challenged so my priorities are a bit different from normal ^^

As dave mentioned, break in is not much of an item to worry about too much these days. But since i only get to buy a brand new bike atleast once every 5 years.. i don't mind worrying about it.

One thing i'd be very particular about is the 1st 50-100km ..its a very good idea to change your engine oil, since most of the deposits (some say they contain small metal bits / powder since new parts are not honed as well yet). Yes i did find sand-like material in my 1st few oil changes.. not sure what they were, but i sure didn't want them to fly around at 11000rpm in my engine.

Another reason why i recommend a religious oil change schedule is because unlike other bikes, our CBR150 has no 'removable' oil filter.. so whatever circulates in there will (mostly) be moving around until the next oil change. Btw., its got an internal filter like a screen -not very useful.

For a significant improvement in high performance riding and varying conditions/rider weight, the minimum shock adjustments you want to have are spring preload, compression, and rebound.

But - an 'expensive' shock can be USELESS without the proper spring for a rider's weight as a starting point.

When you sit on the bike without even moving, the bike should 'go down' about 25mm-35mm.

Does anyone have the experience in Thailand, of buying just a spring to suit their weight? Where?

I've tried to email and call YSS with no success- in English.

You had either the wrong shock altogether, or a spring that was way too stiff.

Or if there was a compression damping adjustment, you may have had that turned all the way IN (too much).

YSS is "supposed" to be the best you can do, as far as I know, and the proper shock and spring should be a major improvement over the stock shock. People race these bikes (and others) with YSS shocks.

Has anyone else bought and used a YSS? Which model? What were the results?

Thai people aren't 200lbs so the shock is not likely to be designed for someone of that weight.

But I "heard" that even aftermarket shocks are designed for riding with a passenger.

If true, that would make it no good for a single person unless you're 'big', or change the spring.

A good shock should make a huge improvement and even make the bike safer by giving more traction in every type of road condition.

Sorry if you guys already know this...

Thanks,

Jeff

I dont think it even moves 25mm.. unless i really jump on it. Plus at its SOFTEST setting, i can feel the frame / swing arm snap back indicating the shock is extended to its limit.

I dont know the model but i think YSS has two types of gas-monoshock-with-seaparate-canister. The red spring and the one with a yellow spring. The one with the yellow spring seemed to be softer since the spring looked a little thinner. I might be wrong tho.

Yes I agree a correct spring or shock greatly improves handling. I now have a monoshock i got from a smaller bike (a surplus part).. its great. -plus it has it's 'own' rebound -im not sure if this is a gas-type since those are one of the characteristics of a gas-shock.

Edited August 8, 2009 by songoku777

[PeaceBlondie]

I did not baby either of my new CBR150's, and after 53,000 km the 2003 still topped out at 140 kph. I changed oil at 1000 km and about every 3000 km after.

[T_Dog]

I'm trying to get the thinnest possible link to the CBR-150 forum that I can..... Let me know how I did!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BmIif9NtDw

[withnail]

Just got back from the shop with my new Pirellis so thought I would put a few pics up.

These are from this ad. I sent Charlie a text the other day and she got back to me today. I evidently got to the shop shortly after the delivery as the whole place was full of tyres. Mine were the first CBR 150 tyres sold so even they were taking some pictures after they'd put them on.

They are one size up which was noticeable when sitting on the bike, and the difference when riding was unbelievable. I hadn't ridden for long on the IRC tyres, but already, this morning had them slip from under me after going through a tiny puddle at no speed on a small slope (something I had done a thousand times on my Fino with no problems).

Charlie was nice so I said I'd do a bit of promotion for her. She rounded the price down a little and said she'd keep the old tyres and let me know if anyone wanted them. I offered to help if anyone from here wanted a set sent upcountry, but she said that they could already do that for probably around 100 Baht.

[visions]

Just got back from the shop with my new Pirellis so thought I would put a few pics up.

These are from this ad. I sent Charlie a text the other day and she got back to me today. I evidently got to the shop shortly after the delivery as the whole place was full of tyres. Mine were the first CBR 150 tyres sold so even they were taking some pictures after they'd put them on.

They are one size up which was noticeable when sitting on the bike, and the difference when riding was unbelievable. I hadn't ridden for long on the IRC tyres, but already, this morning had them slip from under me after going through a tiny puddle at no speed on a small slope (something I had done a thousand times on my Fino with no problems).

Charlie was nice so I said I'd do a bit of promotion for her. She rounded the price down a little and said she'd keep the old tyres and let me know if anyone wanted them. I offered to help if anyone from here wanted a set sent upcountry, but she said that they could already do that for probably around 100 Baht.

Hi re the new Pirrelis......maybe a bit early yet but u notice any difference/loss in the acceleration due to the larger diameter?

[withnail]

Hi re the new Pirrelis......maybe a bit early yet but u notice any difference/loss in the acceleration due to the larger diameter?

I can't say I did, but then I haven't had much experience on the bike at all, with or without, so I'm not sure I'm the best person to ask. Certainly the extra stability gave me more confidence in general so if anything I rode home faster. Initially I felt that the bike wasn't braking as well, but by the time I got home I concluded that it was OK, that was probably paranoia.

[songoku777]

Hi re the new Pirrelis......maybe a bit early yet but u notice any difference/loss in the acceleration due to the larger diameter?

I can't say I did, but then I haven't had much experience on the bike at all, with or without, so I'm not sure I'm the best person to ask. Certainly the extra stability gave me more confidence in general so if anything I rode home faster. Initially I felt that the bike wasn't braking as well, but by the time I got home I concluded that it was OK, that was probably paranoia.

@ visions, i'd assume withnail said one size up.. so that means '110' from the orig 100 tires.. loss of power would be very minimal and you'd only mind if you were into racing where a fraction of a second matters a lot. However i think it's something that can always be solved by re-tuning to give the bike more torque (ofcourse at the expense on another end of performance).

@ withnail about the braking, did you check the brakes right after the new tires were installed? If not, then that wasn't paranoia.. thats REAL. I oughta note in passing that it's a good idea to 'check the brakes' after every tire change.

The explanation for that is quite simple. While changing tires and the disc brake is not in contact with the brake shoes, there might have been some movement on the brake caliper which caused some air (or slack) in the process of re-installing the wheel to the wing arm & fork.. thus it's always a good idea to 'pump' the brakes a few times right after installation of the wheels to make sure there wont be any slack on them.

Want someone to temporarily loose their brakes for about 3-4 pumps? ..try pressing on the front (works also with the rear) brake calipers, and if you're keen enough you'd notice it will cause the brake piston to move in about 1mm or so. Next time someone uses the bike without checking..the brakes will be gone temporarily ^^

- i learned that the hard way

Btw., a lot of people know this.. but try not to pump the brakes without the brake drum or disc / wheel on since it will make the caliper piston(s) pop out and you wont be able to install the wheel back.

Edited August 10, 2009 by songoku777

[thaicbr]

Also check your tyre pressures. Thai's are renowned for either putting in to much or to little I've had 45psi in cbr tyres and i know some guys that had Ninja 250's had only 20psi.

[Yimmy]

How much should we have?

With the standard tyres.

[thaicbr]

Start at about 32psi.

[withnail]

Thanks for the info re the brakes, I did check them and was constantly checking them on the way home, so obviously they're fine now. I didn't know that that would happen but was just concerned about the safety of the bike with the new tyres in the way that you would be naturally concerned after a Thai mechanic had fiddled with your bike. Saying this they definitely seemed to know what they were doing at the shop. Charlie even gave me a call today to check that the tyres were working out OK.

I took my bike to the local mechanic I use, an old guy who I really trust. He didn't feel an oil change was necessary at this stage but we did one anyway. I can't say I noticed any metal/sand in the oil but he did seem surprised at how dirty it was after only 150km.

I also went to a local shop to look for some new grips, but wasn't impressed with the selection. Could anyone recommend a shop in Bangkok that stocks a decent amount and who could put them on?

[Arctic]

Poor headlight output (from factory) - What can I do to improve it?

I bought myself a new CBR 150R a few months back. I love just about everything about it, except the light output - especially so the low beam. I'm not an expert, but the bike is equipped with twin headlights with fairly large reflectors. Hence I was expecting to see serious amounts of light on the dark Thai roads at night. Admittedly, I'm not in my 20's anymore. But I do feel that a lot of the scooters (Honda Airblade etc.) spreads wider and stronger light on the road. I have no reason to believe that anything should be wrong with my bike - I guess this is the way all CBR 150's shines.....?

Is there anything I can do to improve the light output? I'm not really tempted to switch to the overwattaged, blinding bulbs commonly seen on Thai youngsters bikes. But maybe there's a "legally boosted", suitable quality alternative from Osram or any of the other manufacturers that would be enough to fix my issue?

I would be happy for any input on this. I'm currently in Europe. If changing bulbs is the answer, what kind of bulb socket (H1 etc.) should I look for?

Thank's,

Arctic

Edited August 12, 2009 by Arctic

[JUDAS]

I had my new exhaust fitted yesterday ( NMF with db killer ) Well, the thing is unbelievably loud, even the mechanic was covering his ears. Taking it back today as he said he could quieten it down a bit but if still too loud will be back on with the original. On the 15km ride back from the mechanic the only performance difference I noticed was better acceleration but no improvement in top speed. Still can't really get beyond 9500rpm in top gear, would reducing the rear sprocket size help?

[jbeck]

I had my new exhaust fitted yesterday ( NMF with db killer ) Well, the thing is unbelievably loud, even the mechanic was covering his ears. Taking it back today as he said he could quieten it down a bit but if still too loud will be back on with the original. On the 15km ride back from the mechanic the only performance difference I noticed was better acceleration but no improvement in top speed. Still can't really get beyond 9500rpm in top gear, would reducing the rear sprocket size help?

I'm about to buy an NMF for a Suzuki Raider, where did you have it fitted, if in Chiang Mai?

I'm curious as to how he can make it more quiet.

[dave_boo]

I had my new exhaust fitted yesterday ( NMF with db killer ) Well, the thing is unbelievably loud, even the mechanic was covering his ears. Taking it back today as he said he could quieten it down a bit but if still too loud will be back on with the original. On the 15km ride back from the mechanic the only performance difference I noticed was better acceleration but no improvement in top speed. Still can't really get beyond 9500rpm in top gear, would reducing the rear sprocket size help?

Have you had a go with the carb? If it's wheezy on the top end that's probably the problem. I have had no issues riding my stock sprocket set up all the way up to nearly redline.

I'm about to buy an NMF for a Suzuki Raider, where did you have it fitted, if in Chiang Mai?

I'm curious as to how he can make it more quiet.

Most likely he's going to pack more glassfibre inside of it.