Honda Cbr150

[jbeck]

thanks, as a cbr newbie that gives me more confidence. ill keep those other options in mind.

Even though the tires are almost the same size, it doesn't matter, it will be a huge improvement safety-wise.

Traction will be improved in every circumstance.

[PeaceBlondie]

I switched to Dunlop TT900 90/80 after about 45K km on the 2003. Tremendous improvement over the very worn IRC. I'll change to Michelin near the end of the year. But I've ridden on the IRC's in horrendous rain and wind, safely.

I would buy an immaculate used bike only if I knew its life history and all its owners. But you seldom know.

[thaicbr]

Jbeck...

"No. The honda engineers are extremely competent and the stock tire size is optimal for 'normal' driving, stock bike. "

at a reasonable price, its the accountants that tend to spec things like tyres not so much the engineers.

But Michelin a tyre company say that on the cbr125 it recommends the 90/80 front and the 110/80 rear for the Pilot sporty. These tyres are really good on the Cbr. personally i would run a 100 front and a 110 rear (the 100 improves your braking confidence so much)

1000% better than the teflon irc's. can be got from mocyc.cum a guy called golila (not me)

Edited September 1, 2009 by thaicbr

[phobic]

Jbeck...

"No. The honda engineers are extremely competent and the stock tire size is optimal for 'normal' driving, stock bike. "

at a reasonable price, its the accountants that tend to spec things like tyres not so much the engineers.

But Michelin a tyre company say that on the cbr125 it recommends the 90/80 front and the 110/80 rear for the Pilot sporty. These tyres are really good on the Cbr. personally i would run a 100 front and a 110 rear (the 100 improves your braking confidence so much)

1000% better than the teflon irc's. can be got from mocyc.cum a guy called golila (not me)

Got to agree with Allan here, the 100 front is really nice for the breaking and it give nice stability in high speeds. But i guess it depends on where you ride, in bkk the 90 might be a better choice when you want to zig zag through the traffic. But i guess its up to the persons riding style.

/peace

[jbeck]

Jbeck...

"No. The honda engineers are extremely competent and the stock tire size is optimal for 'normal' driving, stock bike. "

at a reasonable price, its the accountants that tend to spec things like tyres not so much the engineers.

But Michelin a tyre company say that on the cbr125 it recommends the 90/80 front and the 110/80 rear for the Pilot sporty. These tyres are really good on the Cbr. personally i would run a 100 front and a 110 rear (the 100 improves your braking confidence so much)

1000% better than the teflon irc's. can be got from mocyc.cum a guy called golila (not me)

Got to agree with Allan here, the 100 front is really nice for the breaking and it give nice stability in high speeds. But i guess it depends on where you ride, in bkk the 90 might be a better choice when you want to zig zag through the traffic. But i guess its up to the persons riding style.

/peace

I have to agree with my first advice to the OP and I side with the accountants at Honda and their concern for producing a safe bike so they can keep selling them and so people don't keep hitting the ground.

I back this statement up with my knowledge of tire sizes used when racing (and winning) 125 and 250 2-stokes, bikes with less but similar weight to the CBR and power output of about 55hp for the RS125 and 90 hp for the RS250. Speeds of 240KPH on the 250. Crazy hard braking and lean angles, tires not much larger than what you suggest are 'needed' for safety.

Better tires work WAY better than stock IRC..(ah.. the accountants!) but they do not need to be bigger. This bike doesn't even have 20 HP. High speeds are NOT a factor based on the top speeds posted in this forum.

I think when/if you do your side-by-side comparisons of different sizes/brands you will see that "so much better" is really the a result of the quality of the Michelin, and not the bigger size.

Sorry if this offends either of you..

[thaicbr]

Jbeck...

"No. The honda engineers are extremely competent and the stock tire size is optimal for 'normal' driving, stock bike. "

at a reasonable price, its the accountants that tend to spec things like tyres not so much the engineers.

But Michelin a tyre company say that on the cbr125 it recommends the 90/80 front and the 110/80 rear for the Pilot sporty. These tyres are really good on the Cbr. personally i would run a 100 front and a 110 rear (the 100 improves your braking confidence so much)

1000% better than the teflon irc's. can be got from mocyc.cum a guy called golila (not me)

Got to agree with Allan here, the 100 front is really nice for the breaking and it give nice stability in high speeds. But i guess it depends on where you ride, in bkk the 90 might be a better choice when you want to zig zag through the traffic. But i guess its up to the persons riding style.

/peace

I have to agree with my first advice to the OP and I side with the accountants at Honda and their concern for producing a safe bike so they can keep selling them and so people don't keep hitting the ground.

I back this statement up with my knowledge of tire sizes used when racing (and winning) 125 and 250 2-stokes, bikes with less but similar weight to the CBR and power output of about 55hp for the RS125 and 90 hp for the RS250. Speeds of 240KPH on the 250. Crazy hard braking and lean angles, tires not much larger than what you suggest are 'needed' for safety.

Better tires work WAY better than stock IRC..(ah.. the accountants!) but they do not need to be bigger. This bike doesn't even have 20 HP. High speeds are NOT a factor based on the top speeds posted in this forum.

I think when/if you do your side-by-side comparisons of different sizes/brands you will see that "so much better" is really the a result of the quality of the Michelin, and not the bigger size.

Sorry if this offends either of you..

Nope it doesn't offend me at all. Motorcycling is about personal preference. Mine are the sizes i mentioned for a Honda Cbr150 or a Tiger 250 rs (same wheels). I have tried them and i like them. I agree that a different/better tyre will be an improvement over the IRC's ( to be fair wrapping your wheel with used condoms would probably be an improvement ). I also agree with Phobic if you do a lot of BKK riding then the 90/80 is a better bet. But i will side with Michelin on the rear size for a larger person riding. gives much more confidence..if i'm riding along at 120kmh i want to know that i have decent rubber under me. and the stock Irc's just dont cut it.

Also when you refer to the race bikes we are talking a totally different rubber compound ,wear scenario so not really relevant to a road bike which has to be able to handle all weathers and types of road surface.

Edited September 1, 2009 by thaicbr

[phobic]

Not at all jbeck, I tried the 90 size front not so long ago ( might have to add this was not a michelin but a dunlop ) and its a nice size but i kinda liked the 100 more coz its heavier and gives a bit more stability.. or at least that was i was feeling when i travel at higher speeds down here in the south ( highways ).

Im not saying you are wrong jbeck just that I like the 100 for it suits my style/need better then the 90 tire.. but i will go down a size or so when i move back bkk, since my riding style have to change some.

/peace

[phobic]

Taich. I just a little worried that they have got the jetting correct for the carb. Thats why a dyno run would be good. to set up the carb. Would be horrible if ya take it for a run and you lean burn the piston or something.

nearest place is dirt shop, onnut Bangkok.

Hey do you know the price they charge for a dyno ? Im considering to do one in the close future, curious how my carb setup is on a dyno. I saw that LEK CDI does dynos aswell, heard anything about them?

Thanks

[thaicbr]

phobic. Lek cdi do have a dyno. i think its about 1,000baht per run (if you buy a cdi 1st run is free). But the Dyno at Dirt shop is brand new up to date one not sure about Lek.

[taichiplanet]

what mods and type/size of carb were you going to put on?

Going the boyracer look, even though it is a few decades since i was a boy! Already had a PE28 carby fitted before the engine rebuild. Gt a wilder cam fitted, the engine builder kept the bike for a few weeks mucking around with cams and jetting; the short ride i had before the bike was pulled apart i felt good. Already had a bigger header pipe fitted with modified original muffler but have bought a DBS muffler with noise killer. Hope it is quiet enough. I bought a few things off Akunar; rear gas shock, alloy adjustable rear set and clutch. Had to get a new CDI as the old one was acting up. Also put on new coil and leads, as my experience with classic cars is if one thing in the ignition starts to act up the other parts will probably fail sooner than later. Besides, its not worth the agro for the sake of a few bucks.

I've had the Michelin Sportys fitted for 9 months and they made a huge improvement in ride and handling; felt much safer. Of course the improvement is from better rubber and not the size, the Sporty Pilot 90/80 front and 100/80 rear is a sweet set up for the CBR. If there is only one mod you do to your bike, chuck the IRCs (sell'em to someone that doesn't appreciate their skin!) and fit Michelins or Dunlops. I'm putting the Mich 100/80 on the front now, unfortunately Mich don't make a 120/80 so i will have to go Dunlop for the rear. It is more for looks than anything else, and i don't think it is 'over tyre-ing' the bike, at least for my style of riding.

[thaicbr]

taichi be aware that the michekin is a radial and the dunlop is bias ply. not good to mix and match those

[taichiplanet]

taichi be aware that the michekin is a radial and the dunlop is bias ply. not good to mix and match those

Yeah, you are right Allan. I don't even like mixing different models let alone different brands and different construction. I'll just see if i like the 100/80 on the front and change later.

Pic is 120/80 Dunlop Arrowmax GT501 on left and Michelin Pilot Sporty 100/80 on right.

Edited September 2, 2009 by taichiplanet

[thaicbr]

Mate i would stick with the pilot sportys (get a 110). much better tyre than the dunlop on a small bike. is that 501 a rear tyre or front. I did not think they went that small on back tyres for the 501

[taichiplanet]

Mate i would stick with the pilot sportys (get a 110). much better tyre than the dunlop on a small bike. is that 501 a rear tyre or front. I did not think they went that small on back tyres for the 501

Michelin Thailand don't supply the 110, but i suppose it can be imported.

[jbeck]

Mate i would stick with the pilot sportys (get a 110). much better tyre than the dunlop on a small bike. is that 501 a rear tyre or front. I did not think they went that small on back tyres for the 501

Michelin Thailand don't supply the 110, but i suppose it can be imported.

vee rubber gekkoStar 80/90, 100,80

[thaicbr]

taichi.... mocyc.cum........golila

[taichiplanet]

Freudian slip there Allan?! We won't tell your gf! Thanks for the link.

At least i have a photo of my bike now!! It's together but needs some final sorting before i can give it a good shake down. The DBS muffler with noise killer is probably slightly louder than the modified Honda muffler. Still too noisy so my mech is gonna repack it. At least with a modified Honda muffler the cops don't look twice, unlike the one fitted now!

[Yimmy]

Hi, I have my 4 yr old cbr about 2 months now, and I have a few Qs. (not neccessarily to do with the following sentence)

The performance seems to be less than most talk here about. Haven't taken it above 120kph, just doesn't feel sturdy enough, or even capable. 100kph feels about as comfortable as you can go, cruising at 80kph at around 7000rpm is comfortable but after that it isn't comfortable. (I'm 175cm and 75 kg).

But anyway. It does seem very high, from my usual nsr etc. 2 stokes of old. I was thinking of lowering it, I presume this can be done by the big red spring at the back, but would the front need to be lowered too? And what affect would it have on the handling?

Also, as I like to cruise at about 7-8000rpm, is there a cheap and easy modification that could bump that speed upto about 100kph instead of the 80kph I usually get? I hear people talk about a K&N air filter, or changing exhausts?

I'd also like the edge of the rims (only the edge) painted red, I've seen a few and really like the look of it, does anyone know a place that does it and how much they charge?

Okay, that's it thanks. And lovely bike to have btw.

[thaicbr]

Yimmy you need to check what size sprockets you have on the bike (the toothed bits that the chain goes around) you count the number of teeth. It sounds like your bike may have had a sprocket change. The rim tape is available from mocyc.cum or many bike hot up shops. Dont worry about lowering it. Change the down pipe. best if you post a picture of your bike.

[visions]

Hi, I have my 4 yr old cbr about 2 months now, and I have a few Qs. (not neccessarily to do with the following sentence)

The performance seems to be less than most talk here about. Haven't taken it above 120kph, just doesn't feel sturdy enough, or even capable. 100kph feels about as comfortable as you can go, cruising at 80kph at around 7000rpm is comfortable but after that it isn't comfortable. (I'm 175cm and 75 kg).

But anyway. It does seem very high, from my usual nsr etc. 2 stokes of old. I was thinking of lowering it, I presume this can be done by the big red spring at the back, but would the front need to be lowered too? And what affect would it have on the handling?

Also, as I like to cruise at about 7-8000rpm, is there a cheap and easy modification that could bump that speed upto about 100kph instead of the 80kph I usually get? I hear people talk about a K&N air filter, or changing exhausts?

I'd also like the edge of the rims (only the edge) painted red, I've seen a few and really like the look of it, does anyone know a place that does it and how much they charge?

Okay, that's it thanks. And lovely bike to have btw.

My bike 2 months old totaly standard 7500km............I cruise everyday at 100Kph and the revs are exactly 7500........on my bikes clocks. Accelerates to 130 very easily and Ive been up to 140 no problem, not sure how much after that it would do. Still like another 20+ hp tho!!

[phobic]

Hi, I have my 4 yr old cbr about 2 months now, and I have a few Qs. (not neccessarily to do with the following sentence)

The performance seems to be less than most talk here about. Haven't taken it above 120kph, just doesn't feel sturdy enough, or even capable. 100kph feels about as comfortable as you can go, cruising at 80kph at around 7000rpm is comfortable but after that it isn't comfortable. (I'm 175cm and 75 kg).

But anyway. It does seem very high, from my usual nsr etc. 2 stokes of old. I was thinking of lowering it, I presume this can be done by the big red spring at the back, but would the front need to be lowered too? And what affect would it have on the handling?

Also, as I like to cruise at about 7-8000rpm, is there a cheap and easy modification that could bump that speed upto about 100kph instead of the 80kph I usually get? I hear people talk about a K&N air filter, or changing exhausts?

I'd also like the edge of the rims (only the edge) painted red, I've seen a few and really like the look of it, does anyone know a place that does it and how much they charge?

Okay, that's it thanks. And lovely bike to have btw.

Hi Yimmy, you are almost identical size as me.. im a bit lighter n shorter though, a few cm's n 5-6kgs. My 3rd redlines at 80-90km/h and topspeed 160-170km/h indicated on speedo ( 170km/h downhill and wind in back ), but i have aftermarket carby, aftermarket downpipe and modded stock muffler ( soon i'll have the NMF carbon muffler, thanks to omega69 ) and aftermarket K&N filter, racing clutch springs and plates and i run on 15t/44t sprockets, i will try 47t rear sprocket soon though.

Like thaicbr said, check your sprockets ( stock is 15 teeth front and 44 teeth rear, 14 teeth front improves acclerating so does more teeth on the rear.. 47 teeth is said to be good for rear ) less teeth front, ups the acclerating but takes away some topspeed.. the opposite applies to the rear sprocket(?). The downpipe is probably the best mod for the buck after sprocket changes..you might have to change the jets( up a size or 2 ) in your carb though since your engine will run lean.

You might want to service it some too, change sparkplug, clean the carby and other wear and tear parts.. if you have'nt done this yet.

I bought my rimtape at this site and this seller CBR150club.com .. 150 baht + the ems..so around 200 baht i think it was. Only issue is that you have to put it on yourself by hand, takes some time and patience but its not that hard, In this tread they have some pictures of another product from progrip too which has a tool that makes it alot easier to apply the tape to your rim... might be worth checking out.

The K&N filter is about 2000-2500 baht ( the model for that fits the CBR 150 airbox ) and can be bought at Fastcorner ( bought mine there ), I just sent them an email ( in english ) asking for it and they replied that they have it in stock. It makes difference but i dont think its worth the money if you dont plan to get a new pipe/muffler..

Pipes and mufflers/silencers can be bought at various websites/shops, look at some previous posts here and you will find where. Usually goes for 3500-5500bht with pipe and can. You might do some research in the volume of this cans too, depending on your location some cans might be too loud and you will get fined by our law enforcers.

/peace

[Yimmy]

Okay, great thanks.

Will count the teeth, give them a shout about the wheel tape, and ask about a service at the local Honda dealer.

Thanks again.

[songoku777]

Hi, I have my 4 yr old cbr about 2 months now, and I have a few Qs. (not neccessarily to do with the following sentence)

The performance seems to be less than most talk here about. Haven't taken it above 120kph, just doesn't feel sturdy enough, or even capable. 100kph feels about as comfortable as you can go, cruising at 80kph at around 7000rpm is comfortable but after that it isn't comfortable. (I'm 175cm and 75 kg).

But anyway. It does seem very high, from my usual nsr etc. 2 stokes of old. I was thinking of lowering it, I presume this can be done by the big red spring at the back, but would the front need to be lowered too? And what affect would it have on the handling?

Also, as I like to cruise at about 7-8000rpm, is there a cheap and easy modification that could bump that speed upto about 100kph instead of the 80kph I usually get? I hear people talk about a K&N air filter, or changing exhausts?

I'd also like the edge of the rims (only the edge) painted red, I've seen a few and really like the look of it, does anyone know a place that does it and how much they charge?

Okay, that's it thanks. And lovely bike to have btw.

Yimmy you need to check what size sprockets you have on the bike (the toothed bits that the chain goes around) you count the number of teeth. It sounds like your bike may have had a sprocket change. The rim tape is available from mocyc.cum or many bike hot up shops. Dont worry about lowering it. Change the down pipe. best if you post a picture of your bike.

Hi Yimmy, you are almost identical size as me.. im a bit lighter n shorter though, a few cm's n 5-6kgs. My 3rd redlines at 80-90km/h and topspeed 160-170km/h indicated on speedo ( 170km/h downhill and wind in back ), but i have aftermarket carby, aftermarket downpipe and modded stock muffler ( soon i'll have the NMF carbon muffler, thanks to omega69 ) and aftermarket K&N filter, racing clutch springs and plates and i run on 15t/44t sprockets, i will try 47t rear sprocket soon though.

Like thaicbr said, check your sprockets ( stock is 15 teeth front and 44 teeth rear, 14 teeth front improves acclerating so does more teeth on the rear.. 47 teeth is said to be good for rear ) less teeth front, ups the acclerating but takes away some topspeed.. the opposite applies to the rear sprocket(?). The downpipe is probably the best mod for the buck after sprocket changes..you might have to change the jets( up a size or 2 ) in your carb though since your engine will run lean.

You might want to service it some too, change sparkplug, clean the carby and other wear and tear parts.. if you have'nt done this yet.

I bought my rimtape at this site and this seller CBR150club.com .. 150 baht + the ems..so around 200 baht i think it was. Only issue is that you have to put it on yourself by hand, takes some time and patience but its not that hard, In this tread they have some pictures of another product from progrip too which has a tool that makes it alot easier to apply the tape to your rim... might be worth checking out.

The K&N filter is about 2000-2500 baht ( the model for that fits the CBR 150 airbox ) and can be bought at Fastcorner ( bought mine there ), I just sent them an email ( in english ) asking for it and they replied that they have it in stock. It makes difference but i dont think its worth the money if you dont plan to get a new pipe/muffler..

Pipes and mufflers/silencers can be bought at various websites/shops, look at some previous posts here and you will find where. Usually goes for 3500-5500bht with pipe and can. You might do some research in the volume of this cans too, depending on your location some cans might be too loud and you will get fined by our law enforcers.

/peace

Congrats on your newly acquired CBR Yimmy. thaicbr & phobic had great tips about the CBR150 -couldn't have explained it as good as they did.

To add, something that hasn't been mentioned, about those wheel stipes -it would help if you spray the wheel rim (after thoroughly cleaning it ofcourse) with a light mist of dilluted 'hair shampoo' while sticking them -much like how car-tints are applied -to help put it on straight and get all the air bubbles out. This will also help to avoid 'stretching' the sticker too much to compensate in aligning it, since temperature extremes during normal use may take the better of it later on.

On lowering the bike's front, you may need to make the damping a bit harder. I added about 10-15ml fork oil on each side, and was able to safely lower it about 1.5-2.0" on the triple clamps without worrying about the fender hitting the radiator. I also re-located the horn since it's one of the things that would hit the fender 1st on bumps and potholes. Im about 68kg & 165cm. No problem with handling, it can safely do normal curves at an average speed of 60kph on the clock.

HTH

[dave_boo]

Congrats Yimmy.

I'd like to throw my 2 cents in also. Definitely have a full service done. And don't forget those valve clearances! Also, from my figuring, you probably have a 14 Front/44 Rear sprocket setup (or perhaps a 15/47). I don't know if you'd want to run 100 km/h at 7000 RPM (which I reckon would require a 15/40 or a 16/42); if something came up and you had to pass, you'd end up dropping down to at least 4th just to get the gumption.

I am a bit skeptical as to the claims that the little CBR is hitting a 'real' 170 with stock gearing (15/44). Math just doesn't add up. Even revving out to 13 000 the stock setup just won't spin fast enough. IIRC, the speedo is about 10% optimistic, so what we're probably seeing is more like 153 km/h....which is spot on with a stock drivetrain running at 12 000RPM.

Oh, and for an easy install of wheel tape; get someone who's not a complete raving idiot and have them help you get the bike up off the wheels. Have them spin the wheel at a slow steady rate and you hold the tape in one spot and let the wheel's rotation apply it for you.

[phobic]

Dave_boo, yeah i think 150km/h actual is more like the topspeed i can do..like i said its 170 indicated, and speedo's tend to be somewhat inacurate.. i assumed that he was refering to the speedo when he mentioned his speed. :D

Yeah that how i did when i applied the tape, i took both wheels off, cleaned everything and placed the rim on a brick and a towel between rim and brick( so the rim wouldnt get scratched ). Then i rotated the rim with my fingers(gragging the "spokes" on the mag rims to turn the wheel) and used my thumb to apply the tape. Held the taperoll in my other hand. Was quite easy and no airbubbles. Hehe nice explaination eh, well i hope you get the idea

/peace

[oMega69]

wihoo i moved BKK now

The CBR is real good in traffic. . , but with manual gears is can be little bit hard to left hand in hard traffic . ,

Just take me 2hours from Pattaya to - OnNut in medium traffic . , did pull Sukhumvit all the way here . , avarange speed ~110km/h . .

But it was kind of suicide style to ride here . . . . . AND i havent mention yet the second trip on my smaller bike

That is something i never will do again . , Pattaya-BKK on a Yamaha Nouveau elegance . . the road 34 with all the trucks are real nasty .

As you all understand iam a bit Crazy 555+

[dave_boo]

Dave_boo, yeah i think 150km/h actual is more like the topspeed i can do..like i said its 170 indicated, and speedo's tend to be somewhat inacurate.. i assumed that he was refering to the speedo when he mentioned his speed.

Yeah that how i did when i applied the tape, i took both wheels off, cleaned everything and placed the rim on a brick and a towel between rim and brick( so the rim wouldnt get scratched ). Then i rotated the rim with my fingers(gragging the "spokes" on the mag rims to turn the wheel) and used my thumb to apply the tape. Held the taperoll in my other hand. Was quite easy and no airbubbles. Hehe nice explaination eh, well i hope you get the idea

/peace

Well, when I'm home this next time I'll drop the GPS in the tankbag and get a absolute top speed. I'm not about to move the mounting bracket over just for that....at least the thread will know what the speed is for a bone stock CBR.

I understood your method of applying the rim tape; wouldn't be the way I'd do it (being a klutz and all) and I'd worry about the friction from the towel. But if it works for you-good.

**edit**

Just take me 2hours from Pattaya to - OnNut in medium traffic . , did pull Sukhumvit all the way here . , avarange speed ~110km/h . .

But it was kind of suicide style to ride here . . . . . AND i havent mention yet the second trip on my smaller bike

I lived in Samut Prakarn for a while; heading up Sukhumvit at certain hours (well, most hours) is a bit suicidal; especially if you can't stand being shown up by a snot nosed punk on a Mio.....

Edited September 10, 2009 by dave_boo

[Yimmy]

Sent a message to that link about the rim tape, 200b into the account and arrived yesterday, is looking good... now just need some white paint for the tyre's writing.

Went for the service today, new spark plug and air filter (the one I had was full of dust)... 270b all up. (gotta luv thailand). Is certainly a bit nippier and quicker through the revs and gears, was just over 100kph at exactly 8,000rpm on the way back without much more acceleration available (we really need more gears )

Checked the sprockets and both are standard (44 on the back). Cheers all. Will have to think about getting a new exhaust pipe to boost the topspeed.

[taichiplanet]

I'm selling my CBR to make way for a GB400.

http://classifieds.thaivisa.com/?act=show_...1&aid=31957

[Yimmy]

CB400?

Let us know the differences after a month or two, I'd certainly be interested.