Honda Cbr150

[visions]

REVIEW

Ok, after spending more than a few hours on the new 150 yesterday and today, here's my "review". While some things are factual, others are my personal opinion. I've now driven the bike for 2 days, both in city traffic and on the open highway, daytime and night time, but kept the speed to only 110 till the engine is broken in. Here's what I've come up with.

a) Major improvement in the headlight over the old model, especially when on high beam.

You can definitely feel the weight difference when you are doing things like pushing the bike backwards away from the curb, or driving a very slow speeds of 5-10kph. But even at those slow speeds, the bike feels more stable than the old model, or that could just be my imagination.

c) Once you're moving, you don't notice the weight, but you do notice that the bike feels much more stable than the old model, especially at the higher speeds. I attribute this to not only the extra weight, but the increased tire size as well.

d) While perhaps not quite as nimble as the old model, weaving in and out of traffic is no problem at all, but because of the extra "width" of the mirrors, going between cars is not as easy as the old model. And on the highways the bike handles effortlessly.

e) And speaking of the mirrors, I actually like these much better. In my opinion they give me a better view of what's behind me than the old ones did, and they are set at a good level for my eyes.

f) While I would have to actually run against an old model to make sure, this one feels quicker off the line, and quicker to reach 100-110 than the old model. But again, that just may be my opinion and not actually based on fact.

g) Shifting gears feels smoother, and even a little faster than the old model.

h) At speeds of 100-110, the bike is definitely more stable, and I'm assuming that will also be the case later on when I decide to push it a little more.

i) In terms of "ride comfort", those of us who prefer the "sports bike style", this bike is very comfortable, with good suspension that handles small bumps in the road, as well as speed bumps in the moo ban, very easily. My feeling is that this will be a very good bike for longer road trips, which I plan on doing sometime after my birthday in February.

And then there's the "Wow!" Factor. No matter where I go, this bike, with the tri-color paint scheme, draws attention. I've had everyone from the "Average Sondhi" to cops and loan shark collectors coming to look at it and ask me about it. Especially the loan sharks collectors, most of whom are riding around on the old model, usually black. Lol.

In my opinion, this is a MUCH improved, much better 150 than the previous model. And while I loved my old one, I have no regrets about selling it after only 18 months and buying this one, even if I did have to wait almost 5 months to do so.

One of the things that has surprised me is that my wife actually LOVES this bike. She wasn't too crazy about it when I bought the black 150 two years ago, saying I would probably kill myself, but after a while she got used to it, and then was only upset because at 148cm, her cute, sexy legs were just too short for her to drive it. But this bike she actually loves and is very excited about.

I do want to make a couple of mods. The larger wind screen and K&N air filter for starters, and Mobile Synthetic at the first 1,000k, but those are minor things. I'm also waiting for the aftermarket accessories, such as tank bags and a couple of other things, and I also want to change tires from the IRC's to Michelin and Dunlap, or perhaps Pirelli, but that will have to wait a little while. Between 4 days in the hospital, some costly improvements on the house, and now the CBR, that's put a bit of a dent in my cash flow for a little while.

But all in all, I'm A Happy Camper!!

Thanks J1V very good subjective review.

Do you notice any difference in the gearing between old and new? IE speed in the gears and what revs at 100kph

re opening it up...My 150 I bought last year kept improving performance right up to about 10,000KM as it losened up.

[Just1Voice]

Do you notice any difference in the gearing between old and new? IE speed in the gears and what revs at 100kph

re opening it up...My 150 I bought last year kept improving performance right up to about 10,000KM as it losened up.

Not really, but to be honest, I wasn't really looking at that. I was trying to get an overall assessment of the bike and how it handles. Probably should have paid more attention to the gearing & tach, but as I noted previously, this one feels quicker off the mark, quicker to 110-110, and less of a "stress" sound on the engine while doing that.

[KRS1]

Hello,

This is my first post to this forum. I own one or two CBR150's depending on how you look at it.

For the past couple years I've had a Yamaha FZ400 and my girlfriend had a Honda Dream. For short trips to the store I'd always take her bike as it was just easier. So I decided I'd rather get her a CBR150 to ride so that when I borrowed it, I wouldnt have to use the Dream. I even kitted it out with a HRC exhaust which I used to have on my old Sonic and it sounds incredible. It's a fantastic exhaust for the CBR, but I've been told they're no longer made. Anyhow, I fell in love with this little CBR and so did my girlfriend and now she wont let me ride 'her bike'. So when a friend was selling his CBR150 for 18,000b, I had to buy it. I knew it wasn't maintained that well (it lived on an island with no decent mechanics) but figured with Honda reliability I'd be ok. So technically I own two of these bike, but if you ask the GF, she'll say she owns one and I own one.

Well...

I took 'my' CBR to the mechanic for an oil change and complete check and it ran just fine. I then took it out for a long ride to see how well it would do. It had a little more vibration than the GF's CBR and a little less power (max speed was 133). But then, in the middle of nowhere, it stopped. I guess if I didn't have headphones in, I might have heard the warnings. But upon trying to restart the bike I heard a sound similar to nuts and bolts being shaken in a tin can. This bad news made only worse by the fact I really had no clue where I was. I enjoy getting lost in the mountains between Khao Sok and Phang-Nga. Its easy to find your way out eventually, but rather difficult to give directions to someone who's supposed to come pick you up when you were just driving aimlessly for 60 minutes.

But I see this as an opportunity rather than a bad thing. I've got other bikes I can ride for the moment so maybe its time to tear in to the CBR and make it a project. Heres what I'd like to know:

1) If a complete engine rebuild is needed, what aftermarket parts could I (would you) use to make it better than stock? Or would you leave it stock?

2) Does anyone know where I can get an HRC exhaust? Or know of a good exhaust for the CBR? (I'm not a fan of the Endurance series)

3) Where can you get/order a K&N filter for this bike?

4) Very early in this thread, someone mentioned that the 150 engine shares the same base as the old Austrailan CBR250 and all that would be needed is to change the cylinder/head/piston to make it a 250. Is that true, and if so what is the cost (18,000b was mentioned but not confirmed) and where could you get it? At 18,000b I think it's more than I want to put in to this project, but if the option was there for less than 10,000 and it was for parts I'd need to buy anyway, I'd give it some serious thought.

Please keep in mind I live in the middle of no-where 2 hours north of Phuket. So there are no real bike shops around. If I can order parts from a shop, that has worked well before, but I'm not easily able to pop down to BKK bike shops.

Thanks in advance for any advice and tips. And if theres a CBR ride around here anytime soon, I'd love to join.

-Rick

www.travelhead.com

its probably the carb needle, they are known to break...if you bought the bike from jungle jim from samui, thats one of my old bikes.

put in a new needle for 80 baht...if its just a small piece that broke off, just run the engine until it melts...worse case scenario is that it will get caught in one of the valves. In which case you'll have to rebuild the topend anyway.

if your engine wont start and there is no compression (engine will spool faster than usually when trying to start, the needle is stuck between the seat and valve and there will be no compression because the valve is stuck open about 1 mm.) then you know its the carb needle. This is why a lot of riders switch to the nsr carbs.

Edited November 24, 2010 by KRS1

[KRS1]

Do you notice any difference in the gearing between old and new? IE speed in the gears and what revs at 100kph

re opening it up...My 150 I bought last year kept improving performance right up to about 10,000KM as it loosened up.

Not really, but to be honest, I wasn't really looking at that. I was trying to get an overall assessment of the bike and how it handles. Probably should have paid more attention to the gearing & tach, but as I noted previously, this one feels quicker off the mark, quicker to 110-110, and less of a "stress" sound on the engine while doing that.

is the gas tank any wider than the old model? think you can take a pic of the engine from both sides? I'd like to see if the differences are solely in the Fuel injection.

thanks

[Hili]

good pictures to compare the old and new....

[Just1Voice]

Ok, did a little "experiment". Took the bike out and ran it up to 100kph. The tach was pegged at 7,000.

Came home, put 42kg wife on back, went out and took it to 100kph and the tach was still pegged at 7,000.

No difference at all.

[Just1Voice]

Oh, I forgot to add that my wife says riding on the back of the new one is MUCH more comfortable for her with the new seat design they have.

[T_Dog]

good pictures to compare the old and new....

Nice comparison pics! The new bike sure looks more substantial. Be interesting to find out if the old one can beat if off the line since it is lighter. Those are big meats on the new one! I can see why it feels more stable at speed.

[canuckamuck]

Ok, did a little "experiment". Took the bike out and ran it up to 100kph. The tach was pegged at 7,000.

Came home, put 42kg wife on back, went out and took it to 100kph and the tach was still pegged at 7,000.

No difference at all.

Engine revs are directly represented in the speed of the wheels turning, the variables are gears, sprockets, tire size and clutch slip.

What changes with weight is the top speed and time it takes to reach a given speed.

[dave_boo]

Ok, did a little "experiment". Took the bike out and ran it up to 100kph. The tach was pegged at 7,000.

Came home, put 42kg wife on back, went out and took it to 100kph and the tach was still pegged at 7,000.

No difference at all.

Engine revs are directly represented in the speed of the wheels turning, the variables are gears, sprockets, tire size and clutch slip.

What changes with weight is the top speed and time it takes to reach a given speed.

No.

Force to overcome coefficient of drag is defined as such: F_d = ¹/₂C_d pv²A. Since everything on the right stays the same except for the velocity during a ride, you can quickly see that velocity is squared; doubling your speed from 50 to 100 km/h results in a delta of 50 km/h which raising to the second means that you need 4x the force at 100 that you do at 50.

To consider the HP required by weight we simply look at the famous F=mA. Since there is no acceleration when maintaining speed, mass matters little. Even considering the acceleration to 50 or 100, there is actually little vairance. A 250 kg (all in with rider) bike would only need twice the extra force to accelerate the same mass to 100 km/h over 10 seconds contrasted to the 50 km/h (69.5 N versus 34.5 N_⁾.

[canuckamuck]

It sounds like we are not exactly talking about the same thing, but I have no doubt you get the physics part of this better than I.

But it is my understanding that the speed of the crank determines the speed of the wheels regardless of weight. If everything else remains consistent.

So a 250 kg bike that goes 100kmh at 7000 rpms in top gear, will also go 100kmh at 7000rpm even when 50 kg is added.

[Just1Voice]

Ok, I'm staying out of the "technical" details, and that's not my thing. hahah. But I do have one question that maybe someone can answer.

Where in Chiang Mai can I get, or order, Dunlap or Michelin? Can Honda order them for me, or do I have to go to another bike shop?

[dave_boo]

It sounds like we are not exactly talking about the same thing, but I have no doubt you get the physics part of this better than I.

But it is my understanding that the speed of the crank determines the speed of the wheels regardless of weight. If everything else remains consistent.

So a 250 kg bike that goes 100kmh at 7000 rpms in top gear, will also go 100kmh at 7000rpm even when 50 kg is added.

I guess I misunderstood this: "What changes with weight is the top speed". Your statement in the post I just quoted is quite correct.

Ok, I'm staying out of the "technical" details, and that's not my thing. hahah. But I do have one question that maybe someone can answer.

Where in Chiang Mai can I get, or order, Dunlap or Michelin? Can Honda order them for me, or do I have to go to another bike shop?

Ever consider a Pirelli? The Dragon Supercorsas are what are spooned on my bike and they're bloody brilliant.

The dealer will ship them to your address at a very good price also....

[rickjames8]

I just wanted to say thanks to all the replies regarding my broken CBR. I've been on the boat for the past few days so I've been unable to respond until now. But I think that given the advice here the best option is just to take it to the dealership and get a good stock rebuild done so I've got a fresh engine, and then put on the intake/exhast mentioned.

Anyone on this list from the Phuket/ Phang-Nga area?

-Rick

[wjmark]

Ever consider a Pirelli? The Dragon Supercorsas are what are spooned on my bike and they're bloody brilliant.

The dealer will ship them to your address at a very good price also....

What size did you get - they are all pretty big for our old small rims.

I have been recommended Bridgestone (BT 090 or BT 039), and apparently they have the standard sizes. Probably about 6,000 a pair. How much were the Pirellis?

[KRS1]

Ok, did a little "experiment". Took the bike out and ran it up to 100kph. The tach was pegged at 7,000.

Came home, put 42kg wife on back, went out and took it to 100kph and the tach was still pegged at 7,000.

No difference at all.

Engine revs are directly represented in the speed of the wheels turning, the variables are gears, sprockets, tire size and clutch slip.

What changes with weight is the top speed and time it takes to reach a given speed.

No.

Force to overcome coefficient of drag is defined as such: F_d = ¹/₂C_d pv²A. Since everything on the right stays the same except for the velocity during a ride, you can quickly see that velocity is squared; doubling your speed from 50 to 100 km/h results in a delta of 50 km/h which raising to the second means that you need 4x the force at 100 that you do at 50.

To consider the HP required by weight we simply look at the famous F=mA. Since there is no acceleration when maintaining speed, mass matters little. Even considering the acceleration to 50 or 100, there is actually little vairance. A 250 kg (all in with rider) bike would only need twice the extra force to accelerate the same mass to 100 km/h over 10 seconds contrasted to the 50 km/h (69.5 N versus 34.5 N_⁾.

so whats the difference between wearing a baggy jacket and a tight set of leathers, not to mention the physical mass of the rider that collides with the wind, and barrometric pressure? - plug that into your wind resistance equation.

Edited November 24, 2010 by KRS1

[dave_boo]

What size did you get - they are all pretty big for our old small rims.

I have been recommended Bridgestone (BT 090 or BT 039), and apparently they have the standard sizes. Probably about 6,000 a pair. How much were the Pirellis?

I bought the SuperCorsas in 110/70 F and 150/60 R. Cost, to include shipping, 8300 THB. Also threw in some free stickers and supposedly a free shirt (perhaps the shipping company stole that?). The front fits like a glove and the rear is just ever so slightly 'pinched'. If you weren't looking for it you wouldn't even notice it.

so whats the difference between wearing a baggy jacket and a tight set of leathers, not to mention the physical mass of the rider that collides with the wind, and barrometric pressure? - plug that into your wind resistance equation.

Aren't you the fellow who claimed that freeing up your exhaust won't help produce more power?

[deemon]

So today i finally got to order it, red, white and blue one. First one to order in phuket they said, and will get it this week probarly. niice.

Hello

I order the second one in Patong from the same seller i think, she tell me she sell the first one tricolour a couple days before:)

I love the bike but there is two things....

There is a high tone sound i guess come from the PGI that start after 2-3 days.

I went to Honda and ask them about it and they say that the sound is correct but i dont belive them to 100%

The other thing is that the bike dont run perfectly at low speed and that problem start after 2-3 days also..hmmm

If you have any time jahsoldier it would be lovley to hear your bike to compare the sound from PGI.

[deemon]

I agree to 100% on your review

REVIEW

Ok, after spending more than a few hours on the new 150 yesterday and today, here's my "review". While some things are factual, others are my personal opinion. I've now driven the bike for 2 days, both in city traffic and on the open highway, daytime and night time, but kept the speed to only 110 till the engine is broken in. Here's what I've come up with.

a) Major improvement in the headlight over the old model, especially when on high beam.

You can definitely feel the weight difference when you are doing things like pushing the bike backwards away from the curb, or driving a very slow speeds of 5-10kph. But even at those slow speeds, the bike feels more stable than the old model, or that could just be my imagination.

c) Once you're moving, you don't notice the weight, but you do notice that the bike feels much more stable than the old model, especially at the higher speeds. I attribute this to not only the extra weight, but the increased tire size as well.

d) While perhaps not quite as nimble as the old model, weaving in and out of traffic is no problem at all, but because of the extra "width" of the mirrors, going between cars is not as easy as the old model. And on the highways the bike handles effortlessly.

e) And speaking of the mirrors, I actually like these much better. In my opinion they give me a better view of what's behind me than the old ones did, and they are set at a good level for my eyes.

f) While I would have to actually run against an old model to make sure, this one feels quicker off the line, and quicker to reach 100-110 than the old model. But again, that just may be my opinion and not actually based on fact.

g) Shifting gears feels smoother, and even a little faster than the old model.

h) At speeds of 100-110, the bike is definitely more stable, and I'm assuming that will also be the case later on when I decide to push it a little more.

i) In terms of "ride comfort", those of us who prefer the "sports bike style", this bike is very comfortable, with good suspension that handles small bumps in the road, as well as speed bumps in the moo ban, very easily. My feeling is that this will be a very good bike for longer road trips, which I plan on doing sometime after my birthday in February.

And then there's the "Wow!" Factor. No matter where I go, this bike, with the tri-color paint scheme, draws attention. I've had everyone from the "Average Sondhi" to cops and loan shark collectors coming to look at it and ask me about it. Especially the loan sharks collectors, most of whom are riding around on the old model, usually black. Lol.

In my opinion, this is a MUCH improved, much better 150 than the previous model. And while I loved my old one, I have no regrets about selling it after only 18 months and buying this one, even if I did have to wait almost 5 months to do so.

One of the things that has surprised me is that my wife actually LOVES this bike. She wasn't too crazy about it when I bought the black 150 two years ago, saying I would probably kill myself, but after a while she got used to it, and then was only upset because at 148cm, her cute, sexy legs were just too short for her to drive it. But this bike she actually loves and is very excited about.

I do want to make a couple of mods. The larger wind screen and K&N air filter for starters, and Mobile Synthetic at the first 1,000k, but those are minor things. I'm also waiting for the aftermarket accessories, such as tank bags and a couple of other things, and I also want to change tires from the IRC's to Michelin and Dunlap, or perhaps Pirelli, but that will have to wait a little while. Between 4 days in the hospital, some costly improvements on the house, and now the CBR, that's put a bit of a dent in my cash flow for a little while.

But all in all, I'm A Happy Camper!!

[jahsoldier]

So today i finally got to order it, red, white and blue one. First one to order in phuket they said, and will get it this week probarly. niice.

Hello

I order the second one in Patong from the same seller i think, she tell me she sell the first one tricolour a couple days before:)

I love the bike but there is two things....

There is a high tone sound i guess come from the PGI that start after 2-3 days.

I went to Honda and ask them about it and they say that the sound is correct but i dont belive them to 100%

The other thing is that the bike dont run perfectly at low speed and that problem start after 2-3 days also..hmmm

If you have any time jahsoldier it would be lovley to hear your bike to compare the sound from PGI.

Sure no problem, u live in patong? I go there tomorov or saturday for the 1000km service.

[apetley]

Ok, did a little "experiment". Took the bike out and ran it up to 100kph. The tach was pegged at 7,000.

Came home, put 42kg wife on back, went out and took it to 100kph and the tach was still pegged at 7,000.

No difference at all.

Adding a passenger, no matter how heavy, will not alter your bikes gearing.

[jahsoldier]

Can anyone tell me what tires i should buy for my 2011 cbr150? Got the stock ones on now.

[Just1Voice]

Can anyone tell me what tires i should buy for my 2011 cbr150? Got the stock ones on now.

ditto that

I'm looking at going with Dunlap or Michelin, but not sure where to buy. I'm sure someone on here can tell us.

Also, I know there are 2 K&N dealers in BKK, but does anyone know of anyplace in Chiang Mai that sells them?

[Hili]

Just1Voice, fastcorner can deliver the K&N airfilter via ems... sales[@]fastcorner.co.th

Make sure it will fit to the new cbr maybe something changed airbox, dimensions etc??

[KRS1]

What size did you get - they are all pretty big for our old small rims.

I have been recommended Bridgestone (BT 090 or BT 039), and apparently they have the standard sizes. Probably about 6,000 a pair. How much were the Pirellis?

I bought the SuperCorsas in 110/70 F and 150/60 R. Cost, to include shipping, 8300 THB. Also threw in some free stickers and supposedly a free shirt (perhaps the shipping company stole that?). The front fits like a glove and the rear is just ever so slightly 'pinched'. If you weren't looking for it you wouldn't even notice it.

so whats the difference between wearing a baggy jacket and a tight set of leathers, not to mention the physical mass of the rider that collides with the wind, and barrometric pressure? - plug that into your wind resistance equation.

Aren't you the fellow who claimed that freeing up your exhaust won't help produce more power?

nope, im the guy that said, reducing exhaust velocity wont get you more power...and no one to date has been able to prove me wrong in regards to the cbr 150's exhaust system.

learn how to downshift yet?

Edited November 26, 2010 by KRS1

[appropriate]

Actually, my after market exhaust improved acceleration about 10%, and top end by about the same. The main difference in the top end is the feeling of stability. It feels perfectly stable with the throttle pinned for as long as you want. It didn't before.

Before I'm accused of being a witch and having all sorts of scientific data thrown at me, no I haven't done a dyno run or anything. As soon as I put it on within a few days the acceleration had loosened up the two wing mirror stalks, then the wing mirror heads. Pull back and pin the throthle above 80kph and with the acceleration it blow them all back.

Do with all that as you may. If you don't call that more power, you may well be correct, I don't really care, I just love the extra acceleration and feel it's given the bike, plus the extra feeling of stability when cruising with the throttle pinned is great.

Cheers chaps.

Dominic.

[13budgies]

Actually, my after market exhaust improved acceleration about 10%, and top end by about the same. The main difference in the top end is the feeling of stability. It feels perfectly stable with the throttle pinned for as long as you want. It didn't before.

Before I'm accused of being a witch and having all sorts of scientific data thrown at me, no I haven't done a dyno run or anything. As soon as I put it on within a few days the acceleration had loosened up the two wing mirror stalks, then the wing mirror heads. Pull back and pin the throthle above 80kph and with the acceleration it blow them all back.

Do with all that as you may. If you don't call that more power, you may well be correct, I don't really care, I just love the extra acceleration and feel it's given the bike, plus the extra feeling of stability when cruising with the throttle pinned is great.

Cheers chaps.

Dominic.

Dominic, I can't decide if you're just taking the piss, or if you really are a candidate for the funny farm. I do hope it's the former!

[apetley]

Actually, my after market exhaust improved acceleration about 10%, and top end by about the same. The main difference in the top end is the feeling of stability. It feels perfectly stable with the throttle pinned for as long as you want. It didn't before.

Before I'm accused of being a witch and having all sorts of scientific data thrown at me, no I haven't done a dyno run or anything. As soon as I put it on within a few days the acceleration had loosened up the two wing mirror stalks, then the wing mirror heads. Pull back and pin the throthle above 80kph and with the acceleration it blow them all back.

Do with all that as you may. If you don't call that more power, you may well be correct, I don't really care, I just love the extra acceleration and feel it's given the bike, plus the extra feeling of stability when cruising with the throttle pinned is great.

Cheers chaps.

Dominic.

I think you'll find that the wing mirror screws were not quite tight enough and were loosened off by a little vibration.

Even a 200 bhp sportsbike doesn't make it's mirrors swivel back under acceleration

[visions]

Actually, my after market exhaust improved acceleration about 10%, and top end by about the same. The main difference in the top end is the feeling of stability. It feels perfectly stable with the throttle pinned for as long as you want. It didn't before.

Before I'm accused of being a witch and having all sorts of scientific data thrown at me, no I haven't done a dyno run or anything. As soon as I put it on within a few days the acceleration had loosened up the two wing mirror stalks, then the wing mirror heads. Pull back and pin the throthle above 80kph and with the acceleration it blow them all back.

Do with all that as you may. If you don't call that more power, you may well be correct, I don't really care, I just love the extra acceleration and feel it's given the bike, plus the extra feeling of stability when cruising with the throttle pinned is great.

Cheers chaps.

Dominic.

I think you'll find that the wing mirror screws were not quite tight enough and were loosened off by a little vibration.

Even a 200 bhp sportsbike doesn't make it's mirrors swivel back under acceleration

What he has is more noise and vibrations due to untuned resonance pulses. hence the "sensation " of increased performance and the extra vibratioon loosened the nuts.

Love to see the scientific physics explanation how the differeing exhaust makes the bike more stable???

I suspect its more stable .....because actually going slower.

But we are all entitled to "play" with our bikes and alter in whatever way we feel suits us as an individual.

[canuckamuck]

I put flame decals on my my bike and now it goes much faster and I think it is lighter too.

Edited November 28, 2010 by canuckamuck