Any New Models Out?

[Vato]

didnt get a chance to make it to the motor show....and was wondering if there are any new non step through bkes out yet that are competing with the cbr.

thanx

ps....i really hate stepthrough bikes

[Richard-BKK]

Hi Vato,

You have not much options, you have in the range you specify only the Honda CBR 150R and the Tiger Boxer 200R, the Honda being a sportbike and the Tiger is more something what I would call a sporty-all-rounder...

And for a few thousand Baht more you can have a Tiger Boxer 250RS..

Both the Honda and Tiger are very solid bikes, if you go for new, Tiger offers the Boxers "A La Cart", equipped with accessories direct from the factory. The Honda has as benefit that, it looks like, every Thai teenager knows how to repair one.

There is a company call Platinum which sells also Chinese motorcycles in the range you specify, but the opinion of the build quality of this motorcycles is widely divided. I would not recommend buying one if you not have a mechanical back ground.

For my experience is the Tiger the best bike if you are a bit bigger then the average Joe. For the Honda there are numerous modifications to change the riding position so you can ride it comfortable...

[thaicbr]

every Thai teenager knows how to repair one

CHANGE that to THINKS they know how to repair one. much more accurate. Richard dont forget the Kawasaki's NINJA 250 and D-trakker 250. I dont think the OP realised that the limit has know gone up to 250. very different in price to the Tiger but lets give all the facts.

Allan

PS Vato i know where you can save over 25,000baht on a nearly NEW Ninja only 125.000baht (150,000list) . pm if interested

[neverdie]

What about the new Yamaha YZF R15 (150cc) that is being made in india. Has anyone heard if they are going to bring that to thailand?

[Richard-BKK]

So far as I know, there is just ONE Yamaha YZF R15 in Thailand, the guy lives in Chonburi and is as happy as you could be, it was on special request imported.

For anybody with the same idea of importing a Yamaha YZF 15R be aware that the end cost price is about the same as the current retail price of a Kawasaki Ninja 250R.

[Richard-BKK]

If the qualification is only based on the dislike of “step-through” motorcycles, you have indeed more options. Starting with the mini-motard’s Kawasaki KSR110 and Sachs KikAss 125, if you prefer something what weights more then 70kg you can see what Kawasaki offers in the 250cc range, but as thaicbr says they start around 150,000 Baht.

[Vato]

oh 250cc is fine....just saw theres a 250cc available.

i dont like stepthroughs do to the weird handling characteristics and wide foot spacing as well as something to lock your knees against for better control...not to mention there sissy bikes.

been considering the boxer, but am a little concerned about the air cooled engine...i raced motocross in the past and i always remembered having to let the air cooled bikes have a break everyone now and then or else the power would start to fade.

the dual rear shocks is also a bit of a negative to me, seems kinda low tech...but dont really mind that much as long as it gets the job done.

i plan to use the bike to tour the country and dont want overheating problems...but am attracted to the higher dispacement and lower compression ratio...that would be better suited for highway speeds but would like to rev at the same time.

whats the weight between the 250 tiger and cbr 150?...and the bike widths?

for the cbr and tiger 250...how bad is the downshift drag compared to a nsr 150? i use to have a nsx 150, which is the same as an nsr....highly modded, pipe ,silencer, advanced ignition, ported exhaust/intake, clutch/pressure plate removed, front shocks lowered...and most important - extra padding in the seat.

anyway to get a police discount for the 250 tiger? (not a cop) if i could get one for the same price as the police i would buy one tomorrow.

ps...thaicbr..i know which bike youre taking about if i could get it for 75,000 i would buy 'that' one tomorrow !!!

[Richard-BKK]

Hi Vato,

You comparing two different type of motorcycles with another, a CBR 150R is and surely a two-stroke NSR 150 is a high revving sport motorcycle, the Tiger Boxer's are more all-round motorcycles they depend less on high rpm's.

Comparing the motorcycles performance, I belief there is said enough, but give some idea the Tiger Boxer 200R and CBR 150R are similar in performance with the 200cc Tiger needing less rpm's to deliver that performance. The Tiger Boxer 250RS would deliver better performance. And for the Honda NSR 150 two-stroke even a Kawasaki Ninja 250R would have a hard time to keep up.

All this comparison fall into nothing if the rider is not a experienced "racing" rider, it would be more difficult to keep the CBR 150R in a the perfect powerband then a Tiger Boxer 200R. The same is for a NSR 150 vs Ninja 250R, dropping out of the powerband and you find yourself shifting gears to get back into power... All this has little to do with being a good or bad bike.

The Tiger Boxer's are not only air-cooled they also have oil-cooling. And I, and everybody who has a Tiger Boxer, can guarantee you that the cylinder never comes close to dangerous temperatures. Matter of fact the only air-cooled engine with cooling effects in Thailand, I can think of, was a Harley-Davidson engine. In which the rear cylinder of the twin got a bit to the high side of being good for the engine... The effect was that H-D's like that started to use more oil...

[thaicbr]

Vato that 80km as New BIKE IS EXCELLENT VALUE AT 125,000 baht. dont forget that includes 1st class insurance. i am soooooooooo suprised its not sold yet. if i had the money i would snap that up in a heart beat. a saving of OVER 35,000 baht over current new price (150,000 plus 1st class insurance 13,000 = 163,000) and no hassles with rego ALREADY HAS GREEN BOOK AND PLATE.

that my friends is as they say in London town 'a bloody bargain,mate'

BUT if you either don't have or dont want to spend that sort of money then i would probably check out the Tiger. most of what Richard makes perfect sense. as for low tech, its Thailand thats good, if you are touring and have a problem then pretty much any bike shop can sort you out with a repair. also think of this if you do have an accident then having no radiator means one less thing to break.

Allan

[neverdie]

Vato that 80km as New BIKE IS EXCELLENT VALUE AT 125,000 baht. dont forget that includes 1st class insurance. i am soooooooooo suprised its not sold yet. if i had the money i would snap that up in a heart beat. a saving of OVER 35,000 baht over current new price (150,000 plus 1st class insurance 13,000 = 163,000) and no hassles with rego ALREADY HAS GREEN BOOK AND PLATE.

that my friends is as they say in London town 'a bloody bargain,mate'

BUT if you either don't have or dont want to spend that sort of money then i would probably check out the Tiger. most of what Richard makes perfect sense. as for low tech, its Thailand thats good, if you are touring and have a problem then pretty much any bike shop can sort you out with a repair. also think of this if you do have an accident then having no radiator means one less thing to break.

Allan

I can't believe that hasnt sold either......if I could only convice myself that the Ninja is what i wanted

[Vato]

good point on the water system break down scenario thaicbr.... but i still would need to see how much the power fades when the cylinder is in full heatsoak.

regarding the oil cooling for the tiger, is the oil cooling just for the bottom end...or are there oil injectors that lubricate the cylinder walls?..if thats the case than thats a definite plus.

are the 250cc tiger engines available for purchase from the factory?...only the engine.

anyone know where i can check the weigth and physical dimensions of both bikes?

[thaicbr]

Vato you gotta think the fastest standard 150 bike in Thailand was air/oil cooled and that was the Suzuki Raider. unless you are thrashing it to whithin an inch of its life you aint gonna get a problem. also i gotta ask how long ago where you racing aircooled m/c and 2 stroke or 4stroke. because oil has changed big time since the old days. i did some time on a 490 2t maico and that was a bastard to start when hot. but sh*t that was century's ago.

allan

[neverdie]

Vato you gotta think the fastest standard 150 bike in Thailand was air/oil cooled and that was the Suzuki Raider. unless you are thrashing it to whithin an inch of its life you aint gonna get a problem. also i gotta ask how long ago where you racing aircooled m/c and 2 stroke or 4stroke. because oil has changed big time since the old days. i did some time on a 490 2t maico and that was a bastard to start when hot. but sh*t that was century's ago.

allan

I wondered why my raider kept rounding up CBR's....I just thought they were being softies Where on earth do you get these facts from Allan?

[Richard-BKK]

Do a test, find a friendly police guy to start his engine ride next to you , do on your CBR 150R the same stuff you do he does...and after 30 minutes.... touch your cylinder and ask the police guy to do the same.

And I not understand the question complete, I can for sure, with all respect for the Honda CBR 150R can confirm that the stock (without any engine or what ever changes) is faster the a stock Honda CBR 150R. This has nothing to do with, or who is better, or what is bad, it is a common fact, for everybody who can read Thai can read some Thai forums (to Thaivisa regulations I cannot link to another forum), for the people who cannot understand Thai, the weight-power ratio factor is completely in favor of the Suzuki. it is a shame that SPSuzuki stopped the production and sales of the Raider R 150.... Had something to do with the Raider R 150 not passing emission tests ...

[Richard-BKK]

Hmm I just see you said Motor Show, sorry Honda doesn't displays CBR 150R on motor shows or supplies information since the latest motor show of 2007, as I can remember. Anybody see a CBR 150R at the Motor Show?

[Vato]

<br />Vato you gotta think the fastest standard 150 bike in Thailand was air/oil cooled and that was the Suzuki Raider. unless you are thrashing it to whithin an inch of its life you aint gonna get a problem. also i gotta ask how long ago where you racing aircooled m/c and 2 stroke or 4stroke. because oil has changed big time since the old days. i did some time on a 490 2t maico and that was a bastard to start when hot. but sh*t that was century's ago.<br />allan<br />

<br /><br /><br />

i raced a rm80 and kx125 (water cooled) around 1986...before that i had a 82' yz80 ,xr 200 and a yamaha tt100...small bikes...but air cooled and we always had to let them cool off or else the exhaust would get red hot. im sure technology has come aways since then though.

im finding it kinda hard to stomache the looks of the tiger though, the front fairing reminds of 'ultra man'.

now its coming down to a used cbr for around 30,000 baht or a new tiger for 72,000 baht....wonder if theres any used tigers out there.

[thaicbr]

Vato why not ask if they can put a round headlight on for ya or have they got plans for a faired one. pop down the Tiger show room and ask the guy that Kano (charlie) has been speaking to. the more input they have from us the more likely they are to produce what we want. Pariya i think his name was.

And neverdie i was going to get a raider before the cbr150 but opted for the cbr. kinda wish i hadn't now but hey. the cbr is a good all round bike but the raiders are so much cheaper IF you can find one.

Richard is right the few times i have been running near a police boxer they are doing much less gear changing to achieve the same speeds. i would go for the Tiger personally what with its 4 year, 40,000 km warranty. and its a slightly bigger bike

Allan

[Vato]

well picked up a cbr 150 in yellow and black today...pics will come as soon as i get batteries for my camera, my cigarettes fell out of my back pocket so have to head to the store in a few minutes anyway...

so i paid 45,000 for a 3 year old bike... kinda high, but they took care of the registration, there was a new radiator, starter, tires , new paint job, muffler,battery and changed the oil for me too...including a free helmet and a jacket too.

had a choice of a blue and black one, which looked sweet, but i wanted something bright that people would see me riding on.

whats the scoop on the electrical system? i noticed there is a fan behind the radiator, and a plug that connects to the thermal gauge that rubs against the frame and could possibly short out...im thinking i might rewire the fan to always stay when the engine is running.

no fuel on/off lever?

[PeaceBlondie]

well picked up a cbr 150 in yellow and black today...pics will come as soon as i get batteries for my camera, my cigarettes fell out of my back pocket so have to head to the store in a few minutes anyway...

so i paid 45,000 for a 3 year old bike... kinda high, but they took care of the registration, there was a new radiator, starter, tires , new paint job, muffler,battery and changed the oil for me too...including a free helmet and a jacket too.

had a choice of a blue and black one, which looked sweet, but i wanted something bright that people would see me riding on.

whats the scoop on the electrical system? i noticed there is a fan behind the radiator, and a plug that connects to the thermal gauge that rubs against the frame and could possibly short out...im thinking i might rewire the fan to always stay when the engine is running.

no fuel on/off lever?

There is no on.off lever for fuel. The fan does not keep running after the key is shut off, AFAIK. But the fan on my Yamaha 550 Vision would keep running. Congratulations. Such extensive repairs to a three year old bike suggest it was crashed, but you never know. I went over 50K on my first CBR150ine before replacing the battery, never changed muffler or starter or radiator or paint job. Enjoy.

[Vato]

i dont think it was crashed, i think it was just a dressed up bike and the shop returned it to stock appearance, so it would be easier to sell.

the radiator, starter and muffler were changed at my request and the new battery and oil are standard when buying a used bike from the shop.

this bike was from surin, so it was probably sun baked hence the new paint.

[thaicbr]

I agree with Peace lots of repairs for a 3 year old bike. but hey Thai's tend not to look after their bikes so that might just be the reason. why did you ask for the parts to be changed. also check your oil. dipstick should NOT be screwed in just put back into the hole and check.

And do NOT wire the fan on permanent the bike will run to cool. just make sure that shop rearrange the wiring.

Change ya down pipe makes it breath so much better and improves the acceleration because it revs better.

Allan

[Vato]

too many radiator fins were pushed in from debris, starter had epoxy applied where the o-ring seals were shriveled from heat , muffler needed repacking.

only repairs are the radiator and starter and they were still working, but these are two important points on the bike that i know are succeptible to failure.

everything else is just where and tear..c'mon dont always expect the worst

i had a good look at everything when the fairings were off everything is straight and true with unmarred bolt heads riding with no hands the bike travels straight.

is there a thermostat in this bike? if so im going to remove it and replace with a suitable sized washer.

[Vato]

have you ever experimented with lengthening the run from the air filter to the carb eg; like in a cars cold air intake which tunes the resonance of the incoming air via the length of the tube?

[thaicbr]

Vato you really DO NOT need to do anything to the cbr for water/engine cooling but maintenance. it was designed for Thailand. the only problem i have had is the wiring you described. sort that and you should have no problems........but hey its up to you.

Allan

[Vato]

ever since ive driven overheating nissans, i pull the thermostat out of everything i get, if it can run properly that is...a SR20DE engine wont unless you put the appropriate size washer in to mimick the thermostats open water flow.

sticking thermostats terrify me.

for the downpipe, whats a good size inner diameter for the pipe?

[PeaceBlondie]

We replaced the 2003 CBR radiator cap after almost five years and 50K km.

[Vato]

hi peace, how does your new cbr compare to your old cbr?...have you noticed any performance changes do to age of your first one? or any major effects in balance do to a major frame structure overhaul?

i'll have to check the radiator cap, i wouldnt be surprised if they used the old cap.

anyone know if the timing can be adjusted/advanced for fine tuning?

[PeaceBlondie]

hi peace, how does your new cbr compare to your old cbr?...have you noticed any performance changes do to age of your first one? or any major effects in balance do to a major frame structure overhaul?

i'll have to check the radiator cap, i wouldnt be surprised if they used the old cap.

anyone know if the timing can be adjusted/advanced for fine tuning?

No differences. Like I said, one percent changes from 2002 to 2008. Mirrors are slightly more extended, and the key lock is there. No other noticed changes, surely no major frame changes. Different paint on the frame is all. Oh, and different color rear grab handle. But the carb problems that plagued us from 35K to 55K km have not shown up yet. Battery might have lasted longer (52K km) without the carb restarting problems. Waiting for the rear tire to wear out around 12K km so I can replace the front and rear with Dunlop TT.

Mine was always box stock. Took off a few graphics decals, that is all. When it was time to trade up for a new bike, I never considered buying anything else, except maybe a new Bimota Tesi.

[Vato]

so theres no loss of performance after 5 years on the engine? not talking about the the actual engine design, but engine wear after 5 years...compared to a new bike

in another post you were talking about the lack of a tach on the tiger, riding this cbr now i understand where youre coming from about the need for a tach, especially for the cbr....i dont shift by tach i shift by sound and pull...but sometmes i look down and realize im in the redzone and shift up to get it out of the redzone.

i find myself usually shifting around 9000 rpm after 1st gear, very easy to redline these bikes....before hitting top gear because it climbs so smoothly...i think with a longer stroke, this bike is a potential mini monster in disguise.

[neverdie]

I like the look of the CBR, its a much nicer looking bike than mine, plus I wish mine had a bigger fuel tank. Having said all of that, I bought my bike from the Suzuki Factory in Bkk for just 48k, brand new, ride away price. I have since done a heap of mods, making it a much better ride, but the thing still owes me about 63k.....it goes like a scalded cat (for a 150) & is still cheaper than a CBR.

The bike is almost 2 years old & the only repair it had done was the timing chain tensioner, which Suzuki had been experiencing problems with and came up with a re-designed jobby. I am surprised by all the repairs to your bike.

The other day I was in a friends car and we drove past a Suzuki dealer just outside Bangkok on the road to Hua Hin & I saw a spanking brand new Suzuki Raider sitting there.