Nsr 150

[Powerband]

Im thinking of getting a used NSR 150, since they are about half the price of a CBR 150. Anyone ever rode one before in comparison to a CBR 150? How much of a difference is there between the two bikes?

[visions]

Im thinking of getting a used NSR 150, since they are about half the price of a CBR 150. Anyone ever rode one before in comparison to a CBR 150? How much of a difference is there between the two bikes?

Chalk and cheese.....There is a dramatic difference. I own a CBR150 and thought of getting an NSR150 as supposedly almost twice the HP. I test drove an NSR 150 the other day. To say I was dissapointed would be an understatement. In traffic the CBR would eat an NSR hands down. Untill the NSR hit 7000rpm it was dead. But there is a control valve that kicks in at lower revs on the NSR to help smooth the power band....maybe that wasnt working on the bike I rode, but the bike had just been extensively re-juvinated by a good mechanic so I would think that wold have been checked at the same time??

Above 120kph the NSR would eat the CBR but then ur talking dangerous speeds on Thai roads on such a small bike.

Im going to have a longer ride soon to make sure of my thoughts about the NSR but at this stage I like and think, the CBR is a MUCH better choice. I dont know but I suspect the KM per litre would be significantly better on the CBR also.

That is my thoughts anyway......u may get different opinions sure.........

.

[dave_boo]

Sigh....per Tyga you're looking at low 20's in the HP range. Granted the power is more explosive than a CBR's, but it actually isn't that much better. In fact I'd imagine on most any non-foreign owned NSR 150 the bike is so ratted out that the CBR could performe as well as it. If you've never ridden a 2 stroke before, PM thanhbkk and get the scoop on maintenance and other issues.....

[submaniac]

The top speed of an NSR 150 is like 800 km/h. They will easily dust all vehicles on this planet. Bugati Veyron? Nothing compared to the power of the NSR. They also have a secret 'hover' mode that allows them to fly around the city like something out of star wars.

With that said, they aren't bad little bikes. If the other posters are claiming that the CBR gives comparable performance, then the NSR's that they rode were probably old and tired. There are also different variants of the NSR, and I don't know if they've ridden the top models or just the older commuter bikes. The NSR is a faster bike than the CBR. I just don't like the CBR150 (CBR1000RR yes). It think it is slow and ugly.

But if the OP's concern is price (which it appears it is since he's talking about the NSR being cheaper) then yes, the NSR is definately cheaper. And faster too. I'm a two stroke guy.

[PeaceBlondie]

The last NSR150 was made in 2001 or 2002. A nearly ten year old Thai high performance bike with a very high chance it no longer runs right. Otherwise chalk and cheese.

[Gippy]

My NSR150SP is a recent rebuild with a fully working control valve and it's still a bit lifeless below 7,000rpm. It's hard to keep up with the wife's Fino sometimes (she's not gentle with her bikes). There is still a big kick at 7,000rpm which is a lot of fun, great on an open road but not that great for popping down to Tescos. I wouldn't swap it for a CBR though.

[mixed]

Interesting thread, I would have imagined a 4 stroke could not compete with a 2 stroke of the same size. While they may by old, 2 strokes are easier to repair and I'm told there's still plenty of new parts available. Unlike big bikes good mechanics and parts that aren't too expensive shouldn't be too hard to find.

Since the two strokes have been phased out, you don't see so many 'boy racers' about, the emphasis now seems to be on having good looking rather than fast bikes. Drag racing isn't so popular either, does anyone know the 1/4 mile times for worked Nova Dash? I remember they were pretty fast.

Would be good to hear comparisons of the Dash and the Sonic.

[visions]

My NSR150SP is a recent rebuild with a fully working control valve and it's still a bit lifeless below 7,000rpm. It's hard to keep up with the wife's Fino sometimes (she's not gentle with her bikes). There is still a big kick at 7,000rpm which is a lot of fun, great on an open road but not that great for popping down to Tescos. I wouldn't swap it for a CBR though.

Thanks for the honest report about ur bike. The NSR I tried has been stripped and everything cleaned painted and maintenance done etc. buy a modify shop so I would think the control valve was working, but I dont know yes or no. I was dissapointed at the lower revs power sure but as u said the kick in the arse at 7000 is way ahead of the CBR. Unfortunately the time and place didnt alow me to really have a good ride. More like a teaser ride, but showed me the bad side, I want another try to better evaluate before I make a final decision.

I was/am thinking that as most of my driving is at 100kph + except for the numerous light stops the NSR could be better than the CBR and save some milage on my newish bike. 3 months and 9000km mean that Ill be looking at a new bike again in 12 months!!

The most I can lose on the NSR is the purchase price ...plus maintanence of course.

After 12 months Ill lose more than that on the CBR because of the high milage

Curious...what kilometers to the litre do u get approx?

[dave_boo]

Interesting thread, I would have imagined a 4 stroke could not compete with a 2 stroke of the same size. While they may by old, 2 strokes are easier to repair and I'm told there's still plenty of new parts available. Unlike big bikes good mechanics and parts that aren't too expensive shouldn't be too hard to find.

Since the two strokes have been phased out, you don't see so many 'boy racers' about, the emphasis now seems to be on having good looking rather than fast bikes. Drag racing isn't so popular either, does anyone know the 1/4 mile times for worked Nova Dash? I remember they were pretty fast.

Would be good to hear comparisons of the Dash and the Sonic.

I can tell you about an old natty Nova Dash (father in law owned) and a new Sonic (wife's uncle's). The Sonic has an engine that feels smoother than the CBR's, as odd as that sounds. The Dash is quite putt-putt up until it gets on steam (RPM? HA!....Speed? HA-HA-HA...the guages have been broken for the last 4 years at least). Even being old and tired it feels like there's a lot going on; however it really isn't. The psychological kick of all that power being suddenly available over-rides reality.

Not saying you can't 'soup' up a Dash and beat the living snot out of a Sonic, but (once again reiterating) good luck finding a decent cheap example.

[Gippy]

Curious...what kilometers to the litre do u get approx?

To be honest I couldn't give you an accurate figure. I mainly use the bike for short trips and don't really do enough miles to worry about the fuel used.

I didn't want to seem too down about the bike, I actually really love it. Blasting past a slow car with the engine screaming at 10,000rpm never gets old :-) My wife bought mine as little more than a pile of junk. The brother in law has a motorbike repair shack and rebuilt it for me over a few months. I only had to buy some new parts and provide some beer and got a good looking bike from the deal.

If you can take one for a long ride you can see if it's going to suit the kind of riding you do.

[Issanman]

In 1995 I bought a brand new NSR150RR. I think it was a new model at that time. It sure did get a lot of attention from the locals! I can say that it was one of the best handling and quickest stopping bikes that I have ever owned. And I have owned 28 different bikes up to now. I can remember getting it up to a little over 170 km/h. Also did over 160 with my wife on the back. Those speeds were shown on the bikes speedometer and may or may not be an accurate indication of the true speed.

Can't tell you about the fuel consumption because I never paid any attention to it. It was a nice little high-speed cruiser! There was nothing in our area that would even come close, at that time.

I don't think that a four-stroke 150cc would be able to come close to the performance of the NSR, unless the four-stroke were highly modified. I must say that I have not ridden the CBR150. But through the years, my fastest small bikes were all two-strokes. No comparison whatsoever.

[gmac]

Had an NSR for a few months when I first started riding back in 2001/2002. Loved it on the open road but as a complete novice struggled around town as it needed higher revs than I was prepared to give it! Switched to a CBR after about 6 months and noticed a huge difference in fuel consumption, can't remember exact figures but from memory I think the NSR used about double the amount used by the CBR. It was a great bike though and I still think back and have a few regrets about changing sometimes.

[mixed]

I don't think that a four-stroke 150cc would be able to come close to the performance of the NSR, unless the four-stroke were highly modified. I must say that I have not ridden the CBR150. But through the years, my fastest small bikes were all two-strokes. No comparison whatsoever.

A few years ago they changed the rules in motorcross so that 4 strokes of double the engine capacity could compete against two strokes. So now 4 stroke 250s are racing against 2 stroke 125s. This should give you a good idea of the power difference.

[jasreeve17]

I owned an NSR125k in the UK in 1990, or thereabouts. I remember riding at 85 mph or 136.8 kph (according to the clock...). That was many years ago, standard from the factory (Italian import, so more power) and only a 125.

A newish and well looked after NSR150 should be quite a bit quicker I'd have thought.

[Powerband]

I took a few test drives over the weekend 2 CBR's and 2 NSR's. Ive got to say the two bikes feel quite different. The CBR is a torque motor compared to the NSR's HP motor.

The NSR will beat a CBR hands down. But for normal cruising the two bikes are compareable. I dropped a gear and pulled a 2nd gear wheelie on the NSR's, that wasn't going to happen on the CBR, No Sir.

One NSR was a 1992 the other a 1999, the 1999 cost too much though and the 1992 was within 85% performance of the 1999. I think this is only because the 1999 had a different exhaust pipe, with a reported 2.5% HP gain over the old pipe.

So more than likely I'll get the older bike and find a newer pipe for it. With parts and labor so cheap here I don't think theres anyway to lose if I stay away from the dealers. There's so much experience with two strokes in this country in the past, I'm sure there's a good knowledge base here on performance upgrades.

Thanks for everyones input.

[mixed]

The old two strokes actually seem to be increasing in price. There are good mechanics around, but it's worthwhile knowing a bit yourself. The Nova Dash 125cc when fully worked can do 400m in 11 secs, not bad!

[visions]

I took a few test drives over the weekend 2 CBR's and 2 NSR's. Ive got to say the two bikes feel quite different. The CBR is a torque motor compared to the NSR's HP motor.

The NSR will beat a CBR hands down. But for normal cruising the two bikes are compareable. I dropped a gear and pulled a 2nd gear wheelie on the NSR's, that wasn't going to happen on the CBR, No Sir.

One NSR was a 1992 the other a 1999, the 1999 cost too much though and the 1992 was within 85% performance of the 1999. I think this is only because the 1999 had a different exhaust pipe, with a reported 2.5% HP gain over the old pipe.

So more than likely I'll get the older bike and find a newer pipe for it. With parts and labor so cheap here I don't think theres anyway to lose if I stay away from the dealers. There's so much experience with two strokes in this country in the past, I'm sure there's a good knowledge base here on performance upgrades.

Thanks for everyones input.

Can I ask what prices the NSRs were being asked?

A 92 I looked at was asking 9000 and a 95 in (looking) great condition was asking 25000 but Im sure get for about 18000. Bit of a toss up to buy cheap and do up / recondition etc or spend the extra and (hopefully) ride trouble free for x kilometers.....

Or third choice......spend the 20k on improving the CBR which would then (who knows) out perform the NSR in all areas??

[dave_boo]

Can I ask what prices the NSRs were being asked?

A 92 I looked at was asking 9000 and a 95 in (looking) great condition was asking 25000 but Im sure get for about 18000. Bit of a toss up to buy cheap and do up / recondition etc or spend the extra and (hopefully) ride trouble free for x kilometers.....

Or third choice......spend the 20k on improving the CBR which would then (who knows) out perform the NSR in all areas??

Shamelessly quoting myself, this is a following list that should get you close to horsepower of the NSR:

- DBS colour muffler Aluminum round muffler 4,600 thb

- Racing CDI Unlimited CDI 4,200 thb

- Racing carburator Keihin flatside 28 mm. out of stock

( Recommend Keihin PE28 mm 3,000 thb)

- Main jet assorted sizes 200 thb

- Slow jet assorted sizes 200 thb

Total cost (excluding labour) from last year is 12 200THB. Of course to have the same(ish) peak horsepower you're going to need the bore upgrade; that's about what you'll pay for a decent NSR or more.

Even doing that you're not going to end up with the silly shit-eater's grin on your face like you would if you were actually on a 2 stroke when the power-valve opens up. As much as I rag on the riders about their choice, there is something primeval about that feeling of the bike coming alive underneath you. Is it practical? Nope, but if your testes have descended you'll enjoy the feeling.

Mixed; great time on the Nova. The Ninja 250 only does it in 15.58 seconds (and that's the carb'd version that from all reports is higher HP than even the 'unrestricted' FI model).

[visions]

Can I ask what prices the NSRs were being asked?

A 92 I looked at was asking 9000 and a 95 in (looking) great condition was asking 25000 but Im sure get for about 18000. Bit of a toss up to buy cheap and do up / recondition etc or spend the extra and (hopefully) ride trouble free for x kilometers.....

Or third choice......spend the 20k on improving the CBR which would then (who knows) out perform the NSR in all areas??

Shamelessly quoting myself, this is a following list that should get you close to horsepower of the NSR:

- DBS colour muffler Aluminum round muffler 4,600 thb

- Racing CDI Unlimited CDI 4,200 thb

- Racing carburator Keihin flatside 28 mm. out of stock

( Recommend Keihin PE28 mm 3,000 thb)

- Main jet assorted sizes 200 thb

- Slow jet assorted sizes 200 thb

Total cost (excluding labour) from last year is 12 200THB. Of course to have the same(ish) peak horsepower you're going to need the bore upgrade; that's about what you'll pay for a decent NSR or more.

Even doing that you're not going to end up with the silly shit-eater's grin on your face like you would if you were actually on a 2 stroke when the power-valve opens up. As much as I rag on the riders about their choice, there is something primeval about that feeling of the bike coming alive underneath you. Is it practical? Nope, but if your testes have descended you'll enjoy the feeling.

Mixed; great time on the Nova. The Ninja 250 only does it in 15.58 seconds (and that's the carb'd version that from all reports is higher HP than even the 'unrestricted' FI model).

Yes those mods are about what my thinking was. Maybe also a stroker kit to 200cc but that is VERY expensive.

What has slowed me down doing those mods is that even with all the mods/cost...the bike is still only worth the same as standard. Can only put the cost down to extra enjoyment and forget about how much has been spent.

Getting an NSR is same cost overall....but have 2 bikes....(actually 3 as I have a CBR 400 also) and even if give the NSR away after a couple of years still comes out the same cost.

Which comes back to the same question as my previous post...

buy cheap and recondition the bike...... or pay high to get a bike that is nice order and (maybe) has been reconditioned already???

[Powerband]

I took a few test drives over the weekend 2 CBR's and 2 NSR's. Ive got to say the two bikes feel quite different. The CBR is a torque motor compared to the NSR's HP motor.

The NSR will beat a CBR hands down. But for normal cruising the two bikes are compareable. I dropped a gear and pulled a 2nd gear wheelie on the NSR's, that wasn't going to happen on the CBR, No Sir.

One NSR was a 1992 the other a 1999, the 1999 cost too much though and the 1992 was within 85% performance of the 1999. I think this is only because the 1999 had a different exhaust pipe, with a reported 2.5% HP gain over the old pipe.

So more than likely I'll get the older bike and find a newer pipe for it. With parts and labor so cheap here I don't think theres anyway to lose if I stay away from the dealers. There's so much experience with two strokes in this country in the past, I'm sure there's a good knowledge base here on performance upgrades.

Thanks for everyones input.

Can I ask what prices the NSRs were being asked?

A 92 I looked at was asking 9000 and a 95 in (looking) great condition was asking 25000 but Im sure get for about 18000. Bit of a toss up to buy cheap and do up / recondition etc or spend the extra and (hopefully) ride trouble free for x kilometers.....

Or third choice......spend the 20k on improving the CBR which would then (who knows) out perform the NSR in all areas??

The 1992 was 18k with new rear tire and clutch plates, and the 1999 was 28k, there were a couple of bikes i saw for 9k, but they weren't complete and some fairing pieces were held together with zip ties, had loud aftermarket pipes (important to have stock pipe)and spokes instead of mags, the electrical wasn't all together and the RC valve didn't work.

So for a 9k bike, repair cost would be something like:

1.missing fairing pieces - 2000 baht

2.stock pipe - 2500 baht

3.mags, tires, brake disc - 6000 baht

4.rc valve, gears or control unit -2000 baht

5.paint - 2000 baht

14500 baht just to get it in shape. More than likely there would be hidden cost around 1000 baht also. Im sure better deals 'might' be around but they are getting harder to find. 3500 baht is only $100 US, so not overly worried too much about being too thrifty.

[mixed]

Mixed; great time on the Nova. The Ninja 250 only does it in 15.58 seconds (and that's the carb'd version that from all reports is higher HP than even the 'unrestricted' FI model).

I'm not sure what a stock Nova would do, the ones I'm talking about look a bit different.

I used to live close to Hualampong station, in Chinatown. The mechanic I used was well known for making fixing up racing/drag two strokes and had the Thai 150cc Champion working for him.

That was 10 years and his since moved, I'd love to find him because he did good work for a reasonable price, an honest guy. I've got quotes for reboring a Nova from 125 to 150, they vary from B2,000 - B8,000.

[Powerband]

A friend had a souped up Nova Dash and that thing had one mean powerband, if you weren't ready for it it would kick you off the bike. So easy to do wheelies on, just twist the throttle and up you go when the powerband hit. But long distance travel was out of the question.

The actual boring process is only about 300-500 baht, if a sleeve has to be made I think its around 1200-1500 baht. Maybe they include the price to rejet and port and flow also? Pistons are around 800-1200 baht. Not sure what the price is to relocate the wristpin on the crank.

[mixed]

Thanks for the info, I'm looking at a Novas as a dirt bike, not motorcross, just enduro, not racing, just looking for something fun, ez to repair and strong enough. I'd need to be able to travel 50kms at a time though. I'm thinking about a larger radiator, rebore to 150, new rings etc. Trying to keep costs down, cause it'll just be a toy.

Can they just use the carb and piston of an old 150 two stroke (KR, NXR etc.)?

[visions]

I took a few test drives over the weekend 2 CBR's and 2 NSR's. Ive got to say the two bikes feel quite different. The CBR is a torque motor compared to the NSR's HP motor.

The NSR will beat a CBR hands down. But for normal cruising the two bikes are compareable. I dropped a gear and pulled a 2nd gear wheelie on the NSR's, that wasn't going to happen on the CBR, No Sir.

One NSR was a 1992 the other a 1999, the 1999 cost too much though and the 1992 was within 85% performance of the 1999. I think this is only because the 1999 had a different exhaust pipe, with a reported 2.5% HP gain over the old pipe.

So more than likely I'll get the older bike and find a newer pipe for it. With parts and labor so cheap here I don't think theres anyway to lose if I stay away from the dealers. There's so much experience with two strokes in this country in the past, I'm sure there's a good knowledge base here on performance upgrades.

Thanks for everyones input.

Can I ask what prices the NSRs were being asked?

A 92 I looked at was asking 9000 and a 95 in (looking) great condition was asking 25000 but Im sure get for about 18000. Bit of a toss up to buy cheap and do up / recondition etc or spend the extra and (hopefully) ride trouble free for x kilometers.....

Or third choice......spend the 20k on improving the CBR which would then (who knows) out perform the NSR in all areas??

The 1992 was 18k with new rear tire and clutch plates, and the 1999 was 28k, there were a couple of bikes i saw for 9k, but they weren't complete and some fairing pieces were held together with zip ties, had loud aftermarket pipes (important to have stock pipe)and spokes instead of mags, the electrical wasn't all together and the RC valve didn't work.

So for a 9k bike, repair cost would be something like:

1.missing fairing pieces - 2000 baht

2.stock pipe - 2500 baht

3.mags, tires, brake disc - 6000 baht

4.rc valve, gears or control unit -2000 baht

5.paint - 2000 baht

14500 baht just to get it in shape. More than likely there would be hidden cost around 1000 baht also. Im sure better deals 'might' be around but they are getting harder to find. 3500 baht is only $100 US, so not overly worried too much about being too thrifty.

Both bikes I looked at were complete and even the cheapy had only a broken windscreen but a new replacement was included in the price...not sure why they dont put it on?? enhance the sale prospects Im sure.

Pics of both bikes.....the gold bike is 1992 and 9000B Red bike is 1995 and asking 25000B but Im sure will come down to 20 at least. The red bike is let down by old worn pegs and a few things like that so makes u wonder about the mechanical side being ok also??

It doesnt take 15000 B to respray the gold bike to look like the red one!! Guess I need a mechanic to check the engineering out decently.

[Powerband]

Check the clutch and alternator, the clutch is a 1200 baht fix and I think the alternator comes out to around 900 baht. To check the RC valve, switch the key on and listen for the motor on the right side of the bike to activate, by the exhaust port. You may have to kickstart it then cut it off, if you didn't catch the valve activating the first time.

The RC valve control unit is a 2000 baht fix, if the plastic gears driving the valve are broken or worn they might be hard to find, not sure if you can just get the gears from the dealer, may have to get the whole motor.

Sometimes people put a small sprocket on a bike with a worn clutch to keep the revs down so it will move, if the sprocket is smaller than 15/38, ride it hard into the power band. If it gets louder at the powerband but doesnt want to go faster its the clutch.

Make sure it has the stock pipe, you can tell by looking at the welded seems, they should stick out about 1 centimeter. Opposed to being welded together end to end for an aftermarket pipe. The bottom of the pipe should also have approximately a 4"x6" square indention.

The 1992 should have an 18" rear wheel and the 1995 should have a 17".

Have you ridden them? The 1992 I rode was fast, very fast. Should be hard to tell the difference in power between the two bikes if both are mechanically fit.

Didn't know the 1995 came with that type headlight.

[visions]

Check the clutch and alternator, the clutch is a 1200 baht fix and I think the alternator comes out to around 900 baht. To check the RC valve, switch the key on and listen for the motor on the right side of the bike to activate, by the exhaust port. You may have to kickstart it then cut it off, if you didn't catch the valve activating the first time.

The RC valve control unit is a 2000 baht fix, if the plastic gears driving the valve are broken or worn they might be hard to find, not sure if you can just get the gears from the dealer, may have to get the whole motor.

Sometimes people put a small sprocket on a bike with a worn clutch to keep the revs down so it will move, if the sprocket is smaller than 15/38, ride it hard into the power band. If it gets louder at the powerband but doesnt want to go faster its the clutch.

Make sure it has the stock pipe, you can tell by looking at the welded seems, they should stick out about 1 centimeter. Opposed to being welded together end to end for an aftermarket pipe. The bottom of the pipe should also have approximately a 4"x6" square indention.

The 1992 should have an 18" rear wheel and the 1995 should have a 17".

Have you ridden them? The 1992 I rode was fast, very fast. Should be hard to tell the difference in power between the two bikes if both are mechanically fit.

Didn't know the 1995 came with that type headlight.

Wow, Thanks for the valuable tips. I did ride the red bike but not the right time or place to really check it out. I need take it for an extended run. The Gold bike I havent ridden.

Im sure the gold bike has 17" rims? I will check again. Both bikes have original green books but I will check the ages in the books to verify.

Im a practical guy but no mechanic, so I will get both bikes checked before any decision is made.

Many years ago (early to mid 70s) I very successfully raced a 1600cc 4 pot 2 stroke... out of the box at 200hp (yes 1.6 litre) but we plugged the crankcase etc to up the compression plus a few other mods so no idea on the actual power output. Used to roll up for a weekend meeting with a 200 L drum of race fuel. Cant imagine doing that now!!

[Powerband]

Compare the sprockets if you can, the front one will have a cover with either two 8/9/10mm bolts holding it in place.

14t front - 38t-39t rear is the sweet ratio, 37t rear the powerband comes in about 1.5 seconds slower than 39t, but will pull harder than 38t-39t

Make sure the ID card of the previous owner isn't expired, if it is don't touch the bike. Paperwork should include:

1. Power of attorney signed ( Bai Mob Aomnod)

2. Transfer of ownership document

Looking around Ive run into 3 bikes with Bangkok plates but out of town owners typed into the book. Kinda scared me off. Don't know if this would represent a problem.

If the NSR sounds like there is a knocking sound when down shifting, more than likely the RC valve needs adjusting, simple though there's 'L' and 'H' indicators on the pulley and adjust accordingly. Should be in the middle but you can tune it to your preference.

[Issanman]

Didn't know the 1995 came with that type headlight.

It doesn't look like the headlight on my 1995.

[Powerband]

is your frame the old type or the newer type?

have an 18" wheel on the back?

[Issanman]

is your frame the old type or the newer type?

have an 18" wheel on the back?

I bought the bike new in 1995. Sorry to say that I no longer have it. Don't know the answers to your questions, but I have posted three different pictures of it in this thread so far, including the one below. Maybe you can look at the pictures and tell what type of frame it is. I don't know the difference between the new and old frames.

I am hoping to find and restore one like it when I get back to Thailand for good. Amazing little bike.