Bought a used CBR250 and rode her home!

[Lancelot]

Last year I bought a used CBR150r (Carb model) at Korat. I have really enjoyed the bike but the new Honda CBR250 models have caught my eye. Bad for the budget...

Found a 2011 CBR250 at Sukhothai, Traded emails, phone calls and decided to go for it. I took my jacket, helmet and borded the bus to Sukhothai. The seller picked me up at the bus station, I test drove the bike and we shook hands. The deal would be finalized at Sukhothai DLT the next day. Adding my name to the Green book was easy, I had a residence letter from Pattaya Immigration (300 baht) copies of my passport and the Thai transfer document. The seller provided copies of his work permit, but no additional residence letter. Only two hours, including the DLT staff's lunch break and the deal was done. The transfer cost was 480 baht and the bike still has the Sukhothai plates.

After signing the papers, I rode her to the Sukhothai Historical park. Really awesome temples and I recommend a visit if temples/history is your thing. My first attempt to enter at the Thai price was denied. Went to a second gate and was admitted for 20 baht! Speaking some Thai, a smile and flashing my Thai drivers licenese did the trick.

Next morning I was up bright and early, headed north on Rt 101. Really nice road, minimal traffic and mostly through a forrest. Then the rain drenched me. I soldiered on to Rt 11, northbound but I called it a day at Lampang. After a good nights sleep and drying my gear, I cruised up to Chiang Mai and stayed there for three nights. I was itching to hit the road again, so Pattaya bound I was. Rt 11 was ok until Pitsanulok- then the pot holes began. The road was heavily traveled by trucks and it showed. I really had to be careful to avoid the worst craters, they could easily have caused a nasty accident.

I stopped about 425 kms from Chiang Mai, renting a nice, clean 400 baht room at one of those motels about 500 meters off the main road.

Back on the road at 0800, I traveled Rt11 until Ta Fak, where I merged on to Rt1. Same as Rt11, many potholes and heavy traffic. After Saraburi I hit Rt 33, then the fun began- secondary roads trying to get to Pattaya as directly as possible. Some how I made it, with some GPS assistance from my Samsung, traveling Routes 3051, 3001, 3200, 304, 314 then 361/3 to Pattaya. About 425 kms the second day or 850 ish Chiang Mai to Pattaya.

To compare my CBR150 to the newer CBR250:

1 Bigger tires make the 250 more stable and better able to absorb pot hole collisions.

2. The 250 has more torque at lower RPMs.

3 The 150 has better fuel economy- 39 kpl vs. 30.4 for the 250

4. I run Gasohol 91 in the 150; I use E20 in the 250

5 Lane splitting is easier with the slender 150. The 250 did an admirable job in traffic but the 150 rules in that department.

Both bikes are fun to ride. The 250 is a little better on the open road and the 150 is a little better in city driving.

Check out the classified- there is a sexy black CBR150 for sale

[mania]

Congrats on the new bike!

That was a good read too. Sounded like you had a nice trip.

Thanks

[monty1412]

well done.. glad you enjoyed the 250 and Ive done that route back home but went down the 101 which is a superb road. Now a word of warning..... I can see same as I experienced the need for cubic inches emerging.. I started two years ago with a cbr250r. thought it a big bike at the time.. then got a FZ1 1000 , it scared hell outa me at first but loved the effortless power, then got a ducati 1200 Multistrada... love the handling and the abs/ traction control.. end result I had until just recently 1 klx 250 , 2 FZ1's and the Ducati.... bigger bikes get addictive.. be warned....

[David48]

Agreed ... seems like you scored all round.

Nice looking bike BTW

[robblok]

Congrats nice trip.. well done.

[moe666]

Nice bike good ride.

[Lancelot]

Thanks guys.

@Monty, I hear you I doubt that I will go bigger, but I will admit that I looked at the new Honda CBR500 at Big Wing in Chiang Mai

I tried her out on several flat segments of Rt11. In sixth gear the best I could do was 150-152 kph. I was wearing a full face helment and laying down on the gas tank. With riding gear I am about 85 kilos; add another 10 kilos for my bag and conservatively the cargo weight was around 95 kilos.

Interestingly, the engine would not do over 9,000 RPMs, maybe she is limited? In sixth gear, 3,000 RPM = 50 KPH; 6,000 RPM = 100 KPH, 9,000 RPM = 150 KPH, so technically, redline at 10,500 should give a top end of 175 KPH.

Not that I want to achieve that speed on Thai highways...

View from Samoeng (Spelling?) lookout

You can drive your bike through the Sukhothai Historical Park- and its a good thing because its huge!

Edited August 12, 2013 by Lancelot

[Hippidy He Ho]

Nice one and congrats.

Interestingly, the engine would not do over 9,000 RPMs

I presume that is only in 6th gear.

There should be no problem in hitting the limiter at 10.5k rpm in all the other gears.

The top end of 5th gear is fun, 4th and 5th gear roll-ons are probably the 'funniest' part of the bike in a speed sense. Anyway, you should be able to hit the limiter in 5th gear and be doing just shy of 150kph before slipping it into 6th, if you're so inclined. Haven't done a speed run in probably 6 months. Fastest I ever saw on her was 165 on the odo which was 151kph on the GPS.

[KRS1]

Congrats, now oil the chain and put 40 psi in the tires. You'll lose about 10kph top speed when they arent just right.

My top speed is 168kph @ 80 kilos and air filter removed with 91 gasohol.

Get Pirelli Diablo Rossi 2 tires, youll never look back ..Big difference and can last for atleast 20k kilometers.

Edited August 12, 2013 by KRS1

[Beardog]

Nice adventure! Agree 100% with KRS1 get some Pirelli Diablo 2 . Huge difference if you have the stock tires.

[BSJ]

Good to get out and have some fun!

[Lancelot]

Nice one and congrats.

Interestingly, the engine would not do over 9,000 RPMs

I presume that is only in 6th gear.

There should be no problem in hitting the limiter at 10.5k rpm in all the other gears.

The top end of 5th gear is fun, 4th and 5th gear roll-ons are probably the 'funniest' part of the bike in a speed sense. Anyway, you should be able to hit the limiter in 5th gear and be doing just shy of 150kph before slipping it into 6th, if you're so inclined. Haven't done a speed run in probably 6 months. Fastest I ever saw on her was 165 on the odo which was 151kph on the GPS.

Yes, that was in sixth gear. I have never red lined the 250, nor the 150, for that matter. Yeah, I just poke around

[Lancelot]

Congrats, now oil the chain and put 40 psi in the tires. You'll lose about 10kph top speed when they arent just right.

My top speed is 168kph @ 80 kilos and air filter removed with 91 gasohol.

Get Pirelli Diablo Rossi 2 tires, youll never look back ..Big difference and can last for atleast 20k kilometers.

@Beardog & KRS1, thanks for the recommendation about Pirelli Diablos. The stock tires do seem a bit hard, I skidded for two meters when a nice Honda Jazz driver pulled out directly in front of me. Grrrrr! At least the brakes are strong...

What would a pair of Pirellis cost?

Yes, I carry a small bottle of 80-90w gear oil and give the chain a few drops of lube after each days riding. Now she has 16,400 kms and the rear sprocket shows no signs of wear, so the previous owner must have kept up the chain maintenance.

About air pressure, I usually run the manual suggestion of 29/33. I do have a decent pressure guage and I'll try 40 psi and see how it affects top end

[mania]

I do have a decent pressure guage and I'll try 40 psi and see how it affects top end

IMHO penny wise ( top end ) & pound foolish as you will loose the suppleness that the tire was designed for.

Your tire is designed needing some sidewall flexation to function as designed.

With 40psi It will slide easier & have a smaller contact patch. It will not be as effective in multiple turning scenarios.

Yes less rolling resistance because it is so hard but that is all.

Edited August 13, 2013 by mania

[piston broke]

great trip report....enjoy !

[Lancelot]

I do have a decent pressure guage and I'll try 40 psi and see how it affects top end

IMHO penny wise ( top end ) & pound foolish as you will loose the suppleness that the tire was designed for.

Your tire is designed needing some sidewall flexation to function as designed.

With 40psi It will slide easier & have a smaller contact patch. It will not be as effective in multiple turning scenarios.

Yes less rolling resistance because it is so hard but that is all.

The 40 psi would be for a test only. I pretty much follow Honda's recommendations: 29F; 29/33 R

[ll2]

cool! love the "do it all for super cheap" feeling of cbr250, best value for your buck in Thailand right now IMO but boring after some time!

I made thousands of kilometers of touring with it, longest was Bangkok - Krabi - Bangkok and no problems, not even a glitch for 20 k, good bike you bought!

[KRS1]

Congrats, now oil the chain and put 40 psi in the tires. You'll lose about 10kph top speed when they arent just right.

My top speed is 168kph @ 80 kilos and air filter removed with 91 gasohol.

Get Pirelli Diablo Rossi 2 tires, youll never look back ..Big difference and can last for atleast 20k kilometers.

@Beardog & KRS1, thanks for the recommendation about Pirelli Diablos. The stock tires do seem a bit hard, I skidded for two meters when a nice Honda Jazz driver pulled out directly in front of me. Grrrrr! At least the brakes are strong...

What would a pair of Pirellis cost?

Yes, I carry a small bottle of 80-90w gear oil and give the chain a few drops of lube after each days riding. Now she has 16,400 kms and the rear sprocket shows no signs of wear, so the previous owner must have kept up the chain maintenance.

About air pressure, I usually run the manual suggestion of 29/33. I do have a decent pressure guage and I'll try 40 psi and see how it affects top end

Pirelli Diablo Rossi ll = 7500 baht for front and back. Make sure you read up on manufacturer date codes before you get some. The first 2 numbers are usually the week of the year and last two are the year. So if you got something like 1612, that would be the 16th week in 2012...means they are old stock.

Your fuel mileage will increase by about 10-15 km with 40 psi, acceleration will be faster and top end will go up. Im just talking about the CBR 250 and what ive learned from this bike and its limited power.

I dont know if id try 40psi with the stock IRC's though, they are slippery enough already...as a matter of fact dont do it youll, die...but with the Diablo's its all good. I ride up doi suthep many times a week on 40 psi.

Me and this guy are about the same speed up doi suthep when im taking it easy on 40 psi diablos :

[sup3r1or]

COngrats on a bike, my 500r also craps out at 9000 rpm it just gets cut off, I guess its a limiter. I reallly want to go to sukhotai for a trip but dont want to do it alone.

[Lancelot]

COngrats on a bike, my 500r also craps out at 9000 rpm it just gets cut off, I guess its a limiter. I reallly want to go to sukhotai for a trip but dont want to do it alone.

Thanks.

Seems like other Honda owners have also commented about bikes being limited on RPMs. I really enjoyed Sukhothai, the Thais are great. I went to a shop and asked for a sticker to attach my tax sticker to the windshield- and the owner would not take any money! Sure its only five baht but I was really impressed.

[PeaceBlondie]

Nice bike good ride.

[Lancelot]

Nice bike good ride.

Thanks PB. Hope you are ok as well

[KRS1]

Nice bike good ride.

Good to see ya back man !

[Lancelot]

@KRS1 Great video!

I checked my tire pressure today; it was 25 psi front and rear. After I bought the bike, the seller checked tire pressures, 29 F and 33 R. All was well until I discovered that I had no tail or brake lights. My licenese light was out too, so I suspected a wiring problem. Boy was I wrong. Took her to Big Wing Chiang Mai and told them the problem, they didn't have the correct bulb in stock (21/5W) and no licenese plate bulbs either. A mechanic gave me a used licenese plate bulb, and I had to wait 10 minutes for a Wave bulb, 18/5W (Bought from a parts store?) Had to wait 10 minutes for the cashier, then it took her 15 minutes to calculate a bill- not joking, I had two cups of coffee while she was entering data in the computer. Had to write my telephone number for her two times, and when I finally got the bill, it was 102 baht. The bulb was 23 baht and .2 hours labor charge was 79 baht. Their hourly labor rate is 360 baht. The last Honda Wave tail light bulb cost me 40 baht...

Grrrrr.

I don't think I'll ever go back there again. Having voiced my displeasure, the mechanic could not have been nicer, oiled my chain, but when he aired up my tires, he actually lowered the pressure, using a guage connected to the air hose.

Oh well, TIT...

Edited August 13, 2013 by Lancelot

[KRS1]

nope 25 psi aint good ...lol...im always losing pressure in my tires too...try and get stainless valve stems when you change tires and see if that helps with pressure loss. There's a nut on the back of the stainless valves that tighten up better than the rubber ones.

You dont need to go to Big Wing to service it, the regular Honda dealers can do it, the 250 sells at the regular Honda dealers...and are more likely to have parts in stock. Cant recommend any though, cause theyll all get you.

[schondie]

Nice thread and welcome to the 250 club.

Instead of chain oil I've been using Bosny Complex Lithium Grease (from HomePro - around 70 baht a can). I found there's far less gunk sticking to my chain after using this.

The last time I had the bike serviced I forgot to tell the mechanics to not oil the chain. It looked like most the oil just flew off the chain before I arrived home.

I give the chain and sprockets a good clean with an old bit of cloth and spray them every 500 kms. Seems to work as the bike's done 15000 kms and the chain and sprockets still have some more riding to do before replacing them.

[stoli]

Two months ago I took my 115 cc Yamaha Nouvo fro Pattaya to Phnom Penh. Had a ball. I think your trip sounds far better. I may have to try it after the rainy season is over. Thanks a for a great report.

[Lancelot]

Nice thread and welcome to the 250 club.

Instead of chain oil I've been using Bosny Complex Lithium Grease (from HomePro - around 70 baht a can). I found there's far less gunk sticking to my chain after using this.

The last time I had the bike serviced I forgot to tell the mechanics to not oil the chain. It looked like most the oil just flew off the chain before I arrived home.

I give the chain and sprockets a good clean with an old bit of cloth and spray them every 500 kms. Seems to work as the bike's done 15000 kms and the chain and sprockets still have some more riding to do before replacing them.

Thanks for the tip- I'll check out the Bosny Lithium grease. The price sounds right

[guzzi850m2]

My hat off for Lancelot & stoli for doing long distance touring on small bikes.

Did a trip long time ago on a Honda Nova (2 stroke) Phuket- Koo Samui- Phuket, man sore bum big time, LOL.

Never again for me, I am too much of a comfort animal nowadays.

[Lancelot]

My hat off for Lancelot & stoli for doing long distance touring on small bikes.

Did a trip long time ago on a Honda Nova (2 stroke) Phuket- Koo Samui- Phuket, man sore bum big time, LOL.

Never again for me, I am too much of a comfort animal nowadays.

Thanks G. But for me the CBR250 is a "Big Bike" 555.

I rode my Honda Wave CZi to Chiang Mai twice, once from Bangkok, once from Pattaya.

My next epic adventure on my CBR150r (now for sale) Pattaya to Chiang Mai; return trip Chiang Mai to Mae Sot, then down to Kanchanaburi, then home to Pattaya, around 2,500 kms