Honda CBR250R Coming to USA in 2011 (Harley, Japanese, buy)

[canibeyou]

Wow... those mirrors look like Prince Charles' ears! I'll stick with my R6, thanks.

But it is nice to see alternatives for beginners other than the Ninja250 or the Hyosung.

[Nepenthe]

Checked it out yesterday at the bike show. Feels a little lighter than the Ninja 250. I'd say the riding position is very similar to the Ninja, although the reach to the bars is probably a small bit shorter.

[catman]

Really...I am surprised that the handlebars are that low. I look forward to a road test on it in the magazines. I started out with a Suzuki X6 Hustler 250cc in 1967 and enjoyed it.

[desperad0stl]

Ive been reading many articles apparently it has a little less hp than the ninja yet ha more torque and will be able to go faster and of course fuel injection and better mpg. The acceleration on them seems just fine under 80mph or so...and with Honda it's very refined and very efficient you seem to get more with less

[catman]

Horsepower is usually related more to top speed and torque to acceleration, so that surprises me. Maybe it's the gearing and where the maximum hp/torque occur in the powerbands. Hondas tend to be more refined than most.

[Nepenthe]

Originally Posted by desperad0stl

Ive been reading many articles apparently it has a little less hp than the ninja yet ha more torque and will be able to go faster and of course fuel injection and better mpg. The acceleration on them seems just fine under 80mph or so...and with Honda it's very refined and very efficient you seem to get more with less

Where did you read that it "will be able to go faster?"

It may have a very slight peak torque figure advantage, but when they mention more torque they mean its torque peak will appear at lower RPMs and the torque curve will be a little fatter at low revs.

Overall I'd be surprised if it could outperform the Ninja from an acceleration and top speed standpoint. My guess on acceleration is that the gearing will be taller than on the Ninja, due in part to the lower redline, negating most or all of the low rev torque advantage and the 3% or so weight advantage.

My guess on rear wheel horsepower and top speed is this:
CBR250R: 21.3 rwHP, 90 mph top speed
Ninja 250: 26.7 rwHP, 97 mph top speed (it takes 25% more power to overcome air resistance to increase top speed from 90 to 97)

I would probably challenge the "refined" bit. In general, maybe, but the Ninja 250 has been honed over decades, while the CBR250R is brand new. Also, a twin-cylinder engine is inherently smoother than a single.

[catman]

Agreed, in this case. I don't remember whether the Honda's engine is counterbalanced or not. I would expect the Ninja to be faster than the Honda in both acceleration and top speed.

One of the things I like about little bikes is that one can ride them WFO and have fun without riding over one's head. The most fun bike I ever had was a 450 Suzuki, which was good for about 105 mph and accelerated satisfyingly quickly without being a total rocket, and it was light.

[scorch666]

i run a ninja250forum.com website and i saw this post, im a lurker here most of the time. But i just had to add my input.

The ninja250 will be hard to beat, im a little biased. But the twin cylinder ninja has an amazing motor, i got 39k on my 2008 ninja, and a beginner can get a ninja 250 for about 1000$ one of the older ones. the cbr is going to be costly, and im not sure how much more ifanything you get out of it.

I am jealous of the superior FI system and the better mpg it will get.


here a thread about the cbr250. Alotof the ninja 250 forums are tlaking about it, this new bike is going to take something away from the 250 market, and make it a bit more competitive!
Honda CBR250R Coming to North America

[Nepenthe]

MSRP is $4000, less than I thought (was expecting $5000). ABS is $500 more, don't think I'd bother on a bike this small but it might be good for a beginner.

Curious about the actual extent of its handling, suspension, tires, fueling, and practicality advantages over the Ninja 250 -- but ultimately I think the lower revving single cylinder engine, torquier though it may be, lets it down in comparison. Bumping the engine capacity to 350ccs might have put it even with the Ninja 250 in horsepower output, and the greater torque would have let it pull taller gearing without feeling sluggish or bogging.

[catman]

I welcome an increase in the number of small street bikes. Those are just starting to ride, or coming back to it after decades, will find them much easier and more forgiving to ride. I wouldn't mind having one myself. They are simply fun!