jeremysprite
7th December 2006, 11:00
My very best mate (he is now, anyway) went away for the weekend, and was kind enough to lend me his 1990(?) CBR250 R, only done 9,000k's. Very mint condition. This is my impression of it, going from FXR to CBR
Pros:
Sound is just magical. I'd always keep it in 1st or 2nd, just to hear that note way up the range, like a screaming monster. It's great fun riding around town, giving it a little throttle in the crowded streets of Queenstown, and have people in their flash beemers eyeing you up.
Featherweight clutch. I didn't realise how heavy the FXR one was, but it was really different. Lack of contact point feel also led to a few stalls.
Acceleration is good obviously, compared to the FXR, we (flatmate, 85kgs, on the cibby and me, 60kgs, on the fixxer) we would tie up to about 65k's, then the CBR would pull away, but it could also be because flatmate is only a learner so isn't the hottest at high rev gear changes (and we very careful with the cibby, it's very precious)
So someone else would probably give me the learn straight off the line.
It's nice cruising at 100k's, it takes a wee bit of effort to push it up to 120, and I'd assume some longer shifts to accelerate to 140-150 zone, which is good in that it won't lose you your license unless you're deliberatley pushing it up to those speeds, and if you want to overtake, you have an excuse to hear that weeeoooarrrrrhhhhh.
Very stable on the road, front end feels planted but has the potential for a really sharp turner, given the right rider. Large, wide bike compared to the fxr, but seems like a lower seat, can reach the ground reasonably easy. Pretty light to push around, backstep out of a parking space or whatever. Wind buffeting is low, until you start to go into that weeeoaoorrrrhhhh zone in 5/6th.
Looks pretty sweet. High beams on it are AMAZING. I mean, I can see, like, 20-25m in front of me at night! Very cool.
Being an inline 4 I guess, the engine heats the alluminium(?) frame up, and riding in the hot sun it was kinda annoying, especially with non-breathing pants on. It was nice at night though, legs were toasty warm.
Cons:
Idle is annoying, it stalls really easily even after a long warm day ride. Probably just needs the idle screw adjusted, but Chris(flatmate) got left behind 'cos it stalled.
10L tank isn't the best, I'd probably upgrade it to a later model tank with bigger range, only get around 190k's, which is pretty good for a 10L, but the thing has no fuel gauge or reserve light. Don't even know if it has a reserve, I think it just runs onto it...
Speed light that turns on at 90k. Ugh.
6th gear is a bit strange, is it a cruising gear? Only small difference between the 5th and 6th sounds/revs, so it led to a few *clutch in, strong shift with foot, ow, it's in top, clutch out* moments. No gear position indicator, found it a bit difficult coming from the FXR with a dig display. Made especially difficult that I thought it was a 5 speed, changing from 3rd to 2nd, thinking it was 2nd to 1st, trying to find neutral... Lol
-Overall-
Very nice bike, very refined. The sound on it is great (think its got an aft m. exhaust) Gave my friend the learn on my FXR though, I'm just way more confident on it, and he's not to great round the curves yet, it'll be fun when he finally gets a bike and improves.
It's so much fun riding with a partner! I've never been on a group or even 2 person ride, and it was so much fun! Way better blasting down to Bob's Cove with a mate than by yourself. Planning to go to Wanaka over the Crown Range, hopefully with flatmate's girlfriend's flatmate (GSXR 750, '90 ish)
THE FXR, after my CBR riding.
Seat felt like a plank of wood, and it was weird how skinny it was. Handlebars were a bit cramped. But it felt real good passing a campervan AND flatmate when he couldn't do it, on a bigger bike. And of course, racing away in front going through the Dalefield loop.
My mirrors suck. I can hardly tell if that black smidge on the vibing mirror is the cibby or a lowflying raincloud.
The sound of the fxr is still nice, throbbing kinda sound instead of a smooth winding up sound.
So yeah, CBR's are a nice bike, and riding with a partner is fun fun fun! I think a n00b rider would cope okay on a CBR (don't know about a RR), as long as they have the mental control not to go too fast at first, as it could be scary for a new rider.
:rockon:
Pros:
Sound is just magical. I'd always keep it in 1st or 2nd, just to hear that note way up the range, like a screaming monster. It's great fun riding around town, giving it a little throttle in the crowded streets of Queenstown, and have people in their flash beemers eyeing you up.
Featherweight clutch. I didn't realise how heavy the FXR one was, but it was really different. Lack of contact point feel also led to a few stalls.
Acceleration is good obviously, compared to the FXR, we (flatmate, 85kgs, on the cibby and me, 60kgs, on the fixxer) we would tie up to about 65k's, then the CBR would pull away, but it could also be because flatmate is only a learner so isn't the hottest at high rev gear changes (and we very careful with the cibby, it's very precious)
So someone else would probably give me the learn straight off the line.
It's nice cruising at 100k's, it takes a wee bit of effort to push it up to 120, and I'd assume some longer shifts to accelerate to 140-150 zone, which is good in that it won't lose you your license unless you're deliberatley pushing it up to those speeds, and if you want to overtake, you have an excuse to hear that weeeoooarrrrrhhhhh.
Very stable on the road, front end feels planted but has the potential for a really sharp turner, given the right rider. Large, wide bike compared to the fxr, but seems like a lower seat, can reach the ground reasonably easy. Pretty light to push around, backstep out of a parking space or whatever. Wind buffeting is low, until you start to go into that weeeoaoorrrrhhhh zone in 5/6th.
Looks pretty sweet. High beams on it are AMAZING. I mean, I can see, like, 20-25m in front of me at night! Very cool.
Being an inline 4 I guess, the engine heats the alluminium(?) frame up, and riding in the hot sun it was kinda annoying, especially with non-breathing pants on. It was nice at night though, legs were toasty warm.
Cons:
Idle is annoying, it stalls really easily even after a long warm day ride. Probably just needs the idle screw adjusted, but Chris(flatmate) got left behind 'cos it stalled.
10L tank isn't the best, I'd probably upgrade it to a later model tank with bigger range, only get around 190k's, which is pretty good for a 10L, but the thing has no fuel gauge or reserve light. Don't even know if it has a reserve, I think it just runs onto it...
Speed light that turns on at 90k. Ugh.
6th gear is a bit strange, is it a cruising gear? Only small difference between the 5th and 6th sounds/revs, so it led to a few *clutch in, strong shift with foot, ow, it's in top, clutch out* moments. No gear position indicator, found it a bit difficult coming from the FXR with a dig display. Made especially difficult that I thought it was a 5 speed, changing from 3rd to 2nd, thinking it was 2nd to 1st, trying to find neutral... Lol
-Overall-
Very nice bike, very refined. The sound on it is great (think its got an aft m. exhaust) Gave my friend the learn on my FXR though, I'm just way more confident on it, and he's not to great round the curves yet, it'll be fun when he finally gets a bike and improves.
It's so much fun riding with a partner! I've never been on a group or even 2 person ride, and it was so much fun! Way better blasting down to Bob's Cove with a mate than by yourself. Planning to go to Wanaka over the Crown Range, hopefully with flatmate's girlfriend's flatmate (GSXR 750, '90 ish)
THE FXR, after my CBR riding.
Seat felt like a plank of wood, and it was weird how skinny it was. Handlebars were a bit cramped. But it felt real good passing a campervan AND flatmate when he couldn't do it, on a bigger bike. And of course, racing away in front going through the Dalefield loop.
My mirrors suck. I can hardly tell if that black smidge on the vibing mirror is the cibby or a lowflying raincloud.
The sound of the fxr is still nice, throbbing kinda sound instead of a smooth winding up sound.
So yeah, CBR's are a nice bike, and riding with a partner is fun fun fun! I think a n00b rider would cope okay on a CBR (don't know about a RR), as long as they have the mental control not to go too fast at first, as it could be scary for a new rider.
:rockon: