Looking at a new bike (whoring around)
#1
04-29-2012, 12:56 AM
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Spokane, WA
Posts: 583
Looking at a new bike (whoring around)
However I have no intention to let the KLX go. I really like the bike a lot.
I am just getting bit by the bug I guess.
Since I am riding the KLX on the road I think I am going to get a road bike to add to my collection. My neighbor is asking me to take the KLX out to the state park but I can't break it as its my current mod of travel.
So I am looking at a Honda CBR250R. A little "sport" bike with more economy than sport. I think it is a lot of bike for the asking price however. With ABS it is 4500. It is not a lot more power than the KLX but I think I can do the highway with a bit less sail even if not a lot faster. Better in the corners and wet roads without knobby tires and a lot lower center of gravity.
It also has a lot of MPG potential. Rated at about 77mpg guys are getting even better with a bit of effort. It looks like 85 mpg is possible without super human effort.
I think it would be a nice compliment to the KLX.
I am just getting bit by the bug I guess.
Since I am riding the KLX on the road I think I am going to get a road bike to add to my collection. My neighbor is asking me to take the KLX out to the state park but I can't break it as its my current mod of travel.
So I am looking at a Honda CBR250R. A little "sport" bike with more economy than sport. I think it is a lot of bike for the asking price however. With ABS it is 4500. It is not a lot more power than the KLX but I think I can do the highway with a bit less sail even if not a lot faster. Better in the corners and wet roads without knobby tires and a lot lower center of gravity.
It also has a lot of MPG potential. Rated at about 77mpg guys are getting even better with a bit of effort. It looks like 85 mpg is possible without super human effort.
I think it would be a nice compliment to the KLX.
#2
04-29-2012, 02:36 AM
However I have no intention to let the KLX go. I really like the bike a lot.
I am just getting bit by the bug I guess.
Since I am riding the KLX on the road I think I am going to get a road bike to add to my collection. My neighbor is asking me to take the KLX out to the state park but I can't break it as its my current mod of travel.
So I am looking at a Honda CBR250R. A little "sport" bike with more economy than sport. I think it is a lot of bike for the asking price however. With ABS it is 4500. It is not a lot more power than the KLX but I think I can do the highway with a bit less sail even if not a lot faster. Better in the corners and wet roads without knobby tires and a lot lower center of gravity.
It also has a lot of MPG potential. Rated at about 77mpg guys are getting even better with a bit of effort. It looks like 85 mpg is possible without super human effort.
I think it would be a nice compliment to the KLX.
I am just getting bit by the bug I guess.
Since I am riding the KLX on the road I think I am going to get a road bike to add to my collection. My neighbor is asking me to take the KLX out to the state park but I can't break it as its my current mod of travel.
So I am looking at a Honda CBR250R. A little "sport" bike with more economy than sport. I think it is a lot of bike for the asking price however. With ABS it is 4500. It is not a lot more power than the KLX but I think I can do the highway with a bit less sail even if not a lot faster. Better in the corners and wet roads without knobby tires and a lot lower center of gravity.
It also has a lot of MPG potential. Rated at about 77mpg guys are getting even better with a bit of effort. It looks like 85 mpg is possible without super human effort.
I think it would be a nice compliment to the KLX.
#3
04-29-2012, 01:03 PM
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Spokane, WA
Posts: 583
Thanks Wildcard.
It kind of depends on ones criteria. From what I have read the Ninja is on the high end. It has more rev range. It is likely a better sport bike on the street and on the track.
Between the two the CBR has some upsides. The biggest upside is 20mpg real world. That is the difference between just about every car and a Honda Prius. Enough to matter to me.
Fuel injection is very nice as well. ABS at this price range is also a good feature. It should prove to have lower operating expenses being a thumper and one valve adjustment at the first service and not until 30k.
On the performance side, as a commuter, the CBR has more torque down low. Not as fun as a wind up toy but much better for negotiating the hills in my area.
A little apples and oranges really. Even though the CBR was designed to compete with the Ninja, it does it kind of from a right angle.
It kind of depends on ones criteria. From what I have read the Ninja is on the high end. It has more rev range. It is likely a better sport bike on the street and on the track.
Between the two the CBR has some upsides. The biggest upside is 20mpg real world. That is the difference between just about every car and a Honda Prius. Enough to matter to me.
Fuel injection is very nice as well. ABS at this price range is also a good feature. It should prove to have lower operating expenses being a thumper and one valve adjustment at the first service and not until 30k.
On the performance side, as a commuter, the CBR has more torque down low. Not as fun as a wind up toy but much better for negotiating the hills in my area.
A little apples and oranges really. Even though the CBR was designed to compete with the Ninja, it does it kind of from a right angle.
#4
04-29-2012, 03:55 PM
Intersting! I sold my CB919 for several reasons, one was that I really didn't need a 100 HP motorcycle. I taught myself to be able to drift that thing through a couple of well-known entrance ramps, then, decided it was time to stop doing that. Having a fun little 250 road bike would be much more sane. Best of wishes with what you decide!
#5
04-29-2012, 04:26 PM
Thanks Wildcard.
It kind of depends on ones criteria. From what I have read the Ninja is on the high end. It has more rev range. It is likely a better sport bike on the street and on the track.
Between the two the CBR has some upsides. The biggest upside is 20mpg real world. That is the difference between just about every car and a Honda Prius. Enough to matter to me.
Fuel injection is very nice as well. ABS at this price range is also a good feature. It should prove to have lower operating expenses being a thumper and one valve adjustment at the first service and not until 30k.
On the performance side, as a commuter, the CBR has more torque down low. Not as fun as a wind up toy but much better for negotiating the hills in my area.
A little apples and oranges really. Even though the CBR was designed to compete with the Ninja, it does it kind of from a right angle.
It kind of depends on ones criteria. From what I have read the Ninja is on the high end. It has more rev range. It is likely a better sport bike on the street and on the track.
Between the two the CBR has some upsides. The biggest upside is 20mpg real world. That is the difference between just about every car and a Honda Prius. Enough to matter to me.
Fuel injection is very nice as well. ABS at this price range is also a good feature. It should prove to have lower operating expenses being a thumper and one valve adjustment at the first service and not until 30k.
On the performance side, as a commuter, the CBR has more torque down low. Not as fun as a wind up toy but much better for negotiating the hills in my area.
A little apples and oranges really. Even though the CBR was designed to compete with the Ninja, it does it kind of from a right angle.
I would take the additional 20mpg claim with a grain of salt. Cycle world report 53 on the ninja and 57 with the CBR, though i'm sure they were flogging both bikes a bit.
If your after fuel injection and ABS *Shudder*, the cbr is likely the only choice, but i think the valve service interval is 16K FWIW.
Performance wise though, you might be better off getting another KLX and putting street tires on it. the cbr only puts out about 23HP and 12.7ft lbs and weighs in the 340# ish range, i bet a good running stock KLX could walk away from it.
I'm not trying to trash on the CBR, its probably a great beginner "sport" bike but IMO the price of admission is not justified when there are better and cheaper alternatives out there.
#7
04-29-2012, 05:48 PM
I will make a mention that my KLX250SF is indeed faster off the line than the CBR... I believe the CBR has a bit higher of a top speed though, but not by much.
When I say faster.. I mean, me sitting upright... guy on the CRB hunched right down... and he caught up to me around 110km/h and passed me. Maybe he was afraid to flog the little engine? I figured a sport bike would be quicker for sure. My bike will do 130km/h sitting upright if it's not super windy.
When I say faster.. I mean, me sitting upright... guy on the CRB hunched right down... and he caught up to me around 110km/h and passed me. Maybe he was afraid to flog the little engine? I figured a sport bike would be quicker for sure. My bike will do 130km/h sitting upright if it's not super windy.
#8
04-29-2012, 08:44 PM
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Spokane, WA
Posts: 583
Thanks so much for the thoughts here.
I certainly don't need more speed than even the KLX. Bikes are just to easy to get laid out by some stray car and even accelerating faster than normal throws the senses into fits and people die.
Yesterday, going to work some guy started to turn in left in front of me at an intersection. He caught himself though. I was doing my in the midst of trying to get my best MPG fill up and so I had plenty of time to react and engine braking was enough to keep me out of his way.
Then on the way home a lady pulled a left again out in front of me but she was to my left and I was turning left. Again in the middle of my MPG experiment I was in no trouble.
The moral of the story is that even 5mph could have made those a lot worse. So for me slow and steady gets me home to hug the kids.
Now it is absolutely true, and on my mind, that an older 600-650 would be a good bike with a but more versatility on the road than any 250. At the stage in my life however, any time I can get away is with the family. So doing a drive to Seattle would be great but realistically it won't be happening soon.
A small 250 like the CBR or the Ninja will be a bit better on my highway commuting. Contrary to how I thought I would be routing to do my errands, I hit the highway more often than not if it is the direction I headed.
The main reason is safety. The road choices here have way way to much side traffic and intersections. Too many chances for someone to not see me. Gravel Eddie knows Sprague Ave and Division. Two roads I don't ride much.
Even if the 250 sport bikes don't go much faster the seating position would help with wind. I have been doing a partial tuck on the highway and it is a lot better. Much less wind but its not very comfortable. That is not the design of the KLX.
I will keep researching a bit. I doubt I will be doing anything for another month.
Meanwhile I am loving the KLX and if I don't get anything else this year it is no big deal. It is so easy to live with day to day.
I certainly don't need more speed than even the KLX. Bikes are just to easy to get laid out by some stray car and even accelerating faster than normal throws the senses into fits and people die.
Yesterday, going to work some guy started to turn in left in front of me at an intersection. He caught himself though. I was doing my in the midst of trying to get my best MPG fill up and so I had plenty of time to react and engine braking was enough to keep me out of his way.
Then on the way home a lady pulled a left again out in front of me but she was to my left and I was turning left. Again in the middle of my MPG experiment I was in no trouble.
The moral of the story is that even 5mph could have made those a lot worse. So for me slow and steady gets me home to hug the kids.
Now it is absolutely true, and on my mind, that an older 600-650 would be a good bike with a but more versatility on the road than any 250. At the stage in my life however, any time I can get away is with the family. So doing a drive to Seattle would be great but realistically it won't be happening soon.
A small 250 like the CBR or the Ninja will be a bit better on my highway commuting. Contrary to how I thought I would be routing to do my errands, I hit the highway more often than not if it is the direction I headed.
The main reason is safety. The road choices here have way way to much side traffic and intersections. Too many chances for someone to not see me. Gravel Eddie knows Sprague Ave and Division. Two roads I don't ride much.
Even if the 250 sport bikes don't go much faster the seating position would help with wind. I have been doing a partial tuck on the highway and it is a lot better. Much less wind but its not very comfortable. That is not the design of the KLX.
I will keep researching a bit. I doubt I will be doing anything for another month.
Meanwhile I am loving the KLX and if I don't get anything else this year it is no big deal. It is so easy to live with day to day.
#9
04-29-2012, 09:49 PM
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Spokane, WA
Posts: 583
I have been reading a lot between the two 250 bikes. One guy on the CBR forum has both a ninja 250 and a CBR 250. He is more concerned with MPG and now rides only the CBR. His best average MPG on the Ninja was 66 MPG for highway commuting and everything the same his CBR got 96. Others have been getting great MPG. Some crazy guy did about 45mpg on a highway run for like 8 hours. Yes crazy. He got 128mpg. So I think the potential is there to get very good MPG.
Here is a pretty good summary of the performance differences I have read:
As for measured gas mileage, the more modern technology of the fuel injected Honda makes for a noticeable difference over the green bike. When averaging a mixture of canyon roads at full-tilt and freeway commuting, the trusty Honda recorded an astonishing 64.7 mpg. As for the Kawasaki, the more dated carb setup mustered an average of 49.1 mpg, giving the CBR the nod in the lightened-pocketbook department.
And while the fuel injection both gets better gas mileage and propels it off the line a hair quicker, this didn’t translate into quicker performance numbers – quite the opposite turned out to be true. The Honda 250’s best 0-60 mph time is 8.5 seconds, but the Kawasaki trips the lights with a best time of 7.7 seconds. This is backed up on the dyno, at least in terms of top-end horsepower, as the Honda produces 22.66 hp at 8600 rpm, while the Kawasaki twists the drum to the tune of 26.34 hp at 11,000 rpm. However, the Honda takes top honors in terms of torque, boasting 15.23 lb-ft at 7100 rpm compared to 13.42 lb-ft at 9900 rpm for the Kawi. This comes as no surprise, as both sets of numbers back up our initial seat-of-the-pants feelings exactly.
Here is a pretty good summary of the performance differences I have read:
As for measured gas mileage, the more modern technology of the fuel injected Honda makes for a noticeable difference over the green bike. When averaging a mixture of canyon roads at full-tilt and freeway commuting, the trusty Honda recorded an astonishing 64.7 mpg. As for the Kawasaki, the more dated carb setup mustered an average of 49.1 mpg, giving the CBR the nod in the lightened-pocketbook department.
And while the fuel injection both gets better gas mileage and propels it off the line a hair quicker, this didn’t translate into quicker performance numbers – quite the opposite turned out to be true. The Honda 250’s best 0-60 mph time is 8.5 seconds, but the Kawasaki trips the lights with a best time of 7.7 seconds. This is backed up on the dyno, at least in terms of top-end horsepower, as the Honda produces 22.66 hp at 8600 rpm, while the Kawasaki twists the drum to the tune of 26.34 hp at 11,000 rpm. However, the Honda takes top honors in terms of torque, boasting 15.23 lb-ft at 7100 rpm compared to 13.42 lb-ft at 9900 rpm for the Kawi. This comes as no surprise, as both sets of numbers back up our initial seat-of-the-pants feelings exactly.