Honda continued to keep its presence in the 250cc segment by CBR 250 since 1986 till 1996 then the CBR 250 was forgotten by the company but not by the enthusiasts, the absence of Honda and deficiency of Japanese bikes in this segment, in turn maintained the supremacy of the Kawasaki Ninja 250.
The models produced during the period of 1986 to 1996 were high revving screamers with in-line four cylinder configuration giving out max output of 33 kW of raw power. The sounds on these machines might have been echoing in the minds of the R&D guys in HONDA. That’s why Honda percieved a re-entry in the quarter litre segment but with a completely different approach, The tagline selected was “Sport Quarter for One World“. This time Honda had two very prime objectives to achieve.
1. It should be optimized for every class of riders (Read in terms of Size, Power and Handling)
2. It should merge the two segments of riding (Read in terms of Acceleration and nimbleness)
Honda did a great job and rolled out the CBR250R in 2011 for the riders in the world, which was fresh from the oven product with a complete newly designed body and heart, the bike came with C – ABS which was a unique feature to any 250 cc bike globally.
Especially in India this product came in VFM tag because the closest contender Baby Ninja was way too pricey than the CBR. Initial deliveries began and the good and bad started rolling in, Many said this is a doomed product and will not sell because of the power and the quality issues but time moved on and the product continually generated sales in decent numbers and Honda eventually addressed all the issues based on research and consumer feedback.
On one eventful day of March 2012, i got my hands on a sparkling new Honda CBR250R ABS variant. Even though the buying experience consists of two months of rigourous search and comparision between the CBR250R vs R15 V 2.0 and Duke 200 even though all these are as different as chalk and cheese but the MONEY factor was hovering around a similar price band. I inintially intended to go for a HRC color scheme which was to be launched but the availability and bookings with the dealers were way off the charts and waiting around two months or so, Hence i settled for a Asteroid Black mettalic color option.
Experience till date has been very pleasent and I anticipate the future journeys to be much more comfortable and confident as I get the feel of the machine and learn all the attributes, qualities and demerits of the bike.
CBR250R 2012 is available in two variants;
The appearence of the bike is superb and the front end looks similar to the VFR league and the side stance is a direct lift from the Fireblades, The bike is BIG but it feels a little smaller and can be zipped around, given the rider is of a hefty built. Looks will be described more in upcoming Ownership review of it.
The moment you crank the engine you start feeling the sweet sound of a four stroke engine humming, Initially the RPM indicates 2000 which gradually settles down to 1500 due to in-built choke mechanism in the FI system for ensuring the correct temperature of operation for the engine. The transmission is butter smooth and precise, one can simply count the gears and really feel the shifting as you cruise along. Clutch is ultra soft and it takes sometime to get accustomed to. Exhaust note is pleasant but can be improved if one wants a louder engine note, Many accessory shops are now importing and retailing accessories for CBR and are in the affordable range.
| Sales name | CBR250R | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Model type | Honda MC41 | ||
| Overall length × Overall width × Overall height (m) | 2.035 × 0.720 × 1.125 | ||
| Wheelbase (m) | 1.370 | ||
| Ground clearance (m) | 0.145 | ||
| Seat height (m) | 0.780 | ||
| Curb weight (kg) | 161 (STD) 165 (ABS) | ||
| Riding capacity (No. of people) | 2 | ||
| Minimum turning radius (m) | 2.5 | ||
| Engine type | CS250RE, liquid-cooled 4-stroke DOHC single cylinder | ||
| Displacement (cm³) | 249 | ||
| Bore × Stroke (mm) | 76.0 × 55.0 | ||
| Compression ratio | 10.7 | ||
| Fuel supply system | Programmed fuel injection system (PGM-FI) | ||
| Starter type | Self-starter | ||
| Ignition type | Full-transistor battery ignition | ||
| Lubricating type | Wet sump | ||
| Fuel tank capacity (L) | 13 | ||
| Clutch type | Wet multiplate with coil springs | ||
| Transmission type | Constant mesh 6-speed return | ||
| Transmission gear ratio | 1-speed | 3.333 | |
| 2-speed | 2.118 | ||
| 3-speed | 1.571 | ||
| 4-speed | 1.304 | ||
| 5-speed | 1.115 | ||
| 6-speed | 0.963 | ||
| Reduction gear ratio (primary, secondary) | 2.808 / 2.714 | ||
| Caster angle/Trail (mm) | 25º00´/ 95 | ||
| Tire size | Front | 110/70-17M/C | |
| Rear | 140/70-17M/C | ||
| Brake type | Front | Hydraulic disk | |
| Rear | Hydraulic disk | ||
| Suspension type | Front | Telescopic | |
| Rear | Swing arm (Pro-link suspension system) | ||
| Frame type | Diamond | ||
Both variants of CBR 250 R are available in Three color schemes;
On the standard variant both wheels recieve Disc brakes from BYBRE are pretty decent and serve the purpose well, most importantly it gives the rider complete control for the braking of the bike.
The C-ABS variant though pricey but has created quite a stir among the tourers and is considered VFM even the price has been declared as exorbitant by many. C-ABS is considered to be an unessential aspect in this bike by many but the feature is very helpful under stressful and impromptu braking conditions. Though the price difference is substantial but it is worth opting for. The C-ABS system uses NISSIN Brakes and are at par to the standard variant.
This motorcycles comes with a standard warranty of two years which is extendable to five years on payment.
HMSI also provides Road side assistance on a very menial amount. It is a very useful option and is handy.
The insurance plan also provides an option for 0% depreciation plan which includes even the plastic parts of the bike under the insurance cover.
The most important and prominent question every automobile faces in this Country ” KITNA DETI HAI”. Well if you are well within the specified speed limits directed by authorities (i.e. less than 70 kmph) then you can get around 40 kmpl, in case you are speed freak and try to extend the bike to the limits than the mileage will be restricted to 30 – 32 kmpl. Many have claimed to get 40+ kmpl mileage when cruising on Highways at 100-110 kmph.
| City | Model | Ex-Showroom | On-Road |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delhi | CBR 250R STD | 148112 | * 162549 |
| CBR 250R ABS | 173829 | * 190618 | |
| CBR 250R STD TRICOLOR | 149131 | * 163660 | |
| CBR 250R ABS TRICOLOR | 174848 | * 191730 | |
| Mumbai | CBR 250R STD | 156427 | * 170108 |
| CBR 250R ABS | 183365 | * 199243 | |
| CBR 250R STD TRICOLOR | 157482 | * 171249 | |
| CBR 250R ABS TRICOLOR | 184433 | * 200397 | |
| Chennai | CBR 250R STD | 152880 | * 167802 |
| CBR 250R ABS | 179054 | * 196371 | |
| CBR 250R STD TRICOLOR | 153917 | * 168934 | |
| CBR 250R ABS TRICOLOR | 157285 | * 197503 | |
| Kolkata | CBR 250R STD | 152451 | * 159783 |
| CBR 250R ABS | 178644 | * 186276 | |
| CBR 250R STD TRICOLOR | 153489 | * 160832 | |
| CBR 250R ABS TRICOLOR | 179681 | * 187325 |
*On road price does not include optional items like – Accessories, Extended warranty, AMC…
Tricolor variants are costlier by a menial amount and worth for if you wanna have that true racing color schemes.
Disclaimer: The author is not associated with HMSI in any manner and the opinions thus expressed are solely of the author based on his experience and rides.
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28 Responses
Rubbish! i am a owner of honda cbr 250r frm last 10 months nd it gives me a mileage of 22-25kmpl in city and around 30kmpl in highway.
People are faking who are claiming of a mileage of 40kmpl in a speed of 110kmph in highways.
Subhranjan, Congrats on owning a wonderful machine, Regarding your comment i would like to clarify that Mileage is completely dependent on the Riding style of the rider and the traffic conditions in the city and so on and so forth, Even I’m in delhi and i use it as a daily drive to my office (My total commute is 60kms/day) and even in the worst traffic conditions i get around 27-28 kmpl, On my recent trip to Ludhiana i got a mileage of 35-36kmpl even though NH1 is a very busy stretch and full of diversions and other things which keep you slowing down. but in the End you are the best judge of your bike and your riding style and conditions, so keep revvin, ride hard and be Safe!. I dnt stand guarantee for the claims made by other people but can surely stand by what i have experienced.
Hi abishek, i have booked my cbr250r yesterday. Can you suggest its worth for a daily commute, my total distance is around 70kms/day. I am in chennai, morning as well as evening you know i have to stay in each signal atleast for 2minutes. road conditions are not that much good. OfCourse i have booked my bike, but just having some confusions in my mind.
Hi Shanki,
Even I commute daily on mine and my distance is around sixty kilometers a day so far i have not had any difficulty in commuting (thanks to Delhi roads), but in your case you’ll be the best judge(i am unaware about the traffic conditions in Chennai but i can assume it can get cramped sometimes), as far as signals are concerned you can switch the engine kill till you wait at the signal and keep it on off position as in cases the fan runs with the engine off the battery will be drained quickly, but trust me with this machine your normal commute will never be the same as before and it’ll bring a smile on your face everytime you ride it, BTW congrats on booking the bike may you have a smooth buying experience and a wonderful ownership period too.
PS. You might be forced to take longer routes for commuting because the addiction increases day by day
Hi Abhishek,
Firstly,let me appreciate the fact that you have been unbiased and accomodative with you review. You take the stick and carrot in your stride.
A quality that can never go unnoticed when it comes to reviews.
Second..I currently own a CBR250R,and the experience,without a shadow of a doubt has been very pleasant. I don’t consider myself to be a great rider,but given the ineptitude,i believe this is a forgiving bike. Which reinforces the point that the bike is simply awesome. I have had a chance to ride Ninja250R as well,though a “very” different bike ,found CBR250R to be a better bike. Opinions matter and it’s purely my personal opinion.
Keep up with your reviews,your style and approach is highly appreciated..
Best,
Aj
Ajay,
Thanks for the comment it just made my day, Regarding the bike, I second your thoughts and opinions as Even I say in normal day to day rides the CBR proves to be a better bet. Actually India as a whole does compare Apples to carrots and thus creating so much confusion, The choice however scanty maybe, but it provides all choices for all types of usage, the choice however lies with the Buyer.
Congrats on having a wonderful machine at your disposal treat it well and it will serve you well for the years to come.
Ride hard but Safely!
Regards,
Abhishek
I owned a CBR250R last year. not even covered 3600km.
it has got many problems which were not addressed by the HONDA.
1. Rocker arm (pin) got broken. a grave manufacturing defect.
2. paint on the bore is falling like white wash on the walls.
3. faulty recalled break system is not yet replaced.
4. HONDA not at all responding for ur complaints. you wont get any evidence of their calls / our mails.
4. for every complaint they are taking hell of time.
5 my becoming old in the dealer’s work shop itself
Varaprasad,
Your problems seem to be a one off case, Please inform us
(@ info@reviewcenter.in)your location so that we can assist you to escalate the issue to the HMSI team.
We at Reviewcenter are sowrn to provide you with infomration which enables you to make wise decisions and enjoy a trouble free ownership experience.
Best Regards,
Abhishek K Nath
I am planning to book CBR250R this week, but i am total confused still which one book between these R15 KTM 200 & CBR250R. Presently i have Apache RTR 180cc.
Need some suggestion can i go for CBR250R or wait for other couple of month for the lunch of Pulsar or any other models.
Thanks in advance
Hi Anil,
You face the dilemma as same as every other biker who wants to go for a performance bike. All the options you have mentioned are worthy and commendable machines.
1. R15: A pure bred Track tool stupendous handling, excellent maneuverability, but riding stance is leaning forward and posses a HUGE problem when u r commuting in the city. Another issue is the next to useable pillion seat, Until the pillion is able to sit cross legged, The bikes character changes completely. Power on Tap is decent but you have to rev hard.
2. Duke 200: A street hooligan as people call it a very potent bike mixed with the fun and agility a street bike with rev happy engine and ultra light and crisp handling, You can literally get out of the Traffic light drags first and you wont take time to do it. It is also a great bike BUT the rear pillion seat is too short for my liking and trust me when I showed the bike to the lady who was supposed to ride with me it was a big NO NO for the same. Even I intended to use the bike for touring purposes so I couldn’t take this screamer on a day long trip. Riding stance is very straight and comfortable.
3. CBR 250R: Potent mix of all the qualities, The power is decent and handling is also good, though you cannot term it as a corner carver, (maybe getting a stiffer set of suspension will help) but anyways I don’t intend to go track days so it doesn’t pose a problem for me. I have ridden the bike on a triple digit speed for atleast 7-8 hours in a day and I haven’t been fatigued or had to rev hard. CBR can be used as a daily drive and yet cruise the highway with ease all day. Riding stance is pretty relaxed as compared to the R15.
The biggest question is how you intend to use the bike, City commuting or Touring. You want a faired bike or an un-faired one, and even the budget you have for the purchase because there is quiet a gap in the CBR and the other two. Waiting for another launch or another speculative bike with a very nice resume of on paper specification may or may not be too good, I waited for the R15 v2.0 launch then the Duke and finally considering both I stood by the CBR which I went to buy 7 months earlier, Result escalated prices and a long waiting line. So in all I lost around 9 months to bring home the CEEBER.
My suggestion to you would be that you should first go and test-drive all the three back to back so you know what are the characteristics and pros and cons of the bike and then decide, If possible please do consider the Pulsar 200 NS.
I never had any confusions with regard to what bike I wanted to buy – I wanted a very comfortable and relaxed bike which could cruise at 100kph all day – and the only 2 bikes meeting my requirements were the ZMR and the CBR. Went for the CBR keeping in mind that it was a globally-selling model and had lots of advanced features.
Now, like every bike in the world, this bike has got it’s own issues too. Learning to live with the issues and learning to love the goodies on the bike is a part of the ownership experience. By now, I have accepted all its weaknesses and I love it for whatever it is – it’s STILL one of the best bikes in India priced under 2 lacs (OK, I paid 2.05 lacs!).
Hi Abhishek,
Thanks for the suggestion, i have booked CBR250r will be getting in other 20 days.
Regard
Anil Kumar
Congrats Anil,
You are now one step closer to the CBR club, Hope you have a wonderfull, stress free and smooth buying experience. Please comment on the current pricing and deals you availed from the dealer so that it helps others to make an informed decision.
PS. Have you booked STD or ABS.
Best Regards,
Abhishek
Ya sure will keep you posted on the price.
I have booked ABS.
Hi abhishek ,
I have booked red CBR(non abs) 12 days ago. I was after this bike since 1.5 years and have finally booked it
. Just wanted to know if any special care needs to be taken while riding this beautiful machine for the initial 500-600 kms which shall enhance the performance of the bike ??
Hi Harshit,
Maybe you have gotten your hands already on the CEEBER, Well even if not then soon you will.
Congratulations before hand.
Regrading your queries, Now a days the engines are not run in as they were years before, Just be cautious to bring the bike to the optimum operating temperature and then ride smoothly avoid sudden acceleration and extended stretches of high speed runs. get the bike serviced on the pre-defined time frame and all shall be well.
Best Regards,
Abhishek
PS: Please inform us about the current price and your location.
Ok… so u go all the way for a 250cc performance machine leaving aside cheap 100/125cc bikes, expecting some mileage out of it for daily commute. U cud hv slashed 100k straight frm ur budget nd wud hv got what u wanted.
Hi,,,,,
Am a new rider,,,
Am really confused ,, whether should I wait for duke 390 /pulsar 375?
Or to book a ceeber r8 nw??
Suggest me any,,,,,, the only condition for me is,,,,, it should be very friendly for new riders like me!
Hai
I own a cbr250 of 2012 june model. Now my ride is giving me a different sound from the suspension. when i do a water wash it will go for some time but it will come again after a few minutes of riding. plz help bro
Hi Abhishek,
I have got the hands on the machine…its just super. And about the price i paid 2.10 Lacs on road.
Regards
Anil Kumar
Lal,
The noise in suspension can be due to many reasons, Please gt it checked at the authorized service centre, If possible please elaborate that the noise experienced is THUD or SQUEAK?? Only then I’ll be able to ascertain what can be the cause.
Best Regards,
Abhishek
Deepak,
First question being a new rider what exactly you want from a bike?
i.e. Either you want to enter the uber cool scenario of Bike stunting or you want to explore the world on a motorcycle.
Read my replies to Anil Kumar dated 14th Feb, 2013, And right now the Specs and features on Duke 390 and Pulsar 375 are on paper, Cant comment on it till I personally get my hands on it.
but if in case you do not want to take a plunge right now waiting would be a far better option as the competion is heating up for the performance bike sector.
M a daily commuter from home to my college and vice versa.. Max to max
It makes a trip of 30-35kms a day.. So is it worth buying a baby cbr? And being a student just wanna know the maintenance cost of the bike.. Per yearly.. Abhishek thanks in advance
Hope u guide me well.
Hi Ishant,
The yearly maintanence will completely depend on how much you use the bike, A basic Calculation considering 35 Kms per day for 365 Days
Per Day commute 35
Total no of Days 365
Yearly commute 12775
Per Service Cost 2000
Total Services 3 1st At 1000 kms 2nd At 6000 and 3rd at 12000
Total Maintenance Cost 6000
Your Total Maintenance Cost comes out to be around Six Thousand, If you want to Calculate the running Costs
then
Yearly Commute of 12775
Average Fuel consumption/ Litre 26
Total Fuel to be used (Litres) 491
Now multiply this to your local fuel prices in delhi it will be around Rs. 32450 considering the prevailing rates.
So in total you’ll spend around 40-45 Thousands yearly on the bike.
Hope it clarifies your doubts.
Best Regards,
Abhishek
Sir i m living in kuwait….. But my hometown in kanpur ….
Now i am planing to buy any sport bike with great look and features
I m confused in pulsar and honda cbr250r
So would any body plz suggest me that which one is good to buy and
And from where to buy in new delhi or any other showroom is available in kanpur(u.p)
Thanks in advance……..
Ashok
Hi Ashok,
Please go thru the comments above if you want to know my take on comparing bikes, And the choice is solely yours, What depends is the main criteria of not only owning the bike but riding it go for the one you find the most comfortable to ride.
Kanpur is a big city now you can buy it from there only. CBR250R are available from most of the Honda dealerships.
Let us know your decision,
Thanks,
Best regards,
Abhishek
Hi Anil,
Hows your bike running please do post your comments on it as well, It will surely help others.
thanks
Best Regards,
Abhishek
I have booked cbr250, I showroom they are saying it gives 25in highway nd 20 in city,can I knw the perfect mileage whi it gives….?