Re: The story so far.. My Honda CBR 250R

Jumbo post this one! Congratulations are in order sire, mechanically as well as photo-graphically.
Your test run indeed was awesome and better than what most of my rides. It's a dream of mine riding to NE and prolly Bhutan some day.
I'll just re-iterate what you have been saying in the thread(s) from day 1 - maintenance is not just oil change and washing the bike. It needs time, patience and trial runs to check for errors, fix those and go on repeat mode.
It's easy to go careless on a new bike because most components are fresh and one makes it a habit of not paying attention even after the bike gets older. Everytime one goes in to unknown territory, he should have done the appropriate homework on his vehicle of choice, regardless of the number of wheels.
Few of my golden rules before any long ride are:
1. Ride at least 100 km in city post oil change and keep an eye on leaks/oil level.
2. Ride a minimum of 200 km in city post brake pads change and observe the bite and rotors condition.
3. Tank up the previous day and fill air on absolutely cold tires. I have a petrol bunk 600 meters from home.
4. All electrical mods should pass a 500 km test in city before venturing out (bulbs, battery, earth wire mod etc).
5. Valve clearances must be always in limits, irrespective of city or highways.
6. Tires. No playing with worn tires.
7. Greased chain all the time.
8. Finally, sleep well for atleast a full week (6-7 hours on an average daily) before the ride.

Re: The story so far.. My Honda CBR 250R

COMPLETED TRIP LOG & OBSERVATIONS:

Hi All,

been meaning to post an update ever since, i returned form my ride. However, as it happens with most of us: once the regular life resumes and the work pile and tasks take priority, our passion sometimes has to take a backseat. Keeping in line with the request of senior rider @Divya Sharan i would like to share some excerpts of my journey on this thread without going too far as it would deviate from the primary subject we have been covering all this while. Rest i will try and keep the post to purely mechanical and related to the subject matter: My Honda CBR 250R. One may find the pacing bit off and quick but time constraints can be blamed solely for this..


Anyways, On Day 1 till 3 a.m. it was still raining and i was concerned that the weather will play a complete spoilsport to the whole trip i had planned. But the weather gods decided to be merciful and while keeping the overall scenario cloudy, rains had completely come to a halt by 4:30 a.m. and i started my Journey by 5:30 a.m. I had stock piled a lot of energy bars and plenty of water for the journey so i guess everything was in place. Thanks to the numerous rides and the guidelines shared by senior riders like @Old Fox on xbhp in the thread:The Art Of Safe Riding i was able to ride continuously for 266 kms without taking any break. In my first pit stop, i grabbed a bite and rehydrated my body with a lot of fluid in bits and pieces and kept the halt period limited to 45 mins. After that took the next break for 15 -20 mins @165 kms. Day 1 i had covered a total of 481 kms @8:30 mins and made it to the commercial mini metropolis of Assam: Guwahati. The primary agenda was to keep a good average speed throughout the duration of the journey which allowed me to cover the distance with ease and that too without stressing myself or my CBR 250R.

The original plan was to visit the Himalayas and finish a long cherished dream of making it to Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh and then to Bumla (Border between India and China). The last time i had paid a visit to this virgin nature's sanctuary was 16 years back. However, due to upcoming Tawang festival all the hotels were booked and accommodation was next to nothing. Also on the day of completion of my journey, i came to know that one of the portions of the road was completely blocked by landslides thanks to cloud burst. So considering all the options i had no choice but to scrap this plan.

Some of my friends wanted to join me but due to their own personal commitments they couldn't do a very long distance ride. So keeping in line with the general consensus, it was decided to do a small trip to Sohra, Cherrapunjee in the state of Meghalaya. A total of 5 guys (2 on two-wheelers and two in car), the headcount including me commenced the journey to Sohra. Now for most of the veteran riders who have had the chance to visit North-East are well aware of the butter smooth roads of Meghalaya. Even on the hilly areas, the roads have been well made and maintained by the local administration so cudos to the state govt. Do check out some of the pics below:










Pic 1, 2, 3 & 4: A beautiful view of Nature doing what it does best. The mountains with the rain clouds doing their dance in the sky @ Sohra, Cherrapunjee - Meghalaya and ofcourse the typical biker pics .

The resort me and my friends stayed over was very close of Nohkalikai water falls, Cherrapunjee so the environment was absolutely pristine and the weather was simply awesome. Agreed there is a different kind of experience doing solo rides however, when you have like minded crazy friends the overall journey becomes even better. I would highly recommend any riders seeking good roads, beautiful landscape with an urge to scrape the footpegs, this is "the" state one must visit.








Pic: 5, 6 & 7: Our respective steeds parked in the allotted cottage in the resort, Cherrapunjee. The beautiful evening sky making the whole trip worthwhile.

The roads and the corners were simply too tempting to let go so your's truly went on a corner carving mission and thanks to the guidelines shared by Keath Code: A Twist of the Wrist i didn't end up getting wrapped around a tree. The Michelins and surprisingly the front MRF Revz FC held their ground and never once did i feel any loss in grip or anything. I did manage to finally get rid of all the chicken strips i could with my limited knowledge and riding skills and yes it was an absolute bliss while i was busy leaning my Honda CBR 250R on the corners in the beautiful state of Meghalaya. The stiffer suspension set up in the front with 20W fork oil did help a lot and the front didn't dive too much when applying brakes. As always the Brembo HH sintered pads were a complete boon when coming downhill and there is a need to apply brakes, the single finger action to drop the anchors and watch the nos. decend at a rapid pace was really something to experience. Totally worth it!!







Pic: 8, 9 & 10: Your's truly doing the deed. The Chicken Strips GONE!!

The return leg of the journey from Cherrapunjee, Meghalaya to Guwahati, Assam was also really a great experience. No wonder why my friends are always ready to make a dash to this state whenever i pay a visit to them. A total of 300 kms was done in this short trip. Now one can imagine that after a long sabbatical i was finally able to do what i always wanted to do and had bought this machine purely for the purpose of touring, this simple ride was not enough to satiate my thirst. My next unscheduled plan was to make it to Thimpu, Bhutan. However, thanks to my own stupidity i had left my voter ID card and Passport at home. Do remember riders, if you wish to pay a visit to the Royal Kingdom of Bhutan, one must carry a valid voter ID card or your Indian Passport with a minimum validity of 6 months. Anyways moving on, so Thimpu was out of question however while sharing my plan with my friends i came to know that the district of Samdrup Jongkhar, Bhutan was doable and in some way it would keep my mind busy. So without thinking too much the next run for Samdrup Jongkhar, Bhutan was initiated quickly.

One doesn't need to blabber a lot about the Royal Kingdom of Bhutan and how beautiful it is. The route via Rangia (Assam) and NH247D road was an absolute visual treat. The beautiful paddy fields ready for harvesting in a few weeks time and the view of the mountains of Bhutan simply took my breath away. It was definitely a good decision, unplanned but a good one While dining on the local Bhutanese cuisine, i came across a weird looking bottle. After closer inspection, i was in for a total shock!! Have you ever seen Red Bull in cough syrup like glass bottles? Apparently this type of packaging is only found in Bhutan. Not that i am into energy drinks but the curiosity got the better of me and i decided to have a go with it.







Pic: 11, 12 & 13: Beautiful scenery enroute Bhutan. Check out the Red Bull energy drink packaging.

I made my return trip to Guwahati rather quick and kept myself busy, sharing pics and making all my friends rather jealous. After resting for a day, i then made it back my place of stay bringing an end to this comparatively short but great ride. Though the original plan of visiting the Himalayas kinda got scrapped, in my mind this was just what i would like to call a test run. It allowed to re-affirm my faith in my body, mind and now on my trust worthy Honda CBR 250R that collectively i can go wherever i want to go and she will not fail me.


POST TRIP OBSERVATIONS:

* Total distance covered: 1,700 kms.

* Fuel Economy: on sane mode with combination of Double & Triple Digit speeds: 39 kmpl. While on "Insane WOT Mode": as low as 30.73 - 32 kmpl very typical of CBR FE territory

* Any Mechanical Issues: None. The front brake lever got damaged thanks to the antics of a friend of mine and was completely bent. I got a replacement OEM Brake lever and fitted it myself. Hardly took 5 mins. The right hand side bar end weight had become lose. Got it tightened and will get rid of them quickly as i intend to install the Lightech bar end weights soon.



Pic 14: OEM Brake lever for my Honda CBR 250R.

POST TRIP OBSERVATIONS (Continuation):

* Any Electrical Issues: None. The vehicle performed flawlessly. I didn't witness any random engine shutdown or any sort of electrical failures. All lights and electrical components were working just fine.

* Engine & Overall motorcycle behaviour: Now here is the weird thing: i don't know whether it is the Shell Rimula R4 or simply high speed runs or engine harmonics, my vehicle has now transformed. The earlier weird vibrations have completely vanished. The engine feels unbelievably smooth, heck even the right hand side handle bar vibrations have vanished. I have so far done around 600kms (initial city+town rides before the ride) + 1700 kms(overall trip) + 550 kms (till present) = 2,850 kms and the gearbox is still smooth and no notchy gear shifts. Unlike earlier experiences with Shell Rimula R4, this time the engine is still smooth and vibe free even when i am inching closer to the 3,000 km mark. Based on observations i can safely state that Shell Rimula R4 has been tested to survive @3000 kms in a Honda CBR 250R without any issues. Now imagine for those riders who barely cover 3,000 - 6,000 kms per year, using Shell Rimula R4 @Rs. 300-350 per ltr compared to all other engine oils @700 - 900 per ltr: the overall cost of maintenance will go down drastically (at least in my case it is turning out to be true!! ) Also an important thing to note is that around 9,000+ kms on Shell Rimula R4 has been covered so far and my CBR 250R is running absolutely fine. I will definitely cover another 10,000 - 12,000 kms more on Shell Rimula R4 HDEO oil to confirm if with longterm usage there are any adverse effects on my CBR 250R: though the results so far have been absolutely positive other way round.

* FZ Oil Filter: My Honda CBR 250R while on highway did triple digit speeds at times consistently for almost 1 - 2 hours while keeping the rpm needle hovering @8,500 - 9,000 rpm. This was intentionally done to see if the engine oil starvation occurs and i end up running into a catastrophic engine failure/seizure. However, there were no sign of any problems. The vehicle performed well like it normally does and mind you now my CBR is @10,000+ kms (lost the count!! ) on Yamaha FZ/Byson engine oil filter: and so far everything is OK. Those who have followed this thread from the beginning, we now have a baseline of 10,000+ kms with Yamaha FZ/Byson engine oil filter on my Honda CBR 250R and all the engine components are still working fine. Even when the engine was consistently run at high rpms for a total 1,700 kms: no engine oil starvation, no unwanted weird noises or mechanical issues were witnessed unlike 'prophesied' by some. So based on my experience, it is safe to state that at least with my Honda CBR 250R a cheap (Rs. 40/-) Yamaha FZ/Byson engine oil filter does its work bringing down the overall cost of ownership by a huge margin. That being said, i will be covering another 10,000 kms with Yamaha FZ/Byson engine oil filter as promised and share the data here to confirm if my CBR 250R engine witnesses any problems in the long run or not.

To look from another perspective: 20,000 kms on OEM unapproved engine oil and unapproved engine oil filter is fairly a good baseline data for anybody to corroborate or get an idea from. Plus majority of CBR owners usually cover this distance in a period of @2-3 years and usually end up selling or upgrading to a higher CC motorcycle afterwards. Hopefully the current data provided and the future data committed will enlighten all of us to learn something new and also help in removing wrong notions about what is and is not possible with our respective steeds. The idea is to come to a conclusion while sharing concrete data to back it up, without becoming a "keyboard warrior" and sharing thoughts and comments without any data to prove otherwise: this especially goes for the thread starter!!

Anyways my Honda CBR 250R has now covered close of 33,000 kms on the odo and as mentioned earlier, i would like to thank the senior riders and my lucky stars that she has been performing fine without any mechanical noise or anything. I have decided to replace the Fuel filter and the respective hoses as a preventive measure and also for the fact that it costs peanuts compared to the important task it performs. I inted to get this done in the next upcoming service which will be scheduled shortly.





Pic 15 & 16: The Honda CBR 250R Fuel Filter kit with given hoses and clamps.

Post completion of the ride, it was observed that both front and rear tires are now losing air pressure and settle @22-25 psi. Physical inspection of the tires have yielded nothing so i suspect either the tires will have to be reseated or else the valves will have to be replaced in order to stop this problem from cropping up again.

Until then watch out more on this space.

Cheers,


@Samuel : i would request you before posting a query, kindly read the thread from the given post related to earth wire mod and subsequent discussions that have taken place on this thread. Everything that you are looking for has been already answered and discussed and explained in the simplest manner yet catering to the technical side of why and how this "earth wire" mod works. Once, you do a thorough read, everything will be clear to you.

All the best...

Re: The story so far.. My Honda CBR 250R

we then replaced the old "jugaad" copper wire and now replaced it with a higher amp rated, well insulated, weather proof wire with soldered and crimped battery connectors.







Pic 12, 13 & 14: The old copper wire for the "earth wire mod" being removed from my vehicle.

The ends were also covered with heat shrinking wraps to further eliminate any chances of oxidation due to weather conditions. In layman language i simply wanted to ensure that i never have to go through that ordeal of my motorcycle acting up ever again!! once the installation of the new earth wire was done: connecting one end to the -Ve terminal of the battery and the other end to the earth wire bunch at the RR unit, we then put everything back and started the vehicle.









Pic 15, 16, 17 & 18: The "new earth wire mod" cable being now installed on my Honda CBR 250R.

Once the engine was started, we let it run for about a good two minutes to see if there are any engine leaks or any unwated vibrations creeping in. Once, everything was okayed by the mechanic we then put everything back on, the bills were cleared and i went ahead with a small test ride from the SVC to the streets of my place of stay.

OBSERVATIONS:

* The engine note changed within the first 30 seconds and any pending vibrations simply ceased to exist.
* Post oil change, the vehicle became even smoother.
* As mentioned earlier it was fun to play with the gearbox now, changing gears for no reason!! simply touch the lever and the gears would engage happily.

* With the installation of a thicker cable for the "earth wire mod" there seems to be even better response from my vehicle right from low end, mid range to top end which was something i didn't expect at all. Engine started at half a crank.

* The vehicle was more eager to perform. 0 - 100 came in a blink of an eye just that now the vehicle was even more eager. The engine was setting in now with a superior oil.
----------------------------------------------------------------

Hi All,

Was curious to know more about this mod. I wanted to know:

1.) What was the specification of the wire that was used for the same?
2.) Does changing the earthing wire effects the performance drastically?
3.) Any one in Pune who can help me with this?

Thanks in Advance,
Samuel

Re: The story so far.. My Honda CBR 250R

I was contemplating buying a used CBR (with ABS) when I stumbled across this. I gotta say, this thread is a goldmine. Hats off to all contributors!

I checked a 2013 CBR Repsol edition - 27k kms, well maintained and serviced at Honda SVC, according to the owner. Asking price is 1.10 L. I inspected the bike and found most of the critical parts (forks, chain, chassis, sprocket, tyres, wheels, brakes) in good condition. I rode the bike in the society premises and found the engine to be good - no weird noises or smoke. Couldn't take a proper test ride because the owner had just returned from Mumbai and it was getting dark.

However, after reading this thread, I am not sure about the engine anymore. What if this bike was also neglected and the SVC guys didn't replace the engine oil and oil filter? How do I find out if this is really the case? The owner has agreed to give me a longer test ride and also get the bike inspected by a mechanic next week.

Unlike @shiv18, I am not ready to spend too much time and money in restoring the engine. Minor one-time fixes are okay.

Re: The story so far.. My Honda CBR 250R

Shv18 I Totally Agree With You. As It's Only Coz Of Your Detailed Write Up On CBR250R I Bought My Bike. So Always My Best Wishes To You And Do Give Us Your Valuable Time Writing Your Experience About Your Tour.

One Thing I Would Like To Share I Have Made 4 Up And Down Till Date From Mumbai To Madurai And Back This Would Be My Fifth Trip.

On My First Trip, I Inspired By Xbhp Riders Had Used Motul Oil, What I Noticed, Once You Are At 6500rpm On 5th Gear And If You Try To Go Beyond That Mark I Could Feel Nice Vibrations On The Handel Bar But In City Ride My Bike Use To Be Butter Smooth.

So On My Second Trip I Switched Back To Honda FS. There Was No Vibrations And Bike Was Running Fine But More Refinement Was Added As I Used 91 Octane Fuel.

So Till Date I'm Stuck On 91 Octane Fuel + Honda FS Oil. I'm Eager To See How Your Remula Oil Performs On A Longer Ride.

One Small Tip When Ever You Feel Bit Of Pain On Your Bum Or Hip Take A Rest At Some Chaiwala For 5 Minutes. Don't Stress Yourself.

Keep Spare Medicine For Acidity "OCID 20" Headache "Disprine" And "Dolo 650" For Bodypain Or Fever. You Will Not Know When You Will Need One.

Jai Bholenath Enjoy Your Ride.

Re: The story so far.. My Honda CBR 250R

Thanks Divya. Will try and get some pics, even though my photography skills are absolutely horrible.

Thank you for your kind words. Yep i am excited to see if all the trouble i went through is now yielding benefits or else i need to show a bit more TLC.

I have Viaterra Claw (ViaTerra Claw motorcycle tailbag) which can literally swallow 50 ltrs worth of luggage in it. So all the items that i need to carry can be easily accommodated inside the Viaterra Claw saddlebag.



So far installation wise, i find Viaterra Claw to be very simple and rider friendly as the video link above will reflect.

All the precautions taken is not excess as unlike the road conditions from Maharashtra to Madurai where you do your regular rides are more or less butter smooth roads, things are completely different in the North-East India. All seasoned veterans can share their side of the story and let you know that "Leh - Ladakh" is a regular occurrence here the moment you start climbing up the mountains on this side of India.


Cheers,

Re: The story so far.. My Honda CBR 250R

Everything Was A Bit Excess To Cover 1500 + Km Lot Of Stuff You Got There. But How Have You Planned To Carry That.

Last Saturday I Started For Mumbai From Madurai My Precheck Was Oil Coolant All The Checks You Did. Carry Motul Chain Lube And A 8no. T Spanner. Good Gloves Make Sure Its Light As Possible.

Check My Pic Below.

Re: The story so far.. My Honda CBR 250R

Best of luck Shiv sir. We will eagerly wait for updates from your end on how the bike performs as a whole.

Re: The story so far.. My Honda CBR 250R

Some solid prepration there! Have a fun filled ride. Ride safe and treat us with tasty pics.

Re: The story so far.. My Honda CBR 250R

Hi All,

time for a small update from my end..

PREPARATION FOR THE LONG DISTANCE RIDE & NEW GOODIES:

As mentioned in an earlier post, the plan was on to do a 1,500+ ride on my CBR 250R to a) have fun and finally recover the money invested by actually taking out the CBR on highways she was always meant to munch miles on b) find out about the state of the engine and other components as usually with long distance rides all the chinks in the armour become apparent. I don't know if i should thank my lucky stars however my bike so far has been trouble free from CCT (Cam Chain Tensioner) & shim issues. In a way i am a bit surprised that with so much history of abuse, the bike has not developed any such mechanical problems yet... not that i am complaining .

I was actually planning to leave tomorrow (13th Oct, 2016) however the rain gods have suddenly decided that the monsoon season wasn't enough so they let the taps open and it has been raining incessantly since, the last 3 days. Now being an OCMD rider i am normally not so bothered about weather outside. However, the biggest concern is with potholed filled stretches where in the event of heavy showers, all of them will remain submerged and will prove to be a potential hazard for the safety of me as a rider and my motorcycle. So after consulting with senior riders and taking a stock of the weather situation by monitoring weather reports it was decided to start my journey day after (14th Oct, 2016).

As a part of checklist, the bike was taken to the SVC and my regular mechanic was instructed to check and double check everything and confirm if the bike was in good health and ready for the long distance journey i am planning to take my CBR to while dangling a special Pre-Durga Puja carrot in front of him. So he left every other job in the SVC and started inspecting my bike rather way too attentively then i had earlier anticipated!! Things we do for our love eh?

We did the following:

* Braking System: I had not managed to bleed out the old brake fluid due to time constraints and also due to unavailability of DOT 4 brake oil with me or at the SVC. The Brake callipers and the brake pads were inspected and found to be in good health. The rear brake fluid reservoir was found to be running slightly low on brake fluid so it was topped up with Bosch DOT 4. unfortunately the mechanic only had an previously opened bottle which he vehemently claimed that he had just finished working on one bike and had opened this very bottle earlier in the morning shift. Though i was not at all comfortable, sighting safety concerns i relented and finally let him top up the brake reservoir.

* Engine Oil, Air Filter: Engine oil level was found to be good and i had just barely covered 600 kms since, the last oil change so we skipped this bit. The bike was cranked to confirm if any unwanted noises were found to be emanating from the engine bay however, the engine was purring along just fine.

* Chain slackness: Chain was inspected and a very minute adjustment was done. The mechanic wanted to do up the chain by cleaning it and spraying it with chain spray however, i told him not to bother as i was anyways using SAE 90W gear oil (recommended as per SVC shop manual). The front and rear sprockets were in good health.

* Throttle & Clutch cables, Brake & Clutch Lever action/play and replacement: Both the throttle & clutch cables were thoroughly inspected and found to be ok. Based on my discussion with the senior riders and tourers it was decided to take out the adjustable after market levers and replace them with the OEM ones. Since, the old pairs were flaking silver on my hands, i decided to pick up a new pair for the purpose.


Pic 1: OEM honda brake and clutch levers. Note the levers inside are the aftermarket ones removed and stored inside the protective packaging for later installation.

* Electricals & Suspension: All the lights and switches were inspected and turned on to confirm that everything was working. Once the green signal given we then moved on with inspecting the suspension. Now thanks to the shitty pot hole filled roads, the adjustment nut for the steering head bearings had again become loose and the famous "Khat" noise had returned. So the mechanic again adjusted the same and tightened it to the level where the problem vanished. For the sake of newbies, do check out the two simple inspection videos showing the methods to find out if the steering head bearing/coneset in your bike needs to be tightened, periodic lubing/greasing and steps to confirm when is the right time to say bye bye to the old coneset and go for a new one:




Video 1: How to check & adjust the motorcycle steering head bearings




Video 2: Inspecting & servicing/lubing steering head bearings

* Inspection of Tires: Both F & R tires were inspected for any signs of nail or puncture wounds. But both were okayed by the mechanic. It will be interesting to observe how both the tires behave in a variety of road conditions that will be met in the 1,500+ kms of riding.

Once, everything was inspected to my satisfaction, the bills were cleared, the mechanic was made happy and i left for the return leg of my journey to home. I took a short detour and was very happy to find that the front was back to being awesome with the tapered roller steering head bearings doing duty in the front and keeping the front exceptionally stable even when i intentionally went on bad roads. This aftermarket mod is also a great "paisa wasool" for me.


So all the things are ready to go but wait a minute, i guess god was happy to let me have a few more surprise gifts land up at my desk, some for the upcoming ride and some to keep my OCMD happy :

Alpinestars TGP - Plus R Air Jacket:I had ordered it long back however, thanks to my own stupidity and fickle mindedness, i kept on ordering items one after the other which made it difficult for Mr. Vikram, Motozone to compile and send stuff accordingly. He was very kind to go all the way to PlanetDSG : Motorcycle Riding Gear, Accessories, Apparel and.. store in Pune, Maharashtra and pick up the jacket on my behalf. Anyways, better late then never!! The jacket oozes quality and is basically is a summer jacket. It was a small blunder from my end that i completely forgot to take into consideration that the winters in the NE - india are pretty darn cold so this summer jacket will only serve well till the mid of November. After that either thermal liners or extra internal rain gear has to be picked up to ward off bone chilling cold from interacting with my body. Regardless, this long ride will also allow me to thoroughly test out this jacket. (FYI: pics don't do justice as the colours are way off then what it looks like in real!). A one happy little boy









Pic 2,3,4 & 5: Alpinestars TGP - Plus R Air jacket picked up from PlanetDSG : Motorcycle Riding Gear, Accessories, Apparel and.. on my behalf by Mr. Vikram, Motozone performance.

I had pestered Mr. Vikram so much that in the end it was i only who completely forgot what all i had ordered with Motozone. Regardless, Mr. Vikram was kind enough to ship some of the items in the first lot since, i had shared my long distance ride planning with him, he reminded me and sent the riding gear as a part of the shipment on priority basis. Besides the Jacket some more goodies were in the box too.

Puncture Repair kit & Foot Air Pump Based on the advice of senior riders i also ended up ordering puncture repair kit and a foot air pump for road side repairs incase of an emergency. I believe it was something most of us riders tend to ignore and later regret in the event the unthinkable happens and you get stuck in the middle of nowhere. Though i am not so happy with the quality of the foot pump, for the time being it will do. I will later opt for a good quality electric air pump in the near future.





Pic 6 & 7: Puncture repair kit and foot air pump ordered online.

Lightech LED indicators & bar end weights: I always wanted to have a set of LED indicators in my next bike post my stint with Yamaha FZ. However, being a budget baby SBK Honda cut corners and ended up supplying the CBR 250R with standards bulb based indicators. After checking out the Rizoma LED indicators in @abhimanyu31 's Ninja San (Refer to thread post: http://www.xbhp.com/talkies/general-...ml#post1063007), a seed was sown in my mind, "thou must have something like this on my CBR!" While having my regular chat with Mr. Vikram, he had mentioned about picking up aftermarket stuff from Lightech, Italy (Lightech componenti moto lega leggera pedane specchietti tappi portatarga frecce protezioni viteria bulloneria ergal titanio carbonio) and that he was bringing in some shipments of LED indicators with the lot. It didn't take me a second to literally pounce on the opportunity and i pestered him to the end, till he finally placed an order for me as well. While we were at it i also asked him to order Lightech bar end weights for my CBR 250R. Do note readers, these items are not going to add any performance value to the bike, just merely customising/personalising my bike (in short waste of money for the general public but a must have for an OCMD rider.. because i want to!!)

Now with LED indicators as most of the rider who have gone for it must have experience, due to lower electricity consumption of the LED indicators, though they are way brighter then the OEM ones, the stock indicator flasher is not able to adjust to the voltage requirements of the LED indicators and starts pulsing the the LED indicators in a much faster succession also known as "hyper flash". So to re-adjust this issue, Mr. Vikram recommended using OEM manufacturer supplied resistors to compensate and allow the LED indicators to flash ON & OFF in a normal manner the old bulb based ones would. So i also asked him to place an order for the LED resistor kit







Pic 8,9 & 10: Lightech LED indicator & bar end weights along with the LED resistor kit to take care of the 'hyper flash' issue.

I have also ordered a pair for the rear indicators with a built in brake light illumination function which will be sent by Mr. Vikram in the second lot with a lot more of other stuff i have ordered from his shop. Can't help myself... OCMD!!


Pipercross Foam Based Performance Air Filter: As discussed countless no. of times and confirmed that simply by changing from a stock pleated paper filter to K&N replacement OEM air filter will not lead to someone gaining 5 - 10% in HPs/torque over a bone stock bike. However, the inner child in me was always fascinated in trying this theory out on my new FI based bike and see if there is a difference in acceleration or overall changes smoothness of the bike (purely seat on pants here). So shamelessly i ended up ordering Pipercross Foam Based filter for my CBR. Pipercross CBR users have claimed a smoother acceleration and reduction in vibrations post installation in their respective bikes so the curiosity got the better half of me. For a regular rider, don't bother if you are happy with the stock performance of your respective steed. I am an idiot, an experimenter so choose wisely before following my path!



Pic 10: Pipercross Foam Based performance air filter.


Anyways gifts aside, all the pre-ride preparations are done more or less. I am now eagerly awaiting and praying to God that the weather doesn't screw me over this time and let me commence with the most awaited time of the year to let lose the horses and start with the journey this machine was designed to do... wish me luck..


Cheers,

Re: The story so far.. My Honda CBR 250R

Kindly refer to this page: http://www.xbhp.com/talkies/general-...ml#post1185731 which has a lot of discussion and subsequent posts which should help you to study a bit more about HH sintered brake pads. I donot wish to make this thread look like a branding/marketing page for any of the after market sellers i have procured items from, so please don't mind if i don't share pricing here.

However, for the sake of your query: as mentioned in the thread link page above, i have got these items from Mr. Vikram Verma, Motozone Performance: Mumbai & Pune (https://www.facebook.com/motozoneperformance/). Since, you are based there, you may connect with them and meet them as per your convenience. Their shop is based at Kalaghoda, South Mumbai near Colaba and i am sure you will have plenty of fun spending time and interacting with riders in the likes of @abhimanyu31, @chinmayakar , @FZERIDER and many others who periodically hang out there, share their passion and discuss stuff related to motorcycling, riding gears, performance tune ups, aftermarket kits, safety, rider aids etc. ... in short a biker's paradise.

I had a lot of fun when i was in Mumbai and got to learn a lot from senior riders like @abhimanyu31 . Do check out his thread Ninja San, any passionate rider will gain a lot by going through his thread: one of the most (perhaps the only) tweaked out Kawasaki Ninja 300 in the country.


Cheers,

Re: The story so far.. My Honda CBR 250R

How much did you pay for the Brembo HH Sintered Brakes pads and from where.

Re: The story so far.. My Honda CBR 250R

QUICK UPDATE:

Hi All,

a very small one from my end:

I have covered a measly 557 kms since, the last oil change. The most interesting thing i observed was with the Brembo HH sintered brake pads. I have only one thing to say,"OH MY GOD!!" The brakes have become very progressive. I am now literally scared to use the rear brake as i have managed to inadvertently engage the ABS numerous times whenever i applied brakes with the level of pressure on the levers, i earlier used to do with the OEM pads. My CBR now seems to have oceanliner's anchor attached to its braking system. The bike stops immediately the moment F&R brakes are applied. What i found was that compared to OEM pads, the sintered ones took a bit longer to break in than i had earlier anticipated: close to 350 - 400 kms.

The confidence in the stopping power of my CBR 250R has now jumped quite a bit. So overall very very happy with the add on braking performance: full on paisa wasool! Many thanks to Mr. Vikram Verma , Motozone Performance for recommending the Brembo pads. If one has the moolah, i would highly recommend HH sintered pads (Either Brembo or Galfers) purely because of extra layer of safety and the confidence it gives to the rider.

FE has again jumped post usage of Rimula R4. I am not able to pinpoint the exact figure since, i have not done the tank full - empty method, but seems to be the case that either the fuel indicator bar has suddenly decided hang itself or the fuel in the tank simply doesn't want to go down too quickly . The initial observations are encouraging though, i would not like to make any tall claims. The correct method will be to follow Tank full - Empty - Tank full and confirm the actual gains or losses. If the gains in FE are indeed true then the theory of using Shell Rimula R4 = better ring land seal = lesser piston blow by = better bang in the combustion chamber = better power & FE will be proven in my case at least. Overall engine vibrations are subsided at the moment.

I am planning to do a 1,500+ kms ride sometime in October, 2016. This will help me to assimilate all the traits of my bike and probably allow me to give a better update on the overall changes in behaviour post all the work done on my CBR 250R.

Until then...

Cheers,

Re: The story so far.. My Honda CBR 250R

The technical awareness in SVC is pathetic ..inspite of the fact that they are all factory trained...It is because the Factory techs who teach them are themselves in the dark and information sharing is never done by Honda with their own techies. It is all about numbers and money earned on service for the SVCs...Only a dedicated few SVC mechs choose to educate themselves on various technical things.

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Honda specifies engine oil of 10w30 from 2011 and API-SG with JASO T-903 MA confirmation.....API-SG is no longer in vogue, and JASO MA ia the starting spec for JASO oil specs. Here is the information for the engine oil as per Honda recommendation...



The surprise here is the Sulfated ash content as per spec at 1.2% which is what the Rimula R4 has..

Hope this clarifies any doubt about what Honda spec is about.

The Phospor content is at an all time low, with no Zinc content....

Re: The story so far.. My Honda CBR 250R

AFAIK this is only used in motorcycles like shine, unicorn etc. For Activa, Dio and other scooters there is a gold coloured bottle which is of 800ml(JASO MB spec). I have seen it at the svc. Same oil can't be used as motorcycles have wet clutch and scooters have dry ones.