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

QUICK UPDATE: Hi all, i am very happy that there is an active participation of readers and fellow riders on this thread so much so that in less than 3 weeks this thread has already crossed over 2000 views... honestly, i wasn't expecting so much attention with my mere experiences being shared over here. Regardless, due to time crunch i would like to give a quick update to the readers:

* Clutch Cover Bellow: As suggested by @psr sir i landed up at SVC and asked the mechanic over there to start hunting for a rubber clutch bellow just like it is found on the clutch cable of a HH ZMA or a Honda Unicorn so that we add some layered protection to the earlier exposed part of the cable towards the engine side. I guess i also ended up recycling a simple yet essential part which costed me nothing (may adding some brownie points from Mother Nature! ) I would highly recommend this set up for any biker/motorcycle as it provides a decent amount of protection against dust, rain & mud.







Pic 1, 2 & 3: The collected junk at the Honda SVC. It is actually a goldmine for those who know what to look for. The rubber bellow costed me nothing. May be for a fellow CBR owner or any motorcyclist looking for the same thing, this may be a good place to start digging. The Rubber clutch bellow after being installed over the earlier exposed clutch cable (detached from the clutch return mechanism).


* Chain Maintenance: Due to incessant rains and the early start of monsoon in the North East India, the duration of interval between cleaning and lubing chains has drastically reduced. I have no choice but to opt for a diesel wash @ every 300 kms. However, due to unavailability of chain lube sprays in the local market, i have opted for a simple jugaad of using SAE 90W gear oil with the oil squirting can, one would normally find at any local mechanic's shop. It does the same thing as any chain lubrication spray/grease/liquid may do at the third of the cost and is quite effective. I believe it is available at any petrol station or an lubricant dealer for a mere cost of Rs. 90 - 140/-. I have used SAE 140 gear oil on my FZ's chain and it prolonged the life of the chain drastically (other factors were also responsible). Agreed the stuff that flings out from the chain will leave some oily spots on your rim but then again with the incessant rains here; that is hardly a minor irritation compared to the regular mud bath my bike takes almost everyday.







Pic 4, 5 & 6: The vehicle getting its regular bath. Special attention is paid to the radiator so that it doesn't blocked with mud thus increasing the chances of overheating the engine due to lack of air flow. Chain getting a thorough cleaning with a used toothbrush and diesel. Warning: never use a brush with metal bristles unless you intend to damage your motorcycle's chain.


I cannot help but repeatedly point out the importance of maintaining the drive chain of one's motorcycle. Without a doubt this is one of the most ignored part of a motorcycle. When enquired about the history of chain life with other CBRs in and around my place, i wasn't surprised when i heard that on an average the life of a chain & sprockets in a CBR locally, has been found to be as low as 10 - 12k kms and then people regularly land up at the SVC, complain about the lack of quality and that they didn't expect this kind of ownership experience from the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer. I believe it is a normal human tendency to look for reasons other than their own mistakes in order to make themselves feel better. A drive chain is one of the most important part of the vehicle. It is the link between the engine and the rear tire of your motorcycle, the one through which the power generated from the heart of your motorcycle reaches the tarmac to get things into motion. @abhimanyu31 has written a very simple yet elegant post on his thread: http://www.xbhp.com/talkies/general-...ml#post1063171 I would highly recommend any aspiring rider to go through this thread's post and atleast understand the importance of chain cleaning and lubing at periodic intervals in order to gain the maximum life and also have better transmission of power to the rear tire which in turn will allow one to get the max out of the vehicle.

* Aftermarket VS Stock grips: Though this may be a personal choice, when i purchased the vehicle from the previous owner he had actually installed custom aftermarket grips over the stock ones. When i test rode the bike for long distances what i found was that these grips were actually making the ride a very unpleasent experience. So time to get rid of them! To me personally, i prefer the feel and grip of the stock ones over an aftermarket one anyday.





Pic 7 & 8: Aftermarket grips VS stock grips. With the stock grips the motorcycle felt nimble and easier to handle.

A lot more things are needed to be covered but due to work pressure i am unable to sit and share my (elongated version) story with you. There are a series of lot more changes coming...but for now this is it!


@muztariq: This is the condition of the engine oil after 300 kms..



Pic 9: Very dark amber colour indicating oil doing its work properly to get rid of earlier depositions inside the engine.

If i look at the picture above, from my earlier experience with my puny little FZ i have never seen an engine oil turn dark so quickly post an oil change. Unless this is common amongst all the CBRs, i highly doubt that the previous owner had maintained the vehicle like he should have. The oil filter's condition gave us enough idea about the life this motorcycle has led. Just that the owner had replaced engine oil on time (atleast thats what i hope) which kept things ticking. Regarding your view about people having the money to buy an expensive motorcycle will naturally have the money to spend on the maintenance too, well i would say: It is not uncommon to find people buy an elephant and then not have money to feed it (my uncle's golden words, when we were getting this vehicle inspected and it had me in splits! ). If you look in and around you, how many Yamaha R15s and CBR 150Rs (for some they are in the premium sports category) have you noticed with worn out chains and clogged air filters with scratch marks all over the body panels and yet the owners are not bothered about repairing them? I am pretty sure a simple visit to the SVC center anywhere in India will not surprise you. You will find plenty of such stories across all bikes ranging from 50 - 400 cc category. That's why there is a difference between a motorcyclist and "The motorcyclist", the one who understands the joy of riding a bike and yet knows how to take care of it and in return have a trouble free ownership. Luckily xbhp is a common place for all newbies or experienced to share their experiences which in turn helps everyone to learn something new everyday

Regardless, I will continue monitoring it and see if there are any noticeable vibrations or further darkening of oil. Normally whether it is an air cooled or LC bike, an FS oil usually starts changing colour in about 2,000 kms. If so then the oil will be replaced at an early interval just on a precautionary basis and we shall start with the Rimula treatment. But I believe, we are getting far too ahead from the journey..more on this later

@Divya Sharan: Thank you for your kind words. Regarding your query, if you have seen the screen grab from the workshop manual it clearly indicates the inspection and the replacement interval for the spark plug on a CBR 250R which i am sure will astonish you!!:



Pic 10: Service interval of parts on a Honda CBR 250R.

As per the manual the inspection interval of a spark plug is 25,600 kms & replacement interval is 51,200 kms which is ridiculous!! Coming from an air cooled engine background i too understand the concern raised by you and @muztariq with the spark plug where a life of the OEM spark plug as mentioned in the manual is max 12,000 kms. I believe the OEM spark plug on a Honda CBR 250R is NGK Iridium with an Iridium tip which is extremly robust and thus, has a very long and extended service life. Even if i replace the spark plug say @40 k kms to control my OCMD , it is still good value for money proposition and besides i have not witnessed any reduction in power or starting abilities on my bike...so no need to overdo it right?? This proves that this is a very well engineered bike aimed at a rider who wants to live the life of "Fill It, Shut It & Forget It" approach.

The drain bolt "O" ring when inspected was found to be in good health so didn't bother replacing it.

For a 250 cc premium bike in the Indian market i have found that most of the parts are priced quite reasonably barring a few like the engine oil filter for example. Even though i am a Yamaha fan, this bike is slowly growing on me and i have realised it is indeed an underdog.. does everything you want but always stays at the backstage. I believe this motorcycle definitely deserves a second chance in the Indian market as i don't think any other manufacturer is able to provide all the positives a CBR can give:

* Cheaper parts
* Cheaper fibre body panels
* No - nonsense and trouble free engine
* Very cheap to maintain, long service intervals
* Plush suspension for crappy roads, especially in the North East where you have to decide whether to land your bike on a small, medium or a large pot hole filled with muddy water!! There are plenty of choices for you if you knwo what i am saying...
* can do 100 - 120 kmph all day long without breaking any sweat
* Is a proven tourer
* Plush seat and tons of appreciation from the tourer community.. but wait, but i rather stop it right now!! :P

Fins are not actually badly scored but rather bent slightly may be due to stone chips that were flung on it while on the road. The procedure to straighten them is fairly simple but yes does require some dedicated time to get the work done. You don't have to replace the radiator fins as i don't think there is an option to do that. You will have to literally replace the whole unit which is not practical or currently required at all at this stage. I don't want to overload the reader with too much information so as mentioned in my earlier posts, we are breaking it down into different sub sections so that it allows the reader to look at the finer points without getting bored. Let us keep this reserved for another day

Yes totally agreed, the cooling system is highly efficient, Honda deserves a pat on their back for this.


Cheers,

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

Superb and very detailed ownership report Bro.
I am glued to this thread.

Sent from my XT1022 using xBhp Connect mobile app

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

*Superlative*
If I am allowed to sum up in a single word. shv18, it is after months (I suppose) that I have come across a quality thread. As usual, psr sir and the likes of him have but only the best advice and expertise to share with us all. The description is exhaustive as well as informative. Working on a 'decent' 2nd hand motorcycle actually makes sense. But in case of a deceptively looking crashed bike, it will take a toll on the new owner. Even a little bent frame and wreck havoc on the running performance.


I started reading it today and read it at one go! Good that I chanced upon this after a lot was already shared otherwise I would have bothered you no end to update this as frequently as possible. Waiting for an update on the future Rimula treatment. Eager to see how the little maintained 20k Honda engine responds to that.
And it can't be reiterated enough that Honda engines are one of the most robust and abuse friendly pieces of art ever!

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

Shv18.....another good narrative post from you...

As I read your posts I cannot but conclude that the Past Experience had really taught you a lesson and you are richer in Knowledge and putting it to good use. You are moving forward with greater wisdom and understanding, and in Sharing the same, enriching the thread and our knowledge base.
The Iridium plug is good for at least 50~55 K Kms,as long as bad petrol and repeated detonation(Knocking) does not take place.
Keep the flow of Posts.
Good Luck.

@ BloggingWheels..Thanks for the compliment...I learn here and share what I learn here. I am another member of Xbhp trying to be useful to others.
Regarding a dented frame, a small dent will not cause any change in the CBR250R's performance.....If you had seen the Powerhouse FZ18 thread , The frame of a CBR250 was drilled ,and even with a hole in frame ,the CBR 250 did not have any problem, and is still running good....Such is the strength of the Design of the CBR250. Honda is Honda..

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

FEW GOODIES FOR MY CBR250R:

Hi All,

thank you for your kind words and active participation in this thread.. good discussion and interesting debates are much encouraged here!! Now that the wait begins for the rest of the spare parts to arrive, the impatient me started looking for some of the items i can procure to make my life a little easier:

* WD 40: It is a versatile product and well known for over million uses at home, office or industry. From the experiences and lesson learned from maintaining my FZ, it was inevitable that WD 40 would be resting in my garage very soon. WD 40 is exceptionally helpful when the monsoons are at its peak. Many riders may have faced the irritating issue of switch gears at times not responding to your inputs or sometimes the ignition switch even when turned on, nothing happens, nothing comes up on the MID screen, the motorcycle refuses to start etc. thus, leaving the motorcyclist fuming. WD 40 has de-greasing and anti-rust properties which gets rid of any rust formation inside the terminals of the electrical switches and get things going.



Pic 1: A WD 40, 400 ml can. Costs around Rs. 250/-

When using WD 40, what i do is liberally spray in the nooks and corners of the switch gears till the liquid starts dripping from the bottom hole. I then wait for about 10 mins and then turn the switch gears on and off multitude no. of times. If required further spray is applied and then go about my merry riding. Once the treatment is done, the rider will immediately notice that all those switches now work properly. I use WD 40 also to lubricate the lockset which makes things really easy for me. Now i don't have to fight with the ignition keys to turn the on the vehicle which earlier was happening with the onset of rains. Would highly recommend this product for any motorcycle owner. Alternative to this is ZORRIK 88 from Pidilite. If you cannot find it in your locality try Ebay, amazon and other online sellers, they should be able to get this delivered to you at your doorstep.

* Slime Digital tire pressure gauge: It is not uncommon for riders to get annoyed with experiencing bouncy rides after filling air at one station only to find out that the front and rear now feels extremely heavy when they try their luck filling up air in another one. the cause of this annoyance is due to the fact that 90% of all the standard pneumatic dial gauges have never been calibrated by your local tire shop resulting in wrong readings when measuring the tire pressure in your respective vehicles. I too went through the same stage when i got hold of the vehicle. So after exhausting all the resources and various tire shops in and around my town, i finally had it and went on looking for an alternative. Welcome Slime digital tire pressure gauge system. Simple, elegant and will always give you correct air pressure readings when compared to the standard pneumatic gauge. Being digital and with electronic sensors it is not affected by ambient temperature outside or altitude unlike the case with the analogue ones as shown in the reference video below:



As shown in the comparo video above, when the air pressure was repeatedly tested using an analogue gauge, the readings came out slightly different whereas the digital gauge gave consistent readings throughout the test thus, proving that digital gauges are more accurate. Though one shouldn't take everything with a pinch of salt, i for one was convinced that owning a digital gauge will end my tire pressure woes for good.



Pic 2: Slime Digital Gauge for measuring tire pressure. You can get readings in PSI, Bars and K pascals. Easy and simple to use.

Being in a remote place, internet was there for the rescue. When the time came to get hold of one, I ordered mine from . The order was placed online, money was wired and the item left from their store within 24 hours flat! I received the digital gauge in a week's time and was quite impressed with the professional attitude of the seller.

Time for some fun...It was hilarious to see the expressions on the face of the tire shop guys when i would pop out this little one and ask them to check the tire pressure, first with their analogue gauge first and then use mine to do the readouts. You would be surprised to find out that some of the analogue gauges read as much as 5-7 psi +- from what the digital gauge was reading. The smarter tire shop guys got their ones calibrated with my digital gauge whereas the morons started arguing with me how can it be so and that they have been in this business for ages. I showed them polite gestures using hand symbols and left them with their ego taking a hit while getting the things sorted out for my vehicle. One important thing to keep in mind is always check and fill air in the tires when the tires are cold. Otherwise if the tires warm up due to changes in temperarture insde the tire, the air will increase its volume due to thermal expansion thus, giving out wrong readings. Regardless, i am very happy with the little toy i got for my CBR.


WARNING: the following engine oil treatment will be conducted on my motorcycle in the due course of time with my accord and based on my research. Should one decide to follow my foot steps, you are doing so with your own free will and hereby are also prepared to face the aftermath (if any).

* HDEO Oil Treatment, Shell Rimula R4: What? Why?.. the reasoning: Finally, after a lot of waiting, the fresh stock of Shell Rimula R4 arrived. I was happy to get hold of the now famous HDEO oil (on xbhp) and i am eagerly waiting for the vehicle to complete it's first 3000 - 3500 kms. Once it hits those nos. on the odo, i shall then do an early drain and then start the rimula treatment on my motorcycle engine. I am pretty sure that idea of using of a non-approved engine oil by the OEM manufacturer and that too made for heavy duty diesel engines may raise many eyebrows in the motorcyling community however, there is a reason to this.



Pic 3: Shell Rimula R4 HDEO engine oil bought for engine treatment.

If the readers visit the earlier posts on this thread showing the condition of the engine oil filter and then the new Shell Ultra FS oil changing its colour immediately within 300 kms of usage, to me it was not at all encouraging. There are the following possibilities which i could deduce from the experience so far:

* The engine oil was only replaced at recommended intervals and the previous owner simply didn't want to spend 300 bucks on an oil filter so he left it unchecked.
* The engine oil was replaced and the oil filter wasn't but the SVC kept on charging the previous owner for both without the owner's knowledge. (Most probable)
* The engine oil was never replaced but only topped up at the service centre and the owner was billed for both engine oil and oil filter. (oh No!!)
* The engine oil was topped up, never replaced and the owner was aware of it but he never bothered to share it with me at the time of the sale. (worse case scenario!)

So keeping in mind with so many variation of probabilities and the current engine oil darkening so quickly: it meant that Shell Ultra FS was busy slowly cleaning up all the gunk and dirt that may have accumulated in the oil galleys, engine internals, top head and may be even on the camshaft and valves i.e. wherever the oil flowed as per OEM design. Though for some this may sound an overkill, but i simply didn't want to take any chances with the engine. So far post 300 kms the engine was slowly becoming less vibey and the smoothness was back on but with the time crunch due to work commitments, i was simply not in a position to open up the side engine covers to inspect and see if my suspicions were true. So here came Shell Rimula R4 HDEO oil to the rescue! The engine oil thread on the xbhp has already covered tons of success stories with the usage of this oil as an alternative to conventional JASO MA engine oils sold in the market by the likes of Motul, Valvoline, Gulf, Elf, Crapstol (oh i meant Castrol!!) and many others. I believe @Divya Sharan has already covered over 25,000 kms on his motorcycle with Rimula R4 and has nothing but appreciation for this oil. So what the fuss is all about with HDEO?

During the early 80s & 90s when due to crappy tolerances and bad engine metallurgy, the vehicles would usually breakdown quite often. In order to reduce this, the engine oil manufacturers added anti wear ingredients like ZDDP (Zinc Dithiophosphate Zinc dithiophosphate - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) or simply known as "Zinc" in their respective oil. During high load and high heat conditions, the Zinc will coat itself over the metal surfaces like we do lamination over our ID's, licence etc. which would prevent metal to metal rubbing thus, reducing friction, increasing the longevity of the engine internals and also in the due process make the engine more efficient. With the introduction of Catalytic converters to reduce air pollution, the percentage of the Zinc content in the engine oils for both cars and motorcycles has been steadily on the decline by the oil manufacturers now as it is belived that the Zinc in the engine oil may react with the catalytic converter (chemically) thus, rendering it useless, making the vehicle more polluting then what is normally accepted by the government agencies. With the reduction in Zinc content now the car and motorcycle manufacturers were forced to work on the engine metallurgy to make the internal components much more resilient to friction and wear. A modern motorcycle engine is far superior than what it was back in the 80s both in terms of design, close engine tolerances and metallurgy. However, the friction being an ever present enemy, will eventually wear out any engine component with continuous usage: it is inevitable. One may be surprised to find out that the german sports car manufacturer porsche still recommends using ZDDP in the engine oil for their product offerings in the market. When the engine oil started getting sold in the market with lesser ZDDP content, Porsche also supplied a separate pouch containing a concoction of ZDDP which is to be mixed with the engine oil in order to ensure smoother operation of the vehicle. So one of the world's most famous sports car manufacturer still insists on using ZDDP for their cars.. i believe then there must be something that they have discovered over the lifespan of manufacturing cars like the famous Porsche 911 and the likes of it.

Anyways moving on, i am pretty sure the readers may be wondering: why Shell and why Rimula R4?? As per the constructive discussions that have taken place in the past in the engine oil thread, it was found that Shell in India is one of the only lubricant companies which shares proper MSDS data sheet showing the content of various components in the engine which many other companies shy away from declaring in public. They have so far not stopped the usage of Zinc and other active ingredients which provide a significant amount of protection to the engine internals. Even though the usage of Zinc has more or less reduced or stopped in engine oil for petrol cars and bikes, it is still actively used in engine oil for diesel vehicles as by nature a diesel engine is used in low rpm, high heat - high load operations like towing, lifting, compressing etc. Under such conditions, the engine internals made of metal would eat each other up after constant interaction unless high dosage of anti wear ingredients are used. A diesel engine oil also has the highest percentage of active detergents which keep the engine internals clean understandably due to the nature of fuel burnt by the engine. It also has a superior capability to function even after the concentration of suspended particles in the engine oil exceeds that of a normal oil used in motorcycles. Shell Rimula R4 has got the highest percentage of ingredients like Calcium Alkaryl and ZDDP which in my case would do wonders.

Looking at the current engine oil condition, after consulting with senior riders i felt that my CBR's engine needed a high detergent and high ZDDP engine oil "re run-in" which will ensure that any remaining or possible deposits over the period of last 20,000 kms which may have been left out by Shell Ultra FS oil will be scrubbed off by active detergents in Shell Rimula R4 and also parts exposed after the removal of layer of gum and varnish formation by the active detergents will now receive a "lamination" of Zinc thus, making the engine run smoother. One of the expected side effects of using such high detergent content engine oil is that intially the engine vibrations may increase exponentially as the engine oil will be busy cleaning up the surface thus, resetting the tolerances which will be disturbed as earlier the engine internals may have got covered with gunk and gummy depositions which along with the functioning of the engine got mated to the surface of the engine internals and thus, the components also got their tolerances set in and around them. As i start clocking the kms with the Shell Rimula R4, the disloged gum and varnish will now be replaced with ZDDP and then the new tolerances will come into play thus, in the due process the engine will become quiet and smoother.

Understandably, there are few counter arguments to using this oil:

Q1) The recommended engine oil rating is 10W 30 whereas Rimula R4 has a thicker grade of 15W 40. Won't this affect the performance of the engine?
Q2) Shell Rimula R4 is a mineral oil, the recommended engine oil has to be FS right?
Q3) Why use un-approved oil which may damage the catalytic converter or the engine?
Q4) isn't it better to use engine flush products instead of going through this procedure?

I would like to answer these in following points:

1A) I believe with the usage of thicker engine oil, one will experience a slight reduction in acceleration in comparison to the engine oil of 10W 30/40. However, bear in mind that we will be following this Rimula R4 treatment for the initial 1,000 kms only. After that it will be drained off and the Shell Ultra 10W 40 FS oil will be used.

2A) Yes the recommended engine oil is FS however, Shell Rimula has the highest content of ZDDP and detergents which as per the experience of most of the riders is comparable to the smoothness one feels when using an FS oil. Some have even claimed this to be at par and as a cheaper alternative to FS oil. As i have mentioned before this oil will be only used for 1,000 kms only and then it will be drained. We will then revert back to Shell ultra 10W 40 FS oil.

3A) I highly doubt that using this oil for 1,000 kms only, will damage the catalytic converter so easily. Plus, due to the nature of my job, i won't be loading the engine with sudden hard acceleration or high speed runs so even with slightly thicker grade oil then what is recommended the engine load will be within the limits.

4A) I for one am not in favour of using after market engine oil flush on my CBR. I would prefer to use a high detergent, high ZDDP engine oil instead which even though may take some time to clean up the deposits but it will do so providing absolute protection to the engine. Plus, the engine oil flush may also remove deposits from the gaskets which is actually encouraged by the manufacturer to provide better sealing. I don't want to go through a situation which may end up with my engine leaking oil from all directions. Though agreed this is just a mere possibility, i donot want to take any chances.

The points mentioned above are just mere possibilities we are expecting from the Rimula treatment. The reality will be revealed soon after the treatment is actually initiated.


Thanks mate.

I am just merely sharing my experiences but thank you for the compliment. I shall try to make this thread as noob friendly as possible and wherever technical queries are there, i would request the senior riders to chime in.

Thank you sir but as always i have nothing but respect for you.. you have embarked on a little journey to educate people like me.. i am yet to learn a lot from experienced riders like you.

Cheers,

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

Lovely post. Make my mileage with R4 ~46000 km now. Stopped using it some time back because I had intensified on my commute distance and I started changing oil twice a month. Would revert back to it soon.
I agree it's a personal choice but I have a simple point to showcase to people who are skeptical of R4 - 75200 KMS and NONE of the engine internals are touched till date! Timing chain, clutch plates, bore, piston, rings etc are all stock that came 4 years ago.

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

Wonderful.. That seems to be a lovely deal and of course, ride safe and fly low

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

Personally I do believe that this is one of the best ownership/experience threads I've ever read. And my belief is getting stronger day by day after going through your subsequent posts!

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

Thanks @Divya Sharan for the correction! I am astonished by the no. of kms you have covered on your steed and it is still running strong. This only re-affirms my belief that Rimula treatment should work just fine on my CBR.

For all those who are still scratching their heads over ZDDP and how it functions, please do check out this video:



Though this is merely a simple video demo about ZDDP in relation to the engine, especially the top head mechanicals (and a product placement too!! ), I hope it should give the readers some perspective about the topic we have covered in the previous post.


Thanks mate

Thanks a lot... i would have blabbered a lot more but time crunch due to work commitments is hindering my normal rituals.. but do stay tuned for more...

Cheers,

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

Brilliant take on safeguarding the longevity of the engine! Do keep us updated on the results! By the way, would this method generally work on any type of motorcycle engine? I currently have a first gen FZ, which has begun to show signs of dying out pretty soon. Would it be advisable to test this method out, since the engine construction varies from the CBR to the FZ? No to mention the DOHC.

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

What "method" are you talking about mate?
If it is about using a diesel engine oil instead of the conventional engine oils, then you can give it a try. It won't break anything at once.

It is all about convinience and must be purely a well deliberated personal decision. 8/10 people out there would stop you - some out of concern and others from ignorance.
The choice is purely yours.

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

Method as in using a HDEO in your vehicle?
Generally, when the oil weights are similar or nearly similar, there is nothing to worry about. Note that we're talking specifically about the Rimula R4 in this case.
Many people, including myself, [MENTION=41586]Divya Sharan[/MENTION] and [MENTION=32286]psr[/MENTION] among others have used the 15W40 Rimula R4 without any problems. The Rimula R4 HDEO oil contains a higher amount of ZDDP compared to the AX7 Ultra or the Shell Advanced Ultra FS (for the CBR). This helps in protecting the engine internals. I believe the FZ uses 20W40, so you should read about HDEO's in general, read about the effects of an HDEO on a motorcycle engine (shear, viscosity, lubrication etc) and make an informed decision for yourself.

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

Hi mate,

as mentioned earlier by other seniors, i believe there shouldn't be any problem with using Shell Rimula R4 on any bike so long as you are not too far off from the OEM recommended oil spec. If you have followed the thread so far [MENTION=41586]Divya Sharan[/MENTION] has used it on his ZMA which is an air cooled bike, i am planning to use it on my CBR 250R which is a 4 valve LC engine: two completely different bikes with a different engine config. However, the principles of lubrication remains the same. Though in my case the requirement of a high detergent and high zinc content is imperative but until i actually start with the experiment i would like to withold my comment.

End of the day it is purely your call whether you would like to experiment with Rimula series or carry on with regular recommended oil on your FZ


Cheers,

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


Ahh! Yeah, I did get that part about zinc forming a protective coating over the internals. I missed out on the grade of oil. Yep, I'll do a bit of recon on the same and try it out on the FZ.. This thread seriously is something else! Thanks to everyone here! You guys are awesome!

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

Hi all,

i believe it is time to update the thread with the latest set work that was done on my CBR 250R. But before we start with the whole thing, let me share a hilarious incident with everyone. If the readers may recollect, i had earlier mentioned that the white colour had started to look like there was some sort of yellowish stains/layering on the vehicle. However, i soon discovered it was nothing but due to the high iron content in the water which would eventually form a layer on the surface of the paint thus, making the stock colour look dull. So time for some TLC then! The vehicle was handed over to a friend of mine who specialises in removing iron from the paint surface using a series of different rubbing compounds. He was meticulous and ensured that too much abrasive product is not used on the fibre panels or places where the OEM stickering is done or else they will get damaged. It was a tough time for me to try and convince him to take money from me as he simply refused to take a single dime for the work done. Friends i tell you!!

So once the iron removal work was completed, the vehicle transformed completely and it looked as good as a new bike which has just come out of the showroom:



Pic 1: My CBR 250R post iron removal treatment.

While the work was getting completed on my bike with final layer of polishing being done, i was approached by a gentlemen who happened to land up with his vehicle for some work. He asked me which year of make was this CBR and when i told him that it is only a year old, he started asking me a lot of questions especially, if i was willing to sell my bike to which i politely declined. He then started offering me the following figures:

Gentlemen: How about i offer you Rs. 1,50,000/-?
Me: No sir i am not interested in selling my bike.

Gentlemen: OK how about Rs. 1,60,000/-?
Me: No sir i am not interested in selling my bike.

Gentlemen: OK how about i offer you Rs. 1,70,000/-?
Me: sir thanks for the offer but honestly, i am not interested in selling my bike.

This kept on going till he reached Rs. 1,80,00/- and i was completely befuddled by his keen interest on this particular CBR! Then i politely told him that i have just got hold of it and i have no intention of selling it. He then told me that he is desperately looking for an ABS CBR 250R in the second hand market and none of them look as gorgeous as the one he is seeing right now and he has absolutely no problems in parting away with the money looking at the condition of the bike.

My friend who was watching all this from a distance, after the gentlemen left now started pulling my leg by asking for a big cut from the deal, it was all because of his hardwork and that i should have taken money

So if one does simple maths, i got the bike for 1.09 lkhs and now was being offered 1.80 lkhs.. so that was pretty darn good profit for anyone!! I guess the second hand market locally, being scarce of 250 and higher CC category motorcycles, plus the unique Pearl Sunbeam white colour and that too with ABS is what led to all this fuss.. But in the end one important lesson learned!! In future if i ever intend to sell my bike, make sure it looks as good as the pic above: one can always fetch a better resale value than the one which has been kept dirty. Anyways, moving on let us start with the actual topic in hand..

ROAD TO RECOVERY PART 3:

The SVC informed me that the front brake pads have arrived so i made a quick dash to the SVC and then started the whole procedure.





Pic 2 & 3: Front Calliper being removed from the motorcycle

Once the front calliper was removed, the mechanic then used a screw driver and very gently put pressure on the pads from inside to push the 3 pistons into their retracted position. Once the process was completed, the front pads were removed from their place and the holding pin was brushed and greased using lithium grease. The calliper was also gently cleaned up to remove any dirt and other unwanted deposition inside.



Pic 4: The price of the OEM Nissin front brake pads.

From the looks of it, to me it seems that the front OEM Nissin pads are semi sintered which is why the price is on the higher side. If one looks closely, you will notice metallic substance being present in the brake material. Honda has made no compromise on this front so i was happy to pay the amount for the same.



Pic 5 : Nissin OEM pads. The friction material from visual inspection felt to be made of semi sintered compound.

I guess the comparo picture between the used up pad and the new one will give the readers a fair bit of idea that the vehicle literally had no friction material left and as a result, whats was left of the pads were rubbing with the metal rotor surface leading to a bit of scoring. I was really concerned whether the front rotor was in good health or do i need to spend a fortune to get a new one for my CBR. Again the micro meter gauge was popped out and rotor was measured. We found that the front rotor measurements were way above the service limit (4.3 - 4.5mm at some places) which as mentioned earlier is 3.5 mm for the front and 4.0 mm for the rear one as per the workshop manual. That gave me some relief that no extra cash was needed to be spent on this.



Pic 6: The comparo picture of the new Vs the used up front pads.

Once the new pads were installed, the front calliper was bolted back onto its place and a thorough inspection was made to ensure that the alignment was proper. The front brake lever was then pumped many times till the sponginess feeling completely vanished from the front lever and the front brake started to engage. It was an understood thing that the front pads also needed about 150-200 kms of break-in period in order to rub the friction material with the rotor and then the brake bite becoming more effective.

Now if the readers may recollect, the ABS on my motorcycle is currently non-functional and the ABS warning light was illuminating constantly when riding, so it was pretty evident that something was not right. For those readers who don't have a clue how an ABS system functions on a motorcycle, do check out the video below:



As per the workshop manual, if the ABS light comes on one must first check the following:

* Check and see if the fuses for the ABS unit are ok or have shorted out.
* Check the sensor pulser rings (attached on the brake rotors) if they have any iron/magnetic deposition. If so one must scrape it off.
* Check if the ABS wheel speed sensors mounted on the calliper of both front and rear are ok and not damaged in any manner. If so replace the damaged unit.



Pic 7: The procedure to troubleshoot ABS warning light as mentioned in the workshop manual of CBR 250R

So we then opened up the dedicated fuse box for the ABS unit and checked if all the fuses were alright. The inspection showed all fuses to be in good shape and no breakage was observed. We then moved on to cleaning the pulser rings, both the front and rear ones. We then got the vehicle out for testing but the ABS light was still on. We then opened up both the front and rear wheel speed sensors to check if any dent or wire connection issues were present. The front sensor was alright. But when we opened up the rear one, there was a visible dent on it.



Pic 8: The rear ABS wheel speed sensor with a visible dent.

This raised my suspicion that this is most likely the culprit because of which the ABS is currently non-functional but the brakes work just fine. Since, it is not a fast moving part the SVC didn't have it in stock, i then placed an order for the same. Most likely when the previous owner was using it, due to the condition of the roads, a small stone must have got loged in between the pulser ring and the sensor and in motion it hit the sensor pretty, hard knocking out the sensor for good: as a result the ABS unit was not able to get any signals from the rear sensor and it simply dis-engaged itself but kept the normal braking functional. Since, it was getting late i kept this to be sorted out on a later date and left for home. Once, i reached home, the OCMD kept on bugging me: I wanted to confirm my suspicion if such an incident has taken place ever anywhere in India or with any user globally and then internet gave me the answer.

I managed to find one such reporting in an international forum where the user was noticing the same issues as i was. When he opened up the sensor he found that it had dent marks on it and once it was replaced the ABS was back on. I am adding the reference link for users to have a look at: http://www.cbr250.net/forum/cbr250-problems-issues/9522-abs-light-flashing-after-tire-replacement.html

And here are the images shared by the user with the same problem:





Pic 9 & 10: Dented wheel speed sensor of a Honda CBR 250R (Image courtesy: hondacbr250r.net , user ID: friedrice5005)

I am waiting for the rear wheel speed sensor to arrive at the SVC now. Once, we install it and then do some tests i shall then confirm if the ABS unit became functional or if it was later found out to be some other issue because of which the unit was not working.

There is still a lot more to cover but all in a good time...


Cheers,