Re: Honda CBR 250R

Changed the Honda 10w30 mineral which had done 6400 kms to HP RacrSynth 10w30. Meets API SN and JASO MA2. That's all I need in an oil. Engine runs smoother, obviously because of the new oil.

Re: Honda CBR 250R

Yup, if they mess your vehicle, you can always send emails and escalate the matter, take them to court even.

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Yes got it, stick to the stock recommendations and you shall be fine, for oil again I would be suspect on the different make.

For the lights, the word is that the extreme vison because of it's blue tint is not good for rainy conditions please get it checked.

Tyres stick to the recommended size, the brands can vary and you would be ok.

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Dear 'streetracer',

I would say this very simply,

1) Are you stating that engine oils differ per user? are you stating that you may have more information than the company that made the bike? if so please share the details so we would be enlightened.

2) On the brake pads very austute of you to give an example that does not apply to the rest of us, congrats it worked on your case, but do you know the poor quality check of Bajaj? I am surprised that a person who can afford a bike like this is haggling over the price of a part whose difference is say 300 -400 INR.

3) Do you know the damage that can be done on the electronics and the expense of getting them fixed? Do you know that what is being done is technically illegal?

4) Please tell us on the 'requirements' of what is the benefit of using tyres which are not per stock measurements?

5) Congrats, you are a mechanic, read the above lines and see the benefit of using the official service stations. Apparantly you have invested in a lot of tools but cannot afford brake pads.

Next time read slowly and try to understand first.

Look at the posts above, but I would try to summarise
1) Engine oil; there is absolutely no issue with the OEM one, and apparantly using car/diesel engine oils are doing well. While the Shell brand can be used in cases of emergency there is this fetish, for other brands as though the machines are driven for such a niche purpose.

My dear friend, have you ever tried to read a Technical Data sheet/MSDS of an oil? If not, please go through them. Compare stuffs, read lab tests results etc. Selection of oil is the most discussed items everywhere. It depends on "REQUIREMENT". In simple words, "to each his own.

2) Brake pads; Apparantly even when parts are available there is this thing for using the cheapest one's available, that too of Bajaj, which are known to be of poor quality.

I have Bajaj 220 rear brake pads in my CBR250R. For your kind information, both brake pads of Honda CBR250R and Bajaj 220 are made by Bybre. Honda one costs around Rs. 900 and lasted not more than 9K km in my case; however, BAJAJ which you considered it as a "low quality" lasted for almost 3 times more than Honda one. I did not find it anywhere less in quality of braking. Again, it's not eating my rotor. Rotor is in quite good shape. If you require, I will measure out and let you know that data.


3) Lights; For some reason everyone want's to be a truck on the road, if you are unable to see with the stock headlamps please get your eyes checked.

Looks like you have problems with people upgrading their lights.

4)Suspension, tyres etc; These things are responsible amongst the others of keeping you steady on the road.
etc etc.

Again, it depends on "REQUIREMENTS".



To conclude while there is absolutely nothing wrong in using after market parts when the stock ones are not avaiable, it is a travesty to use them when parts are there.

The bike has been transplanted from the Fireblade itself and these juggad monkey jobs are just spoiling the machine.

Point is; if you want the bike to run well, stick to the manual and the service manual, both of which are amply available on the thread. Otherwise hope these hack jobs ground you, like the countless others on the wayside and garages.

P.S sticking with the official service centres enable you to escalate the matter and get refunds which is lost even when a single after market part is used.

Why should I stick to official service centers when I have better hand-on experience than Honda mechs in my vicinity and I have invested a lot in better tools than these SVCs have. You are not only one who have that Owner/Workshop manuals

Re: Honda CBR 250R

You win, I lose...

Re: Honda CBR 250R

Oh, and how many people have the patience to argue and plead, beg with the svc to get even the most basic repairs done as per the manufacturer recommendation.
I know because I've probably shot the most number of emails and follow ups with companies (including honda, bajaj, ktm). I consider myself to have some basic knowledge on motorcycles and I feel sorry for those that aren't as technically sound and see them get ripped off at a authorized service center.. Which is why I think a lot of people come to forums such as these looking for some help. Simply asking them to follow manual and go to svc will not solve their problems.

Do you think every svc follows the workshop manual, and carries out repair/service jobs to the T as specified by the manufacturer ?
Do you think every mechanic in the svc is factory trained especially when it comes to repairs related to bikes such as cbr/ktm/ essentially today's 200+cc category that come with a bit of different mechanicals and not to mention the electronics.

In a perfect world, what you said about sticking to the svc for everything is fine.. but alas the situation at most svc's is the same pathetic customer service and even worse vehicle service.

Have you done a study on bajaj quality control ? Do you have any research paper to prove this ? Or is it just the arm chair research on google ?(which is what i think a lot of us do and enjoy bashing 'quality' due to 'crowd mentality').. and i guess you are just as guilty as most of us.

If one uses a bit of common sense, some parts can be swapped to an oem equivalent without issues. In this case, brake pads.. i know from experience that the bajaj brake pads are no less inferior to any of the other brands sold here in India. The brake pads on my Ktm at the rear are still the stock pads at 32k km now and the front lasts at-least 20k km.. and hey these are bajaj pads that cost less than Rs.500 for the entire front&rear set!! I ******* pay almost the same for the brake shoes on my honda dio!!
Some companies just have a huge markup in their spares to mint a neat profit.. doesn't always mean exceptional quality.

Re: Honda CBR 250R

@ Manan - you have a lot of theory knowledge. Guys like s1d and arvstreetracer have hands on, practical, applied knowledge, do know how to service their vehicles better than most authorized SVC mechanics.

Only people who switch their tyres from Contigo to other tyres will know the difference. For example, I have changed my front to Ceat Zoom 130/80 for faster cornering at speeds <120 kmph. The rear tyre I have changed to Ralson Speedblaster 140/70 which has extra grip on the sandy corners. I'm having a lot more fun now. The thing to keep in mind, is, the 'authorized' tyres are most often the cheapest on the CBR250.

About the Bajaj brake pads, users have tested them, then used them. If you haven't done so, please restrain yourself. Bajaj quality is not as good as Honda's, but in the matter of rear brake pads, I find them to be of equivalent performance.

In engine oils, obviously there is nothing wrong with Hondas oil, as I have used mineral for 6.4k kms. The company would obviously recommend their own oils, because they are running a business here. If you put Yamalube into a CBR250, your bike isn't going to explode. Since what matters is the API rating and the Jaso MA2, I switched to HP Racer Synth 10w30. Costs ₹400 for an oil change.

It's a matter of smart money management. When you apply your mind to the problem, when you experience shoddy work at the SVC then waste a whole day trying to rectify it, that's when guys start doing their own repairs.

Re: Honda CBR 250R

[MENTION=54284]Manan[/MENTION] my Phillips bulb is white not, blue, avoided that color, I am considering changing my parking lights with the same power consuming specs mentioned, will not put anything over or under the recommended bulbs you should use. Honestly brake pads, it comes down to personal choice, 220 rear pads I do think last longer than the cbr non abs stock ones tho my reliance on the rear brakes have considerably reduced over the years, I used to use cbr 150 pads in the front but then put back the original ones for peace of mind.
[MENTION=58594]leech[/MENTION] again the engine oil change differs, I don't think it's healthy to run your bike for that long on 10w30 unless you ride below 5000rpm 90% of the time, I will change oil as soon as I feel the engine, gear shifts feels less smoother n rougher, I hit 100+ daily on my bike, never cared about mileage. I just want to keep my bike running for 1 lakh plus kms without a any engine overhaul, that's the plan.

Re: Honda CBR 250R

I agree with you buddy, but you see, we have data on how the CBR250 performs on excellent oils like 300v and Shell Ultra Synthetic. What we don't know, is, how many kms will the CBR250 engine last on HP or BP or Honda mineral oils? Will it last 1 lakh kms? If a CBR250 sipping Shell Rimula has the same engine life as a CBR250 running Shell Advance Ultra, then there is no need to jump up and down and start pumping Rimula into the mouth of every bike we own.

I have to prove this, otherwise millions of people around the world who look upon Xbhp for advice would rush to their vehicles, look at a perfectly good synthetic oil and dump it down the drain all because it looks brown. I have to prove that good quality synthetic/mineral oils will definitely do 4000+ kms.

If I'm wrong, and I have engine problems, you guys here will be the first to know.

Re: Honda CBR 250R

Fair enough, keep us updated on your bike? Did you change you chain sprocket set? I remember you ran almost 40k km on the stock chain sprocket set which is unbelievably long life. The cbr Engine is a bullet proof one, it can run on low oil as well but I honestly used to run my old unicorn for ages on low or no oil, it was a bullet proof engine certainly and gave life till a 80k- a lakh don't remember before I did a small engine rebuild, I don't particularly remember. Also another update I forgot to mention, I changed my front mudguard which was cracked because of a couple of accidents a few years back and before some brake oil seeped on it, it cracked, costed around 900rs for part plus fitment at the SVC.

Re: Honda CBR 250R

No, I haven't done so yet. Pickup is gradually decreasing, noticeable only when I pin the throttle. However since my riding style and the road conditions permit only quarter throttle, I change gears at 7000 rpm mostly. Like 0-25 kmph in 1st, 25-40 kmph in 2nd, 40-60 kmph in third. Very rarely any bumper to bumper traffic. It's almost 47,000 on odo now.

Re: Honda CBR 250R

For some reason i feel tempted to jump into oil discussions knowing very well that it is a coffee-toffee topic
The foremost thing i believe is regular oil changes (preferably in intervals less than 9 months most of the time). Switching to a specific brand after a period of neglect (which probably might have cause excessive engine wear) is not going to do any magic.
And oil life IMO varies on these factors:
1. Motorcycle (commuter/performance class etc..) and Grade used (for most of India and most bikes around here a 10w40 would be sufficient year around). I personally wouldn't want to use a 10w30 for extended periods. If the manufacturer recommends something heavier than a Xw40, e.g. ktm , then do use that.. try to avoid downgrading to a w40. It aint going to blow up your engine, but just might not provide optimum protection.
Always remember, any oil is better than no oil.
2. Temperatures/conditions/ the way one rides the bike
3. maximum use in our stop go traffic puts more strain on the oil
4. A proper fully synthetic/semisynth -- the definition of a semi/fully synth enables even certain oils to be branded as semi or semi-synthetic. You could do some research about the base oil etc.. that make up a fs/semi syn.
I would rate the motul 7100/300v , Shell advance ultra as a proper fully synthetic oil.. whereas the other fully synthetic or semis oils such as say a honda throttle/bajaj (which is probably made or was made by HP iirc) do not have that chemistry of an oil like the motul/shell fs , and probably why cost lesser.

You could easily run the motul 7100 for 5-7k km under normal use. But if you are riding a lot in traffic that involves lengthy idles, moving at snails pace slipping the clutch, then it would probably be a good idea to change the oil at 4-5k interval.

If its a mineral or semi synthetic or mineral, i'd say stick to 3-3.5 km intervals at the max.

Some of them are more paranoid than others.. e.g. want to dump out mineral at 1500km and FS at 3000km - no harm is earlier changes if you don't mind spending the money.

So stick to regular oil changes, and don't expect miracles from a change in brand especially if the bike has a neglected oil change history. Some damage cannot be undone by an oil change.

If you'd have noticed my prev posts regarding oils , i sometimes give a slightly different recommendation.. i try to gauge a person's use-case/habit and recommend something with a fair margin of safety/error.

Bottom line for people who are in doubt and don't want to trust folks like me on the internet, please STICK to what is mentioned in the manual wrt oil change with a bit of common sense thrown in.
If anyone paid close attention to a Honda manual it would most likely specify a chart with the oil grade to use based on the ambient temp.. unfortunately in India honda switched from a w40 to a w30 a few years ago and that's the only grade they sell themselves.. but w40 works just fine and is in fact more apt for our typical usage especially for folks who ride in stop-go traffic extensively.


And oh, btw i too like to experiment with different brands of oils, and in my experience as i said.. most important is regular oil changes for a long engine life.
My last oil change on my duke 200 was after 13 months/6000km (most of it was inside city with not much excessive traffic). Did not have any issues.. since most of my earlier oil changes were mostly between 4-6 months/5k km.

End of another episode of oil rant

Re: Honda CBR 250R

Give this guy a medal for maintaining that stock chain sprocket...

Re: Honda CBR 250R

Tommorow I will be visiting Malwa honda, Okhla for service(odo 46000). I have a few queries

(1) sometime back I mentioned that my bike is consuming excessive oil. I tried various remedies as mentioned by fellows here but the oil consumption is still same. piston ring replacement seems the only solution but I discussed this with a few mechanics and all of them told that entire cylinder kit is to be replaced. Is it really so, replacing only rings isn't sufficient ?

(2) Do I need to replace spark plug considering the odo reading?

(3) Since past 35k km I have been using shell and motul FS oils. I don't know wheather svc will be putting a mineral or synthetic oil. Is it fine to switch to mineral oil at this point as I will again be putting shell FS on next oil change ?

Re: Honda CBR 250R

I have used motul 300v last year, it was good for 5000-7000 kms, changed by 6000ish cause I had a coil and fuel pump relay issue, but the oil was still at 1. 4 litres and not reduced and bike was always very smooth, I did the trip in May, 650kms fr Chennai to Kodai, kept the bike in very high revs and it felt lovely and smooth for a long long time. Since winter came I'm now on 10w40 motul and it's Riding still good but again it depends on your riding style, mid range or redliners, there is a huge difference.

Re: Honda CBR 250R

Hello everyone. Its been a long time since i was last active to xBhp. I was going through the posts when I read the debate about engine oil, lights, OEM parts and visiting only SVCs. Please keep some patience and read this not too long post. This is also for you @ Manan

Firstly, The Engine Oil. There is nothing wrong using other brands engine oil apart from Honda recommended 10w30. With my experience and riding style, I could smell the engine oil burning @ rather 2.5kms max. Once again, the life of the oil varies on riding methods. Currently using Mogul 7100 10W40 since previous 2 oil changes and it suits perfectly. Not even the Motul 300V was suiting my riding ways as much as 7100 did. So don't listen to the company because they are just trying to make money by selling their brand products.

Secondly, The lights. What is the issue if anybody changes their lights? Some people like stock, some LEDs. But that doesn't mean we are ruining our bike. I had used Osram Night Breaker Laser 60/55W which was an amazing bulb and now currently using RTD 35W Led bulbs. It all comes down to choice of visibility. What good is the stock light if the person isn't comfortable riding without the required amount of light? And [MENTION=54284]Manan[/MENTION] - to be straight forward, that was rude on your side to tell somebody to have their eyes checked up just because of their discomfort to see the streets with stock bulb.

Thirdly, The tires. That again is upon the personal preference of the rider. Yes, the size should be the one recommended but brand and types can be used on comfort and confidence of riding.

Fourth, The OEM parts. This is somewhere I agree that parts should be OEM but if you get the same feedback without damage from other manufacturers part then there is nothing wrong if somebody is using it to be a bit economical.

Lastly, the Dear Dear SVC. The SVCs are the major thugs on the automotive industry. Some of them are really good. But some just look to fill their pockets. I've had my personal encounters with SVC so let's just not be trusting them blindly. I was made to change my chain sprocket set and even the rear brake disc itself in just 13K kms. The way they tell you these stuffs just makes you scared for your life and makes you want to grant them the permission to replace the parts even when they are all clean. Not all SVCs are good.

Re: Honda CBR 250R

Most of the mechanics will ask you to change the entire bore kit and maybe even get the valve kit replaced. They don't bother to find the root cause of the oil consumption. Only on properly inspecting the bore, would it be possible to ascertain if it needs to be replaced. If it isn't scored (i.e vertical scratches that are visible to naked eye) or glazed (shiny areas) , and the bore is not oval you might get away by simply replacing the rings, or rings+new piston. Ideally you should notice the cross hatch pattern at 45 deg angle on the bore surface.

Sometimes the cause of oil consumption might even be leaky valve seals.

This mentality sometimes is again due to the labor involved.. its the same either if you want to change just the rings or the entire kit. So mechanics/svc don't want to take a chance and also probably want to make a few more bucks by making you replace more parts than really required.

Can't say for sure without inspecting the block/piston.

Considering the ODO, go ahead and plonk in a new plug.
You can use the honda throttle fs oil, or the regular honda engine oil.. no issues. Just do a careful run in for the first 1000km, by not redlining and keeping the rpm under 7000 most of the times. A rebuild might not be close to a new engine, so be more careful with the run in.