Hey fellow xbhpians,
I finally got a deal on a 2011 CBR 250 ABS, 20k kms for 55k, I went and inspected the bike. It is in literally speaking mint condition to look at, very well maintained, felt very smooth to drive too. The previous owners also seemed very good and kind enough to allow me and my dad 2 test rides to judge the bike. Everything seems good, a little sluggishness from the bike I guess because its not in daily use, but I'm sure it'll sort out.
The only chink in the deal is that the led backlight of the instrument console is not working. I personally don't think it to be a deal breaker at all but I look forward to any suggestion fellow CBR owners have on this.
I also wanted to ask CBR owners, in general, this one issue I've read regarding CBR oil leak and gasket replacements and water pump seal replacements across forums, I wanted to know if it's a pretty common occurrence or like a one in many freak incident.
I know that spares are hard to find but I think it's worth the wait for the Honda Magic that it is.
Thanks in advance folks

55k is a good price assuming it's a first owner bike.

I am not sure what would be the cost of replacement or repair of the instrument cluster light. So wait for others to respond.

Regarding oil leaks, no it is not common but in case any leak is due to gasket, it won't be an expensive fix. The gaskets are quite cheap (but the labour to get it installed is high if it's a head gasket or crankcase cover gasket)

Water pump seal / mechanical oil seal leak is not common but I have faced it in my bike just 7 months ago. It lead to leaking of oil from the "weep hole" below the clutch cover (aka right side crankcase cover) which costed me approx 4.5k for replacement including labour and tax.
In conclusion : not very common.

Parts are not easy to find but I have a contact here in Mumbai to help you get quite a few of the CBR parts if needed which aren't easily available at the ASC. Will be shipped anywhere in India (Not advertising. Just trying to help fellow CBR owners)

anyway, do ask for service history or atleast the recent ones from last 2 years (since the usage was v low, it is possible he serviced it rarely) check for brake pads life and tyre life. CABS brake pads are pretty expensive. Front costs 2.3k and rear 1.2k.
Pair of nee tyres will cost 7k minimum.
So consider all that too.
Check ignition/lockset for free movement of the key (old CBR's ignition set is crazy expensive compared to the 2013+ variant)

Thanks a lot Ratan for all the help,
Yes it's a single owner.
I might need the help of your contact in sourcing parts. Regarding the usage and service, the lady service done was 6 months back and been driven less than 500kms since. The brake pads have a good deal of life in them judging by thier thickness. Regarding the tyres, the owners have equipped new michelin tyres on both ends, size as per vehicle recommended.
Yes, the key did appear to get stuck a bit while moving but will check for free movement. from my experience, I had to push the key in further and then move from off ignition position to On.
I hope it's in good shape only.
But a huge thanks to all you CBR owners, tons of help for a new guy trying to select a preowned cbr.

Hi friends, I need your help. My bike's current ODO is 53k and am planning to go to Ladakh next month.
Last week I gave the bike for service and changed Accelerator and Clutch cable, Oil and Air filter, Oil (Shell 10w40), Chain sprocket, Front brake pads, Rear brake rotor, rear brake pads, Bearings and Spark plug.
After the service, mileage dropped drastically. It's only giving 20 - 25 kmpl. What could be the cause of this?

Also, the bike's battery is 2 years old (15 to 20k ODO), should I replace the battery? If yes, please give a suggestion as Amaron has stopped the production of Z7L batteries.
One last thing, shall I hook a mobile charger to the battery, does it affect the battery life?
Please do help me with this guys. Thanks in advance. psr B7ACKTHORN please help me on this.

Three things I can think of. Maybe consider these as some pointers to investigate.

• Faulty O2 sensor can make ECU calculations go haywire.
• Check tyre pressure daily. Underinflation reduces mileage.
• I have read that faulty or improperly fit spark plugs can sometimes result in low mileage.

No need to change battery if self start is working fine and battery maintains correct voltage. Battery life is usually 4 years when ridden regularly. Use mobile charger but route it via the ignition so it draws current only when you turn on the ignition switch.

1. Check for proper slack in Clutch cable. If it is too tight without slack you could be running with half clutch situation.

2. Check if Chain has 20 to 25 mm slack at the center of it's lower side, If it is adjusted without slack during change then also the FE will drop and the changed parts will have accelerated wear.

3. Is the Air Filter changed or cleaned ? Check and see if the Air Filter is OE .

4. Check both Front and Rear brake pads binding. Since you had changed them , did you check for Floating caliper being free to move or is it Jammed on the pins ?. One of the problem faced by all owners with Disc brakes is the Floating Caliper getting jammed leading to the brake pads constantly acting against the Brake Disc like a mild pressure braking.
My suspicion is on the Chain being very tight and on the brake calipers not being free..
Good Luck.

If faulty O2 sensor, the engine would start stalling but the engine running very smoothly and the power is also better than before. Checked the spark plug, and no issues with that too bro. Checked for punctures on both tyres, they seem to be holding up well.

Thank you sir for replying, Air filter has been changed. Checked both front and rear brakes for issues, put it on a paddock and rotated, wheels are rotating freely. Chain is also not tight I checked for slacks in the center. The Clutch is definitely not tight, it's as before. Anyway, I will check the half clutch config tomorrow for peace of mind.
Update - Mileage improved to 28 in city conditions but still bothering me.

28 in city is pretty normal. Why bother ?
28 in city, 33 on highways is the average fuel efficiency I believe for our CBR. Rest depends on how you ride/maintain the bike.

Usually, I get around 35 in the city and 38 to 42 on the highways brother. I don't ride in high rpm and I shift gears under 5k rpm.
and dropping below 20 will eventually scare us right?

UPDATE - Took a city ride of 150 kms round trip today after draining the fuel completely and filling it fresh. Got an economy of 32 kmpl. Thanks, everyone for your time to help me out on this.

Hi RoadRanger , first check if coolant leak or just normal water after washing. if it's leak there is strong possibility it's from Radiator, because pressure wash can damage aluminium radiator easily.
if you are sure that it's from that tube itself, then order parts from Honda spare parts dealership and relax for 22-30days depending upon your location. This is the only way to source parts nowadays.

I have sent you a DM with a contact person who can get you the O ring / gasket which sits right below that pipe. I had the same issue as the seal had gotten hard over 10 yrs and coolant had started to leak. The seals come pretty cheap. Costed me just 200 from the same contact I've shared the number of.

Cheers

Hi everyone. I posted a while ago about a mechanical whirring noise coming from the ABS sensor. It happens when the bike gets going from a halt and when the rear wheel hits bumps. Originally the Honda service centre mechanic had told me that there must be some problem with the bearings within the ABS system but since the braking is working fine it should be okay. I took it to another mechanic recently and he told me that the ABS plate was a little bent and that he tried to fix it. The issue persists, though. I'm in Chennai and was hoping to get recommendations of good mechanics who can solve the issue. Any suggestions?