This is an expected and a pretty common issue with modern liquid cooled bikes. The radiators are through-flow type which means that the fan behind it pushes air through the radiator. As these engines are pretty densely packaged, there's little space available to fit in both the radiator and the fan in tandem. So they are literally squeezed together with very little clearance between the radiator surface and the spinning fan blades. This closeness is also a design feature as the closer the fan to the radiator, the less will its delivery air 'leak' around the radiator, thus ensuring maximal airflow through it.

But this very 'low clearance' becomes a problem for bikes ridden through slushy or muddy conditions. The front wheel picks up the slush and flings it at the radiator. Gradually this slush, if wet enough, creeps through the 'pipes and fin' mesh of the radiator and starts piling up in front of the fan. Since there's so little clearance between the fan and the radiator, soon the build-up is enough to obstruct the fan blades from rotating. If the fan is forcibly stopped from spinning, the fan relay (if there is one) tends to burn up. In the absence of any such relay or thermal/electrical overload based circuit breaker, the fan motor can burn out.

I had faced a similar issue with the Bandit during my ride to K Top last year. There are two possible remedies for this:

1. Use a large mud-flap on the rear of the front fender to prevent the wheel from flinging up mud and slush onto the radiator. I know it'll look ugly but the bill for a burnt fan will probably be uglier

2. Keep an eye on the radiator when you ride through slush. If you see the muddy deposit increasing, as it will because the radiator is hot and the slush dries up very quickly when it lands on the hot surface, then remember to clean the mud at the first stop by directing a stream of water at the deposits. Use a soft toothbrush to gently remove the wet mud but be very careful not to bend those fins. They are small, thin and very easy to bend.

You said it an old tooth brush and a bottle of engine oil and distilled water are part of my tool kit in CBR.

On a side note. My bike takes a bit longer to warm up(about 3-5 mins just for that one bar to pop up)
The manual doesnt mention how long before warm up but says the operating temperature is between(so is that 3 bars?) the C & H
So is it necessary that i wait till all 3 bars pop up or is 1 bar sufficient?

General query from my side for those who are adjusting rear shock. Is it ok to adjust just a rear shocks ? I mean a front end of the bike plays major role in handling department so isnt it necessary to aaply same setting for front shocks also..? for exmpl :- suppose I am adjusting bikes rear shocks to HARDEST setting and still the front end is at softest(stock) setting will this make any adverse effect on overall handling of the bike ?

@ chicmagnet : seems u are from Mumbai.. U know Road frm Mumbai to Ahmedabad.. From ahmedabad - Mehasana- Palanpur - Deesa - Sanchor - Barmer 415kms wide open roads.. CBR will feel too small..
From Barmer - jaisalmer 155 kms almost 0% traffic super sexy 2 lane road.. from jaisalmer to Bikaner 380kms again NIL traffic n heaven road.. without even Dhabas for chai at 2-3 places

so when ur planning

any 1 attempted saddle sore on CBR 250r??

Hey Harsh.. this engine rattle seems a real problem with the CBR.. i have heard a lot of this.. infact its been referred to as a 5.5k rattle.. apparently its no major issue and should get sorted after the first service.. do let us know..I am a little worried though about the parts here
No upgrades for me yet.. though I have been debating on a few.. Ditto on the colour of the bike as well as the gloves for me

Spare parts for cbr in chennai

@Aargee, I distinctly remember the sales person at the spares counters of Kun Honda, Adyar, informing me that the headlamp assembly for the cbr has arrived when I was inquiring about the set of spare parts that have arrived for the bike. I also saw the box that it was packed in(apart from some carbon fibre look alike panels). So i am sure they had it in stock. Call up their ASC and check once. I hope your ride gets fixed soon and glad that you are ok.

Piece of cake & can be done on any given day provided the roads are good.

No Kun Honda doesn't have it anymore; the same piece is with JSP AN now Lol!!!

[/QUOTE]
Completely agree!!As, I have done Chennai to vijayawada round trip twice until now.
I am assuming that you have talked to them over the phone, wherein they might not take you seriously or the wrong person might have answered your query. Let me go there tomorrow and check it personally. I will keep you posted.

I am just asking, has any 1 eat that piece of cake since CBR250R is launched in India???

Nitesh, it takes a long time to show the 1st temperature bar if bike is at idle (yes 3-5mins). What i do is wait for the rpm to settle at 1500rpm and then start riding it and i keep it slow and steady till the 3bars pop up and than ride it normal. Usually when i am in mumbai, the rpm falls from 2k to 1.5k in around 20 seconds but in colder region where i am now, in morning it takes more than a minute to settle. I dont know if i am following the right technique but its very long to wait till any temp bar to be displayed. Experts,?

Do you mind telling us the id of the Honda CEO? Would be a great help for all of us

Its not the 5.5k rattle. That was the 1st thing i checked in the bike. This rattle comes when your accelerating a bit faster than usual. It starts at around 3k and goes till 4.5k.rpm. and later diminishes as we reach 5k.

& bingo---trust you to come up with all the right words & explanations

I always had an issue with nothing covering the mud & debris flying off the front fender in the CBR unlike the R15 which has a proper mesh structure protecting the same

when raised with honda two reasons were given

1) international design

2)cost cutting (more rational )

I think a desi radiator guard design should do the trick --

As of now am not paying a single rupee as long as honda is accepting that it's a design flaw.

Harsh I would definetly share it one -on-one.. The idea being writing to CEO as a last resort. I mean once the escalation process is followed .. do mail me on [email protected] and i will mail you back the id.. As far as my CBR is concerened no issues till now 756km being the reading on odo.... 1st service over