@Ganesh
Its pretty simple . R15 is built and optimized with a track in mind and the CBR on the other hand for the street and masses.
Both the bikes have its own market.A more spirited rider who is capable of making use of the extra what R15 offers,both on the track and streets, would obviously fancy it over a CBR(in this case-Killer and er..me :P) and someone who prefers a much relaxed all rounder would prefer the CBR(in this case you).
So its totally about what the rider wants and that is exactly what the OP should know and tell us esp when comparing bikes of different segments.

Well, I didn't have any sort of these things in mind when I zeroed on CBR, that's probably why I don't regret or see anything better than CBR in the current market...
1. International model
2. Light on pocket
3. 250cc or more
4. Twin cylinder
5. Not an Indian manufacturer
6. Forward leaning posture
7. Easily serviced ONLY at ASC
8. Bike should do 120 all day & if opened a little should be able to do 140

The only one matched was N250R except 2 & 7, while CBR clicked except on 4. Owing to practical reasons, I picked up CBR. So all other things such as track, non track etc doesn't matter to me. The only thing that CBR disappointed me is with the front brakes...atleast for now

ok, so we know, R15 has a lot better handling, cornering abilities than CBR. most of the power being available at higher rpm's.
CBR has more power than R15. power and torque available from low rpm's.

my questions are-

1. On a highway, like mumbai pune highway, if there is a race between CBR and R15, who will win, both the riders being equally skilled, both bikes stock.
2. on a race track with both bikes having stock configuration and equally skilled rider, who will win.
3. while climbing a hill, with lot of twisties, both bikes having a co-rider, rider being equally skilled, both bikes stock, who will win.

all the experts, plz answer these.

Am no expert but from the mag tests conducted its obvious that in all 3 cases the CBR will have the upper hand. Come on bro afterall there is a whole lot difference of 100cc in there. How can one expect a 250cc to be outgunned by a 150cc.

I don't know how this would matter...

I ride the CBR each day 80-100kms to and from office. I enjoy the effortless thrust with just a slight twist of the throttle. It handles well, brakes effectively and touches 120 in no time... I enjoy the 1hour drive in peak traffic both in the mornings and evening

But if I were to compare the handling with the R-15 then I would have no qualms in stating that that the latter (Have ridden the R-15 for 5k, took it to a tour in Rajasthan) is superior in both handling as well as the braking department. A very fickle and one of the most responsive bikes I have ever ridden. And I am talking street/highway riding and not track!

But then again, I believe in the old school theory that there is no replacement for displacement, at least in the real world riding, if not on track. Quite frankly I have never ridden on track and never intend to do so as well. I am tourer and I believe that the CBR is better suited for that purpose, owing to its relaxed (in comparison) posture, good low end - especially advantageous in the hills (I down have to double downshift to bring it in the power band unlike the R-15 and Ninja which are comparatively high revving vehicles) and fairly good cornering abilities. Suits me.

Moreover, I rode the R-15 after 6 months and 13k of riding the CBR, and it felt oh so underpowered!

My perspective

In Bold.
PS- Killer will have to verify this

I am riding R15 for city, touring and in some twisties, and i feel as @killer said the R15 is a master in cornering and CBR cant come close to it, as its delta box and suspension makes a lot of difference. The myth of tall rider not fitting R15 is absolutely wrong as i am 5.10 and the R15 is perfect from all angles. Rode the CBR 250 too but the R15 revving punch, the way R15 handles the corner and above all its a forgiving bike where CBR is not. In braking R15 wins hands down let it be wet or dry surface as compared to CBR. In straight line of course CBR wins as it has extra horses and has bigger engine. The R15 is a boon in traffic. Take the CBR and R15 to a track and lean the same way as R15 does, you will get scared while R15 inspires confidence and you take corners easily. In fact i would say 220 is a better than CBR 250 in corners and all.

@ranjith - i have done twisties with my wife on R15 and i found it handles well without fuss if you can keep her in the power range.


This all i am writing on my experiences with all 3 bikes.

Rofl

CBR is quicker, more torquier, better suited to indian roads, perfect indian tourer..

But ride quality of R15 is unmatchable.. The difference is like a good touring bike and a racing DNA bike.. hope it helps..

if you ride R15, no other indian bike's ride quality will satisfy you.. period!

So much of thoughts, so much of time differences, so much on ride quality & what not...all this to just show one bloke what bike he needs to buy who cannot decide by himself after going through all the ownership thread here to leave all the fan boys to keep fighting!!!

Be it R15 or CBR or even S1000R, what good does 2-3 second of lagging behind or leading does on road unless he plans to start a career on racing himself for which he shouldn't be comparing a 250 & 150cc!!!

"keep her in the power range. "
You have to keep the R15 in its range but not on the CBR!
CBR has much more accessible torque way down and that along with a bigger engine definitely makes it a much better machine up the hill.

@Ganesh
"what good does 2-3 second of lagging behind or leading does on road "
Ha,true but if that is how we lived why do we have the S1000's and ZX's and what not? its all about being that little faster

anyway like i said-both the bikes are diff. and both have its own riders and some riders will see and make use of an edge the R15 has over the CBR.

and i hope you don't see me as a fan boy.i think my posts do check that out and given a choice to select between the 2 today,i wouldn't go for neither-see,not a fan boy

I may be wrong but I feel that the aluminium chassis and the lighter kerb weight of the R15 are also some of the things which give an edge to the yammie.The Honda to keep the pricing more competitive have used a steel frame the cbr 250 engine in the slightly strengthened chassis of the cbr 150 will be a much better handling package (It will weigh less and hence turn more eagerly)

Based on my personal experience of owning an R15, ill say this...
The bike feels under powered when riding on hills (even if you ride solo). Feels under powered even on straight roads unless you keep it revved up considerably. The bike is very nimble and a superb on corners.

The CBR has more of a relaxed engine. You dont need to rev it as hard as the R15 to feel its power.

try to figure out which type of ride you prefer. I for one love revving the nuts off the engine so the R15 was a nice choice for me. But its not the case for everyone.

Also, your options just increased.. would suggest u take a look at the New CBR 150 R as well if you are really going for a sporty feel .. AFAIK, the CBR 250 is more of a tourer than a sports bike. relaxed seating, torquey nature etc..

Based on your original post, the ideal bike seems to be either R15 or the CBR 150.. But then again you will need to wait for it if you choose CBR.

Hope i didnt increase your confusion

Re. CBR250 and R15, Here are some view from the experts who have actually tested both bikes side by side. R15 with all its superb handling lags not just some distant but far behind the CBR per lap on the track due to its lack of power. The R15 seems to simply lack the power to pull it out of corners quickly. Its worth noting that this particular track does not have enough straights to push either bikes to their maximum speed. This signifies that the CBR could not take advantage of its superior to end. Despite this, the CBR quiet literally smoked the R15.

What can be summarized from this is, if you like to FEEL the handling, it has to be R15. If you want bragging rights, its CBR all the way.

I'm the so called 'expert' who participated in the test, This was done at Kari Motor Speedway, Coimbatore. My laptimes below

Stock R15 - 1:24 flat
Stock CBR 250 - 1:22 (high 22's)
Stock Ninja 250 - 1:20 flat

Difference between R15 and CBR 1.xx secs. R15 not quite "smoked", but yes CBR faster purely by virtue of bigger engine. Dont need to remind anyone, R15 is a full 100cc lower. Theres no replacement for displacement and the stock CBR gains on the straights simply on grunt. Difference between Ninja and CBR, almost 3 secs, thats a better comparison 250cc vs 250cc. This was a tight track, more open tracks the power advantage will show more. Hopefully this puts the differences in perspective.