So I'm looking at buying my first bike.

[JulesMaximus]

Harley doesn't advertise the Horsepower of their air cooled bikes, they push torque instead. Most Harley buyers aren't very concerned about horsepower, they want a lot of grunt and a reasonable 0 to 60 time. They don't care about big horsepower because for most riders, it doesn't matter.
I'm a pretty average Harley owner, and I can promise you that my bike will never hit it's top speed with me on it. The only exception to that would be if someone was shooting at me.
Huge horsepower numbers and insane top speeds are for the race track, and dick swinging competitions at the local bar. They have zero value on the street.

No offense to you or most other Harley riders. I'll give you guys some ribbing but I just don't take well to being called a liar.

Anyone who says that to me can screw off.

 

[zCypher]

The CBR 250 is a great little bike. It was my favorite when doing my course. Definitely too small for me though. I was set on the SV650 as well, but when I went to look at one I really didn't like the seating position or feel at all. Ended up getting the FZ6R instead and couldn't be happier with it.

The CBR should give you great gas mileage and be pretty trouble-free, really can't go wrong.

 

[sze5003]

The CBR 250 is a great little bike. It was my favorite when doing my course. Definitely too small for me though. I was set on the SV650 as well, but when I went to look at one I really didn't like the seating position or feel at all. Ended up getting the FZ6R instead and couldn't be happier with it.

The CBR should give you great gas mileage and be pretty trouble-free, really can't go wrong.

I was also looking at an fz6r but I got an sv instead. What didnt you like about the seating position? Was it the s model or regular? I don't feel it is any different than my ninja 250 was. My sv is an s model so it's not completely upright.

 

[Greenman]

No offense to you or most other Harley riders. I'll give you guys some ribbing but I just don't take well to being called a liar.

Anyone who says that to me can screw off.

I wasn't offended at all, just stating what my experience with the Harley crowd has been.

 

[Harabec]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51uaFU0m_ZM

Don't ride like that. Not that you could on a 250 but...keep your sensible hat on. :thumbsup:

 

[OVerLoRDI]

Another vote for the sv650

 

[hanoverphist]

Harley doesn't advertise the Horsepower of their air cooled bikes, they push torque instead. Most Harley buyers aren't very concerned about horsepower, they want a lot of grunt and a reasonable 0 to 60 time. They don't care about big horsepower because for most riders, it doesn't matter.
I'm a pretty average Harley owner, and I can promise you that my bike will never hit it's top speed with me on it. The only exception to that would be if someone was shooting at me.
Huge horsepower numbers and insane top speeds are for the race track, and dick swinging competitions at the local bar. They have zero value on the street.

im an average harley rider as well, 08 ultra classic. its had a bit of work done, and now reaches 90+tq at about 2200rpm. the band is pretty flat after that, i think it only achieves 96 or 97 at the top end. it really helps on mountain roads, im not really much into the whole 0-60 thing. i cruise for the most part, but it is very frustrating to be in between gears on an uphill and not have the power to maintain. if i wanted power, id restore my old cb750 and beef it up more than it is. that thing was fast off the line, but the trade off was a lower top end.

as for OP, nice bike, have a good time! and be safe about it.

 

[sze5003]

Well my bike just tipped over when I went to go park it going up a hill lol. I slowed down too much and made a turn but didn't keep the momentum going up the hill on the parking spot. Tipped over right in the spot ha.

Now I have a scratch on the left side of the tail but these frame sliders have always helped.

Gotta clean off some of that scratch with some cleaner but bike is fine and so am I. Shifter bent a little but nothing wrong with it.

 

[ProchargeMe]

Well I've had the bike about a week now and I haven't dropped it or even come close. I think my dirtbike experience helped a lot more than I thought it would. Riding feels completely natural to me and comfortable as well. Also $7 for a tank of gas and a week's worth of riding feels so damn good. Everything is going well I just thought people would want to know I haven't died yet lol

 

[FiLeZz]

My wife owned a rebel 250, I rode it and hated it.. NO Power.. None. I have also owned 3 sv650 motorcycles. There is no comparison in these two motorcycles. The sv650 can be picked up used for a steal.. I would also go out on a limb and say the motor of the sv would outlast the motor of the 250cc bike. The 250cc bike has to work very hard to get you past the wind resistance and has to fight to keep speed at 50 miles per hour. This in turn will have to run at a much higher RPM then say a bike with larger displacement.
The Ninja 250 motor has a typical lifetime of about 50-60,000 miles same as most 250cc motors. The SV650 motor has a proven track record of 100k miles. Just my 2 cents but ultimately its your cash spend it how you please.

 

[ProchargeMe]

My wife owned a rebel 250, I rode it and hated it.. NO Power.. None. I have also owned 3 sv650 motorcycles. There is no comparison in these two motorcycles. The sv650 can be picked up used for a steal.. I would also go out on a limb and say the motor of the sv would outlast the motor of the 250cc bike. The 250cc bike has to work very hard to get you past the wind resistance and has to fight to keep speed at 50 miles per hour. This in turn will have to run at a much higher RPM then say a bike with larger displacement.
The Ninja 250 motor has a typical lifetime of about 50-60,000 miles same as most 250cc motors. The SV650 motor has a proven track record of 100k miles. Just my 2 cents but ultimately its your cash spend it how you please.

Going over 50 is no problem for the bike, however anything over 70 is a bit of a struggle, either way the bike suits me fine for what I need it for, economical commute. Also I'm not planning on keeping the bike forever, I will probably sell it next spring and get something bigger and faster.

 

[sze5003]

Yea no one rides a 250 for very long. Unless you are a collector and just want to have different model bikes around. You ride it for a year, get bored and get an sv.

I'm upset my sv tipped over in the lot and got scratched up but thank god for frame sliders. My back is killing me from trying to lift it up on an incline too.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Well I've had the bike about a week now and I haven't dropped it or even come close. I think my dirtbike experience helped a lot more than I thought it would. Riding feels completely natural to me and comfortable as well. Also $7 for a tank of gas and a week's worth of riding feels so damn good. Everything is going well I just thought people would want to know I haven't died yet lol

You will. Everyone does... it's just a matter of time.

Two words: Frame Sliders

They will help prevent major damage in a tip over. These aren't like bicycles, they weigh enough that they can crush and break delicate parts like radiator mounts, radiators, levers, exhausts, not to mention the plastics and tank which are all every expensive to replace.

I dropped my first two bikes. Still haven't dropped the Ducati yet but I have been clipped by a car on it.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Yea no one rides a 250 for very long. Unless you are a collector and just want to have different model bikes around. You ride it for a year, get bored and get an sv.

I'm upset my sv tipped over in the lot and got scratched up but thank god for frame sliders. My back is killing me from trying to lift it up on an incline too.

Sorry to hear that, hope you just strained something and it isn't major.

It definitely isn't easy lifting a 400 pound object off the ground but if you use leverage to your advantage and lift with your legs and not your back you will not injure yourself in the process.

 

[sze5003]

Sorry to hear that, hope you just strained something and it isn't major.

It definitely isn't easy lifting a 400 pound object off the ground but if you use leverage to your advantage and lift with your legs and not your back you will not injure yourself in the process.

One time it was knocked over in a parking space by a storm and I was able to lift it on my own because the ground was level. This time it tipped over on an incline as I was about to park it and every time I was lifting it and almost got it, it would begin rolling down the small hill lol.

 

[JulesMaximus]

One time it was knocked over in a parking space by a storm and I was able to lift it on my own because the ground was level. This time it tipped over on an incline as I was about to park it and every time I was lifting it and almost got it, it would begin rolling down the small hill lol.

Put it in gear first so it can't roll. I always park my bike in gear so it can't roll or be bumped into falling over.

I'll never understand why so many motorcyclists park their bikes in neutral. It just goes against everything I've learned about driving plus 10 years of owning manual transmission cars.

 

[sze5003]

Put it in gear first so it can't roll. I always park my bike in gear so it can't roll or be bumped into falling over.

I'll never understand why so many motorcyclists park their bikes in neutral. It just goes against everything I've learned about driving plus 10 years of owning manual transmission cars.

Yea I park it in first. But this time it was my fault as I stopped just short of the parking spot on the incline and didn't give it enough juice to keep going as I was turning into the inclined spot. Dunno where my head was really. As I put my feet down I lost my balance.

I should have put it in first before trying to lift it up. Luckily my friend was near by to help me. Really embarrassing too right in my apartment complex.

 

[Zenmervolt]

I wasn't fucking lying. I just didn't see the weight listed when I looked.

Serves me right for not using a "" to make it clear that I meant the lying bit as a joke.

And you can find hp figures easily for most bikes... just not for Harleys.

Cycle World lists their dyno results in every road test.

ZV

 

[calvie]

I have the same bike, same color too. It's my first bike as well. I can get the bike to 75mph pretty quickly. It's slow after that. I am only 5'6 and 135. It's really a great first/beginner bike. It is so easy to ride and handles well. I am already looking forward to next year when I will upgrade to a 650cc bike..probably a Honda CBR650F.

Enjoy your bike and ride ATGATT!

 

[zCypher]

I was also looking at an fz6r but I got an sv instead. What didnt you like about the seating position? Was it the s model or regular? I don't feel it is any different than my ninja 250 was. My sv is an s model so it's not completely upright.

I think it was an SV650S, not 100% sure anymore though ha. I remember liking the SV650 based off everything I had read, all the videos I had seen, and how it looked/sounded. But when I sat down on it, I just felt uncomfortable, as if it was too similar to a supersport ergonomically. My initial impression was that the FZ6R felt higher quality, but I was pretty excited and my judgment was probably clouded haha. The fully faired SV650 is sexy!

 

[sze5003]

I think it was an SV650S, not 100% sure anymore though ha. I remember liking the SV650 based off everything I had read, all the videos I had seen, and how it looked/sounded. But when I sat down on it, I just felt uncomfortable, as if it was too similar to a supersport ergonomically. My initial impression was that the FZ6R felt higher quality, but I was pretty excited and my judgment was probably clouded haha. The fully faired SV650 is sexy!

It must have been the s model like mine. The handle bars are pointed sort of like super port bikes and they have more lean than the standard sv. I believe they are clip ons.

 

[CZroe]

Have you taken the MSF course yet? If so, then you know how weak the 250 engines are. However, if you do honestly only ever have a 10 mile commute, and no highway, then I don't see it as a problem. I just know I'd get sick of a 250 really fast. Just my personal taste though, you may find having a more tame bike to be more enjoyable.

LOL! NO.

The MSF is a parking lot. I took it on a 500cc Buell Blast and there is no way I could have discovered the untapped potential of a high-revving 250 during the course without prior experience. The Ninja 250, for example, is gutless while learning at "parking lot" speeds but soon owners should realize (though many never do) that it really wakes up at 8-9k RPMs and redlines at 13k. Then it becomes a completely different bike. It takes off the line faster than any car except an expensive sports car with power on-tap to pass at freeway speeds (unlike a supersport 4-cyl 600+cc, it may be slow to pass if you weren't keeping up in the first place, but that's on you). Next to cruisers, 2cyl 250-650 bikes are the commuter kings.

Though I wouldn't want a single cylinder CBR 250 on the Interstate, a 2cyl is perfect. Me thinks you are the one confused by how a 250 motor feels.

I'm confused, isn't the cbr 300r out yet? It pretty much makes the 250r obsolete. It' weights within 1 to 2lbs of the 250r, it costs like $200-300 more and it has 31hp/20tq instead 23hp/15tq. Unless of course you bought an older model at some great deal?

They say it was delayed but I think they went back to the drawing board when rumors of a 4-cyl Kawi 250 and a Yami R3 happened. There just no way they could have expected their single-cylinder 286cc "CBR 300" to compete, especially when the 2-cyl Ninja 300 already out-classes it and they need to leave some room for their own 2-cyl CBR500. They might have to introduce something to replace both the CBR300 and 500 (4-cyl CBR 400?).

Rumor is that the 4-cyl Kawi 250 will be made for those same markets where the 300 is still sold as a 250, which means it might be bigger here. That is the CBR250's primary market and they can't change it so much that it can't sell there (nothing over 250 sells there due to insane import taxes in Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, etc). I suspect that the CBR500 isn't long for this world.

Have to admit that shocks me. A 250 just doesn't have the power to really burn down a rear tire like a sportbike does. I would imagine it's something to do with the no-name "IRC Road Winners" that come on the bike from the factory. A set of Metzeler Lasertecs seems as though it would have to hold up better.

ZV

The same tires come on the Ninja 250/300 and have a reputation for being made of wood and lasting far longer than anyone wants. It seems that most get over 10k miles but one person recently reported 20k without seeing chords! People see significantly fewer miles with Metzeler. BT45 and GT501 tires get about 5k. Pirelli Sport Demons get about 3k (!). I think it has a lot to do with weight and start/go (2cyl have more grunt down low than same-displacement 4cyl and small budget bikes weigh as much or more than larger supersports).

I was kind of shocked to find out the SV650 is now over $8k. Mine was new $5999 in 2008.

The updated version of my 2008 bike is $5k when mine was $3.5k in 2008. The 2007 was $3k MSRP and I actually found one at the neighboring dealer the day I bought my 2008. I found an old article that listed the 1994 MSRP as $3,099 (same exact bike as the $3,000 2007 year bike). Yes, the MSRP dropped despite inflation.

Yea no one rides a 250 for very long. Unless you are a collector and just want to have different model bikes around. You ride it for a year, get bored and get an sv.

I'm upset my sv tipped over in the lot and got scratched up but thank god for frame sliders. My back is killing me from trying to lift it up on an incline too.

Then why did I ride one exclusively for four years without even owning a car, then buy a car and THREE more? Hell, I'm considering adding a 300 too (want that ABS!). I don't think I could tolerate a singke cylinder 250 lile the CBR, though.

 

[sze5003]

LOL! NO.

The MSF is a parking lot. I took it on a 500cc Buell Blast and there is no way I could have discovered the untapped potential of a high-revving 250 during the course without prior experience. The Ninja 250, for example, is gutless while learning at "parking lot" speeds but soon owners should realize (though many never do) that it really wakes up at 8-9k RPMs and redlines at 13k. Then it becomes a completely different bike. It takes off the line faster than any car except an expensive sports car with power on-tap to pass at freeway speeds (unlike a supersport 4-cyl 600+cc, it may be slow to pass if you weren't keeping up in the first place, but that's on you). Next to cruisers, 2cyl 250-650 bikes are the commuter kings.

Though I wouldn't want a single cylinder CBR 250 on the Interstate, a 2cyl is perfect. Me thinks you are the one confused by how a 250 motor feels.


They say it was delayed but I think they went back to the drawing board when rumors of a 4-cyl Kawi 250 and a Yami R3 happened. There just no way they could have expected their single-cylinder 286cc "CBR 300" to compete, especially when the 2-cyl Ninja 300 already out-classes it and they need to leave some room for their own 2-cyl CBR500. They might have to introduce something to replace both the CBR300 and 500 (4-cyl CBR 400?).

Rumor is that the 4-cyl Kawi 250 will be made for those same markets where the 300 is still sold as a 250, which means it might be bigger here. That is the CBR250's primary market and they can't change it so much that it can't sell there (nothing over 250 sells there due to insane import taxes in Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, etc). I suspect that the CBR500 isn't long for this world.


The same tires come on the Ninja 250/300 and have a reputation for being made of wood and lasting far longer than anyone wants. It seems that most get over 10k miles but one person recently reported 20k without seeing chords! People see significantly fewer miles with Metzeler. BT45 and GT501 tires get about 5k. Pirelli Sport Demons get about 3k (!). I think it has a lot to do with weight and start/go (2cyl have more grunt down low than same-displacement 4cyl and small budget bikes weigh as much or more than larger supersports).

The updated version of my 2008 bike is $5k when mine was $3.5k in 2008. The 2007 was $3k MSRP and I actually found one at the neighboring dealer the day I bought my 2008. I found an old article that listed the 1994 MSRP as $3,099 (same exact bike as the $3,000 2007 year bike). Yes, the MSRP dropped despite inflation.


Then why did I ride one exclusively for four years without even owning a car, then buy a car and THREE more? Hell, I'm considering adding a 300 too (want that ABS!). I don't think I could tolerate a singke cylinder 250 lile the CBR, though.

Well yea except for people like you who collect them and enjoy them a lot. The guy who bought my 250 had 2 others, a Ducati, and an old style racebike too. The average rider starts out on one then usually since it has great resale uses that to upgrade.