I would say that alignment and proper lube and adjustment are the next biggest factor for chain life outside of new sprockets. You can get chains fairly cheap now. Say you get 15,000 out of the first chain with new sprockets, then throw on another $30 chain and try to squeeze another 8-10 thousand miles out. You are still ahead as opposed to dropping $45 for new sprockets and $30 for a new chain as a matched set to get 15,000 miles every time. Obviously if the sprockets look worn, it is time to toss them, but good looking steel sprockets should last a long time
$30 chain? :eek1 Not gonna argue with you, Navin. Do what you like and I'll do what I like. BFF's? Just did my first valve adjustment, what a pain in the ass!! 23,000 miles...intake were right in the middle of the range still, exhaust were just a tick out of spec to the tight side..moved them to the middle of the range. I'll check them in a couple of months at 30,000 miles. I had told myself that I'd just pull the cams when I needed to swap shims, but noooo...won't listen to myself, dropped a shim and had to pull the cams anyways. Edit, make sure you have calipers for a valve adjustment...the numbers were worn off of both shims, good thing I had my calipers at home or I'd have been screwed.
So what's it like doing a valve check/adjustment on the CBR250R? I've heard that you can remove a bolt and then slide the cam out of the way or something like that, then change out the shims. That sounds a lot easier than having to remove the cams as on some other shim adjusted bikes. Thanks, Tony
Here's how I do it, non-ABS bike. Body side panels off, radiator with fan pulled to the left side, valve cover off, cam chain tensioner off, cam chain slapper over the cams off, cam caps off, rocker shafts out, lift cam and pull the rockers out and set aside, magnet the shims out, new shim stuck to finger with grease, hold cam up with chain in place, pop new shim in, repeat as needed, put back together. Huge stressful pain in the ass!! I much prefer a large 29 mm valve shim like a KLR, something I can get my hands on. Plus side? Only one adjustment in 23,000 miles.
So a question to anybody here, then this bike first came out a was all over it, and actually started saving my pesos, but now the the Ninja 300 is out, so, for you after owning the CBR250 are you thinking of selling it and moving to the Ninja 300? If so why? Thanks Damasovi
I don't like Kawasakis, they aren't as well made as a Honda IMHO. I'd choose one of the Honda 500's over the 250 given the choice right now.
There's a guy over on the CBR250 forum that did just that, trading his CBR250 for a new Ninja 300. He's also posted his opinions/comparisons of the bikes. Tony
Out of curiousity; why would you prefer the 500's over the NC 700? I wouldn't be suprised if you'd get better milage with the 700 compared to your current 250. That bike should be more in it's element doing 75 - 85. I havn't ridden on both of them though I think I'd go for the 700, especially for commuting. *edit* is the whole adv website changed of format? All colours look...different to me oO? *edit2* already figured it out. Somehow the adv website skin changed. Completly out of itself. Must be the smurfs.
Great to have a nice post dedicated to the CBR 250R here on ADV! Own this bike from India, hoping to pick up some pointers here!
Here is a write up on doing valve adjustment on cbr250r http://motorsportrider.net/Content/MC/Service/CBR250R_2012_ValveAdjust1.aspx
Well, at the risk of starting it up again...the 700x has been reported to return 42-48 mpg over and over again, many reports. Yeah, I know a guy riding rural roads in the midwest at 45 mph is gonna get 70 mpg, but for my style of riding I suspect that the 250 can do better at 50 mpg than me myself would personally return on the 700x. I really wanted to try the 700, but I don't think the mpg's are really there for a guy like me. I'm just saying that if I was bikeless right now and trying to decide between our 250 and the Ninja 300 that I'd take a look at the new 500's. and, I like the 500's because they rev for fun mtn road weekend rides. It's nearly double the HP of the 250 and 50 pounds lighter than the 700, oughta be a good little bike.
You probably won't go wrong with either. Really hoping to get a testride on the 500 / 700 next summer O_O Should be a blast.
I rode the piss out of an NC700 for 900 miles and got 68mpg average. I was constantly hitting the rev limiter though and it had no balls. My rental was a manual trans. I hope to rent a 500 and see how it does. hopefully it revs out a little higher while still getting good mpg.
That's thanks to the 7K RPM redline those things have... The mags said "it's not a big deal..." yes it is. Motorcycles are supposed to rev!!! The 500 is an actual motorcycle engine, not a car engine chopped in half, so it should be good for around 10K RPM. I'm sure you'll like it more than the NC700.
For a 50 mile commute day I think it'd be about perfect. I do 175 a day and the 250 ain't cutting it, especially since the mpg's aren't there. I'm seriously considering selling three or four bikes and buying a Goldwing, I really like the new bagger, but it should have cruise control for 20k. If I reduce my overall motorcycle fleet the mpg's just don't matter anymore.