You are just so darn cute!! I'd never get anywhere if I did that. Had a nice head wind in a place where I normally don't have problems in 6th, sputtered down to 63 mph...grabbed 5th and got her back up to 70.
Oh yeah, I've got a Madstad windshield ordered!! Mark made a template for the best mounting position to the stock screen. I'll post pics when I get it.
Didn't see anything blue when I got home and they still feel fine. But honestly, It doesn't take much to over power 22hp.
One day I couldn't get mine to faster than 80, going downhill, and it wasn't even raining. 80 mph is about top speed with a 33l top box. However the top box seems to help it somewhat up to about 65 if you are sitting up right. I did hit the rev limit in 5th at the track. It started sputtering, and I looked down, it was doing 83, so I grabbed a bunch of sixth, got up to 85 on that straight, Yeah BABY!
For a coupla months, I've been wanting something light and frugal for commuting duty, obviously, the CBR250 would fit the bill. However, I also need it to do 2-3 week 5,000 mile+ sport tours, including interstate on the first and last day. I pack pretty light (duffel bag, tank bag, and small knapsack) so luggage capacity isn't an issue. Also, I'm 6' tall (34" inseam). Am I nuts for considering the CBR? Can a late 40's body take the ergos day after day? I'm not a HP junkie/speed demon, and don't need a lot of wind protection. I did > 50k miles on KLRs, didn't mind the lack of power, and liked the character of a single. I frequently add a sheepskin covered gel seat cushion not only to improve seat comfort, but also to increase leg room a bit. (I realize this also makes the bars effectively lower). Also, 140 pages, much of it on fuel effieciency, and no mention, that I noticed, of whether it'll take low octane? What does Honda recommend? Any info/advice re: the above would be appreciated? Thanks.
I'm 6'1", 36" inseam. It's an awfully small motorcycle. I was hoping for better mpg's as I use it for a commuter, but the more mods I do for comfort the worse I hurt the fuel economy(87 only). The stock seat was impossible for me, got Rick Mayer to build me one, he has the pattern and it's an awesome seat. Monster on a little bike: New seat: Best tank was 68 mpg, back roads 45-60 mph fun day. Worst tank was 46 mpg, commute...wicked bad wind. Managed 58 mpg for a long time, but can't take the bar position for 175 miles per day, put standard bars on it to sit up a little...down to 50 mpg most of the time now. I have a Madstad windshield on the big brown truck headed this way, hopefully I can get some mpg's back by keeping the wind off my chest, I'm not very areodynamic. I really needed a commuter when I bought this little guy, now that there is so much on the horizon from Honda I would look at something else like the new 500. I'm up to 18,000 miles or something and it's been reliable. Valves have stayed in spec and it's simple to change the oil...need to do that right now.
I've not done much interstate on mine, but was putting 100 miles a day with about 10 of that on a 65mph highway. It'll do 80-85, but if there is a head wind, you're pushing it. I think the fastest I got was 92 going downhill with a tailwind, but I wasn't paying too close attention to the speedo at that point. I think the biggest issue for me is there isn't a lot of acceleration power above 70 for getting out of jams. It's there, just not gobs of it. I've been running everything from 87 to 92 with and w/o ethanol. Mileage was best with 92 noE (in my area Kwiktrip has the best gas IMO, but that's a regional company), but I don't think 87 is going to kill it. I've only got around 6k miles on it, though. Generally getting 65 to 75 mpg. I'm 5'11", 165 w/o gear. I'm used to the ergos at this point, but at first wanted lower pegs. It's my first sport bike (other than a '78 r100rs that I sold before buying this). Still might lower the pegs, or get rear sets, but I think those might raise the pegs a little (?). Kind of want to try lower bars, but only if I get a bag that straps to the pillion seat to get the weight off my back. I know putting 10 miles on a test ride doesn't tell you a whole lot. It might work well for you, but I'd be looking at the 500, too. Considering they have a few variations, it might be the platform you need.
Hmmm, starting to think I have the injector sticking open. It's pinned so often it probably wants to just stay open. It did a crank no start the other day, sounded like a carbed bike with a stuck float, cranks faster with a burble because the cylinder is wet. Then yesterday she flamed out coming down an offramp. Both issues are overcome by trying the starter button again. I did let the bike sit for most of November and the mpg's went down after that too, maybe the injector is sticking. I smell like fuel after riding it too. Taking it to the dealer ain't gonna help because it's not easily repeatable and they will never ride it enough to duplicate the issue.
I don't think it is a stuck injector. If it stayed open, your crankcase would fill with gas when you rolled off the throttle, and the bike would start smoking terribly, burning off the extra gas, the bike would slow to a stop, and the piston would be fluid locked, with gas/oil above and below the piston. It would not restart. At all. DAMHIK. Check the oil, perhaps I am wrong, it will be viscous and smell like gas if the injector is stuck. Maybe the vent is clogged at the fuel cap, which would give you the gas smell, and with all the tubes, etc, for fuel recirculation it is get vapor locked, not allowing fuel to go into the injector, hence your flameout on the offramp. Since the fuel can trickle by, after you stopped, vacuum started again, pulling fuel into injector. Maybe some bad gas/varnish/whatever in the injector. I put 2 oz of Seafoam in my fuel systems at least once a year, if I remember
Sounds to me like it is finally fed up with your ass, flogging it like there's tomorrow and is not going to put up with it any longer. JAT
It's not a carb, that stuff can't happen. If I let it sit key on for an hour and the injector was stuck, then yes it could fill the cylinder with fuel. I do like the varnish making it stick idea, I was going that direction myself. Poor little bike. Got the Madstad installed yesterday just in time for the commute!! I picked up 2.5 mpg right off the bat and for most of the commute there is a lot more throttle left than without the screen. The bike actually feels like a slow 400cc bike instead of a flogged 250cc. I'm gonna play with screen angle to get a good cross between comfort and mpg's.
+1 Without the fuel pump running, nothing comes out an injector even if it's "stuck". Careful with aggressive chemical cleaning of injectors...some of those products can ruin the nozzles. The PO of my '98 328i did that. I got it cheap and put in a salvage injector rail and it runs perfect.
But if the bike is being ridden, as Larry boy said, the fuel pump is working Yes, it won't flood the cylinder when just key on, but when you are riding and it happens, fuel is going to the injector.
Right, but the little tiny injector can only flow so much. I think my crank no start was because the injector stuck and dribbled fuel over night...I doubt that it can drain the tank, but there is enough fuel in the injector and fuel line that it can flood(not swamp) the engine, then when I thumbed the starter it sprayed more fuel for a cold start and didn't start. When it flamed out I had just been WOT for about a mile, then hard down through the gears and it was dead when I stopped. It hasn't happened since, I don't use cut rate gas stations...maybe the additives have cleared it? Anywho... New windshield is going great, I bet sendler could get 150 mpg with this thing!! I tried a fuel run with the screen at 58 degrees and as low as it will go and picked up 4 mpg over where I was without the screen. I tried it two inches higher last night, definitely keep more wind off me, but I think it hurt the mpg's as I felt pinned more...hard to say as there was a wicked head wind for 10 miles or so. I think my next setting will be back to the lower setting, but I will push the screen away from the bike more and keep the 58 degree rake. I'm gonna need to make a couple struts to support the windshield or I think it'll break the nose over time. The shield doesn't move much with wind pressure on smooth pavement, but over the big bumps it slams pretty hard.
I tested this bike at the track about a month ago. Completely stock, OEM tires and all. Fun bike! The track I tested it at is small and twisty, on the twisty parts I was sticking like glue to a decent rider on a R6 tuned for the track and with sticky tires. This speaks highly of the CBR250 and not about my riding abilities or lack of them. Couldn't get the bike over 65MPH though, all tucked in. I do weight around 235 pounds with full gear. I want one of my own! This year for sure.
Has anyone had experience with Kriega products? I'm thinking of getting a bag for the tail portion of the bike: http://www.kriega.us/bike-packs/ I'm thinking the 20 liter, it should just fit. Or maybe set it up sideways, in which case I could even go with the 30 liter bag and not worry about running out of room. It's still smaller than my backpack and I rarely fill that up all the way. This whole winter thing gets a little tiresome about this time of year. I'm jonesing big time. Thanks, LoJack