Why a 250cc is not a great beginner's bike

"valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option" (valsidalv) 06/19/2016 at 17:25 • Filed to: None

5

33

The quintessential beginner’s bike: low displacement, lightweight, good handling, and easy on the wallet. But here’s why a 250cc sportbike does not fit the bill.

(Full Disclosure: the headline is clickbait. I am talking specifically about the pictured bike, a 2011 Honda CBR250R. This will be an unfair comparo-review. You’ve been warned.)

I can already hear several Opponauts cracking their knuckles as they prepare to flame me like a hotdog over a summer campfire. But to those with a bit of patience - hear me out! If you are thinking of getting a first bike soon you may want to eliminate the CBR250R from your list. Why am I hating on this little bike? I recently picked one up and it became my girlfriend’s first motorcycle. I see her struggling a little bit more than necessary and even I have found the Honda more difficult to work with than my first bike, a Ninja 400R. After several rides and a few lessons I have come to the conclusion that a bike like the CBR250R is much better suited in the hands of someone with some riding experience. Let’s get to it!

There’s not enough power

That’s the one problem. And it manifests itself into all the issues that this bike has.

Getting off the line is difficult

With such a small engine and low power figures you need to be very precise with the clutch and throttle when taking off from a stop. Alternatively, you keep the throttle at a constant 4k RPM and ease off the clutch. Both of these are strange concepts to someone who is new to the world of motorcycles. If you are a bit low with the RPMs the bike will buck violently and more often than not results in an abrupt stall. In general, first gear on this bike is not a fun place to be at all. And where will a beginner be for the first little while? Exactly.

A larger bike actually makes this process easier. When I was doing my MSF course we had 125's and I remember the toil associated with initiating forward momentum. When I jumped onto my 400R this whole process was way easier! And with my ZX6-R I don’t even need to apply any throttle to get the bike rolling.

The bike can barely get out of its own way

Pin the throttle and the 250R will continue puttering along at its own merry pace. It doesn’t have enough guts to beat anything off the line but other than not being able to show the guy in his leased 3-series who’s who, this becomes a safety concern when you are on the highway and someone decides to wander into your lane. On a more powerful bike you can give it some gas and get out of the way, but on this thing you better hope that you have some space to your side.

Being in the correct gear is important

Jalops know that driving a slow car fast is fun and very rewarding. Keeping your speed through corners... choosing the right gear... A beginner has some other things to worry about, like, not getting maimed by literally any car on the road. The difference between being in 3rd and 2nd when coming out of a turn is very obvious but a beginner might not shift correctly and find themselves way down on power.

You will outgrow it

Quite quickly. The guy we purchased this bike from said he got bored of it in a few months and upgraded to a more powerful bike. And although there is nothing wrong with this path (it is a beginner bike after all) it is annoying to deal with selling a bike so soon after acquiring one.

On the plus side...

The bike maneuvers well. It is lightweight. Decently fun to wring out to its 10,000 RPM redline. Cheap. Sounds like a recipe for... a bike to hoon! Indeed I can see how taking this to a track or a twisty road and trying to keep up with bigger bikes can be a great time.

So what’s a beginner to do?

As I mentioned before, this ride review was somewhat unfair. The 250 has been replaced by a CBR300 in Honda’s lineup. Similarly, if you are looking to go with a Kawi product then you will also see that they have a Ninja 300 to take the spot of their older 250.

Online reviews say that there are several changes that make the 300s easier bikes to ride. Not just a bigger engine, but a host of other improvements as well that make them more modern bikes. Another option is Yamaha’s R3 which has a 320cc motor outputting a claimed 42 HP.

So I would recommend skipping on the 250 and going for something more serious. I started with a Ninja 400R which has a little over 40 HP but is a porkier machine (it is based on the Ninja 650). I know that a beginner should not get a bike with a lot of power but I am here to tell you that starting with even a 500cc is doable. Remember, when you take your MSF course you will [most likely] be on a 125cc. It’s fine for a parking lot but in the real world you require more oomph. And it just so happens that more power equates to a friendlier ride.

CBR500F

Fun fact: I told my girlfriend there’s a guy I know on Oppo who is in our area and crazy about bikes. She instantly asked “is his name Peter?” Complete coincidence that Peter Black of Oppo fame was her instructor. Small world. Need to get out more.

Sam > valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option 06/19/2016 at 17:31

0

You really do have to find a middle ground with horsepower. I’d say about 50% of people could probably handle a decently powerful first bike (~100hp). The other 50% are morons that will crash and burn. A very responsible person could handle pretty much anything, and it comes down to not getting something expensive, since you’ll likely drop it/have a minor crash. Like, those people *could* buy an S1000RR or something crazy, but then they’ll be crashing or dropping a $10k-$15k bike. Really, you want the cheapest bike you can get for at least your first season.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option 06/19/2016 at 17:49

2

Is it not a good thing to learn excellent bike control on your first slow bike. I see no issue with the clutch taking practice and what not. Source: did my basic training on a 125cc.

valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option > Sam 06/19/2016 at 17:52

0

Agree. But something like a S1000RR, even my ZX6-R, is a lot more physically demanding to ride than a sport-tourer. That’s my biggest reason for telling new riders to stay away those bikes.

Aaron M - MasoFiST > Sam 06/19/2016 at 17:55

0

Horsepower, and weight. My GS500 had 50hp, but what made it a pain as a first bike was that it weighed 450lbs and carried that weight relatively high on the frame. A Ninja 250 makes only 2/3 the power but weighs nearly 100 lbs less...so the end result is it’s faster.

Aaron M - MasoFiST > valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option 06/19/2016 at 17:59

0

The Honda being a thumper really handicaps it quite a bit...the old Ninja 250s make a Grom’s worth more hp than even the new CBR300Rs, because they’re twins. And the second gen 250s and the 300s all went up from there.

Even colder blooded twins are going to be smoother going...I took the MSF course on a Nighthawk 250 and found the bike extremely easy to deal with at low speeds.

Birddog > valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option 06/19/2016 at 18:14

0

The best first bike is a PW50. Or in my case a Z50 or CT90 (yeah.. I’m old). And move up.

A nice 250 Enduro or Dirt bike would be a good second bike especially if it’s a maniacal 2 stroke. Then maybe a 600 Thumper. Then grab a Sport Bike.

It was probably easier for folks in my age range than now though. I bought my Z50 at 10 years old and my parents were fine with it since it was my money. That kind of stuff doesn’t fly anymore.

Liam Farrell > valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option 06/19/2016 at 18:36

0

My friend just got that exact same CBR for his first bike, but his dad has three varying cc bikes that he has at his disposal.

slipperysallylikespenguins > valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option 06/19/2016 at 18:53

2

That sounds like CBR250 problems, as I’ve had a 2007 Ninja 250(older style) for the last 9 years and it doesn’t suffer from a single one of those problems. It could be that the Honda is a single cylinder as someone else pointed out. It’s my spare bike now as I purchased a 650 to handle the mountain roads.

CounterTorqueSteer > valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option 06/19/2016 at 19:24

0

This was my first bike. I owned it for three years while living in Daytona Beach and DC. I literally couldn't agree with you less on each of your topics. Every single feature of the 250r is designed to make you a better rider.

valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. 06/19/2016 at 20:58

0

Agree that practice is required but I don't understand why you say that learning bike control well on a first bike is a bad thing...

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option 06/19/2016 at 21:39

1

The R3 is an excellent starter bike. A buddy of mine has one, bought it with no experience whatsoever. I rode it and found it obviously Skye, but not dangerously slow at all. Clutch was forgiving enough for a noob, but not so weak that it required zero skill. You could realistically choose any of three gears at any time and be perfectly fine, but the gears are tall enough to do highway speeds well enough.

JasonStern911 > Sam 06/19/2016 at 21:41

2

don’t be a dickhead internet hero. 100hp on a sub-500lb bike for a beginner is tempting fate in a very death encouraging way. you’re literally promoting the top ~25% most powerful of all bikes made for someone with a bottom 1% of riding experience.

gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option 06/19/2016 at 21:45

0

valid point. I do know someone who bought a cheap used 1000cc bike as their first bike. All other riders said he was nuts. He always said he would take it easy. For the fist month he did. Then one day he came in with a completely white face, as he had just slipped and wheelied his bike.

I think a good solution would be to have a medium bike in which the max power could be easily detuned or rev-limited.

JasonStern911 > slipperysallylikespenguins 06/19/2016 at 21:48

0

I *LOVE* the EX250 motor. that has to be the happiest motor that I have ever encountered. new rider lugs it? it’s chill. bored rider rings it out to 10k RPM because it’s slow? still chill. haven’t ridden the newer ones, but they’re detuned peak-power wise to improve torque, which is fine, but the fact that they increased displacement shortly after tends to indicate that they’re still figuring it out.

valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option > gmporschenut also a fan of hondas 06/19/2016 at 22:33

0

Some litre bikes do come with different power modes that can limit performance to a 600, supposedly. That’d be one day of doing it but it’s newer tech so the ‘cheap’ part flies out the window.

slipperysallylikespenguins > JasonStern911 06/19/2016 at 23:01

0

It really is a great little motor. I’ve ridden mine 12-14 hours at a time at 9-10k rpm and its never had a hiccup. I have no hesitation letting anyone else ride it either because there is no way they can really hurt it. I haven’t ridden the new one either but the performance seems a bit down.

bob and john > valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option 06/20/2016 at 02:08

1

Ohhhh I sooooooo want to rip into this. So so so want to.

DynamicWeight > valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option 06/20/2016 at 12:31

1

Riding a 250 is hard? Good. This is how you learn riding skills. Otherwise you’re just covering up ignorance and bad habits with horsepower.

valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option > DynamicWeight 06/20/2016 at 12:51

0

I don’t think you need to push someone into the deep end on day one to teach them how to swim. Why set them up with a finicky bike that makes learning a chore rather than something enjoyable? There’s nothing wrong with being on a 250 but it is strange for a beginner’s bike to have the issues I mentioned above.

You still need to learn throttle and clutch control on any bike you choose to sit on. Some are just easier than others.

valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option > bob and john 06/20/2016 at 17:34

0

COME AT ME BRO

Do keep in mind that my argument was that the CBR250 is a twitchy bike that is not conducive to helping beginners learn how to ride. Kinda like teaching calculus to someone who hasn’t learned algebra yet.

yamahog > valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option 06/20/2016 at 17:54

1

A 250 is the opposite of “the deep end” when it comes to motorcycling.

yamahog > slipperysallylikespenguins 06/20/2016 at 17:55

0

Same, no issue with my old Ninja 250.

bob and john > valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option 06/20/2016 at 18:21

2

Alright, lets do this!

The whole point of a beginners bike is to learn how to ride. For this, you need to learn how to slip the clutch, hold the RPMs right, and look where you want. Having to much power means you can be more or less as hamfisted as you want, and the power of the bike will just pull you through.

Same with the gears. You have to learn. By making the difference so vast, its easier for the new guys to realize: oh dear, im in the wrong gear

I think you are looking at this too much as: why the 250 is a bad COMMUTER bike. For that, I agree. I also agree that the 300s are much better for that pupose as well. But for a learners beginner bike, it hits all the right spots. Cheap, cheerful, easy to handle , reliable, and helps you improve your riding by highlighting your mistakes VS trying to hide them with brute power.

And as far as selling the resale value is pretty decent, and if you play your cards right, you can make money off of it! Plus you get that : YAY NEW BIKE feeking twice :)

valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option > yamahog 06/20/2016 at 19:20

0

Well it’s positioned that way, right!? But it turns out that in practice it isn’t an easy bike.

valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option > bob and john 06/20/2016 at 19:39

0

I agree with your points, and I’m not suggesting a beginner gets a real powerful machine. The difference between the 250 and a 300 is just a few HP and torque but that would have a significant impact. You can still get caught in the wrong gear on a 300. A 300 won’t shift for you and it won’t apply its own throttle. A new rider still learns how to do all that fun stuff but the process is a bit easier and less frustrating. Confidence is a huge factor in learning anything, and not worrying about something like stalling in the middle of an intersection goes a long way.

I hopped onto my ZX6 today after 2-up riding her bike to some parking lots for practice over the weekend. I noticed that my hand is steadier on the throttle particularly at low speeds like in the underground garage. Definitely a good exercise to try out other bikes but I still think it says something about just how much practice you need to ride the 250 smoothly.

yamahog > valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option 06/20/2016 at 20:30

0

idk... haven’t tried a CBR250 but my Ninja 250 was easy as pie and fun as hell, and that had a manual choke. ¯\(°_o)/¯ fwiw my sister is 5'0 and has a CB300F, zero complaints

bob and john > valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option 06/20/2016 at 20:45

0

Personally, i think that says more about how bad your throttle control was before hand ;)

Kidding!

The Compromiser > valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option 06/20/2016 at 22:34

0

My first bike was a 50cc one. Went really fast and could handle everything. 250 would have been overkill. No one needs to go that fast!

valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option > bob and john 06/20/2016 at 23:10

0

You may be right!

Mmmmm > valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option 06/21/2016 at 00:30

0

So your argument is you shouldn’t get a 250 because you got on one for a day and became a better rider?

valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option > Mmmmm 06/21/2016 at 01:14

0

My argument is that a beginner should not get this specific 250 because it is difficult to control at low speeds which is where beginner riders will often be while they become comfortable with riding.

I also said in the article text that it would be kind of fun for someone more experienced to ride this bike and try to get all the performance that’s available out of it.

Mrdarbyjr > valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option 12/27/2018 at 03:22

1

I believe the one whom asked about the power isn’t enough therefore, you may have to “ brake the bike inallow me correct this approach, with the unit having 1 cylinder, the device may create it’s own pattern by being “break in the bike” if done correctly. This means: Measurements also other dimension inside, so if done incorrectly could or make cause damage. So the theme: Why a 250cc i s not a great beginner’s bike; means that you may have destroyed your sports bike/ 250cc; this includes mileage or any mishandling of the frame, tires and; or fuel or exhaust, differential pressure in electric by manufacture: not Duke Energy or PSEN& G or General Electric cant do better as American mistake/ I wouldn't fault another one's country for something he can't build himself?  Come again, to a different page different discussion. 

Noch > bob and john 09/08/2019 at 03:27

0

Play your cards right=find a sucker