AMERICANS: Would you buy a 125cc motorcycle for the street?

[sendler]

Originally Posted by jkv357

Where the heck is that Honda CRB250/300RR twin that was supposed to make it stateside?

Honda completely blew whatever development money they spent to make the new CBR250RR and then never did much with it anywhere it seems. And now the Ninja 400 is out. At the old price. That and the KTM 390's will steal most of the European A2 market going forward.

[sendler]

Some things to keep in mind regarding 250 vs 125:
I rode cross country on my CBR250R with another guy who was riding a CBR150R. With camping gear loaded his top speed on the flat was barely 65 mph. He had had the bike for several years and was satisfied with it. Until he rode with me and found that I was getting 99 mpgUS every fill up and he got 75. He traded the 150 in on a Yamaha R3. Which I can get 80 mpgUS on mine.
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The Honda 250-286 single is the sweet spot for efficient personal transportation that is highway capable. Offered in three flavors to suit. R, F, and Rebel. The 500 and 700 engines are almost as fuel efficient. NC and CTX 700. R, F, X, and Rebel 500.
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Used CBR250R's are all over the place for $2,200.
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Nine fuel injected Honda's to choose from that can all break 80 mpgUS and 85 mph. And the space age PCX which does 65 mph and 100 mpgUS, if you don't want to shift.
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The KTM RC 390 is a little less comfortable and reliable.
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The Suzuki is a little over weight and under powered.
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We will have to wait to see what hypermiliers can get out of the new Ninja 400 for commuting fuel efficiency.

[woodsrat]

Originally Posted by Daschicken

Didn't someone here post that Honda was going for a more upscale market, and that there wasn't much profit in small bores? I wish it wasn't true, but without a major change in market attitude I don't think cool little bikes will sell here. It could be as simple as manufacturers MAKING cool bikes, and then having popular motovloggers test them out and they would probably(hopefully) rave about them. That seems like it would be a cheap and effective marketing strategy....

That was me based upon a conversation I had with a nice lady from American Honda who called one Saturday regarding a letter I'd written them. The letter was over something totally different but while I had her on the horn I figured I'd get the straight poop on why they'd abandoned the small bore market.

A local Honda dealer, in the Honda business since around 1960, told me that there was no profit in selling small bore motorcycles. The problem here is that they saw how successful Harley-Davidson dealers were selling big bikes and tried to use the same formula (big bikes=big profits), the catch here being that there's only so many people who will buy a big Japanese motorcycle whereas that's H-D's specialty. Add in the collapse of the economy around 2008 and today you'll find Japanese dealerships empty. I've been to funerals that are more happening that most motorcycle dealerships nowadays.

Part of the problem is demographics and the baby boomers simply aren't buying bikes anymore. The other problem is that younger potential riders aren't interested in motorcycling--and after a lifetime spent on two wheels it's hard for me to understand why the youngsters aren't into them.

[Daschicken]

Originally Posted by M_a_t_t

Do you mean from a stop? I turn full lock every once in awhile, but never from a stop. I usually go forward with the wheel turned the opposite way to get the bike to lean then turn to full lock while counter balancing.

No, I was saying don’t go full lock while rolling with the clutch out. If you need to turn MORE to keep the bike from falling over, that extra turning isn’t available. I have seen a kid drop some other guy’s bike in that exact situation. I myself have almost dropped a heavy ass VFR 800 in the same situation as well.

[M_a_t_t]

No, I was saying don’t go full lock while rolling with the clutch out. If you need to turn MORE to keep the bike from falling over, that extra turning isn’t available. I have seen a kid drop some other guy’s bike in that exact situation. I myself have almost dropped a heavy ass VFR 800 in the same situation as well.

Ok. I think I see what you are saying -> if you depend on that, and find you need to turn more to avoid going into the other lane you can't, as an example. Was that just aimed at beginners (not that I'm an expert)?

I usually only do that when I do a U-turn. I try to slip the clutch, but my friction zone is very small and I am not used to using the slipper clutch on mine. Practice makes perfect though.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by Daschicken

Kind of reminds me of what American car makers did for a while(and probably still do), where they made really ****ty small cars, and the only cars worth getting were the big cars. Then the Japanese came in and showed the market that small cars don't have to suck. I wonder if such a revolution will come around for little bikes.

I'm sure Honda could've taken a more serious approach on the small motorcycles in America, even though the "cultural" perception about motorcycles there is more oriented toward either Harley-Davidson or dirt-bikes. Maybe it would be harder to persuade an American to commute daily on a 125cc motorcycle like many people in 3rd-world countries such as mine do even on bad weather, but even for those who just want to ride one in the summer a rugged 125cc single would make more sense than an oversized pig full of chrome.

[rmay635703]

https://ecomodder.com/forum/showthre...25s-36532.html

We will have to see how that does.

My only motorcycle is a early 1970’s 5speed 125cc Yamaha Enduro Street Legal dirt bike.

I have tried to I’d it on the internet and no dice, year on the title couple with a 5 speed are apparently an impossible combination.

It technically will go 65mph but it’s happier around 45mph, gets best gas mpgs around 25 mph

Have long thought about regear and de-nobbie but I use it for what it is.

Low gears help going up a hill in the woods

[JSH]

I'm very seriously considering buying a 2019 Honda Super Cub next spring.

125cc / EFI / ABS / $3600

[Daschicken]

Originally Posted by JSH

I'm very seriously considering buying a 2019 Honda Super Cub next spring.

125cc / EFI / ABS / $3600

I’m considering it too. Not likely it’s going to happen, but I can try. I would definitely be checking the availability of a manual clutch conversion though, that and the general cross compatibility of Grom engine parts. My first mods would likely be the clutch conversion, 5 speed swap, oil filter addition, and a high compression piston.

[JSH]

Originally Posted by Daschicken

I’m considering it too. Not likely it’s going to happen, but I can try. I would definitely be checking the availability of a manual clutch conversion though, that and the general cross compatibility of Grom engine parts. My first mods would likely be the clutch conversion, 5 speed swap, oil filter addition, and a high compression piston.

The other bike on the short list is a CRF250 Rally. I've leaning towards the Cub because it is cheaper, would be easier to load onto a hitch rack and easier for my wife to ride. (It's been 15 years since she has ridden)