Cibbie-1988 CBR 250R

[Daschicken]

Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr

ECM? Wait a minute... I always thought they were all carburettor-fed. Didn't you mean the CDI stator?

The ECU only controls the ignition timing, it is still, sadly, carbureted.

[Daschicken]

Just weighed cibbie, 346 pounds with a full tank of gas in its current setup(aftermarket exhaust that is lighter than OEM) . I used a medical scale and weighed 1/2 the bike at a time with the unweighed end lifted to about the same height as the weighed end.

[Daschicken]

Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr

If you find one of those bikes again can you take pictures of how the rear fender/tire shroud is mounted? The more I see those fenders the more I want them! The front fender looks like it would bolt right up to my CBR.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

I haven't seen those in a while, but anyway, its looks are basically the same as the 4-banger CBR 250, with only the engine swapped for the 450cc parallel-twin out of the CB due to regional content laws.

[Daschicken]

So its been a while since I put the 51T rear sprocket on, but until now I haven't gotten to get a whole tank through it with mostly/just me riding the bike. Even with the taller gearing(or maybe because of it???) my little brother managed to drag a tank down to 43.8 MPG. Absolutely abysmal for a 250cc, and I have beaten that in my V6 Accord!

So I was able to get 57 MPG twice, and then I bumped it up to 59.1 for the last tank! That is not only a new record tank, but it looks like the measly 5.5% taller gearing has brought me back to pre-aftermarket muffler mileage.


Me and my dad rode to Tennessee and got on Cherohala skyway as well as two passes up and down Deals Gap.

Have some action shots!







Here is what my front tire looked like after those gap runs, not a bad chicken strip if I do say so myself. The rear tire had no visible strip. Oh yeah, and I discovered that front tire is 7 years old on this trip. Oops. Time to get a new one.




There is a difference between SHOULD and CAN. This trucker didn't seem to know that.



There was a video posted of a miata locking up his brakes and having to steer out of his lane mid BLIND corner to avoid crashing into this jackass. If I find it again, I'll post a link. Anyone who decides to take their big truck/trailer on the gap despite all the warnings should have their CDL immediately revoked. I think we can all agree that truck drivers are the safest drivers on the road, but when you do something as stupid as this, all that goes out the window. You can easily get someone killed driving just a few miles on a road like this in a truck like that.


And a nice sunset picture to finish off my post. Our cabin had a steep gravel road leading up to it, which made things interesting. Having previous experience with dirt bikes comes in handy at times like that.

[Daschicken]

I finally synced the carbs on cibbie, it was not that bad(the procedure, not the synchronization) actually. I probably would have done it earlier if the carb synchronizer wasn't hiding for 3 years... They were a good bit off, as you will see in this video. Cylinder 1 appears to be making boost under certain conditions! (probably due to the excessive valve overlap needed for a screamer) No word on gas mileage yet, still have to ride it. The idle is much more stable now, and it will likely drop to idle right away when I pull in the clutch to coast. It usually hangs around 3000 RPM for around 10 seconds, and then drops to idle.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5oKhy-lbbE

Oh yeah, it was really cool to have four vacuum gauges on the bike, so the next mod will likely be a vacuum gauge, if I can find a nipple valve that will fit it. I could probably order one from the Australian wreckers at the same time I could also order a front fender from the earlier CBR 250.

[Daschicken]

Worn 7 year old tire no longer on the front. I now have matching Bridgestone S20 Evos front and rear. The front wheel spins pretty good without the brake caliper on it, maybe time for some brake return springs?

I did find a source for taller than 51T rear sprockets for my CBR 250R. They offer blanks as well. Next time I need a chain I will probably go for a 49T rear, or even taller. I did finally take the plunge and buy some paraffin wax and equipment for waxing chains. I put the pot of wax into a larger pot of water and heated that over a burner to avoid getting too hot. Who needs wax heaters? So, now that I am using wax, my chain should stay much cleaner for longer, and stay better lubricated too. That chain replacement may not be needed for a while.

https://shop.pbisprockets.com/produc...&categoryId=13

Front fender from an MC14 ordered on a Japanese auction site. Hopefully will get it within a month.

[Daschicken]

I broke 60 MPG for the first time with my little screamer, I also broke something else...My speedo cable decided it didn't want to stay attached anymore at the start of today's ride. I believe on later models of the MC19 and all(?) MC22s if the speedo cable is not connected, the engine is limited to either 8000 or 12000 RPM. Either way, mine didn't do anything unusual. I was able to get a trip reading from using google maps distance as well as the trip meter reading from my vfr 400.

Lots of chooching and sudden braking, but that didn't stop me from beating 60! 65 Should be well within reach, 70 might take some more effort though. My aero front fender should be showing up this coming week, and I may work on some brake drag reduction springs.

134.8 miles with 2.236 gallons = 60.3 MPG!

[jkv357]

Spotted this CBR250RR at Road America this weekend -



Neat bike. Wish they were available here.

He says it's a blast to ride.

His family also brought these 2 -



NSR250 and Mach III

[Daschicken]

Originally Posted by jkv357

Spotted this CBR250RR at Road America this weekend -



Neat bike. Wish they were available here.

He says it's a blast to ride.

His family also brought these 2 -



NSR250 and Mach III

4 cylinder 250s are definitely a blast to ride.

Very nice. My family has its share of grey import bikes . They really aren't that hard to import, and they don't cost all that much either. My CBR 250R cost $3000 CAN, which was around $2500 US at the time, and my VFR 400R cost only $2000 CAN. With you being in Wisconsin, you are much closer to the action than I am down in Georgia. Its pretty much just verify they are 25+ years old or on the import exemption list, buy it, and bring it to the border. I don't think we were charged an import fee for any of the bikes. We were usually through within an hour, and for latest bike we imported, the lady doing the paperwork didn't even bother to walk outside and look at it!

So cold weather and/or dark outside increases your chances of the import people not looking at it. The peace bridge in New York has been pretty easy on imports, but the crossing in Detroit is not so easy apparently. I don't remember which crossings we used. Once the bike is in, you get a police officer to finish up some import paperwork and verify the bike isn't stolen, then it is pretty much good to go. Insurance is a little iffy, since the insurance companies have a hard time trying to enter the shorter Japanese VIN.

I am still looking for a 250RR, not so much lately since I got the VFR 400 and the CBR runs so good. I do know that in 15 years, I will be importing a bunch of bikes, starting with the varadero 125.