On visiting another forum I came across the news of the CBR250RR maybe being introduced into the UK market for 2010.
It actually got me thinking, do you think the manufactures would make more money per year selling NEW small bikes such as the Yamaha YZFR125 and Ninja 250, etc as they do selling the NEW bigger bikes?.. obviously the smaller bikes are about half the price if not less but it all depends on the amount sold I guess.
Although the CBR250RR actually in my opinion does look abit like one of those toys bikes you find in an Argos catalogue :hehe:
Companies usually make far more money out of small bikes than large ones. They are simple and cheap to make in comparison, and they sell shed loads of them, especially in the far east. Big bikes cost far more in research and development, are far more sensitive to market conditions, (see what has happened to Harley,) and have far fewer common parts than smaller machines so the costs of making, stocking and distributing components is far greater than it is for smaller machines which are often designed to share the maximum number of components with similar models.
I’ve been hoping they’d release the CBR250R to the UK market at some point. Looks like my prayers may have been somewhat answered. (EDIT: Although looking at it, size and all, might be better for me to get the 600… looks tiny!)
Smaller bikes sell big because they are all some people can ride without shelling out a shedload in insurance/modifications to get a 600 and restrict it. Think of all those under 21’s who start biking on restricted licenses.
I can’t figure out for the life of me why they don’t product bikes up to the bhp limit of the A2 license. What use is the 250cc, some people only buy the 250cc because it’s the only “super bike” with a bit of grunt they can ride unrestricted for their two years. If they had a 400cc CBR or YZF I would’ve been happy with an A2 license for two years instead of shelling out for a DAS and doing the whole rigmorale in that snow we had last winter!!
I was under the impression that other than a bit of age variance for first being allowed out on 'peds, we now had a standard motorcycle test/licence system throughout the European Union, hence the recent changes to the testing procedures ?
There is a common bhp restriction across the EU which is why scooters, who have a huge share of the market in Europe, are often made as 400cc 33bhp machines like the X8, XEvo, Majesty, Burgman etc.
I wish that some of the manufacturers would cater for the smaller person.
When I went to a Kwak dealer, I wanted the 250 frame with the 650 engine, at least on the 250 I could flat floor my feet, but the 650 I had to have lowered
There are 400cc scooters, but most 400cc bikes are or were due to the Japanese bike test which stipulated that in ordered to ride a bike with an engine size of 600cc you must be able to pick it up. Hence the number of 400cc bikes especially in Japan.
I think the best looking 250 is the Hyosung GT250R. It beats the 250 ninja as it handles much better! And its only 5mph slower…
The cbr250r? I think it will be like its 125 sister… A shambles as said by Bike magazine.
I will get one should it be changed radically in the styling department… For me the bike has to look sharp and like the old 600rr. I loved the eyes on that!
Hopefully they will bring it out. We need more bikes on the market at the moment…
