Review of the Honda CBR 150 motorcycle

CBR 150 R

- motorcycle model, Honda brand,

The Honda CBR150R small-capacity sports motorcycle model appeared in 2002 in Thailand and was aimed at sales in developing Asian countries. The model was not officially supplied to developed countries, but some of the motorcycles found their way there through the efforts of private importers.

In 2010, the model undergoes restyling, receiving visual features of the Honda VFR1200F and an injection power system. The wheel size increases, and the dashboard becomes digital.

In 2015, the Honda CBR150R is again changed and receives features of the Honda CBR600RR. On the technical side, the model has practically not changed at all.

For 2021, the model again receives exterior changes and a new, longer-stroke engine.

The key features of the Honda CBR150R include a steel diagonal frame, simple suspension in the form of a conventional telescopic fork and a monoshock absorber, a 1-cylinder liquid-cooled engine with an injection power system (since 2010), a 6-speed gearbox and a curb weight of 123 kg.

For whom

Here are the main features of the Honda CBR 150 R:

• hard seat;
• characteristics too weak for the sports class;
• low price.

This motorcycle may be suitable for those who want to ride a car with a sporty exterior. But the experienced eye of an avid biker can easily discern the flimsiness of the design, which is impossible for a truly sporty model.

Engine

The CBR 150 R is equipped with an engine with a volume of 149.4 cm³. This is a four-stroke unit with one cylinder. Only 13 Nm of peak torque and 17 hp. power – rather modest figures considering the volume. Nevertheless, the motorcycle takes off quite sharply and accelerates to hundreds. Its top speed is 160 km/h.

Review of the Honda CBR 150 motorcycle

For a beginner, the bike is simply ideal: light, small, narrow as a herring, quite aggressive and pleasant minisport, the seating position was slightly reminiscent of a sports bike with a slight forward tilt, the saddle height was ideal for my 170 cm.

Well, what about our driving? Everything is fine here. The cruising speed is 100-120, like any small-capacity vehicle, at first you get tired of constantly switching up, and then down before a traffic light, but then you get used to it.

The gearbox works quite well, the clutch is soft, the hand doesn’t get tired, the levers are without adjustments, the bike reaches 100-110 quite quickly for 150cc, further acceleration is sluggish, a noticeable lack of power, but from a hill I accelerated it to 150. It’s not very comfortable on the highway, the windshield is too small, it throws very much to the sides from the trucks (the light weight of the moto), but it’s a different matter in the city, it fits into any crack, the mirrors don’t stick out too much behind the levers, so everything is clear with the dimensions, very nimble, narrow, in Moscow In traffic jams it showed itself at 5. It brakes very well, for its power the brakes are enough for the eyes. I didn’t put much into the turns because the tires didn’t allow it (they were old and oak), but the bike steers at a solid 4, the turning angle is less than that of a Uber, but there are clip-ons anyway. The suspensions are also normal, there is a monoshock absorber at the rear, a telescopic fork at the front, they handle unevenness well, but with the second number it is a little difficult to drive over tall police cars. I’ve ridden with the second number many times, the dynamics deteriorate noticeably, here the weave is the ceiling, well, 120 maximum, the seat upholstery is slippery, the second number constantly flies down, for the second number there is a handle at the back to hold on, but it doesn’t interfere with sliding. There were easy attempts at stunting, wheelie, after which the chain immediately stretched, burnout and stoppie without problems, the bike stops very easily, another proof of good brakes.

During the season I put about 6 thousand miles on it, rode it in the rain and at +3, it always started perfectly, there were no breakdowns, I changed the oil, I didn’t change the chain and rubber, I finished the season on them, once the starter contact came off, the latch simply came apart and The front brake frog had to be wiped once, that's all. He forgave me a lot of mistakes due to his ease. I skated until the bitter end; it was a warm winter in Moscow at the time, and the season closed on December 2. I sold the number 20 motorcycle for 95 thousand.

So, I’m sharing my experience of owning this wonderful motorcycle – the Honda CBR150R. It would seem that what to take from this baby - but no! This is a full-fledged motorcycle, especially for a beginner, much more complete than the boring Yamaha YBR125 or all sorts of Chinese-Taiwanese copies, such as Keeway Speed. I have nothing against these motorcycles, they are probably worth the money they ask for, but the Honda CBR150R is superior to them in all respects, and taking into account the low price for a fairly new machine (for 90 thousand you can really find it in very good condition) - this the motorcycle, in my opinion, is becoming one of the most attractive to buy!

So why do I like him so much? Let's start with the fact that it just so happens that in our market and in our mentality they don’t like small-capacity motorcycles, and therefore they are not very common. I brought my Honda CBR150R from Japan back in 2006, and it seemed to me that it was the first CBR150R, if not in Russia, then certainly in Moscow. And nothing stopped me then, neither the lack of spare parts, nor the relative high cost at that time (prices were different). For $3,200, which, if memory serves, I paid then, I later bought a good Suzuki SV400, but now that the Honda CBR150R has become a year older, the prices have become more attractive. In fact, for the price of a well-worn Honda CB400, you get a completely new device, lightweight and ideal for training novice motorcyclists.

But this is not its only advantage. As I already mentioned, the device is very light, only 115 kg. Any beginner can handle it, incl. fragile girl. The engine of the motorcycle is 1-cylinder, water-cooled, which allowed the manufacturer to charge it quite well. So, the engine produces 17 hp, and according to some sources, all 22 hp. (I had exactly 22 in my PTS). So... the motorcycle runs very quickly with it. Remembering my first impressions, I can’t say it any other way. The CBR150R is truly awesome! By the way, when I sold it, accompanying the new owner to his place of residence in the SV400, I had to really unscrew the handle to get this baby. It’s clear that the CBR150R was squealing like crazy at that moment, and the SV400 was driving at medium or even slightly lower speeds, but still this was firmly etched in my memory. To add a fly in the ointment to this ideal picture, I can say this: at that time I had 65 kg + equipment. The Siberian accelerated to 140 in one fell swoop, then it gained more slowly to 155. The fly in the ointment here is that under my friend on a country road (possibly with a headwind), the Honda CBR150R went only 140 km/h. True, this comrade was long, he could not fit behind the small fairing of the motorcycle. Concluding about the engine... fuel consumption only made me happy - only 3 liters per 100 km in the city!!! And only once did I record 4 liters - this was on the way to Tula along the highway in “pedal to the floor” mode.

I have already mentioned that the Honda CBR150R motorcycle is small, so it will be comfortable for pilots no taller than 175 cm, well, maximum 180. But it is very comfortable for short-legged people, like me, and it is not intimidating by its weight - it is light as a feather. The seating position, despite the appearance of the motorcycle, is quite road-ready, civil, and when traveling to Tula and back (400 km) with a break of only an hour and a half, I was no more tired than my friend on the ER5.

In general, everyone has a good motorcycle. And we’re just playing with it – I’m talking about spare parts. There are now many more owners of similar models of motorcycles in our country. I've heard rumors that things aren't so bad with spare parts either. The main thing here, as with any other motorcycle, is to have a spare parts catalog. Having the part number, you can then easily order it in some online store. In addition, a similar model is quite officially sold in Ukraine, so you can find everything if you want. Of course, you shouldn’t drop it too much, you definitely won’t find anything at the breakdown, but if you use a little of your logistics abilities and ensure that you get the necessary consumables, then you won’t have any problems. By the way, don't forget about Ebay.

What's the result? Having ridden the Honda CBR150R for about a season in total (I don’t remember the mileage, 5-6 thousand km), I can say one thing - I RECOMMEND it! Nothing broke, nothing leaked, the motorcycle required absolutely no expenses other than oil and gasoline. By the way, there is only 1 liter of oil in the engine. The tank is 10 liters, enough for more than 300 km. And I advise you to take the option without direct flow - on a single-barreled gun, which still cannot overtake the speed of sound, it gets tiring.

Yes! And I wanted to draw your attention. All this applies specifically to the Honda CBR150R, and not the CBR125R, which has a smaller engine and less power. This European analogue is not nearly as bright as the Japanese 150R, which, by the way, is produced in Thailand.

Dimensions and weight

The length of the CBR 150 R is 2000 mm, its width is 825 mm and its height is 1120 mm. This motorcycle has a seat height of 776 mm, while the wheelbase is 1305 mm. The weight is low: 138 kg, which is certainly a plus for such a bike. The tank volume is 13 liters, which is quite good with an average consumption of 3 liters per hundred.

Specifications:

Chassis and brakes

The motorcycle frame is steel, tubular in type. It, like the steering wheel with elegant cast wheels, is made to sporting standards. The exterior is quite bright and colorful, not very consistent with the modest technical specifications.

The bike has a monoshock absorber for the rear suspension. At the front, a telescopic fork plays this role. The rear brake has a single-piston caliper and a 220 mm disc. At the front there is a 276 mm disc and a two-piston caliper. The chassis is quite weak and is not designed for fast driving and sudden actions.