[thedrewski86]

Greetings CBR'ers, I'm a SVrider for the past several years but I bled Honda red before the Suzuki. I haven't made any changes to my stable to speak of for quite some time, but as the miles rack up on my 650 I suspect I will be researching replacements sooner rather than later.
I love small bikes, and currently have an old Ninja 250 I built for my Dad almost a decade ago. Pretty much all my small-cc fun has been on Ninja 250s, and this recent one has re-ignited my love for low-power canyon fun. That being said, this market is great for sellers, and I doubt I'll ever get this much for a beat old Ninja. It may be time to upgrade. I love the looks of the R3, especially the new-gen, and the Ninja 400 seems good on paper even if it has drifted from its 250 roots a bit. I love Hondas though, and the simplicity of their little 300 is tempting. I had an F2 some time ago and it was my first true sportbike. I had lots of fun doing little two-up weekend trips with my wife many years ago on a big old Hurricane 1000F as well. Pre-rocket days I had a cherry Honda Shadow that was my most reliable transit for several years when we lived outside of Chicago.
Nowadays I pretty much stick to my local canyons on traffic-free mornings off from work. I've done about all I feel like doing to my SV (brakes and suspension-wise) and it handles my needs fantastically. It's perfect for a rip up Palomar Mountain in SD Co. or the Ortega from Riverside Co. to Orange Co. My favorite route is a twisty loop through farmland north of Camp Pendleton; the 250 shines on this stretch. If I get a CBR again it will be used there primarily.

 

[kiwi rider]

Welcome to the CBR boards chap, we know each other from the SV forum. I was one of the Mods on here when I had my CBR's and I've hung around like a buzzing blow fly since as I still have a love for small bikes. You mentioned the Ninja 400 in your text, that's what I went to after the CBR300. Quite a jump in power (31HP - 45HP) and definitely ride stability. Probably a lot of that was due to the 41mm forks up front. I probably had more fun riding the wheels off the CBR's though . Looking back I should have invested some money in the suspension as it's softness lets it down for sports riding.

 

[thedrewski86]

Hey kiwi! Good to hear from you. I suspect if I get the CBR I will just sell the Ninja 250 and hold on to the SV for a bit. I've heard too many people recount stories of seller's remorse and SVs...
Part of my love for the old 250 is the "tiny" feel and its ability to just get down and have a good time in the tight twisties. I wonder how much of that is the 16" wheels and if the CBR would be similar with its lighter curb weight. Power numbers are almost identical between the CBR and my current 250, which is fine with me. I assume some appropriate springs up front, a rear shock, maybe emulators and I should be set. Well, and tires.
How is the braking relative to the SV? The little single rotor on front of my Ninja is more than enough for how fast that bike is.

 

[kiwi rider]

The little CBR's actually have a pretty decent Nissin brand front brake. I couldnt compare to the SV as both of my SV's I fitted with braided lines and sintered pads. Put it this way, I didnt do any front brake mods to the CBR but I did the Ninja.
I also have a KTM RC200 which has the Bybre front brake and its woeful. Probably fair to say my current Aprilia 660 is the only bike I've bought that had a really strong front brake stock, but you get what you pay for I guess.

 

[Gromit]

Put sintered pads in my CBR and it made a great difference. I put them in the CB too and got rid of OEM cardboard.

 

[thedrewski86]

That jives with my experience. The weight (or lack thereof) of my 250 is such that I never considered upgrading the brakes. It'll stand on its nose if I want. The SV has sintered pads, sst lines, and a Brembo mc bringing the whole setup up to "adequate".
A buddy of mine recently got a 660 Tuono and I rode it a fair bit. The brakes are fantastic.