it's going to be long winded, but I'll try to ask more questions first

which 250 are you on right now, and what are the reasons to change?
more speed? like top speed? say from the current ~170 you want 200? 220? 240? or outright 299?
more power? like better acceleration between 90 to 140?
more electronics? ABS, TC, ride modes, TFT etc?

how far is your commute? have you been riding correctly with the 250 meaning using core muscle to support instead of pressing mostly on the handlebar?

when you said sport bike, you say SBK (superbike) would not be comfortable for commute, then added MT07/XJ6 and you said not interested in naked... those two bikes are naked

20~25k budget for a used bike may need you to prepare some extra for repairs and services to sort things out

the CBR is getting more and more affordable and making those XJ6 looks sad

This post has been edited by alexei: Feb 16 2024, 10:58 PM

the CB250R, that would be the single cylinder, so iinm 130 is about the fastest it can go

now that we know you are not chasing a dream bike, but rather a solid workhorse commuter
your budget is your budget, is how you manage your life, I won't call it disadvantage
I'd say differently if you have a dream bike instead but compromise for something else due to budget

those 1st gen CBR is easy to find, in fact I also saw one earlier today with ~26k mileage

https://www.mudah.my/malaysia/motorcycles-f...0-25000&q=cb650
https://www.mudah.my/malaysia/motorcycles-f...-25000&q=cbr650

I (personally) would consider this: https://www.mudah.my/cbr+959-104541701.htm

170 out of the CB250R is not bad... I just googled it, seems legit and I was wrong to think 130 is about it

the 959 should actually be a CBR954RR, and I would take a look before deciding anything. I will normally browse mudah for 20k+ sportsbikes esp those that got fuel injection; Fireblades (929, 954), CBR600F4i, ZZR's, ZXR's etc

Another one: https://www.mudah.my/Honda+CBR+929RR+FIREBL...+-104610424.htm

the 929/954 have low seat height, ~815mm so you will feel right at home
at 190kg wet weight... they should be easy to handle

bear in mind, these machines are old but still pack a punch at 150++ hp @ 11k RPM

reliable? it's mostly luck when we talk about used bikes

good luck anyhow

older RR breakdown less than newer 1000's unless you go for more later models

that's how I see bike evolution or generations
the last of it's kind is better than first of it's kind
example the 954 is last of the 900, then the new 1000 is a first, more issues on this one

for 20k
1 - CB/CBR
2 - MT09 v1
3 - Z750

dream bikes would be along the lines of injection equipped retro superbikes

I think TS meant 'anything bigger than his existing 250cc' instead of an outright 'sport' bike that we are more familiar with

wait til he come back with more

meanwhile, I'm enjoying my maxi scooter hahaha

good bike, hope you like it
careful with the wheelie prone character, and spongy brake feel, and intrusive ABS
otherwise, hooliganism ftw

if you want to upgrade:
1 - brake lines
2 - service front forks (reduce changes of headshakes)
3 - rear shocks upgrade

the akra muffler, look at the overall quality - finishing, joint welds, rivets
if it has carbon body or caps, look for fake carbon vs real carbon
quite likely titanium, notice any discoloration due to heat?

the thing that dampens exhaust noise is the mid pipe, not the muffler
if you get the stock mid pipe, cut off the end, and add an original Akra muffler, it won't be loud also

For MT07, the stock cat is not good for airflow

sos: https://www.fz07.org/thread/10460/drilling-...-stock-exhaust/


got ppl operate it and do S-flow bypass

on a 4 stroke engine, back pressure is never a good thing
it's actually very necessary on a 2 stroke engine

the U-turn manifold adds length to the secondary header
from Akra website, the U-turn system gives more power than the standard underbelly system

--

This post has been edited by alexei: Aug 15 2025, 02:55 PM