The Spirit of the Open Road - Mumbai to Delhi on a Honda CBR 250R REPSOL Edition

The quickest way to reach Delhi from Bombay is to fly, but the longest way is the most exciting and breathtaking – not to mention backbreaking. But when you have a machine like the Honda CBR 250R, it is pure joy.

It’s 5 am on a lazy morning in Mumbai, and unexpectedly it starts to rain heavily. I had planned to get an early start – looks like my luck isn’t going to be good today. The rain continues to clog the streets. I’m all suited up in my riding gear and my backpack is tightly clinging onto my shoulders. I am standing next to a beautiful CBR 250R in a covered parking lot as I grasp my helmet tightly, waiting for the moment to saddle up. The night guards gather around me as they begin to admire the Japanese beauty draped in Repsol racing colour – it really stands out from the other CBR 250Rs with its bright orange-and-blue livery. It’s a real beauty and true to its racing heritage.

Finally, the noise of hard drops of water crashing into the ground is silenced and it is the moment I’d been hoping for – waiting for. The sun is in full view and the clouds seem to have parted. Key in; engine purrs to life and the throttle is twisted. I move another milestone closer to completing 1500km. There wasn’t any purpose of my journey – I simply wanted to ride until I reached New Delhi, exploring the roads-less-travelled on the way. The rain didn’t manage to delay me by much and I safely retreated from the city of Mumbai towards NH 8 without hitting any traffic snarls. The morning sunrise was beautiful and it only heightened my spirit for the ride – looked like my luck changed for good!

The roads were incredibly smooth and the wet tarmac was a joy to cruise on. Once I crossed the Vasai creek, the highway turned into a dramatic theatre where the road was my stage and the CBR 250R was giving the performance of a lifetime. The wide tubeless tyres grip really well even when you lean into curves at high speeds in wet conditions. The full muscle of 26bhp is felt and appreciated greatly on the highway as the bike accelerates very fast and helps you to comfortably overtake at any given moment. Even in the townships that are scattered along the highway – where you might encounter bumpy and rough roads – the Pro-Link suspension proves its supremacy by providing a smooth ride with enhanced handling.

The NH 8 is really a sight to behold up until you reach Daman and Diu, and then it does turn into your everyday Indian chaotic highway. There are still some nice stretches of smooth roads with little traffic along the way, but just before you reach Surat the road begins to become smaller and more congested. Now, it is important to mention here that I have never been to Gujarat before and I have never attempted to ride from Mumbai to Delhi, but it has always been on my to-do list. Ashish has done this route a few times and I’ve been envious of him for that! The fact that I was on a CBR 250R, made the ride even more special, and gave me a reason to rejoice in knowing that it wasn’t him doing the ride this time around. The bike really is a phenomenal performer no matter what the conditions. The seating position is really comfortable for long distance cruising – the seat is very accommodating and it allows for a flexible seating position that is both sporty and stress free in all conditions.

I must also mention how important it was for me to have Combined Anti-Lock Brake System (C-ABS) as a safety feature. We all know what to expect on Indian highways. Theoretically, and realistically, we always have to be ready for anything – and it does not matter how amazing the road is. On several occasions I had to brake all of a sudden, and along with the fact that I was travelling at speeds in excess of 120km/h, the C-ABS really played a huge role in getting me to my destination in one piece. The brakes on the CBR 250R are really fantastic when they are coupled with the C-ABS system and they are very effective to keep you on the bike. At this moment, I must also share a piece of trivia with you – the CBR 250R is the first 250cc motorcycle to ever feature Combined Anti-Lock Brake System (C-ABS).

As I inched closer to Ahmedabad, the roads became even worse. There is a brand new Vadodara-Ahmedabad Expressway, but that is reserved only for 4-wheelers – as I found out the hard way. Once I reached Ahmedabad I was amazed to see all the development in the city. It is quite a big city, but I did manage to find my way back on to NH 8 and head towards Udaipur. This is where the ride became most interesting. When you enter Rajasthan, you are immediately greeted by some of the finest roads this country has to offer – very little traffic and the smoothest tarmac you will ever encounter. The highway stretches out into the open as far as the eye can see, and there were times when I had the throttle engaged to its full potential for more than 15 minutes without letting go. It was unbelievable, and the CBR was flawless in its performance, allowing me to reach incredibly high speeds despite the heavy load it was carrying. The landscape was beautiful, the roads were a dream, and the experience is unforgettable. I finally reached Udaipur and decided to call it a day after 12 hours of riding.

The next day was even better and I rode on perhaps some of the best roads I have ever seen in my life. It’s more or less a two-lane highway from Udaipur all the way up to Beawar. I encountered some of the most sensational twisty roads, and I really got into it, and that’s when I felt I had reached biking nirvana. The CBR is such a perfect machine for India. It has got just the right amount of power to give you a thrill. You get fantastic control at very high speeds and the bike is incredibly smooth and stable. I didn’t want to stop riding, and thanks to the PGM-FI technology I was able to get an average fuel economy hovering between 35-40km/l. As a matter of fact, the guys at Honda were really gracious for having informed their dealerships all along this journey I undertook to assist me if I needed anything, but the CBR performed absolutely flawlessly and I really didn’t encounter any issue with the bike and just went on with my ride!

About 100 kilometers from Jaipur, the Ajmer Expressway begins. This is a six-lane highway that takes you all the way to Jaipur and onto the Jaipur–Delhi highway. The roads are smooth, crisp and incredibly straight, and once again I found myself holding down the throttle for several minutes at a time and experiencing the full power of the bike. I decided to stop in Jaipur for a break. I was nearly home – just 300 kilometers more and I had completed my journey. I had incredible luck for most of the time, but just as I was about to get home the rain let loose once again. But I didn’t care this time, and I continued to ride on. I had experienced one of the most thrilling and entertaining rides of my life, and I did it in pretty good time. The CBR 250R is more or less responsible for this incredible experience. With its outstanding performance, handling and braking, this trip would never have gone down the way it did – or should I say up.