I forgot to mention that I'd still be doing 80%city, 20%highway, with the occasional (once or twice a season) trip up north where the roads are nice and curvy. Also this will probably be a 5 year or more bike so I'm in it for the long haul lol

 

Jumping from a 125 to a 500 can be a leap for some. The new 500 series are not an overly powered bike with only 47hp. Some who have transitioned from the 125 to the 250 have exclaimed they noticed quite a difference yet did not feel overwhelmed. I think the weight of the 500 and longer wheelbase will be what you need to get accustomed to, especially with stops and starts. The seat height is a tad higher at 30.9 in. Not a huge difference but you may notice it with the added bike weight. Some riders are very content with a 250 as all they need or want in a bike. The handling and nimbleness along with the hp more than meets their needs. An awesome commuter bike which also handles the highway well. A rider needs to know what they want in a bike. An SS is not a great commuter but fun on the track. Dual sport meets the needs of riders who like to take the dirt road to grab a coffee lol, the new 500 is targeting a rider population who wants the added power for longer rides with the commuter bonus while not strapping a rocket to our arse. So, think about what you want for the next 5 yrs. most of your riding is in city commuting so the 250 will more than meet your needs with a weight of approx 360/370 lbs with the same seat height of the 125. I'm not discouraging the 500 purchase at all. I've owned the 250 for 21/2 yrs, logged a lot of km's but my riding is a great deal of highway and long day rides with SS peeps lol, which is why I'm going with the 500. If I cld afford to keep my 250 along with the 500, I wld as the 250 plants a crazy smile on the face. Most funnest bike Ive owned. All the best in your search.

 

Id go for the 500R.

It is not too powerful at all. I'd say it is perfect.

With the 250 you will still find that it is a little bit underpowered sometimes. A little less torque and a little bit more revving is needed.

The 500 is still very light and has more torque which makes riding around the city easier. You don't have to downshift as often.

 

i own cbr150, cbr250 and cbr500 all now so i might enlighten you a bit.
Cbr125 to cbr500 is a very logical step.
After cbr125, you outgrow cbr250 very fast believe me.
yeah cbr500 is a bigger bike with more weight and power but line them together, cbr500 does not look that bigger psychologically. With 5.5 height, you might not plant both foot comfortably on it maybe but can plant one strong enough in any normal condition.
But at the end, you are the only one to decide. Just ask yourself and do some test rides. If you feel ready and competent enough to ride a bigger and heavier bike with more power like cbr500 just go for it and if you say little bit more time go for cbr250 which is a cool bike with lots of fun and cheap to run.
And, i commute daily too in crazy asian traffic and cbr500 is as good as cbr250 in rush hour.

life is short so just go for a cbr500 man. If you will be in biking for some time, do not spend time with cbr250 at least not that much.

 

If you chose to just upgrade from a cbr125 to a cbr250 then its probably the smarter and safer thing to do. Small increments increase will gradually build up your confidence but if you make a big jump to a cbr500 it might be too fast. But that all depends on your experience, and tat inner speed demon is always there to tell you to kick it up a notch. Just control it. You can only go as fast as you flick the wrist.

 

I would honestly just skip out on the CBR250, before you know it you'll want the cbr500r and have to hassle and sell the 250. Why go through the trouble, your not jumping to a supersport like the CBR600RR with 100hp. Trust me its not that bad. Just take it in to consideration that increase is very minimal and you'll get use to it as long as you take it slow.

 

Same boat - do I upgrade to the 500 or keep the 125

I am a newer rider. Started at the end of last season, and have been riding again this year for about three weeks. I have a 125. I love it. I put on over 4000 kms on it. At slow speeds in the city or a parking lot I have complete control and can maneuver very well. But I find on the highway I don't have the speed to keep up with traffic. This concerns me as I would like to do a few road trips.

I have been thinking of moving to the 500. But I am debating on if I should keep the 125 longer to feel even more comfortable with it. It is so nimble and controllable. I wonder about the responsiveness of the 500. Like the other poster, I am short 5'8" about 150 lbs. I was thrilled to find a bike that fit me. So to I upgrade, or keep my 125 longer?

I know people can't directly tell me what I should do. But if you have questions I could ask myself or things I should look for or if you know what I might notice in the upgrade. Even advice. I would be appreciative.

thanks.
I love riding!

 

I don't think you'll have an issue with the power, yes it's step up but not a crazy step up like a 125 to a 600. In my opinion there's not a great deal of difference between the 125 and 250 so if it was me I would go for the 500 especially if you've had two years on it

I think your biggest issue would be your height and whether you feel comfortable on the bike with the extra weight and height of it. Go and sit on one and see how you feel, if it feels ok then go for it

 

If you decide to go with the 250 instead of the 500 I would go to the used market and find a cheaper example. Could likely find a 2011 or 2012 used 250 for about 1/2 the price of the new 500 right now and if you decide the 250 isn't enough you could sell it for a similar amount as you paid for it.

 

This is actually really good advice.

 

I would go for the 500. Riceroket's advice is sound though.

The thing is, the 500 is such an easy bike to ride so all things considered you shouldn't have any problems riding it. Just have to take care with the extra speed and slowly build up to the quicker pace.

One of the most frustrating (and dangerous) things about biking is to not be able to keep up with traffic on faster roads. My BSA is a good example, 55mph max, one tiny mirror and no indicators! So actually being able to accelerate easily up to a decent speed and maintain it up hills or into a headwind will actually make your riding safer.

One sure way though is to give the 250 a good long test ride. If at the end of it you feel you can handle it ok and ride near it's maximum then go for the 500. If you still feel a bit intimidated by the 250 after the test then you might be better to go with the 250 for a while.

Good luck!!

 

For your 80/20 urban/h-way riding.. the 500 will offer more acceleration from stand still but otherwise in Urban riding really don't think you will notice or need that much more power so I would say 250 is fine... on the highway - totally different story though, you may feel the extra power is needed to ride situations (takes confidence again though.. )

I would go with Riceroket's advise personally.. may cost a little more in the long run but you cant put a price on gaining experience / confidence..

All depends on how happy a rider you are in making the jump..

 

The previous posts show there are advantages and disadvantages to both the 250 and 500. One thing for sure is that both bikes are easy to ride. The best way to decide might be a thorough test ride on both. J-Bird's comment means that there would be a big cost saving if you got a used 250. I upgraded from the 250 to the 500 and for city riding I find both bikes great. For highway, the 500 is better.

 

I went from a cbr125 to the cbr500. Its a very nice step up and it caught me off guard when i first started her up because it was faster than I thought but I was fine and from there it was cake. I only had 2500km riding experience also so I hope that makes you feel more confident. And I find the 500 great for highway I didnt want to touch a 100kph highway on the 125 but on the 500 I feel safe.

 

Do the 500. Don't waste your time with the 250.