CB250RS opinions?

Spotted this:
http://manchester.gumtree.com/manchester/92/65482092.html

Not had a chance to call the bloke, yet, so I have no idea about
mileage, T&T, etc.

Any advice or opinions, especially likely value?

Ta.

 

The seller describes it as a "classic". This suggests to me that his
expectations of value are likely to be unrealistic

 

They're ovely bikes: small, light, fast, handle brilliantly and do 70-80
to the gallon.

See Dan's comment and consider also that this one has been resprayed in
the wrong colour and it's likely to be a rattle can job as well.

 

Lovely bikes. Eat chains. Need frequent oil changes due to no filter
(just a screen).

Would like another but the current stable's too big (7).

 

How can a small bike with little power eat chains? Have they got a
stupidly undersized one?

 

How fast is fast? Comfy? What would one be like on a 45mile motorway/15
mile London commute? 70mpg would pay back in no time for me.

 

Had one, nice little bikes, one of Honda's better efforts.

Should keep up with traffic on the motorway OK at 70-80 but dont expect
to do much lane 3 overtaking. The chain and sprockets were stuffed when
I got it but the rust on the chain indicates that this was probably due
to neglect. Listen for the camchain, not difficult to change but knock
£100 off the price if it needs doing.

Comfort is a personal thing, no complaints but a tad high for a
shortarse like me and I would prefer the weather protection of a
superscoot like my Majesty especially in winter.

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique,
typed

Not lane 3, no...

<http://groups.google.co.uk/group/uk.rec.motorcycles/msg/87f402a72b5b9343
?hl=en>

 

It's a single so it's harder on chains. It used a weedy chain.

However... it could be that I only bought cheap chains...

 

I commuted a very similar distance about twelve years ago on these.

They really weren't any good on the motorway, fine up to 70-80 on the
flat but then when you hit a hill they slowed and you didn't have
enough margin to get past lorries. I really didn't enjoy this, it
felt dangerously underpowered (and the bike was fine I had two of
them).

Would be fine in London and if the 45 miles on the motorway was (like)
the M4 at rush hour I think this would be fine.

Comfy enough. Think I saw high 50s mpg, I never get good MPG out of
vehicles for some reason.

 

It's a bit small, yes, and they also have relatively small gearbox
sprockets which increases the cyclic load on the chains.

 

They do a genuine 90. The Doctor had one, back in the day, and two-up
it was faster than a mate's 250 Super Dream was solo. Motorways are no
problem: they'll e4asily hold 65-70. Comfy? Yes. Good riding position.
We took the Doctor's two-up to the Souith of France and back, in 1980.

 

The offset between the output shaft and the 'arm pivot is also a factor. As
is the length of the run I expect. I've seen specials which ran the shaft
and pivot pretty much in line.

Remeber those MZ enclosed chains? you could make those last for years.

 

I really don't agree with this. I've used two for motorway commuting
and on long uphill stretches (e.g. out of Swindon heading east on the
M4) it did not feel 'safe' since the speed dropped below the 75 or so
it could cruise at and then left me needing to overtake crawling
lorries but unable to accelerate to do so safely.

I liked the bikes and ended up using A roads instead. I really
wouldn't agree they're fine for commuting on today's motorways. Maybe
it's my riding.

 

You're right about the uphill bit. I was really thinking of on the
flat.

 

In communiqué

Suitably geared down they can go up hills surprisingly rapidly. There
was the usual one at Wiscombe on Sunday going very well. Quicker than me
by a couple of seconds, even though being ridden by an equally old (but
loopier) gimmer. It is highly tuned and bored out to 262 to take it into
the 350 class TBF.

Another one was taken to the Ramsey 5000 in 96 and put in a remarkably
respectable time up the Mountain from Stella Maris to just past
Guthries. No overtaking required though obviously.


--
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Pete Fisher at Home: |
| Voxan Roadster Yamaha WR250Z/Supermoto "Old Gimmer's Hillclimber" |
| Gilera GFR * 2 Moto Morini 2C/375 Morini 350 "Forgotten Error" |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+

 

I bought mine with the intention of doing a bit of low-paced touring.

 

Brilliant little things. I bought mine as a hack for commuting and
pottering, paying £400 for it with a freshly rebuilt engine.

When the MOT was due to expire I had a really good look over the whole
thing and found there was a crack hidden by dirt around the lowest
part of the frame where the RHS footpeg is mounted.

It took be approx. 3 hours to strip the whole thing down to its bare
frame and it's just waiting to be thoroughly made good by a skilled
auto-prep pal. For free as he's nice like that and always likes a
little project.

When it was on the road it was a blast. I found it quite sprightly and
extremely nimble. It's so comfortable, and it's actually quite cool,
pottering to town in T-shirt, shorts and flipflops...

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos..._468009317208_525022208_6456210_4433721_n.jpg
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos..._468009312208_525022208_6456209_5123200_n.jpg

 

Ding. I had an Alfa on mine. Some bastard nicked the whole bike just to get
the exhaust I reckon. It was a lovely sound.

JB

 

I had one once: think I owned it from around 20K to over 48K miles;
the engine was fine when I sold it. Great little bike.

I once rode it on a camping trip to Loch Lomond & back, albeit in easy
stages. I'm 6'1 and can't recall any discomfort at all apart from the
downpours and strong crosswinds. Also used to commute the odd weekend
to Sheffield to visit the G/F of the time.

I found that a combination of a slight incline and not-so-slight
headwind had me mixing it with the lorries on occasion, but it would
generally cruise at over 70mph.

I once had to replace the rear wheel bearings, which weren't exactly a
tight fit in the hub: I'd check the rear wheel play at different
points around the wheel, just in case the hub bearing seat has worn
oval; I've seen this on a CX500.

As with other small Hondas, the rear sprocket (or its carrier; I
forget which) is secured with a large circlip & washer. Rear sprockets
can get a bit wobbly but don't otherwise cause problems apart from the
wear that's already been mentioned.