Honda CB250

Hi there,

I have a Honda CB250 Super dream 1997 which I purchased last October as a winter hack. It had 28000 miles on the clock.

My BMW K750S is a great bike, but getting a bit expensive & heavy for the commute especially in snow/ice.

The little Honda is an absolute cracker. Its like a motorised push bike! Great for use in the winter in the snow/rain/ice (I didn't see many big bikes used during that time!!)

Good points:-

1) Cheap to Insure & tax

2) Approx 110-130 mpg for my commute of 13 miles each way to London & back

from London Suburb.(keeping the chain lubed aids this)easily get 350+

miles before reserve tank needs to be used.

3) Parts are inexpensive & readily available from non Honda outlets

4) Light (approx 130 Kg)and easy to maneuver in the rush hour & around pot

holes.

5) No expensive oil/filters required..simple gauze that can be cleaned and

replaced.

6) Doesnt use any oil.

7) Fun to ride & can park almost anywhere without fear of theft

8) Easy to maintain by novice rider. Can find plenty of maintenance tips on

YouTube.

9) Air cooled.

Bad points:-

1) Chain to clean/lube (guess i am used to the shaft drive of my K75s)

2) Feels a little under powered for my 95Kg body :)..or maybe its my bike?

3) On the motorway, you can feel large vehicles overtake. Max speed is approx 70mph..but not a great idea to do this type of speed.

4) No windshield on my bike as standard.

5) No cig lighter socket for GPS/ heated grips.

6) TOO quiet!!...cars/pedestrians cant hear you coming!!

If you want a solid reliable bike to commute on or just get around, I would highly recommend the CB250. (try and get one with a top box..soo useful).

I might consider a scooter as an alternative, but thats only because I dont like to lube the chain.(assuming that it gives me the same MPG).

I hope that this helps.

Safe Riding

Regards

Ben

After completing my full license on a 125cc I have a two year restricted license which means that I needed a bike that was under 25kw/33bhp. There aren't many options, but top of the list is the Honda CB250 which was perfect for my needs. I commute 26 miles a day into and out of central London, and the CB250 is ideal. It manages 80+mpg, it's very easy to manoeuvre around traffic, it carries two people easily, and it's easily fast enough for city commuting. Furthermore, it is an inexpensive bike if you find one second hand, but feels fantastic, comfortable, and chunky. The engine sounds really sweet with the twin cylinders, and it feels like a big step up from a 125cc for around the same cost. I would thoroughly recommend this bike, especially if you have a two year restricted license OR if you're looking for a commuter bike.

When petrol prices started to rise I tentatively suggested to my better half that selling one of our cars and me getting a motorbike could be the answer! Initiative got the expected reply of 'NO WAY'. However a few months and some hefty repair bills on the old Fiesta later she started to crack. When I did the sums and found that we could save at least £750 a year the idea was sold. I rode bikes in my teens and always loved the old 'Superdreams' so a CB250, which was the last of the line of these, was the obvious choice for my 6 mile commute to work.I found a 7 year old machine, with 13500 on the clock at the local dealer and paid just £950 for it. A month on I'm well pleased and found it's just what I wanted!It's certainly not a speed machine, and doesn't have a lot in the way of extras, but that's not what I wanted anyway. It's comfortable, easy to get used to, light, reliable and feels very stable. I work in a fairly high crime area and one of the good things about it is that it doesn't have a lot of street cred that might encourage the local 'lads' to eye it up for themselves whilst it's standing on the side of the road whilst I'm at work!What I've really loved most though is the fuel economy. So far it's done 87mpg which is approaching 3x what the car used to do! In addition, the general running costs are cheaper and I'll have the fun of being able to do what little servicing needs to be done.So, I'm saving money and having a load of fun at the same time. Can't be bad!