CB 250 RS

[Yodagoat]

On my search for a cheap commuter bike, a friend has offered me his CB250RS for free!!!!
It'll need an exhaust and a new cylinder head (prievious owner buggered the plug thread and mad it worse trying to fix it)
Apart from that its been sitting in Jim's shed for ages.
Are these bikes any good? Has anyone owned or ridden one?
Anyone got an old CB 250 head lying about?
Or a haynes manual?


Cheers

Mike

 

[ahutcheon]

Lovely little bikes. Fine handling (for their era) and quick enough (for an old 250 4-stroke), go a fair way on a gallon of unleaded. Often wish I still had mine.

Maybe an engineering shop could put a helicoil or similar in to fix the cylinder head?

Watch for rust, and for corrosion around the spoke holes of the alloy rims.

In case you're only familiar with modern bikes, be aware that the past is another country, and bikes are different there. I'd take a CB250RS over a CB250N Superdream any day of the week, but brakes and suspension (and vibration and tyres and a whole lot else) might not be as you'd expect. If the front disk works properly it'll twist the forks in the yokes when used hard.

Keep things cheap and appreciate the limitations and you can have a ball (I ran mine alongside a VFR750, Firestorm and then 1150GS and still enjoyed the little 250).

 

[Bryn]

Had one a few years ago.. great little commuter

 

[Blind Lemon Ade]

Aye!

I thrashed one round the South Circular Road for years - great fun!

The cylinder head oil leak kept my left leg warm and waterproof.

I set my "course record" for the journey from Putney to Crayford when my mate obtained the first known copy of "Debbie Does Dallas"...

 

[Yodagoat]

Sounds good then!
Cheers all.

Mike

 

[Steptoe]

Plug threads going used to be a fairly regular problem - i knew a dispatch rider back in the eightieswho had two 250RS, one for sunday best and one to work on.
The work model had 130K miles on it, the spark plug thread had gone and he couldn't remove the plug, but the plug stayed in place so he kept on riding it until he needed to take the head off. I think the plug did 100k miles before he took the head off.

It was in the days before they recorded frame number on MOT's, so he used to swop the number plates from the bad bike onto the good bike and get the MOT.

Favourite bike with dispatch riders, narrow for scooting between cars, very reliable and cheap to run.

But you must change the oil regularly, i think the cams are machined to the head so if you get cam wear the heads are fecked

 

[biggles12]

Great fun bike. I had one with a high comp piston and flat side carb. Didn't go much faster but loads of fun around the twisty lanes. I use to run Dunlop race tyres on it.
I might have a few bits here PM me if you need anything and I'll have a dig in the shed.

Pete

 

[MattW]

Great bikes, I had one for years and wish I'd never sold it. Mine was a 'deluxe' which basically meant it had an electric start (and no kickstart). In truth, this was a bit of a pain as the starter was marginal and you had no kickstart backup (however it bumped very easily).

Like Steptoe says, you need to keep on top of oil changes - I used to do mine every 1000 but they hold naff all so it costs next to nothing. My camshaft eventually gave up the ghost and as he said, they run directly in the head (as did many bikes of that era). I had my head line bored and sleeved with bronze and fitted a new camshaft.

You need to be a bit of a contortionist to set the tappets but they almost never need doing. You also need to check fastenings every now and again, especially if after long high speed runs - mine used to vibrate case screws loose but a dab of loctite cures this (strangely it never felt very vibey though). As a four valve single they like to rev and make a very nice burble on the overrun (used to sound great if you shut off going through a tunnel ). I toured mine all round the west coast of Scotland.

You've made me feel all nostalgic now - great, nimble, reliable bikes - I'd definitely get it

 

[Yodagoat]

Pete,
I'll definately be looking for an exhaust, dunno what side yet though as I haven't seen the bike, and I'll need a head.
The bike is currently in boxes so I wont realy know what i'll need untill I start to re build it.

Cheers

Mike

 

[KMD]

It's just possible I still have the Haynes manual for one I had some years ago. I'll have a dig about, if I find it it's yours.

 

[Vern]

I put an XR500 motor in one of them,one of the all time hooligan bikes.I think the only problem was getting the oil cooler sorted,but once that was done,it pulled like a train and shocked many bigger bike riders.

It might be worth having a look for a cheap 500 motor.

 

[D6]

xl head will fit, exaust will be the prob

 

[KMD]

xl head will fit, exaust will be the prob

I got a Motad one for mine, don't know if they still do 'em ?

 

[biggles12]

Pete,
I'll definately be looking for an exhaust, dunno what side yet though as I haven't seen the bike, and I'll need a head.
The bike is currently in boxes so I wont realy know what i'll need untill I start to re build it.

Cheers

Mike

I'll have a look tonight for you, let me know if theres anything else.

Pete

 

[biggles12]

So did you get the CB250RS?
I didn't have an exhaust but Motad do them. I do have a few other bits.

Pete

 

[Davy F]

Cracking wee thumper and seem quite rare now, at least a good one is. For some reason, my wife loved the RS but I don't know why......