Honda CB250n SuperDream Refurb: BIKE RUNNING GREAT

Thursday, April 05, 2012

BIKE RUNNING GREAT

Well the bike runs well now and there's no hint of any problem at 5k! That's the good news. The bad news is that I am WAY too used to modern brakes and I'm struggling to accept the pathetic brakes of the 80's. I'm also not happy with the bike starting and tickover. Will look into that more when I have the time.

Here's some photos I took today up Rivington. Used a shite compact camera, so they're nothing special/

2 comments:

Klaas De Craemer said...: Looking great :) Did you polish those engine side-covers by hand? They look superb.

I tend to rely mostly on engine-braking, and of course keep some extra distance to the cars in front :)
Personally, I find the front brake not that bad though, it's more that it does not have any feel to it at all. I heard that fitting a more modern master cylinder could help a lot.; 6 April 2012 at 08:21
Tom McQuiggan said...: Front brake-pads seem to be bedding in quite nicely now Klaas. The bike already has a brand new master cylinder fitted.

I had those side-covers polished by a local metal refinisher. Very cheap and saved lots of time.; 15 April 2012 at 19:52

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IN THE BEGINNING....

Way, way back in August 1980, I was working as a young steel-erector in Newcastle Upon Tyne and around the corner from where I worked was "Ken's Motorcycles" on the West Road. In the window was a brand new CB250N Superdream in shiny black - and I wanted it! So I got got the brochure (shown below), begged my future father in law to act as guarantor and signed on the £820 dotted line.

I loved that bike - it got me back and forth between Bolton and Newcastle with no problems or hiccups and lots of fun. From memory, it did something like 60 miles per gallon and could burn off most cars. What else does a young lad want?

Anyway, 28 years later, I decided to get another one and refurbish it over the winter months. I've done similar projects in the past and really enjoyed them, so I'm hoping that this one turns out as well as the others. Having said that, this project will be a REFURB as opposed to a rebuild.

The donor-bike looked to be in pretty good shape at first glance, but as usual, it all turns pear-shaped when you remove your rose-tinted glasses and start to see what's REALLY there!

The first thing that I want to do, is spend a little time finding out whether or not the engine needs a rebuild. If it doesn't really need it, so much the better. If it does need doing, then there'll be a significant delay as I spend time clearing out the garage to give me a lot more space.

I estimate that this project will take 3 or 4 months to complete but due to other interests/hobbies, it may go longer.

So, I'll start off with a few photos of the bike in its current condition and then log the progress of the refurb as I go along. Please feel free to comment or offer advice. Hope you enjoy!

Tom

http://www.mcqart.com/

SEE ALSO... HONDA CB450 K1.