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Where Have All The 250's Gone?
Blog Date - 08 August 2012
I used to own a CB 250 S Dream, an "S" registered model in red, the forerunner of the popular but much maligned CB 250 N Super Dream. It was an old bike even back then. It's now considered something of a classic, needless to say I dispatched on mine till it spat its crank out at 66,000 miles. I've also owned a CMX 250, the old Benly 200 motor bored out to 233cc and stuck into a cruiser frame. I only had it a short time whilst I recovered from a crash then traded it in against the SLR 650. Both 250's were great bikes.
I've looked longingly at the new Honda NC 700 and admired it's acceptable power output against it's impressive economy, but I'd also consider a 250 as I love my 125 to bits but it just lacks that little extra for touring and two-up. A 250 should be able to achieve 90mpg but maybe that little cheaper to run than the NC 700 in terms of tyres, chains and other bits. So what is available these days?
Norra lot. Well, not if your looking for a nice, sensible, comfortable (OK...dull) motorcycle.
Kawasaki offer the beautiful Ninja 250 R. It's a great bike, I'm sure it's nippy if not fast, it should handle amazingly well and not drink too much, but I can't see it being comfortable for 300 miles and there's nowhere to put the top box or saddle bags. Similarly Honda offer the CBR 250 R. Just like the Kwak it's a sports bike, to load it up and ride it for hours would be to completely miss the point.
Then there's the forthcoming Honda CRF 250 L, Yamaha's existing WR 250 R and X and Kawasaki's KLX 250. These bikes are moto-crossers with lights and on/off road tyres. My little CLR 125 is an off road style machine and I love it and I love to take it on the odd trail here and there too, so this type of bike is a contender. Both the Yamahas are based on the race machines and boast proudly of their sporting prowess, there's no mention of economy or fuel consumption, so I doubt they're what I would consider "efficient". The Kwak talks of good ergonomics and efficiency so that's good, the Honda even offers 90mpg in the blurb, perfect!
There are a couple of downsides to the crosser. Tube tyres, they're fine 99.99% of the time but when you get a puncture, POP!, it's down and out. Tubeless tyres, though not perfect, can take a small nail and go down in a controlled manner. Often you may be able to make your way home if the puncture is slow enough. Some crossers can have thin painful seats too, I'd have to look hard at each seat to decide if it's comfortable, especially for two-up.
Honda used to sell the CBF 250 and Yamaha the YBR 250. I can't see either of these bikes on their respective manufacturer's websites, so I assume they're no longer in production. The only "street" bike I can find is the Suzuki Inazuma 250, a name and a bike that's completely new to me. It looks much like the CBF and the YBR with the tank shrouds of the B_King. It looks good both in pictures and on paper, the first thing mentioned in the blurb is "85mpg" so that's been considered important in the design brief. It's trick too, gear indicator, a "prompt" light to change gear that you set yourself and low to mid range performance. It's another contender, this looks comfy too.
So those are the new offerings, what about second hand? There are of course the CBF and YBR 250s, dogged old Super Dreams and CB two-fiftys, plenty of chinese offerings, classic machines and used models from above.
Here's the rub for all of the above, and the main point of this monologue. Spares and accessories. In the UK the 250 has fallen out of favour. Everyone has either a 125 because they've yet to pass their test or they want cheap transport. Or, they've a "big" bike because they're posers, racers, super tourers or just because they can. The 250 market has been left floundering between, neither fast and flashy or cheap and licence friendly. That in itself does not bother me, but if I were to purchase any of these machines will I be able to get "stuff" for it.
Will Renntec or Givi make the effort to create a luggage rack for the Inazuma if they think they'll only sell 10 of them? Will I be able to replace the crap mild steel exhaust for an aftermarket stainless one? Will Hagon make an affordable shock to replace the original when it leaks just after the warranty ends? Rare bikes are a pain in the ass when it comes to spares. That's the reason I've been watching sales of the NC 700.
IF the NC 700 sells well and the reports of excellent fuel consumption continue, then surely this is the best choice? I think so, but then imagine if Honda or someone else creates a 250 built for ecomony, that should be able to produce 120 - 140 mpg figures. Also 250's should be lighter which means tyres and chains should last longer and be of a lower specification which means they should be cheaper.
I used to indecisive, but I'm not so sure now.
Reader's Comments
Tom McQuiggan said :-
When I was 17 (many moons ago), I bought me a brand new CB250N SuperDream in black. It was 1980 and it cost me a staggering £820. Needless to say, I bought it on "HP" and needed a guarantor.
30 years later, I bought another one. An old knackered thing that I could refurbish as a bit of a winter-project. I've almost finished it - just got a fuelling issue at low revs to sort out.
After owning Fireblades and other supersports, the SuperDream seemed like an odd thing to buy but for me it was a trip down memory lane. And when I took it for a spin, the heavy, gutless old girl still brought a smile to my face.
http://cb250n.blogspot.co.uk
Once I get the fuelling sorted out, I'm gonna bang some miles on it and have me some fun - 80's style, lol.
01/01/2000 00:00:00 UTC
Ren - The Ed said :-
Hi Tom.
I've had a look through your blog...wow! You're another one of those people with the patience of a saint. I must introduce you to Latchy he restores bikes for fun too.
01/01/2000 00:00:00 UTC
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