CBF 250 Latest News

Blog Date - 18 November 2013

Well...where am I up to with my latest purchase?

Tappets are done. Sort of. I still have much to learn (young padwan) and as such the tappets are not exactly spot on, you might say. With a shorter shim I managed to calculate all the shim requirements. I ordered said shims and fitted them. Then I checked the gaps. They're somewhat too big now. Why? Oh hell I don't know. Maybe it's because I measured the gaps by merely resting the cams in place and not fitting the caps. Maybe the engine has grown or shrunk. Anyhow a slack tappet is a happy tappet so I'm riding the bike for a week or two to let everything settle then I'll re-measure and re-shim. Dammit.

The oil in the motor came out looking like sewage slurry with a green tinge. I'm not quite convinced it was even oil. I thought it was only part filled too as not a lot came out, but when I re-filled it not a whole lot went back in either. Maybe a litre and a half. It doesn't seem a lot of oil for a bike that allegedly has an 8,000 mile service interval!. Considering how little oil is used I think I shall be changing the oil every 4,000 miles and the filter every 8. 

I noticed when I purchased the bike that there was a wire hanging beneath the carb. I new something was broken. I've now worked out it's the carb heater. This tiny little brass fitting gets warm if the temperature falls below 5 degrees C and is supposed to prevent carb icing. OK, so that's broken and I'd like a new one for the forthcoming winter. Trouble is from Honda this little item costs £63. Oddly enough a similar item is fitted to the later model CG 125 and this only costs £41. Further research suggests the same item is fitted to many other bikes. What I need to do is find a second hand one or work out on which bike it's the cheapest. No rush, it's not that cold....yet.

Recognise this on your carb(s)? If so let me know what bike it's on...

The rear wheel was incorrectly fitted, easily fixed. One side panel is cracked, I've welded that with a soldering iron. The tank mount was twisted, that's been bent back into place. The gf reports the back seat is nowhere near as comfortable as the Fazer.

I think I've purchased an unloved machine. Not ideal. Am I disappointed? No. Why? Because despite it's issues that I can sort out it is simply a delight to ride. It's nowhere near as fast as the Fazer. It's smaller and less roomy. Yet it handles superbly, especially in the wet. The engine is unaggressive yet doggedly determined and confident. The gearbox is unnoticed in use which makes it perfect. It feels alive to ride, it makes me smile and that is priceless.

To cap things off my mate has just purchased a mildly crash damaged CBF 250 for half the price, and it looks like new. Ho well. 

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