1981 Honda CB250N

Summary:

Bullet-proof reliability!

Faults:

Rear tire needed to be replaced when I bought it.

At 40,000 km I replaced the chain and sprockets as they were badly worn.

Around 41,000 km I had to replace two blown fuses.

General Comments:

This Honda CB250N (also called Superdream) is my first real motorcycle. I bought it in March for €700, and it was well worth the money.

It looks and feels like a 400 or 500 rather than a 250. It weighs about 170 kg, which is rather heavy for a 250, but at least the wind doesn't blow you sideways when you're riding in stormy weather.

Despite being 24 years old, the bike has no rust. The front mudguard was an exception to this, but I found another one in excellent condition for 3 bucks.

The Superdream handles well and the brakes are adequate for the size of the bike.

Performance is adequate when above 5500 rpm, and the engine happily revs up to 8000. Top speed is about 135 km/h, but I wouldn't recommend anyone to keep the needle there for more than 60 seconds, as the engine is screaming its guts out with 9000 rpm at this speed (although I've never seen any smoke trails behind me). It will happily cruise at 90 km/h, though.

Fuel consumption is acceptable. Mine does about 270 km with a full tank including reserve.

So far, my Superdream has never let me down, and it's a real joy to ride. If anything does go wrong, you don't need to panic as spare parts are dirt cheap and the motorcycle is very easy to work on.

If you are looking for an inexpensive and reliable bike for town use and for cruising on windy roads, the CB250N is the perfect bargain. Do the basic maintenance jobs like oil changes, chain adjustment etc, and this little classic should keep on running forever!

Would you buy another motorcycle from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 8th September, 2006

2nd Jun 2007, 07:47

Hi there.

It's great to hear that CB250N Superdream is still cruising the streets after thirty years of being on the road. I have a question for you, but first a trip down memory lane.

I use to be a motorcycle mechanic back in the early eighties in England, and the Superdream was one of the new 250's to come out at that time, along with Suzuki with its GSX and Yamaha with the RDLC, Kawasaki with its Triple, but for me the Superdream was probably the best looking bike, and we sold heaps of them.

If you wanted speed, then sure Yamaha or Kawasaki was your best bet, but out of the entire four strokes, Honda top the charts, and my personal favorite was the CB250T Dream.

Nearly thirty years since I bought my first bike, I'm buying a CB250T Dream here in Australia of all places, and it's in excellent condition for the year - 1980.

The only thing that’s not original is the rear wheel; for some bizarre reason there’s a spoke wheel fitted.

So my question is, is the Superdream rear wheel the same size as a Dream or CB250T, because spares for the Superdream are far easier to obtain in England than the Dream, plus the fact the Superdream never reach the shores of Australia.

Any guidance will be appreciated.

Kind Regards.

Tiberius.