Honda CD250 U 1988

[Baffler186]

I've seen one of these locally and have wanted this type of thing for sunny bimbling about. This one is on 42K miles and seller says it's still on the original pistons. Is this likely to be an issue? The fact that he mentioned it without me asking, is he trying to be honest about a known potential problem?

Am I right in assuming (if it's starts smoking) it needs new pistons and rings? I've never really been inside an engine.

This from Wemoto is £150

https://images.wemoto.com/full/BARREL/10021450.jpg




If that's what's needed in future then that's not really a problem, just wanted to potentially budget for this when haggling.

Any help appreciated.

cheers
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Current: 2009 SV650 S, 1990 Kawasaki GT550
Previous: 2009 CBF125, 1998 GSF600, 2004 FZ6 Fazer, 1978 CB400a Hondamatic

[stinkwheel]

It's a detuned superdream.

I would expect the pistons and rings to last longer than the rest of the bike.

The CB250 series were fairly infamous for having camchain tensioner problems. They were supposed to be self-adjusting but weren't really. You can usually hear the camchain whirring at tickover if you listen carefully. If that whirring turns into a "death rattle", you need to whip the rocker cover off and push down on top of the CCT blade while you loosen then tighten the adjuster nut.

Just remember it's a Universal Japanese Motorcycle so 45k is around the time built in obsolesence starts kicking in. A lot would depend on how it's been stored and looked after though. That said, the 250U wasn't a cheap bike, you could buy a CB500 for about the same price when they came out.
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[The Shaggy D.A.]

This one?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Honda-CD250U-1988-/222269192036

Bit of a long trek for me, but if it was closer I'd be taking a punt.
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Chances are quite high you are not in my Monkeysphere, and I don't care about you. Don't take it personally.
Currently : Royal Enfield 350 Meteor
Previously : CB100N > CB250RS > XJ900F > GT550 > GPZ750R/1000RX > AJS M16 > R100RT > Bullet 500 > CB500 > LS650P > Bullet Electra X & YBR125 > Bullet 350 "Superstar" & YBR125 Custom > Royal Enfield Classic 500 Despatch Limited Edition (28 of 200) & CB Two-Fifty Nighthawk > ER5

[pompousporcup...]

is it the only one currently for sale on ebay?

[Baffler186]

[smallfrowne]

The engine is of Benly origins, so not a superdream. I have one but haven't used it much, it's a in a bit of a state. Señor Snod Blattman on here has a CBTwoFifty - same engine. I think the last time he mentioned it, it'd gone over 90k (engine never been opened, apart from to do the clutch iirc).
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'90 VFR750; '89 NC30; '95 DR650; '89 CD250U; ~'82 CG125; ~C90

[Snod Blatter]

[Suntan Sid]

I remember them, when there people riding them, I felt sorry for those people!

HTH!
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"Everybody needs money, that's why they call it money!"

[Teflon-Mike]

As I recall, the CD250U was misnamed; it should have got the CB badge as it had twin carbs, where the previous CD's had always got singles, and the contempary CB-Two-Fifty should have got the CD badge, having only one carb!

Bored and stroked Benley engine, at 53x53, on twin carbs it made a nadgers over 20bhp to be the most powerful of the family despite low compression pistons and soft profile cam.

Hardy little lumps as long as they get clean oil. 40K+Miles? Whether pistons are original or not; it's a near 30 year old bike; if it's seen anything like regular use in that time, its barely 1,500 miles a year, and in all likelihood its been laid up for long periods; whether the bores have been worn out or not from use; odds are more than fair that whatever life may be left in them will have been shortened from lay up 'gumming'.

Crank is pressed up affair like a two-stroke, with three mains; so it's well supported, and generally long lived; as long as it gets oil and avoids cam-chain shrapnell down the tensioner gallery. But, misguided 'overhaul' replacing outer bearings and not having the crank split and replacing the center bearing can be the death of them, introducing imbalence from the uneven wear.

Top end rebuild isn't too onerouse and with a bit of planning could be done over a week-end; without even lifting the motor from the frame if you really didn't want to.

If you haven't seen the inside of an engine; click and have a look: HOW2: Top End Rebuild Honda CB125 (Benley Motor)

Cam-Chain rattle legends abound; but another one to look at; HOW2: Adjust Tappets & CCT (Honda 'Benley' CB/CD/CM twins); buy the Tappet tools suggested in later posts to make the job easy, it is frequently required.

Squeeling starter-motors are common complaint; notion they have a poor starter clutch though is a bit misplaced; the starter has a cute little chain drive to the crank, where a sprocket behind the generator rotor engages with the crank on a very simple one way roller; squeel usually means its gummed or rusted up; quick and temperary fix is to pull the geny cover and squib teh chain and sprocket with chain lube; more permenant cure is to use an M12 bolt to pull the genny rotor, clean and grease the one way roller clutch.. it only has three rollers, and put it back together. Its really no biggie. Bigger issue is the starter motor, that will probably want new brushes and a good clean and degrease; again, even that is pretty easy to do and the brushes not too expensive. Solenoid too is quite 'nice' and can be stripped and the nice thick brass contactor plate cleaned to aid starting!

20bhp isn't ever going to make tarmac quake in terror; but it's useful; its a genuine 80mph motorcycle that can comfortably hold its own on the by-pass; But, they are cheap, and easy to live with. MPG is as good or better than most 125's, as they only make 125 like power but don't need to be thrashed to get at it; parts are pretty much all 125 lightweight grade and prices, and they fall into a black hole in the insurance groupings that is rather nice. They 'just' need a bit more frequent TLC to keep up on form.

I wouldn't be too worried about the motor or any suggested bug-bears with it TBH, if you are prepared to get your hands dirty fairly often, they are easy enough to live with, and short of major mechanical maledy, easy there's not too much to worry about with one.

I would be more worried about wire spoke wheels of that vintage, where they rot from the inside; and you cant easily find replacements, and a re-spoke with new rim, can be quite horendousely expensive, unless you are deft and practiced at lacing push-bike wheels.

£500 ish? Is sensible money for one; they aren't desirable, but anything of that style and era is likely to capture the Hipster-Imagination, chasing prices up as they imagine chopping frame rails and adding cafe-racer bum-stop seats and calling it a 'bobber'.

Modern top-box & screen, and mention of a replacement seat suggest a deralict recently pressed back into commuter service with minimal renovation works to get it up to MOT standard, but ad commentry suggests it's been in regular-ish service for the last five years or so, and maybe 10K miles, that 'suggests' you could be lucky and get a bike that has been reasonably well de-snaggled, and not something that was last winter's project, and only run up this summer, for use to start showing up the weak-spots avoided on resto and about to give post renovation failure....

IF it's a goodn'.. then it could be a half reasonable buy, and even with some spannering, prove a useful commuter, if you can stand the charm as recompense for the lack of any meaningful eagerness! And, if you are prepared to get your hands dirty on fairly frequent basis, and to chuck a bit of cash at preventative maintenence and repairs, there's a fair chance it would prove less of a money pit than much else in that price range.

I would 'ince' at the notion of spending more than £600 on it though; so I would try and contact the seller and go over with ten-pound notes in my pocket and make an offer, probably somewhere in the £3-400 order, sucking my teeth over the cylinders, and NOT mentioning we-moto or e-bay chinky barel kits, but new pistons from Dave-silvers at £30 a pop, plus a rebore at £60, and new rings and gaskets that would make it a £250 job..... pointing at the wheels and muttering what state they are under the nice new 'budget' tyres he fitted 15K miles or more ago... and see how it went. If he said he'd leave it to bids, I'd leave him my telephone number, and go home and watch the bidding; if it crept over £600 I would leave it to the hipsters to butcher; if not, I might sneak a last minute bid in... if what I'd seen in the metal I deemed worthy of it... but it would have to be very very tidy and original, and give me a lot of warm feeling to go near the £700 mark for it, just too many other bikes that are just as useful and equally likely to need attention at that sort of price, and be more worth my spanner-time for it.
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Current Bikes:'Honda VF1000F' ;'CB750F2N' ;'CB125TD ( 6 3 of em!)'; 'Montesa Cota 248'. Learner FAQ's:= 'U want to Ride a Motorbike! Where Do U start?'

[Banana_B1]

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