I could never understand the popularity of the Honda CB250 Superdream during its reign in the late seventies. What looked on paper to be a fairly exciting package of style and sensibility, turned out in reality to be a bland mixture of too much weight and too little power. In addition there were a few problems with the cam and balance chains. In all fairness to Honda, these were soon sorted out and the bike continued to soar in the sales charts, appealing mainly to seventeen year old novice riders and the older commuter.
As it happens, most self respecting enthusiasts tended to steer clear of them altogether, considering them as sheep in wolves clothing and not really motorcycles at all. I personally vowed never to own one. Times change, however, as do circumstances, and early 1986 saw me returning home after a year working abroad, in order to buy a house and settle down,etc.
Having paid for everything I found myself with only £300 left to resume my biking after my forced absence. This left only one option - a used 250, cheaply available thanks to the current learner laws. After half a dozen rattly X7s and XSs, I came across a fairly decent looking CB250N. I had been a little sceptical about viewing it at first, but the fact that the owner was an old fart drew me towards the bike. I sensed a good buy.
As it turns out, I wasn't far wrong. The bike was five years old, looked like a three year old, but only had the mileage of a two year old. Some doubts remained, however, but these were soon dispelled during the test ride. I was amazed. It really handles quite well, reminding me of my old XS500 in many ways.I felt I wouldn't mind owning a Superdream after all.
Haggling began. He wanted £340, I only had £290, so I offered £250 (it's amazing how often a ridiculous offer is accepted, so it's always worth making one). He laughed, pointing out the new MOT, tyres, silencers and brake pads. Round one to him, I thought. Let's try something else. "Do you do your own servicing," I asked. "Yes," he said. "Well out of interest, what are the tappet clearances?" "Er, about 12 thou, I think," he replied, "and the plugs about the same," he added.
I soon realised he hadn't done anything except change the oil. So I had a listen to the slight rattle coming from the engine. That I told him was camchain rattle and it would cost £50 to replace it. What I didn't tell him that by adjusting the cam and balance chains the noise would hopefully disappear.
He seemed satisfied so a deal was struck and I went home with my £290 Superdream, feeling quite pleased with myself. As with all used bikes, faults will appear in time that aren't noticed during the initial inspection. What I hadn't checked was the underneath of the exhaust collector box usually a weak point with Hondas. About a week after I bought the bike some Gun Gum sealant fell out of the box leaving several large holes.
Mistake number two was buying a British replacement box for £30 instead of the original Honda item for £35. Although the British item was more durable, it didn't damn well fit properly. Hours of hammering and swearing eventually got it on, much to the amusement of my wife.
The result was a pleasant bark from the pattern box and silencers in place of the usual flat burble of the stock system. The only problem was that the carbs were slightly screwed up - a huge flat spot between 4 and 5 thou. Knowing that the mid-range is set by the needle position, I all but cured the problem simply by raising the needle with a couple of washers. Other adjustments, long overdue, included tappet and plug clearances, plus cam and balance, chain tensioning - all within the scope of the home mechanic and needing no special tools, only a handbook.
On my machine the transformation was complete. She no longer sounded like a decrepit old diesel, but instead sounded like a decrepit old sewing machine. Whatever, I was now ready to unleash the 20 odd horsepower onto the road. Unfortunately, the performance of the Superdream is far from stunning; mine was no different to the rest.
On motorways be prepared to be at the back of the pack as all the cars glide effortlessly past and it was dangerous to try to take cars doing more than sixty. It's really necessary to thrash the bike all the time - anyway, it's one of the joys of motorcycling, exploring the limits of a particular bike.
The Dream is mechanically able to withstand such abuse. Mine didn't sound any worse after 6000 miles of full throttle use, including times when I strung her out at 11000rpm in fifth (amusing valve bounce). I was always amused by the reaction of superbike owners when I bounced and wobbled past them - they usually turned into speeding bullets, intent only on revenge. They almost always succeeded.
Fuel economy was pretty poor, usually giving 50mpg when thrashed or 65mpg when commuting. A 3.7 gallon petrol tank, a comfortable seat and easily available touring accessories mean long distances are quite possible. Provided you don't mind taking a while getting there and can take the foot numbing vibes above six grand (so much for contra-rotating balance shafts).
Braking was crap. Neither the front disc nor the rear drum had any real power, particularly two-up. Pad wear was minimal and they do work in the wet. When the Roadrunners wore flat (after about 10k) the top heavy Superdream had a drop in effect in corners and I became paranoid about grip in the wet.
Other niggles include the cruddy headlamp with its poor output, and also the omission of a kickstart. The latter wouldn't usually be a problem, but one day my starter solenoid went open circuit and I couldn't start the engine. A new Honda bit costs £24 but I managed to get a used one from a breaker for £3. Should you be caught in the same predicament, it's worth knowing that shorting the two main solenoid terminals with a large screwdriver will activate the electric starter, so don't panic the next time the start button doesn't work. Remember to check the fuses first, though.
If you want to travel faster than 40mph at night, you'll have to obtain a post '82 headlamp as this has a halogen unit. The engine is easily corroded by road salt, but the rest of the bike cleans up quite nicely even after many months of neglect. The clutch and gearbox didn't need any attention and were both light and easy to use, which probably aided the minimal chain wear.
In fact, as much as I found the Superdream to have its limitations, I can't say I didn't enjoy my time with it. Many others will probably find it perfectly acceptable, particularly if they don't ride it hard all the time. If you don't expect too much from it, living with a CB250N won't be so bad.
Russ Jackson