Hello Gents, I'm North of Boston, Mass. USA Been working on Hondas for about 20 years and always learned a lot from others on the web as well as locally. These days I'm clearing out from under a CM400C phase and focusing on 3 CB250 Nighthawks I picked up cheap. One has paperwork and will easily be street legal, the others I may just mess around with and worry about papers when the time comes. I'm an amateur machinist as I've read some of you also are. These bikes in the states came only with spoked wheels and drum brakes in the same 16/18 sizes the rest of the world got. I adapted the rear wheel from a 750 Nighthawk, forks from the 750 NH and a front wheel from an early CBR600, it'll use the left brake only as our lame 750 Nighthawks in the states only came with single disk... Braking should be amazing for a 136kg bike. I just read through your bike shed thread, jealous. I'm working in a walk-up basement workshop for now, thankfully this engine is easily carried at 36.5kg, in contrast to my 1973 CB750 engine it's quite portable. I've been stalled out on this project for quite a while while life gets in the way, but I think I'm ready to get back into it, I'll post some pictures later on if there's any interest. Small bikes here in the states are considered 'starter-bikes' for learning only, you'll get bored with it in a month.... you need 1.8l of v-twin muscle blah blah. loud pipes wake my kids. I enjoyed riding my 400cc twin for 300 mile day trips on the twisty New Hampshire roads, I'll enjoy pushing this 234cc monster to the edge of the envelope just as much. Alan
In Australia , we have a similar view that a 250 is a smaller learner bike and we all must aspire to own a 1000cc plus bike, however in asia, a 250cc bike is considered large. At any rate, we love them...
Welcome Alan. As Kiff wrote the 250s are considered 'small bikes' but as I get older and slower I find that the 250s are just the bike for short trips and general running around. The big is better mentality that we in Aus also succumb to is all fine when young, but too many older riders are having accidents because they cannot handle bigger bikes. And it is much more fun to ride a slow bike fast than a fast bike slow. The CM Honda's were not a big seller in Aus but the few I have seen looked to be good bikes. Be interesting to see yours with the mods.
Welcome Alan... sounds like a nice little project you have going there. Yes... we all love pics and lots of detail on what you are doing etc.
Welcome Allan. This forum is a great place to learn from. I had joined another forum trying to find some info on my 250, and for 4 months all they did was update their profiles. Here these members actually take an interest in each others projects, and well being. It's like being adopted by new parents where the more you give, the more you get. Regards, Bab.
Thank you all for such a warm welcome. I've got a pretty good local group that all met up at http://forums.sohc4.net and they're a great group, but after 15+ years some friendships have strained and the group sadly lost its cohesion to a degree. I'll look for a spot to put a project thread, I've got a few pages of photos I can show, but a show off I'm not trying to be. I've just always been trying to do something new by adapting what I have on hand creatively, it's not always the smartest way to accomplish something though so bear with me. I really wish we could get some of the modern 4 cylinder 250cc bikes in the states, it's just a huge hole in the market. Mainly the 300cc sportbikes have arrived, but over here those are all singles and twins......... Alan
I am in that Forum group as well and there is a lot of good info but I found it hard to get some answers at times.. no doubt it would be better in the US when you have local contacts etc. My SOHC 4 is a CB400F and I found the UK SOHC forum to be a much better and to some extent friendlier place... but I doubt you will find a better forum anywhere than this one. There is an immense amount of knowledge both specialised and general and certainly not limited to 250cc. The Owner and Admins dont put up with any rubbish so the Trolls etc soon get put in their place or removed for good. I am sure we will all enjoy seeing your pics and following your project.. adding expertise to it when needed or asked for.. Have fun in here and good luck with the little Nighthawk
Thanks everyone, I've put up a thread in the projects section and in this short time seem to be getting past my design block.
