I had a blue one like yours for a while back in the 1980s. It's a very slim bike with a comfortable riding position and quite fun to ride. Mine had a 2 into 1 exhaust (Motad I think) and would only do 70 or 75 mph. I remember seeing dyno test results from the magazines at the time: about 19 hp at the wheel, compared to about 22 hp for the CB250N. I can't remember ever seeing one here in France, and I've lived here for 28 years. I'd be tempted to buy one if I could find one...
Congratulations on a very fine restoration. I bought a CB 250RS new in 1981 after previously having had a Bultaco Metralla - the Honda was the epitome of convenience and sophistication in comparison. The Honda's ease of starting, the smoothness of the counter-balanced motor, its delightfully back-lit instrumentation and the comfort of its riding position made the Bultaco seem very agricultural. In performance, you could ride the wheels off both 'bikes, but I would put the Honda in front, principally because you could rev its motor to 11+ grand and its disc front brake was a definite improvement over the TLS drum of the Metralla. Also, at maximum lean the Honda's folding foot-pegs gave it a greater margin of safety. Both the Honda and Metralla, on a tight road, could embarrass larger capacity performance 'bikes of their respective eras. On balance, the CB 250RS ranks as my favourite.
I had one and loved it. Bought if from new with a £1 deposit! It was all the cash I had in my pocket at the time and I joked with the dealer and bugger me, he agreed to take it as a deposit!😂 I went everywhere on that bike, being in a large local motorbike club, we rode a lot both on rides out and rallies (some 300 miles from home in winter), and to various camping weekends. I did 10,0000 miles in the first six months from new! A great handling bike, quite often went scratching with a pal on a Moto Morini 3/2 Strada. I could keep up with the him on the handling pretty well, but he had the edge (just) on speed. On one particular bend I almost ran out of road and into the verge at 70mph whilst chasing him a few feet off his rear tyre…. A couple of bikes later I had a Honda 750 K7 and rode it on the very same stretch of road, same bend at 45mph was enough for that bike. Just goes to show what a good bike the RS250 was.
How much would you ever sell this for if you wanted to sell? This was my first motorcycle and I had it for one year. I got around 450km from every tank full and used this for work a lot of the time. Loved it.
There's one down my breakers for £350. If i get him to let it go for £300 il most likely grab it, strip and restore it. Just finished my MZ 250 ETZ restoration so im looking for something else to play with :) I think they look pretty good with the com star wheels personally.
liked the vid because i managed to snap pics of the sticker on the back faring, been an arse to try and find pics of them online to get some printed for my bike
Used to own one of these. Great little town bike. Didn't much like carrying a pillion though. Cheap as chips to run and lots of fun. Loved mine, looked very cool in black.
Nice job. I still have my 1980 model, which I bought in 81. Just dug it out of the shed, and its in a bit of a sorry state. Little project for the future.
Lovely restoration and it brought a few memories back. A friend of mine lent me one of these whilst my 400/4 was being repaired back in 1982. It was great fun to ride and liked to wheely a little too easily
good job....i have just started restoring my 1980 cb250 rs....i have just striped it down to the frame...only bit what looks hard to restore are the spokes because they have rusted and lost there shine
My Dad had one in the eighties, reg GOT 250X, same blue colour. It was my job to polish the chrome.... lol, first bike I ever went pillion on, aged about seven... good memories, me and my dad....
my uncle has like 3 of those in his garage, 2 are just for spare parts but one is still running. as soon as i have my license i will ask him if i might take it for a quick spin i wish honda would revive some retro features again, i LOVE the 2 square speedometers side by side, they look so classy
Reasonable handling? That's quite an understatement. Of all the MC's I have tried, that one was the most forgiving of them all. I had one from 1986 back in the day, and I could brake hard into the corners without the thing trying to stand up (unlike the Buell I tried once, the slightest lean under braking would make it stand upright). I have a lot of good memories with that one. Very fuel economic (average at about 27-28 km/l and never under 23,5, even during winter). Mine had a 2-1 Motad exhaust fitted, so it sounded like a helicopter/lawmower hybrid. :) Oh, and I remember more than one person mistaking it for being a twin cylinder engine because of the twin headers. Not that many 4-valve bikes has a header per exhaust valve. :)
I've had mine for twenty four years now.It's slightly modified.Sometimes I fire it up and putter around the yard on it,closed throttle,clutch out.Runs like a Swiss watch.
Lovely job. I’ve just bought one of these, it’s a 1980 with only 3,000 miles on the clock! It’s a lovely little bike, l really enjoy riding it....and my last bike was a Z1000
cheers mc for you comments, yeah I had one too back the and thought it was the bees knees. Mine still rides well and raises a smile where ever I take it and I get lots of lookers and interest for an old little bike
@arbit3r - If you are still looking have one I need to part with - really good starter & runner, all complete, but needs some work on the brakes & electrics. Got the V5 in my name, now SORN. I'm over in Norwich, Norfolk, if its of any interest. Otherwise, soon to go on ebay. Cheers, Paul.
May I say, your bike is a credit to you, very tidy and original example. I have a CB400T Dream and a 250N Super Dream that I am restoring and I am on the Only UK Super Dream Forum, great for advice and cheaper parts. They also have advice on the RS. I have always had a incline for one of these, think maybe next year. Cheers. Graeme
Hi Howling i use it weekly. It's really accessible, it's easy to pull out, start and go. I went to the Lake District on her a couple of weeks ago...from my home to there is 86 miles an it cost only me £5.91p in gas....how's that eh? Cheers Ken
I know it's been a long while since you did this but you wouldn't happen to have the color codes for the bike would you? I've taken mine's plastics to a dedicated automotive paint shop but even with a sample they were not able to replicate it.
Best to search around for an original unresprayed tank,plastics etc. I am using a standard blue one as a winter hack at the mo. Just a 2/1 motad is the only non original bit. Great bikes. i have a 350lc too.
I have two blue ones. The paint's a bit weathered but mostly ok. I just want to freshen them up and even with those pieces for sampling the shops can't replicate the color. I'm not gonna buy more stuff for these bikes I already have 3 whole bikes.
Ken Ward Cheers i was looking at that paint on ebay im hoping to get my cb250rs done this year... I would like new spokes as well but that is going to be expensive...... Your cb looks one of the best i have seen restored
Hola soy de argentina qusiera saber si hay alguna forma que me pasaras el archivo del manual de usuario porque hace dos años tengo una cbx250rs toda desarmada y quiero armar el motor como se debe te agradeceria si me hicieras ese gran favor tu moto quedo fabulosa te felicito
Hello I am from Argentina Qusiera know if there is any way that I will spend the user manual file because two years ago I have a cbx250rs all unarmed and want to assemble the motor as should you
Hi Pedro, do an ebay uk search as you can still buy the end silencers but you will need to salvage a set of down pipes from an old one.
I had a blue one like yours for a while back in the 1980s. It's a very slim bike with a comfortable riding position and quite fun to ride. Mine had a 2 into 1 exhaust (Motad I think) and would only do 70 or 75 mph. I remember seeing dyno test results from the magazines at the time: about 19 hp at the wheel, compared to about 22 hp for the CB250N. I can't remember ever seeing one here in France, and I've lived here for 28 years. I'd be tempted to buy one if I could find one...
My first bike, great memories! 😁
Congratulations on a very fine restoration.
I bought a CB 250RS new in 1981 after previously having had a Bultaco Metralla - the Honda was the epitome of convenience and sophistication in comparison.
The Honda's ease of starting, the smoothness of the counter-balanced motor, its delightfully back-lit instrumentation and the comfort of its riding position made the Bultaco seem very agricultural.
In performance, you could ride the wheels off both 'bikes, but I would put the Honda in front, principally because you could rev its motor to 11+ grand and its disc front brake was a definite improvement over the TLS drum of the Metralla. Also, at maximum lean the Honda's folding foot-pegs gave it a greater margin of safety.
Both the Honda and Metralla, on a tight road, could embarrass larger capacity performance 'bikes of their respective eras. On balance, the CB 250RS ranks as my favourite.
Ian Fluker Very true :)
loved the 250RS... so much more fun than the dull superdream. Thanks for saving this one
I had one and loved it.
Bought if from new with a £1 deposit! It was all the cash I had in my pocket at the time and I joked with the dealer and bugger me, he agreed to take it as a deposit!😂
I went everywhere on that bike, being in a large local motorbike club, we rode a lot both on rides out and rallies (some 300 miles from home in winter), and to various camping weekends.
I did 10,0000 miles in the first six months from new!
A great handling bike, quite often went scratching with a pal on a Moto Morini 3/2 Strada. I could keep up with the him on the handling pretty well, but he had the edge (just) on speed.
On one particular bend I almost ran out of road and into the verge at 70mph whilst chasing him a few feet off his rear tyre….
A couple of bikes later I had a Honda 750 K7 and rode it on the very same stretch of road, same bend at 45mph was enough for that bike.
Just goes to show what a good bike the RS250 was.
Bought a new superdream in august 1980 in black £965
I'd pay a lot of money for a bike like this. I had the exact same bike back in 81. Loved it.
How much would you ever sell this for if you wanted to sell? This was my first motorcycle and I had it for one year. I got around 450km from every tank full and used this for work a lot of the time. Loved it.
my first bike, great job,
There's one down my breakers for £350. If i get him to let it go for £300 il most likely grab it, strip and restore it. Just finished my MZ 250 ETZ restoration so im looking for something else to play with :) I think they look pretty good with the com star wheels personally.
liked the vid because i managed to snap pics of the sticker on the back faring, been an arse to try and find pics of them online to get some printed for my bike
Better bike than the CB250 Super dream. Great restoration.
bob can you do me favour and tell me what the two gross weight figures are on the frame plate as I lost mine and need to get another one made.
If you still have it & ever wanted to sell it I'd be very interested.
Solo bueno excelente máquina saludos
This bike looked sporty n slim but wire rim !
I liked the part where he didn't start the bike.
At the right price these would still sell today.
Used to own one of these. Great little town bike. Didn't much like carrying a pillion though. Cheap as chips to run and lots of fun. Loved mine, looked very cool in black.
Nice job. I still have my 1980 model, which I bought in 81. Just dug it out of the shed, and its in a bit of a sorry state. Little project for the future.
nice one.
Its certainly very quiet..
Beautiful mate. I remember them well
Lovely restoration and it brought a few memories back. A friend of mine lent me one of these whilst my 400/4 was being repaired back in 1982. It was great fun to ride and liked to wheely a little too easily
good job....i have just started restoring my 1980 cb250 rs....i have just striped it down to the frame...only bit what looks hard to restore are the spokes because they have rusted and lost there shine
Thanks for your kind comments and good luck with yours, it will be nice to have another one of these fantastic little bikes rescued
BobSprocket1 when its done i might put a vid up if i remember
My Dad had one in the eighties, reg GOT 250X, same blue colour. It was my job to polish the chrome.... lol, first bike I ever went pillion on, aged about seven... good memories, me and my dad....
my uncle has like 3 of those in his garage, 2 are just for spare parts but one is still running. as soon as i have my license i will ask him if i might take it for a quick spin
i wish honda would revive some retro features again, i LOVE the 2 square speedometers side by side, they look so classy
Reasonable handling? That's quite an understatement. Of all the MC's I have tried, that one was the most forgiving of them all. I had one from 1986 back in the day, and I could brake hard into the corners without the thing trying to stand up (unlike the Buell I tried once, the slightest lean under braking would make it stand upright).
I have a lot of good memories with that one. Very fuel economic (average at about 27-28 km/l and never under 23,5, even during winter). Mine had a 2-1 Motad exhaust fitted, so it sounded like a helicopter/lawmower hybrid. :)
Oh, and I remember more than one person mistaking it for being a twin cylinder engine because of the twin headers. Not that many 4-valve bikes has a header per exhaust valve. :)
Nice job. I bought a brand new one in 1981 from Tony Rutter Motorcycles, and paid £740 for it.
I've had mine for twenty four years now.It's slightly modified.Sometimes I fire it up and putter around the yard on it,closed throttle,clutch out.Runs like a Swiss watch.
Lovely job. I’ve just bought one of these, it’s a 1980 with only 3,000 miles on the clock!
It’s a lovely little bike, l really enjoy riding it....and my last bike was a Z1000
Nice job. Did 114,000 on mine, and it still out performed a later XBR500.
cheers mc for you comments, yeah I had one too back the and thought it was the bees knees. Mine still rides well and raises a smile where ever I take it and I get lots of lookers and interest for an old little bike
I owned a gaggle of these in my ten years of dispatch riding.
sorry I could never part with it Yossi, so any price is immaterial really.
Excelente Honda cb250rs, saludos desde Venezuela.!
I had a Delux version with the electric start and a little hatch in the tail. Cracking little bikes.
@arbit3r - If you are still looking have one I need to part with - really good starter & runner, all complete, but needs some work on the brakes & electrics. Got the V5 in my name, now SORN. I'm over in Norwich, Norfolk, if its of any interest. Otherwise, soon to go on ebay. Cheers, Paul.
May I say, your bike is a credit to you, very tidy and original example. I have a CB400T Dream and a 250N Super Dream that I am restoring and I am on the Only UK Super Dream Forum, great for advice and cheaper parts. They also have advice on the RS. I have always had a incline for one of these, think maybe next year.
Cheers.
Graeme
I'm really hoping I can buy one of these at some point - preferably one in as fine a fettle as this ace example.
Hi Howling i use it weekly. It's really accessible, it's easy to pull out, start and go. I went to the Lake District on her a couple of weeks ago...from my home to there is 86 miles an it cost only me £5.91p in gas....how's that eh? Cheers
Ken
I hope that top end survives...I ha a string of these lovely bikes to do my dispatch riding on!
Hi Bobby, Thanks for your comment...as a suggestion why don't you spend this winter finding and restoring one?
@punwin1 Would be interested but im in Plymouth im afraid. Would be pretty far. How much was you after?
Yeah it is 278 in the top little box and 318 on the next little box down. Hope that helps
Thanks a lot Punwin, I'm quite happy how she has turned out. She runs really well and has a nice roar, which you don't hear on modern bikes. Cheers!
Nice job, I like the finish on the bike. Another one saved !
Beautifull bike and a credit to you.
Looking very nice, great job.
nice man , I have one like this one which i'm restoring at the moment :)
Damn - why did I sell this bike. Best bile I ever owned!
Thanks for your commet and good luck with your RS Ryan
I know it's been a long while since you did this but you wouldn't happen to have the color codes for the bike would you? I've taken mine's plastics to a dedicated automotive paint shop but even with a sample they were not able to replicate it.
Best to search around for an original unresprayed tank,plastics etc. I am using a standard blue one as a winter hack at the mo. Just a 2/1 motad is the only non original bit. Great bikes. i have a 350lc too.
I have two blue ones. The paint's a bit weathered but mostly ok. I just want to freshen them up and even with those pieces for sampling the shops can't replicate the color. I'm not gonna buy more stuff for these bikes I already have 3 whole bikes.
Lovely bike. Well done on the restoration.
Hi im still doing my cb since last time i commented...... What paint did you use on the engine... Thanks
I used PJ1 in satin black
Ken Ward Cheers i was looking at that paint on ebay im hoping to get my cb250rs done this year... I would like new spokes as well but that is going to be expensive...... Your cb looks one of the best i have seen restored
Thanks mate...she, s a little gem
Thanks a lot for your comments
Nice work.
Hope you ride it.
Quality!!!!exellent bike
Hola soy de argentina qusiera saber si hay alguna forma que me pasaras el archivo del manual de usuario porque hace dos años tengo una cbx250rs toda desarmada y quiero armar el motor como se debe te agradeceria si me hicieras ese gran favor tu moto quedo fabulosa te felicito
mayco mansilla Sorry I dont speak your language :(
Ok
Hello I am from Argentina Qusiera know if there is any way that I will spend the user manual file because two years ago I have a cbx250rs all unarmed and want to assemble the motor as should you