HONDA CBF250 (2004 - 2012) Review

Year: 2005

I've always fancied one of these but they never come up for sale on this side of the bridge (I'm in S Wales) so when I saw one advertised down the road in Cardiff I was onto it in a flash. The guy was chuffed to achieve a sale under an hour of it going on sale. Price, £1200. Bike in really vgc with mainstand and top box (my two musts) and 41 thou on the clock. Well I've covered 500 miles I a week so we can call that a thorough test ride and so far it's been great and averaged 73mpg. I was expecting it be a homage to the old 250RS when in fact it's more akin to a (vastly better) 250N in that it's 6 speed and revvy as opposed to 5 speed and thumpy. It also has the size and comfort of 400 or 500cc bike just like the old Superdreams. Two things you notice immediately on these is that you need a full two minutes of choke on a cold start and you need to keep the revs up between 5 and 8 grand most of the time so generally don't touch 6th below 45mph as every 1000 revs equates to 9mph in top. This isn't really a problem but comes as a bit of a shock if you're used to torquey little beasts like the GN250 (that I also own) which will pull off the deck in every gear. Like I say, the bike is definitely gutless and needs thrashing to keep it going but this is more fun than it sounds because the clutch, gears, engine, exhaust ... everything, really ... is so light and sweet in operation that the bike doesn't feel at all stressed or overworked even at its cruising speed of 65/70. 80mph as a top speed is generally attributed to simple 250 commuter bikes like this and it's generally overly optimistic but not in this case. I've had it up past 75 a few times in neutral conditions with certainly more to give. These are speedo readings off course. For real mph please knock off 7%. The brakes are both really good on the bike including the rear drum which is odd as the rear rear drum on a 1994 CB500 I once owned terrible. I owned the CBF's successor, the CBR250, a few years ago and must say the newer bike has a better engine so beats the CBF on performance and fuel economy by about 5 and 10% respectively, but has an uncomfortable crouched up riding position and the infuriating ommission of a mainstand (to save what? Two pounds in weight?) so I'd recommend the cbf everytime. Am planning a foreign trip on this bike next summer.

Year: 2007

Cheap and cheerful, simple and surprisingly good to ride.

Year: 2005

Annual servicing cost: £150

Over 49k on the clock, real world mpg of 75plus mpg, bought for 600 quid Haha bargain, needs abit of work doing but it's high mileage and was bloody cheap. Parts are abit of a sod to get though somtimes and I work in the trade with access to any supplier you can think off pretty much! I have this bike as part of my "fleet" which is my cbf250, my flashed and tuned blackbird (obscenely fast next to a factory one and a joy to ride with the full system, affermaket seat and straight bar set up) and my wr400 supermoto (wicked fun and a real head turner but brutal to kick up) I take the 250 most of the time because I genuinely really like the bike and it's a doddle to get in an out. Bad bits Common to get cam chain rattle as the factory CCT sucks (see below for the solution) Front brake is ok at best, very "wooden" feeling.

Buying experience: Bought private, I'm in the trade so not a fair comparison really.

Version: CBF250-4

Year: 2005

Getting older so had to find a lighter bike than the CBF500 and there being no real option from anyone in the 350 size had to go for a 250 and the CBF is of the style I like.

Buying experience: Bought from CJP in Milton Abbas and having bought from there before knew everything would be spot on, which it was. Low mileage immaculate example. Not the cheapest but can't fault the quality of bikes they sell.

Year: 2006

Annual servicing cost: £230

Excellent build quality, cheap parts and legendary reliability. The letdowns are the lack of adjustment for the gear selector and the non-adjustable rear monoshock. They are both totally fine for use but I like to tweak things... Being a 250cc it is excellent for around-town use and it will hold 70mph on the motorway at (a somewhat high) 7800rpm. As a stepping stone on the way to larger bikes its good - the weight and dimensions are only slightly higher than a 125cc and the power is almost exactly double a CBF125. Add in the real size tyres and its spot on!

Buying experience: I bought it from a dealer. I took a big risk and bought it from just the pictures but it was absolutely fine. I would recommend that you check the clutch action carefully tho. Price was £1895 which is £200 above the book value for this kind of condition. Transit motorcycles (York) delivered it to me for £100 and were good enough to take my word about the clutch and pay for the parts without checking it over themselves.

Lovely engine, great fuel economy, looks great. Gearbox can be a bit stiff, front brake doesn't do a lot. Had to spend £400 in the last year on bits going wrong: downpipe rusted and got a hole, battery, starter motor brushes... Parts are hard to come by as it is so rare. Easy to kit out, mine has top box, panniers, heated grips, sat nav, centre stand, fly screen and an optimate cable. Handles really well, quite a small bike but i fit on ok at 6ft 5. Not much equipment to speak of, but what there is works well. Good on longish journeys, I've done 160 mile weekends rides with no discomfort. Fantastic step up from a 125, it feels like a big bike but without too much power. Overall not bad, few bad points though especially the poor quality - problem is this isn't a Japanese built Honda. Built in places like brazil and thailand. And of course the idle problem - no matter how much you warm it up for it won't idle without stalling unless you ride it for a few minutes. This can be a pain...

I bought my CBF250 new in March 2006. Since then I've covered a little over 26000 miles, at an overall average of 94 miles per gallon. A tankful is usually good for over 300 miles. Although generally regarded as a commuter bike it's quite feasible to go any distance on it as long as you're patient. I've had holidays in France, Scotland and the Isle of Man without a moment's trouble. You have to bear in mind it's designed as a city bike when planning overtaking, but the key is in the word 'planning'. Do it carefully and you'll pass all the bigger bikes while they're queuing for their next tankful of fuel. Since fitting a Scottoiler my chains last a bit longer than 6000 miles, which is also the mileage I get from rear tyre. Front tyres last about 13000. I've tried Pirelli (good grip), Continental (longer lasting but not so grippy) and I've currently got a set of Bridgestones fitted. The bike is still on the original battery, disc pads and rear brake linings and the only faults have been a seized ignition lock (replaced under warranty), a snapped speedo cable, and a faulty dipswitch which was successfully cleaned rather than having to be replaced. The headlight is acceptable on main beam but the dipped beam is so poor that you're left wondering where the road is after dipping for oncoming traffic. Brakes are fully up to the performance, but I've fitted a braided hose on the front for extra peace of mind. It's a most forgiving little bike, easy to handle, economical and great fun on B roads. Motorways are not its natural habitat, but even so it'll cope with a steady 70mph in lane 1 away from the faster traffic hogging the centre lane. I ride all year round, and the finish has suffered considerably as a result. Engine case lacquer is bubbling, fastenings have rusted and the exhaust pipe is heavily corroded. The bike is evidently built down to a price and this is evident in the poor quality of the finish and the fact that a centre stand (essential in my opinion) is an optional extra. I had the Honda flyscreen fitted from new but that was a waste of money as it didn't make any difference to the wind pressure at any speed. A larger Givi screen has proven more successful. To Honda's credit, they've done a good job of the instruments, with a clock and fuel gauge incorporated into the dash. Apart from the gripes about the finish I'm delighted with this motorcycle, and if Honda would fit a stainless steel exhaust (and ideally a silencer that made it sound more like a motorbike and less like a washing machine) and use thicker paint it wouldn't be far off perfect for a civilized user-friendly 250. I came to it from a series of bigger bikes, and if you choose you routes it's still possible to have a lot of enjoyment without spending a small fortune on tyres and fuel. Overall, a competent little motorcycle.

Stepped up from a honda city fly 125. What a differnce ! Top speed is 85 MPH flat road for me. At 85mph it still isnt at redline, down a slight hill ive had it up to 90mph. Top speed with pillion 75 MPH. It handles very well, it sticks to the road and you can chuck it about. The bike is asbutly incredibly light. Costs about £12 to fill up and lasts many miles indeed. The accerlation is suprisingly quick, very smooth indeed. It may not have an amazing top speed but i think its better than a restricted bigger bike, its so easy to learn on.

After riding a moped for a few years, then a CG125, this is my first big bike. I think its a perfect step up from a 125 for riders who are less bothered about speed and posing, and more bothered about ease of use and value. Its great fun in the twistys and commutes with ease. Stood up well to my first winter with it, im expecting many more trouble free miles!

After riding a moped for a few years, then a CG125, this is my first big bike. I think its a perfect step up from a 125 for riders who are less bothered about speed and posing, and more bothered about ease of use and value. Its great fun in the twistys and commutes with ease. Stood up well to my first winter with it, im expecting many more trouble free miles!

I ride my bike all the time. I live in the sticks and it's my only transport. It's a CBF 250-4, white and it's fantastic. I didn't want to go with the 250 and got told that I should restrict a 500 by everyone. I'm glad I did though. It's taken months of constant road use to gain the confidence and craft I have now and I have no problem saying i'm still an amature. The torque is amazing and in all the right places, i'm gear happy but the acceleration is better than most cars on the road, it cruises brilliantly and the weight distribution and minimal maintaince makes it the perfect 1st bike. The only faults I have is the 6 gears. I like having load of gears but the 1st, 2nd, neutral and 3rd are so close it becomes difficult to be sure what your in sometimes. And pulling away in 2nd is so simlar to 1st that to be honnest your only moan because your fussy like me. It seems they put the extra 6th gear in because to many critisms about honda's having 5 gears on the 125cc's. If you get this you get forgiveness for errors, lo maintainence, enough power to have the bike experience without too much to kill your self, cheap fuel and tax, a perfect filtering machine and a bit of style. If your looking to learn and become a real biker this is a great bike to go from 125 to beyond. P.S. if you have charging problems replace the battery and not the rectifier 1st. Anyone want to buy my spare rectifier? lol

having passed my test and being restricted to 33bhp, i decided (partly due to my parents) to step up from a CG125 to a CBF250, i have never had real problems with Honda so it was a logical choice :) it will hold 70 up and down hill on motorway for me, the engine is incredibly quiet until you go above 7000 rpm and then... 'What A Sound!' bought it with 180 miles on the clock for 2,000 and also had the optional center stand and flyscreen so i cannot complain about the value has now been run in by me and is great fun to ride :) i look forward to riding it some more for about another year before i plan to step up to a restricted 33.

I love my white CBF250. I took my DA about five months ago but decided on a 250 as it seemed best suited to my learner abilities, my central london commute... but more importantly to appease my parents who are terrified by motorbikes and cannot sleep at night knowing i'm driving one. I took my test on an ER5 but genuinely don't feel underpowered on the CBF250. It is incredibly light, will do 75-80mph, can carry two with ease and looks super trendy in white (although i've never seen another white one... i think the red/blue/silver colours look a bit cheap) It does have a frustrating lack of storage space though, and on occasion i do wish i had a bit more power to play with (i've been eyeing up hornets, MC-03s and GS500Fs) but my insurance is already a complete joke (£500) so i'm happy to stick with what i've got. CBF250s are something of a rarity, but i can genuinely recommend one as i've had absolutely no problems with mine and it's perfect for a city commute.