Where are all the old bikes?

[CrazyFrog]

 

[steveD]

Hey Smithy, they are out there you just have to keep looking.
I remember in my youth I got one of the first 250 four valve Honda Motosport bikes. Cracking bike in the trail style.
With this in mind I looked for another but prices silly.
I did see a CB250RS (on Ebay )over in Holmfirth, not too far from Hudds (where they film Last of the Summer wine)
Put a reserve of £150 on it and GOT IT!
This was admittedly 5 years ago but it was in standard nick, shed find, not even a broken indicator stalk!
It had been rattle can sprayed orange and looked like shit!
I was very busy at the time but a mate who runs a bike garage was down on his luck at the time so I let him have it to fettle.
I got all the standard Blue parts off the net and had them mailed to him. All he had to do was to replace the crappy bits.
The bike looked great but I got it back and put new inners and tyres on, new battery, cleaned the carb and she started
2 into 1 Motad silencer and an MOT
Had a rally up North to go to but my Tenere was in someones garage who had decided to go on holiday and locked it up GRRR.
So I decide to go on the Honda, with everything that I normally put on the Ten. A great ride but whern I got to the meet in the dark I only had candle power fo lights. NOT charging. I spent the night in the pub (obligatory) and set to the next day to take her apart and find out the problem. As any of you that know me I had plenty of 'stuff' to sort myself out. With my multimeter I found a corroded connection on the reg / rectifier, sorted, back to charging. Amazing that with my bike in bits others at the meet were shocked that I could do such a thing!
It has a small gizmo that slots into the ciggy charger and shows charge, a healthy 14V at revs
When I first got it going I took it for a blast up the M62 on a 3 mile uphill stretch and recorded 0ver 70 mph at the top!
She is 34 years old, 34000 miles. They were reportedly about 30BHP and 100KG dry. Goes like a whippet.
Since riding it to a couple of meets, I did one in the Peak District and one at Haggs Bank, the performance had dropped off and she doesnt want to rev out with power. Will be digging it out to have a fettle again since I have time on my hands.
If anyone has any suggestions as to why it seems to 'bog down' after about 50mph I'm all ears. I do have and idea that it could be the advance retard in the clutch casing or dirt again in the carb.
Keep looking Smithy, unfortunately I think that some people on hard times may need to sell  bikes / projects in these unfamiliar times.

[themoudie]

Aye SteveD,

Sounds a bit like my Morini 125H, up to 40mph - 45mph and then a brick wall that no amount of throttle feathering, coaxing overcomes. Advance/Retard timing appears to be the problem, using a quality strobe. Even the electronic 'guru' of the Morini Riders Club isn't clear about a resolution! As 1970's Italian 6 volt electrics and EI ignition is involved rather than straight forward points and bob weights, it could prove an expensive and tedious business.

All the best with the fettling. 

Good health, Bill

[steveD]

Yes Bill. Evidently the Honda does have some sort of bob weights for ignition timing but inside the clutch casing so I am going the have a forage and see whats there.
There are not too many of these around now as lots were ragged as courier bikes or stripped for their lovely wheels.
Engines pinched for grass track etc.
So I really do want to keep it as is because when its works properly it goes quite quick and goes round corners on rails😁
Will keep the forum updated on progress. In the meantine if anyone else has any ideas please post.

[FOXY]

Hi All, In answer to Mr Dalby's query : It may seem obvious but have you looked at the air filter - they have been known to fall apart if left to dry out. Other than that I think you will be right to check the advance retard mechanism and dirt in the carb. Cheers Everyone Foxy

[steveD]

Hi All, In answer to Mr Dalby's query : It may seem obvious but have you looked at the air filter - they have been known to fall apart if left to dry out. Other than that I think you will be right to check the advance retard mechanism and dirt in the carb. Cheers Everyone Foxy

Blimey is that the Foxy I know with the Red CB250? We have met many times. I think last at Cwmdu!
If it is then welcome to the madhouse.
My Honda is in someone elses garage at the moment but I will be getting it out to sort. I do have a new pair of headers but need some silencers, any ideas?
Sods law and I'm starting to get busy as well

[FOXY]

Hi Steve,
 I am the Foxy with the shiny blue 250RS and I last saw you at a pub in Llanafan-fawr. I was riding a tatty XR400. Hope you get your little beauty running nice as they are great fun to ride. There are some quite nice megaphones on ebay that might suit? Cheers Foxy