Any knowledge of Honda CB 250 G5

[Bigjoe]

Evening all,
Ive been looking round for a project to do to stave off the boredom (although according to SWMBO ive got plenty of decorating to do!),ive got the possibility of a 1976 Honda Cb250 G5 for the cost of a drink,has anyone got any experience of them? i believe they're quite nice bikes to trundle about on.

Joe

 

[yarpap]

pre dated the dream and wet dream, nice bike getting a bit colectable to, usual honda twin

 

[Bigjoe]

I think the engine is seized but dont think it has moved for years.

 

[yarpap]

a mate had one when we where apprentices, i was more in to two strokes then grew up and went British, well untill a lapse and a zx9r came along only got a wee Bantam at the mo..but yes it will be a good project,do it original and make a buck or do it up and ride it for enjoyment
Dave

 

[Bigjoe]

Ive got to wait for the owner to get back to me but fingers crossed,id like a classic british bike but too many pennies even in seriously tired guise.

 

[yarpap]

theres a lot of junk about but people see a Brit bike on say evil bay and go mad.
i would love another bigger brit bike but ..as you say far to much dosh

 

[pedrobedro]

A neighbour of ours had a 250 Dream in the 60s, pressed steel frame and I coveted that bike. I had a CD175 and my brother in law later had a 250RS which was a good commuter bike. The later ones are not collectable yet and you can still get a lot of the parts for them so it should make a runabout for you.

 

[Bigjoe]

Ive not ridden any bike for a few years so i might use it and then sell it on.

 

[Sam]

Ive not ridden any bike for a few years so i might use it and then sell it on.

Will a 250 pull your weight Joe it would look like a moped under you!

 

[tigler]

The G5 was never rated in the press at the time , it was accused of soggy handling and weak performance. That was in the context of the times though , nothing was rated unless it was faster than the last fastest thing ! It would be quite pleasant for pottering about on and it has electric start and convenient controls so would be civilised to use. Things to be aware of , they rot like hell , the rear mudguard is double skinned and will probably be beyond saving , finding a replacement will not be easy. Even the frame can rot at the rear. The cam runs directly in the alloy of the head , no bearings , this is standard for most jap stuff but if the cam has picked up in the head it's scrap.
The carbs are a nightmare to clean out if they have blocked up with stale fuel.
The front brake is a stainless disc , they didn't work in the wet immediately , there was a delay before the pads bit through the water film !! The calipers are also prone to seized pistons and sliding pins , which scraps them.
Parts will be difficult to obtain and expensive.
Apart from that it's hunky dory !!

 

[Pete.]

I think the G5 had more power than the later Dream/Superdream. Didn't they have torsion-bar valve springs or something odd like that?

 

[tigler]

No , that was the CB450 , followed by the CB500. The G5 definitely didn't have more power than the wet dream.

 

[Robotstar5]

Didn't they have torsion-bar valve springs or something odd like that?

I had to get intimately aquainted with the torsion bars on my CB500T when the camchain slipped and bent 2 valves apparently it had the longest camchain in a Honda at the time?

 

[tigler]

Honda have had a few problems with camchains & tensioners over the years !!

 

[Bigjoe]

Sounds painful!!

 

[metalspanner]

I used to have a cb250n and found wemoto.com very useful and of course david silvers, between those two I am sure any part for the bike could be obtained.

 

[Normsthename]

Honda have had a few problems with camchains & tensioners over the years !!

Nobody mention a CX500.........
The 250 G5 had a lot of Top End problems like Tigler said.

Andy

 

[tigler]

Ah , the plastic maggot !! To be fair , once they had sorted out it's initial probs it turned out to be a good machine , I would love to have a CX650 Turbo !!

 

[SirDick Diodenob esquire]

1976 CB250 G5 was my first bike , paid £319 for it second hand about 1979 and part exed it six months later for a 750 Norton Commando which was a big mistake , I should have known there was something amiss when they offered me £355 for the Honda . I kept records of cash spent on the Honda and fuel consumption , it did 65 mpg no matter how it was driven or what problems I was having with the engine and looking back it was probably the lowest cost transport per mile I have ever owned. Main problem with mine was the carbs , the rubber diaphragms were prone to splitting which meant the engine would not rev over about 8000 rpm which in some ways helped keep me alive but meant the bike could hardly out accelerate a Ford Anglia . I would not fork out the £50 for new diaphragms and pistons so temporary repair using silicone rtv would enable full power to be resumed but would only last a couple of weeks then the splits would open up again . The poor handling and reviews at the time on this model was partly to do with the plastic tyres fitted as standard which had no grip in the wet and no cornering ability at all . I was told that the bridgestones were some kind of plastic compound which may or may not have been true but for sure they were definitely bad , the jap tyres have improved a lot since those days .

 

[tigler]

Which colour was it ? What did you think of the wet weather braking , apart from the tyres that is !!