1980 Honda CB250N
Faults:
I bought my Superdream as an ex write-off that had to have a new pair of forks. It came with a slightly bent front disk that I replaced after a week or so.
The rivets on the front wheel needed to be re-hammered after about 10,000 miles.
That's it. Apart from the usual chains, sprockets, tyres and oil nothing went wrong.
General Comments:
A cracking machine to drive. Easy on the fatigue factor after 8 to 10 hours in the saddle. Easy on the pocket for fuel.
I drove my first 'dream to Greece and back one winter (1981) via Holland, Germany, Switzerland and Italy. I drove between 500 and 600 miles a day and the only time it missed a beat was when the porcelain fell off the left spark plug and got momentarily stuck in the exhaust valve on the way out (Lake Garda, Italy). 200 miles later I changed plugs as it was a little sluggish uphill with the throttle wide open.
For the most part it was motorway driving and Germany was the only scary driving as even though I was doing 70 everything else was at the ton +. Even the lorries at times!!. But the machine took everthing that I or the weather could throw at it: minus 28c in the Alps, all day snow on the way home in Germany, and a slide and crash on the Greek roads didn't slow things down either.
Not the quickest of 250's. Yamaha's RD 250 had the legs on the 'dream, but it was a 2 stroke. But reliability had it all the way, mile after mile, month after month. The only thing to do, apart from routine service, was fuel up and ride.
In '83 I part exchanged the 'dream for a Kawasaki Z1000-A1. An excellent machine (see review). After some guy jumped the lights in London and tried to kill me (he broke my neck and did kill the quaker) I bought another 'dream from my brother and rode that for about 20,000 miles without any problems either.
All in all an excellent machine that was well built, ultra reliable, very easy to ride either around town, commuting or on the open road just for fun. I cannot speak too highly of it. Both machines served me very well.
Marriage and family occupy me now, but when the time comes, if there is a bike out there that is in good order, I'd have another Superdream to get me back on the road.
Would you buy another motorcycle from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 20th February, 2007
28th Sep 2009, 07:17
People who give out performance figures better than the following for a 250 S'dream are living in fantasy land:
Cruising speed: 55-60
Top speed on the flat, no wind, chest down: 70-75
Economy 50-55mpg.
It used to be a fave bike in the 80s cause they were cheap, reliable, felt like a real man-sized bike and by the standards of their day were very well built.
It weighs 165kg, a real fatty for a 250. You have to keep the motor in the 5000-8000 range to go anywhere, but they're happy to rev all day away without breaking - dead smooth too.
Brakes are bloody awful. This due to the master cylinder poor design, apparently the m/c off a twin disc CX or 400 S'dream will improve this.
Check the rear sprock doesn't wobble on the hub or it'll soon break and leave you stranded. 6th gear, 9mph/1000rpm, is too high, you'll find yourself constantly swapping between the 2 top gears. Solution is to fit a slightly undersized rear tyre 100/90 as opposed to 110/90, then you'll hold 60 @ 7500rpm. (Same true for the 400, for which ideal ratio is 10mph/1000 rpm in top.)
Best feature are the nicely designed clock ass'ly, lovely alloy wheels and comfortable seat/riding position. A tidy CB250N goes for crazy money nowadays, £500 plus. Too much! You can a GS500E for that money...
24th Jan 2019, 15:22
I owned two Superdreams, one in 1982 and one in 1996. The one in 82, I bought seven months old, I had it for two years, and put 25000 miles on with no trouble whatsoever. In 1996 I was skint, I found in a little bike shop a 1982 Superdream which I bought for 400 pounds. I also put about 25,000 on it over two years, at one time travelling from Gravesend to Hitchin (a round trip of 135 miles), which I did seven days a week for almost 4 months.
It never let me down, it didn't even think about it. On both bikes I only had things like tyres, brakes and chain etc.
Someone on the forum said the top speed was 55mph; rubbish, I used to travel up and down the motorway with the needle on 70. The fastest I went was with the speedo reading about 82, and allowing for speedo error, I must at least been going seventy something.
I am in my 51st year of riding motorcycles, have had bikes from 125 through to a 1000cc, and have covered 450,000, yes 450,000 miles, so I have a rough idea of what I'm talking about.
Steve T.
3rd Apr 2019, 14:36
I had one in 1982. I liked it but it was very slow. The alternator gave out twice. Apart from that no problems. I checked the DVLA and it's still out there somewhere.
24th Jun 2008, 06:51
Couldn't agree more with anything you say.
My only, very minor, niggle with the 'dream' was that it was very heavy and could have been a bit more sprightly. Still, that said, good for banging along at 75-80 all day long two up.
A truly brilliant bike.