1980 Honda CB250RSA review from United Kingdom

Quick wear chain and sprockets.

I bought a really nice red RS for £450 in summer 88 still with O/E twin exhaust, a rarity even then. Took it to S. France that August. We had an awful summer that year at home and it was exhilarating to thump along empty sunny roads. With was my li'l bro on an RXS 100 so we kept to 50mph, me returning 85mpg, better than the the Yam (ho ho!). The RS started to leak from the gearbox shaft, what pain, but at least it kept the chain lubed and meant the oil never got dirty - which is more than can be said for the back wheel!

When we got to Marseillan-Plage we befriended some English ex pats who helped me fit a second hand rear tyre, and we found that a clever design meant you could get off the back wheel without removing the spindle - brilliant! Why aren't all bike like that?

Back in UK I decided to sort out the oil seal. Worst luck, it could only be pressed into place from the inside and the work cost £150 plus VAT! I kept it for a further 4 years then sold it for £220 when I upgraded to a CB350S, which felt really luxurious by comparison. The little RS was dead cheap to run, especially on tyres, and this was the first bike I fitted a Scottoiler on, a device which has gone on all my bikes ever since. Rely on chain lube and an RS'll eat its chain quicker than a back tyre!

Best features: Economy, lovely thumping sound, handling, reliability.

Worst features: Rear brake too snatchy, quick wear chain, too small, no rear grab handle, no electric start.