[mrmrjoe50]

Howdy all.

I wish I had found this site a year ago when I was taking the MSF and shopping for a bike.
There is a lot of good info here.

I ride a 2005 Honda Nighthawk CB250, and I must say that I am a little disappointed that there
is no review for these bikes on the site. There is an article floating out there that reviews
3 250cc cycles, the Virago, the Ninja, and the Nighthawk, and the poor ‘Hawk just gets
panned(http://www.motorcycle.com/shoot-outs/25-caliber-shootout-12930.html).

Well, I went with the cb250 for the ergonomics, ease of maintenance, reliability, and fuel efficiency.
The Nighthawk features a good upright seating position, although some may deride it as “sit-up-and-beg”.
The ninja and gs500 had me hunched over more than I cared for, and the rebel, gz250, and virago knocked
my knees against the handlebars. I’m 5’11 but a bit long in the leg with a 34″ inseam. I can place both feet
flat on the ground at a stop on the Nighthawk(31.5″ seat height).
The engine is the same 234cc air-cooled parallel twin as the rebel, though I think the carbing is different. It has
no oil filter, only an oil screen, so I just replace the oil every 3k and that’s that(the oil always drains easily and
free of particles). At 12k(another 2000 miles for me), I will have the valves adjusted and screen checked at the
dealership. I get about 68mpg, although if I ride like an old man(gentle acceleration, short shifting) and keep my
speed under 60mph I can hit 80mpg, +/- 3. The fuel tank is 4.2 gallons, so I’m not refilling too often.

Other things about the Nighthawk from my experience: the clutch is clunky, and I sometimes have trouble
finding neutral. It corners fine; I have scraped the pegs many times and never felt like the bike was going to
come out from under me. It can reach 70mph, maybe 75mph on flat interstate, but over 55mph and the
acceleration creeps: you won’t blow anyone’s doors off on the freeway! It has drum brakes front and rear, but
they are more than adaquate to stop the bike. There is no tachometer, but 1)as a new rider you should be
concerned with the road, not the rpm’s, and 2) you can get to know the engine via your hearing.

One piece of advice missing on this site is to buy used. Since you may drop the bike, wreck the bike, and/or
want to get a new bike 6 months later, why pay all that extra? I lucked out and found my cb250 on eBay with 250 miles on it for $2750, and the guy showed me his invoice from Honda where his OTD cost was knocking on $3800!!
And if you buy used, maybe you will have some extra cash to buy more or better riding apparel!

Here’s hoping for a nice page devoted to a CB250 review!

Oh, and I don’t work for Honda in any way, shape, or form.

[Ben]

Hey mrmrjoe50,

Congrats on the bike! The cb250 is actually one bike that has been on my ‘to review’ list for months now I just haven’t gotten around to it, but I promise I will in the coming weeks that way you can post all sorts of comments on it!

Also, I actually do recommend people go used for their first bike, in fact I would say to buy used for EVERY bike because it will save you so much money. You lose at least a thousand dollars by driving the thing off the lot, and chances are if you are buying from a dealer than you will get a loan, and in general I am against getting a loan for any luxury item like a motorcycle.

Thanks for the mini review, I’ll be sure to link you once I have my own review up!

Ben
~Best Beginner Motorcycles Admin

[c_dlc]

Am an also considering the Nighthawk mainly because of its riding position. I have not sat on one yet but will tomorrow.

[shaggles]

Interesting. I didn’t realize the fuel tank on the Nighthawk was so large. That’s close to double what my bike holds.

[nathaneal johnson]

I love my 99 nighthawk cb 250. I cut it up to a bobber after I bought it from a guy that was reared by a car. So I hacked it. I love the fact that other cyclists thinks it’s so old school. I even converted to hard tail, after all its still a nighthawk. .

[Author]

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