[Eric]

On Wednesday my club had a run through the Adelaide Hill. I took my helmet cam but again it didn't work. So you will just have to use your imagination.
It was a hot day at 100f and I thought there may not be many turn up for the ride. Wrong.... There would have been 12 bike's ready to roll.There was all makes and models represented. The only other older was a old BMW about a 1985. But there was one bike under a 650 and that was my 1980 CB250 RS.
Well kick stands were up at 10:30 and the ride begins. My Honda 250 is right in it's element in the hill. It is not all about HP when you are in the hills with all the twisties. A Honda 250 single cly that weighs just 270 lbs dripping wet that has 26 hp will have a good showing. And with a light weight ride with experience will do very well thank you very much. And that is how it played out. Mind you I had that little bike pegged most of the time.
We road for 2 hrs before we had a lunch stop. I had so much fun with the knees down and hanging off it in the corner. We keeped up with those big bikes and at one point when passing a truck I had it wound right up to 140km/hr. Well I will see if I can find a photo of my 250 for those that have not see it.

 

[detdrbuzzard]

sounds like you had a fun time

 

[budoka]

Not a great angle to view, but looks similar to the old CB200 I used to ride. Dual pipes, SOHC a/c parallel twin, and mine (CDN and US models of that era) had dual clocks on them: one large tach, and a speedo with the indicators for turn, neutral, and heat & oil lights. Came in the 175, 200, and 350cc (don't recall a 250 but there may have been one too). Here's what the one I rode looked like (same colour and everything:

 

[fossil92]

As Doc said, sounds like you had a blast. I love small bikes to play on.

 

[Cantankerous]

Eric has all the fun.

 

[Chopin]

Eric. There is a small boy in you trying to escape. Good on you for letting him have his day.

 

[blk93wing]

Well I know the feeling of a small cc bike to play around on. My first bike, a '73 Yamaha AT3 125 endro was fun to play around in the dirt, and maybe putt around town, but it did have limitations - big ones. Struggled to get past 55mph. But 10 years ago I picked up a 01 Ninja 250 (salvage and we fixed the few things to make roadworthy) for my son, his first bike. Nice thing about buying a salvage, you don't care how many dings he puts into it as long as he doesn't get hurt. Now kids nowadays remove the kickstand from thier bikes, if they come with them, and he had a habit of riding into the yard and just dumping his bicycle into the grass. Well he and I arrive home and we go to park the motorcycles as I watch the little 250 roll over on it's side. All I could do is shout out KICKSTAND!!!! Well he learned a life lesson there, two in fact! Always check to make sure you put the kickstand down and how hard and embrassing it is to pick up a downed motorcycle. I did take that little 250 out solo and also with my wife and it was a hoot. That thing would get up and go! It could get to not so legal speeds in a heartbeat. And nimble. Nice wide rpm band (14,500 rpm redline if I remember correctly) so you can wind it out to get it to scream and still be within legal speed limits. Almost hated to see it go when it was sold.

 

[W1ngin1t]

Rock on Eric!

Mark

 

[Eric]

My CB250 RS is not as fast as the Ninja 250 but boy is it a lot of fun in the twisties. I covered 234 km for 8 ltrs of gas or in your neck of the woods 75 mpg.
At one point I looked in the mirors and thought that there was a Goldwing behind me and keeping up in the corners. But when we stopped it was a ST1300 Honda. Some of those old guys can really ride.
I have found a better photo of my 250.
The specifications as I know them for this bike is:
Year 1980
No. Cly. One
Weight 128 kilos
Gas tank 13ltrs
Top Speed 140 kms/hr
Gears 5
HP 26 @ 8,500
It has 4 valves and twin exhaust and at 105 km/hr it is doing '7,000 rpms. At the moment it has covered 27000 kms.

 

[budoka]

Very cool Eric, thanks for the second photo. Wow, one lung but twin pipes...we never get the cool stuff over here!