Honda CBF250 (2004-current)

Lovely engine, great fuel economy, looks great. Gearbox can be a bit stiff, front brake doesn't do a lot. Had to spend £400 in the last year on bits going wrong: downpipe rusted and got a hole, battery, starter motor brushes... Parts are hard to come by as it is so rare. Easy to kit out, mine has top box, panniers, heated grips, sat nav, centre stand, fly screen and an optimate cable. Handles really well, quite a small bike but i fit on ok at 6ft 5. Not much equipment to speak of, but what there is works well. Good on longish journeys, I've done 160 mile weekends rides with no discomfort. Fantastic step up from a 125, it feels like a big bike but without too much power. Overall not bad, few bad points though especially the poor quality - problem is this isn't a Japanese built Honda. Built in places like brazil and thailand. And of course the idle problem - no matter how much you warm it up for it won't idle without stalling unless you ride it for a few minutes. This can be a pain...

I bought my CBF250 new in March 2006. Since then I've covered a little over 26000 miles, at an overall average of 94 miles per gallon. A tankful is usually good for over 300 miles. Although generally regarded as a commuter bike it's quite feasible to go any distance on it as long as you're patient. I've had holidays in France, Scotland and the Isle of Man without a moment's trouble. You have to bear in mind it's designed as a city bike when planning overtaking, but the key is in the word 'planning'. Do it carefully and you'll pass all the bigger bikes while they're queuing for their next tankful of fuel. Since fitting a Scottoiler my chains last a bit longer than 6000 miles, which is also the mileage I get from rear tyre. Front tyres last about 13000. I've tried Pirelli (good grip), Continental (longer lasting but not so grippy) and I've currently got a set of Bridgestones fitted. The bike is still on the original battery, disc pads and rear brake linings and the only faults have been a seized ignition lock (replaced under warranty), a snapped speedo cable, and a faulty dipswitch which was successfully cleaned rather than having to be replaced. The headlight is acceptable on main beam but the dipped beam is so poor that you're left wondering where the road is after dipping for oncoming traffic. Brakes are fully up to the performance, but I've fitted a braided hose on the front for extra peace of mind. It's a most forgiving little bike, easy to handle, economical and great fun on B roads. Motorways are not its natural habitat, but even so it'll cope with a steady 70mph in lane 1 away from the faster traffic hogging the centre lane. I ride all year round, and the finish has suffered considerably as a result. Engine case lacquer is bubbling, fastenings have rusted and the exhaust pipe is heavily corroded. The bike is evidently built down to a price and this is evident in the poor quality of the finish and the fact that a centre stand (essential in my opinion) is an optional extra. I had the Honda flyscreen fitted from new but that was a waste of money as it didn't make any difference to the wind pressure at any speed. A larger Givi screen has proven more successful. To Honda's credit, they've done a good job of the instruments, with a clock and fuel gauge incorporated into the dash. Apart from the gripes about the finish I'm delighted with this motorcycle, and if Honda would fit a stainless steel exhaust (and ideally a silencer that made it sound more like a motorbike and less like a washing machine) and use thicker paint it wouldn't be far off perfect for a civilized user-friendly 250. I came to it from a series of bigger bikes, and if you choose you routes it's still possible to have a lot of enjoyment without spending a small fortune on tyres and fuel. Overall, a competent little motorcycle.

Stepped up from a honda city fly 125. What a differnce ! Top speed is 85 MPH flat road for me. At 85mph it still isnt at redline, down a slight hill ive had it up to 90mph. Top speed with pillion 75 MPH. It handles very well, it sticks to the road and you can chuck it about. The bike is asbutly incredibly light. Costs about £12 to fill up and lasts many miles indeed. The accerlation is suprisingly quick, very smooth indeed. It may not have an amazing top speed but i think its better than a restricted bigger bike, its so easy to learn on.

After riding a moped for a few years, then a CG125, this is my first big bike. I think its a perfect step up from a 125 for riders who are less bothered about speed and posing, and more bothered about ease of use and value. Its great fun in the twistys and commutes with ease. Stood up well to my first winter with it, im expecting many more trouble free miles!

After riding a moped for a few years, then a CG125, this is my first big bike. I think its a perfect step up from a 125 for riders who are less bothered about speed and posing, and more bothered about ease of use and value. Its great fun in the twistys and commutes with ease. Stood up well to my first winter with it, im expecting many more trouble free miles!

I ride my bike all the time. I live in the sticks and it's my only transport. It's a CBF 250-4, white and it's fantastic. I didn't want to go with the 250 and got told that I should restrict a 500 by everyone. I'm glad I did though. It's taken months of constant road use to gain the confidence and craft I have now and I have no problem saying i'm still an amature. The torque is amazing and in all the right places, i'm gear happy but the acceleration is better than most cars on the road, it cruises brilliantly and the weight distribution and minimal maintaince makes it the perfect 1st bike. The only faults I have is the 6 gears. I like having load of gears but the 1st, 2nd, neutral and 3rd are so close it becomes difficult to be sure what your in sometimes. And pulling away in 2nd is so simlar to 1st that to be honnest your only moan because your fussy like me. It seems they put the extra 6th gear in because to many critisms about honda's having 5 gears on the 125cc's. If you get this you get forgiveness for errors, lo maintainence, enough power to have the bike experience without too much to kill your self, cheap fuel and tax, a perfect filtering machine and a bit of style. If your looking to learn and become a real biker this is a great bike to go from 125 to beyond. P.S. if you have charging problems replace the battery and not the rectifier 1st. Anyone want to buy my spare rectifier? lol

having passed my test and being restricted to 33bhp, i decided (partly due to my parents) to step up from a CG125 to a CBF250, i have never had real problems with Honda so it was a logical choice :) it will hold 70 up and down hill on motorway for me, the engine is incredibly quiet until you go above 7000 rpm and then... 'What A Sound!' bought it with 180 miles on the clock for 2,000 and also had the optional center stand and flyscreen so i cannot complain about the value has now been run in by me and is great fun to ride :) i look forward to riding it some more for about another year before i plan to step up to a restricted 33.

I love my white CBF250. I took my DA about five months ago but decided on a 250 as it seemed best suited to my learner abilities, my central london commute... but more importantly to appease my parents who are terrified by motorbikes and cannot sleep at night knowing i'm driving one. I took my test on an ER5 but genuinely don't feel underpowered on the CBF250. It is incredibly light, will do 75-80mph, can carry two with ease and looks super trendy in white (although i've never seen another white one... i think the red/blue/silver colours look a bit cheap) It does have a frustrating lack of storage space though, and on occasion i do wish i had a bit more power to play with (i've been eyeing up hornets, MC-03s and GS500Fs) but my insurance is already a complete joke (£500) so i'm happy to stick with what i've got. CBF250s are something of a rarity, but i can genuinely recommend one as i've had absolutely no problems with mine and it's perfect for a city commute.