Honda CB250N - Did this test ride end in failure again? Project Bike - Part 62

Engine has been out, sealed and replaced, but is it any better now?

[@pa.laubel3696]

I was a Superdream owner in the 80s. 250 and the 400. Loved them.

[@CZ350tuner]

Check the leaky carb's pintle valve seating for pieces of fuel hose debris. I've had to sort out quite a few carbs with this leak problem and it was always non-ethanol resistant fuel hose debris preventing the pintle from seating properly, when the float height should have been sufficient to stop fuel flow. Ethanol resistant fuel hose is obtainable on E-Bay, from a number of reputable automotive vendors. Never trust you local motorcycle shops to sell you some though, because since ethanol contaminated petrol hit UK filling stations, they've been left with lots of old useless non-ethanol resistant fuel hose and are quite happy to sell it to any mug who'll buy it from them. Ethanol contaminated petrol rapidly degrades and erodes the inside walls of non-resistant fuels hose, causing pieces of it to head down steam, into the carb. Some of the larger pieces will block main jets and block carb pintle valves.

[@RyansGarageUK]

Thanks for the tip, i am careful to only use E5 in this bike, but that clearly still contains some Ethanol.

[@NatsNackersYard]

Got to be happy with that mate. Great recovery.

[@RyansGarageUK]

Yes Nat, its back to usable, at least for now.

[@Paul.Gascoyneuk]

Great to see you out on your Superdream ,as you say these things are never really finished but a lot of satisfaction to be had out of maintaining etc , you’ve come a long way , Brilliant 👍

[@RyansGarageUK]

Thank you for your long term support.

[@timparker9235]

brilliant Ryan, well diagnosed and sorted - really pleased for you and there's a big smile at the end, so all good

[@RyansGarageUK]

Cheers Tim. I was genuinely surprised the balancing made that much difference.

[@flybobbie1449]

Flat sounds like a blocked jet. Had same on my current bike ZZR1200. I stripped the carbs and jets and put in ultrasonic cleaner. Did the job, flat spot went.

[@RyansGarageUK]

Thanks.

[@flybobbie1449]

I had new one in 1980, £999. It lasted till 1985 then the generator coils started breaking down and started running rough. Same time got a car so bike ended up in garden shed doing nothing next few years. Finally it wouldn't start. I gave up on it and finally went as non runner to some local kids for £70.

[@flybobbie1449]

My bike was my daily drive for 5 years. My previous bike was a Yamaha RS125 and you know i proffered it over the Super Dream.

[@RyansGarageUK]

Hi, I suspect a lot of these bikes were just left in sheds with no perceived value, whilst they still do not fetch much money, I would live to find a complete non-runner for £70 today.

[@Free_Ranger_CT110]

Good one Ryan, after all the hard work & frustrations along the way, you must be very happy to see it all come together! And 1k subs just around the corner, bonus!

[@RyansGarageUK]

Thank you. I'm pleased with where I've managed to get to so far. And as my skills improve I can revisit various bits and improve them over time.

[@motorcyclerescuer]

Looking good so far. Great vid Ryan

[@RyansGarageUK]

Thanks Charlie. 👍

[@jimbo9310]

Great video Ryan, I remember when you was down with the paint work and now look what you have accomplished well done. Looking forward to seeing syd on the road and very interesting with the bit on balancing the carbs many thanks Ryan . 👍👍👍😊

[@RyansGarageUK]

Thank you, yes im going to be putting most of my efforts into the Scrambler build now.

[@Paul.Gascoyneuk]

Love the sound of your Honda , I’m going to explore that area next spring not familiar with that side of Buxton looks a great area to ride a bike 🤟

[@snowballed4]

I mean wow, just wow! A black Superdream 250N super deluxe was my first bike I ever - I bought it secondhand for £400 in 1981! I loved it completely, and the noise on the test run from your restored bike brought the all emotions I had at the time flooding back to me. Huge round of applause from me for your continuing efforts and never-give-in attitude. Bloody well done Ryan!!

[@RyansGarageUK]

Thank you very much, its been an enjoyable challenge, and now its just about done I'm begining to enjoy it whilst finding a few gremlins to stop me from being bored.

[@InTheShedUK]

Hopefully the JB weld will last the summer, then strip it and get it welded in the winter.

[@RyansGarageUK]

Hi, that would be ideal. Lets see how it goes.

[@RustyWrecks]

Hi Ryan Most 250N's where capped off and didn't have a breather pipe but they are worth having, & well done on Flint

[@RyansGarageUK]

Thank you Pete. 👍

[@tomlibero3780]

Hello! I really admire Your determination because I no longer have the strength for my CB250. As You may remember, I have this problem that it spins nicely without a load, but while driving it is not able to reach more than 5000 rpm and a maximum speed of 80 km/h. It has only 18,000 km and I have no idea what to do... Unfortunately, I don't have a second engine to replace :) All the Best!

[@RyansGarageUK]

Hi Tom, if i was anywhere near id be happy to help if i could, but clearly we are not in the same country. Hope you dont give up. Thanks Ryan

[@tomlibero3780]

Ok:) In last episode You showed a strange hose from carb to airbox - You stayed it plugged or open? Thx!

[@RyansGarageUK]

That hose ran from the breather on the top of my engine. I connected it to the airbox. I understand that was standard on to 400 but left plugged on the 250

[@springy-2112]

Looks like great progress. 👍✌️❤️

[@RyansGarageUK]

Thank you.

[@user-bj2nd8ge7x]

sorted 👍tweak in the future a nice bike well done Ryan

[@RyansGarageUK]

Thanks Malcolm, im going to just sort the noisy rev counter and try using it for a while.

[@derekdingwall]

At least you got a half decent run on it Ryan and the the oil leaks cured for now,sometimes just a few taps on the float bowl with a screwdriver or something will stop the carb leaking 👍

[@RyansGarageUK]

Thanks Derek, Yes it was nice to get it out for a better run this time. I do tap the carb to stop the leaking, but it seems to happen each time the levels drop below full. Not always, but enough to be a little annoying.

[@robertadams4415]

Congrats mate

[@RyansGarageUK]

Thank you Robert.

[@jd6549]

Ryan I got a squealing noise from both my recounted and later the Speedo. It turned out to be a dry joint where the cables fit into the heads of each. I blocked off where the cable feeds in used lithium spray grease on the outside of the rotating centre, this stopped the squeak, which got really loud.👍🇬🇧

[@jd6549]

It should say revcounter

[@RyansGarageUK]

Thank you. I was pretty sure it just needed a bit of lube somewhere.

[@Ramonthebiker]

I had the same problem… speedo squealed like a banshee! Changed the cable and no change. Opened up the Speedo itself and oiled the gears inside and that cured it

[@RyansGarageUK]

@@Ramonthebiker thank you. Im planning on a generous dose of lubrication very soon.

[@susanbeech7613]

Superdream Spares on e bay have that cover fabric

[@RyansGarageUK]

Thank you Susan. I've just ordered a set.

[@stephenwalsh8184]

🏍👍

[@RyansGarageUK]

Thanks.

[@kevinpollard1550]

Mine does the same leak from right carb i just remember turn fuel off

[@RyansGarageUK]

Thanks Kevin, im sure with anither clean and a little afjustment i can sort that. They only leak occasionally if the fuel level has been left to drop in the float bowl.

[@motoclonkdribblehead5423]

These were wheezey piles of crap in the day what is the allure 40 years later? I suppose you could wrap a chain around it and attach the other end to your boat and use it as an anchor.

[@onemanhisdub1969]

Harsh!

[@daviedaniel8225]

Vidaflex Heat Resistant Silicone Resin Glass Braided Sleeving

[@RyansGarageUK]

Thank you.

[@Ramonthebiker]

I had often wondered about this and seeing this post helped me track some down now I know what it’s called! 👍

[@petermolyneux3825]

Do the indicators work ?

[@RyansGarageUK]

Hi Peter, they work perfectly when i remember to use them.

[@humourless682]

The epoxy repair is VERY likely to fail. Why not have it welded properly?

[@humourless682]

@Snoopy Was it welded properly in the earlier video?

[@RyansGarageUK]

@Snoopy Thanks, couldn't have said it better myself.

[@humourless682]

@Snoopy If the broken part is completely unstressed, and the epoxy hasn't just been plastered over the outside of the cracked case, then the repair may well succeed. Probably best to have used something like Devcon F, which has a much better chance of working than JB weld? If the cases are horizontally split, then cost of a complete strip is going to be the side case gaskets.

[@humourless682]

@Snoopy Looks like a big chunk of the top case, including the rear motor mount was snapped off?

[@humourless682]

@Snoopy If the crack werent so close to the rear motor mount, then epoxy might have worked.

[@kjbull1]

Ryan. I watch a lot of KZbin. Your content I’ve watched so far (your last one) is not for me I’m afraid. I guess it’s mainly because I’m a 2 stoke fanatic really so the super dream didn’t do it for me. One other thing and I mean this constructive not in a nasty way, I was bored. poor camera angles. Sorry for that but I had to tell you how I felt.

[@RyansGarageUK]

Hi, thank you for your feedback. I appreciate the honesty. I am certainly no expert at either filming nor mechanics, but i do try to improve both where I can. Maybe you can watch another of mine in the future and spot any improvement. Ryan

[@kjbull1]

@@RyansGarageUKI understand completely. Keep going and I’ll come back for a look. One thing I do understand and that is what you do is not easy. I couldn’t do it, so I don’t.

[@damlane77]

My 1982 superdreams capped off in exact same place!

[@RyansGarageUK]

Thanks Steve, thats interesting i cant understand why the 250's appear to have not been connected to the airbox. But i feel ive done the right thing to connect it there.