Servicing a CB250 Honda 1995 NightHawk

[@mcardltm]

Never thought of using a drill with those jacks, brilliant

[@bounder97]

Thank you very much for posting this!

[@popup1959]

Great tutorial Gordon! Thanks. I had a 1987 NightHawk. It was a great bike.

[@RRRToolSolutions1]

thanks for stopping by Pat the LandLord. Bennett. I'll pass on the complement to my brother Reuben. He does my videos. I'm just the good looking star.

[@popup1959]

Ha ha ha!! Ok Gordon.

[@bullenharben9905]

The UK spec bikes have mag wheels & disc brakes. I would always put a short length of rubber tubing on the top of the spark plug when getting the thread started, to avoid cross threading, especially on a sports bike with deep recesses.

[@vibemunster]

Nice video, a couple of pointers, drain the oil on the side stand as more of the old stuff will come out, best to run the bike for a few minutes so the oil is warm, let it drain for an hour, I usually put a plash of new oil in to help get the old stuff out. Spray the chain lube on the inside of the chain, not the outside, centrifugal force will do that. Looks like your clutch cable is frayed, I noticed a spike. I recently got 3 CB250's for custom jobs, street scrambler, brat and cafe racer. The street scrambler is done and is a blast to ride :)

[@STho205]

Since you have three, I agree with the side stand, but consider rocking the bike back and forth at the end of the trickle. You'd be surprised how much more drains if you lean it 30degrees right, then quickly back 40 degrees left. About half to 1/4 a cup extra of the dirtiest bottom if you do that four times waiting a minute between. 1.5qt should fill it from dead empty. I change oil after a 100mi+ loop ride on the warmest part of the day. By jacking the rear up, he probably drained almost everything. The spray wax/oil (your choice) is really not doing much on a ring sealed chain. The real grease is in there forever from the factory. The link rollers do "roll" so spraying either out or inside will eventually roll around to sprocket contact after about 30 revolutions per every 360 degree roll unless the rollers are seized, which means the chain is dead. I wouldn't sweat what he did, but I tend to lightly spray both in and outside of the chain every two tanks of gas. In winter I use chainsaw oil (or 90 wt gear oil) on an old nylon toothbrush. Inside, outside and both sides. Icemelt salt or winter rains will rust the chain side plate links and wax won't stop that. Enjoy your bikes. A very reliable little motor.

[@marcoluoma3770]

Great basic tutorial, thanks.

[@pieterwahyudi]

Nice video! Simple yet important basic maintenance. One thing missing though, clean or change the air filter.. 😀 keep up the good videos 👍

[@RRRToolSolutions1]

Thanks for the comments. Good suggestion. We had actually installed a new air filter in the oil change cycle before this one (expensive little booger too). We were surprised to learn there is no oil filter in this bike's engine. The only filtration is a coarse screen on the oil pump pick-up which is not serviceable under normal maintenance. The large screen would prevent pick-up of large metal fragments, but would not prevent continued circulation of dirt, grit, and metal shavings throughout the engine's vitals. Even the small Honda's of the 60's, 70's, and 80's had centrifugal "slinger" filter systems for many years. It was my first Honda service that relies entirely on clean oil and frequent changes. Gordon/RTS

[@adrianduano3285]

Mikey's bike looks pretty cool

[@cookiecanfly_]

Hey Gordon is there any chance you have any more videos of doing maintenance for these bikes? Would be so handy to see more tips and tricks if you have any. I haven’t owned my cb250 for long. Watching one you go about removing the back wheel could be handy. Cheers

[@sarahl9742]

Would you be able to make a video on replacing tail light blinkers on a Honda nighthawk 250 - 2004

[@SAVAGE-GAMER-]

Question, what was that oil you put in the crankcase? It looked red..I have a 91 nighthawk 250 and have been using full synthetic 10w 30..should I not use that or? Appreciate the help

[@maximilianvonerb9591]

Hey Gordon, I'm a 17 year old looking to clean the engine/carburator/air filter/oil tank of my 2003 CB250 model; how similar would you say the 1990s models are to the 2000s?

[@RRRToolSolutions1]

Yes, the bikes are very similar. Thanks for commenting! Gordon

[@alittletoofrank]

What's the device you're using to hold the brake line while you put the lubricant in? Thanks for the video.

[@3-DtimeCosmology]

Zen and the art of... What was that again? 🏍️🤣🏍️

[@ben8090]

Great video,. The bike could do with a good clean AND maybe some ACF 50 treatment!!

[@RRRToolSolutions1]

Ben, thanks for commenting. By the way, I agree with you on the cleaning.....my brother uses this for daily transportation and packs it like a mule. He carries just about everything he needs on his job on this bike. The only way it will get washed is if I sneak in and do it, or a good rain. Gordon/RTS

[@Camcanoe]

Hi! I'm potentially buying one of these tomorrow, just a little younger at 2002. It's not been ridden in 2 years. Any advice for things to look at for maintenence immediately?

[@SUPPORTYOURSELF]

Would you recommend using 5w-40 for cold weather? Thanks for the video.

[@RRRToolSolutions1]

Hi Scott, 5W-40 (5 weight winter) would be fine for temps below freezing. What is important is that you give the engine 30~60 seconds of run time before revving or getting underway. Most motorcycles have small-displacement pumps and don't circulate much oil. Give the engine at least 30 seconds to get oil in-between the small clearances where metal-to-metal wear will occur. Camshafts, cam lobes, rockers, all wear very quickly without oil. Consider that an engine drains oil into the crankcase the second you shut the engine off. Hot oil thins, so it drains and leaves the upper regions quickly and continues to leave the critical areas while sitting. The next morning or the next week when you start-up the engine, the oil is cold and thick - plus it's in the crankcase! You'll add lots of engine life by letting her warm before you GO. Thanks for commenting. Gordon/RTS

[@papaoscar1]

What was the lubricator gadget called. Useful video for a new owner. Leave out the backbeat next time.

[@ipad8693]

How much engine oil did you put inside the motorcycle?

[@cm8613]

Great video! I have the same bike, only red. Can you buy a center stand for this bike and install it yourself? If not, how did you modify your jack to use on the bike. I also need to replace a valve seal, but that is for another day. Thanks !!

[@RRRToolSolutions1]

Hi, sorry for the slow reply. We've had a friend's funeral to attend out of town and I'm just getting back and caught up. This is an old car "scissors jack" that I bought at a flea market for $10. I cut the bracket off the top and welded that 2" x 12" plate so it would be low-profile and reach across motorcycle frames side to side. If you're not a good welder, find a skilled person so you don't have to worry that the weld will break and drop the bike. I use this tool all of the time, one of the best $10 ever! Thanks for commenting - Gordon/RTS

[@GalacticDan]

Hey Gordon, I'm struggling to replace the front brake hose. How do I go about doing this?

[@cookiecanfly_]

Hey mate great video!! I’ve got a 1998 cb250 and am just wondering what I should do in terms of clutch adjustment, the bike finds neutral and shifts into neutral really easily when the bikes off but if I’ve got the bike running it’s hard to find neutral... thanks mate

[@RRRToolSolutions1]

The culprit is that your clutch pack (sandwich of fiber plates and steel discs) are not separating. Oil clings to these and tend to stick. I also suspect that your clutch basket may have wear along the aluminum fingers where the fiber plates stack is meant to open/close. Not a serious issue and one that I have found one favorite oil quickly solves the problem - Motul 10/40 Synthetic 7100. It is the best oil for motorcycles like the Hondas, Yamaha, Suzuki, and Kawasaki that share engine and transmission lubrication in the same case. I use it in all of my 4 stroke bikes and ATV's. Dead serious - 3 of the bikes I've owned out of close to 100 had/have similar issues and were corrected and made smooth are my 1985 Kawasaki 750 Turbo, my 1976 KZ900, and my 2013 Suzuki DR650. Yes, expensive, but I swear it performs! The big 650 single Suzuki DR was frustrating - because it is a single the idle speed is 1,500 rpm and with the sticking pack, there was no way to get it into neutral idling so I had to kill the engine and restart or hold the clutch in. Motul solved it. Gordon

[@queenslander954]

So there’s no oil-filter on theses Honda’s ? Bit weird

[@daniellee414]

Thanks for the video Gordon. My son has a cb250, does it have an oil filter, and how do you adjust the clutch.?

[@RRRToolSolutions1]

Hi Daniel, sorry - I was asleep at the wheel and missed these questions. First, there is no oil filter on these. The old engines (60's, 70's, and 80's) had centrifugal filters that would capture and hold particles that thousands neglected to clean. This one and your son's 250 rely on a regular diet of good quality oil and frequent changes. Second, always measure clutch play/slack at the upper cable perch. You want 1/8" ~ 1/4" of slack where the cable end goes into the perch at the handle. Start off by shortening the thumb adjuster at the handlebar (screw in) which leaves room for lots of fine adjustments later. Then go to the cable's lower end and lengthen the cable (removing slack) until you achieve that correct 1/8~1/4" of upper end slack. Tighten the two nuts at the bottom adjuster. You can now make dozens of small adjustments at the handlebar to keep that slack/free play perfectly set. Shifts will be easier as will clutch life be extended with proper settings. Teach him and he'll appreciate and use the knowledge for years to come. Gordon/RTS

[@benparmer1612]

Thanks great instructional video. What about the oil gauge/filter?

[@RRRToolSolutions1]

Hi Ben, we checked the micro-fiche and there is not a serviceable filter on this model. There is an oil-pickup screen at the bottom of the sump, but it doesn't require servicing unless you're rebuilding the engine. The centrifugal one we're used to seeing on the 175's, 350 twins, 360's, and 450's are not used on this engine. Thanks for watching.

[@afrojoe1237]

I have the negative end to the cable to the battery on but where does the other end go to?? My first bike

[@RRRToolSolutions1]

Hi Joe, that + cable end will go to the solenoid.

[@michaelg4897]

I have a 93 night hawk 250 - I was ridding Last week and my bike lost all power as if batter was dead I picked it up and brought it home and it started right up got the battery charged it was at 33% I took it for a ride shit it off for about 10min and act if battery was dead I popped the clutch and took it home it did the same exact thing and 20min of it sitting I came back and it started right up no problem. What could that possibly be?

[@davefenton102]

Did you find the problem? I had a similar problem on a gy6 engine. I had intermittent charge going to the battery and the headlight brightness was dimming and brightening with bumps on the road. I checked with a multimeter to see if charge was going to the battery. The charge to the battery was erratic, would jump all over the place from about 4volts to about 19volts. The problem ending up being a dodgy plug connection in the wiring between the stator and the regulator rectifier. The plug looked fine from the outside, but the pins inside it were making a bad connections and had started to melt the plastic plug they were in. Apparently this is a common thing to happen, so is a good thing to check if you are having intermittent or complete charging/electrical problems.

[@elchicano4146]

Great video. What type of oil do you recommend for a bike like this?

[@RRRToolSolutions1]

Hi El, You want to use a Motorcycle Specific oil - one having meeting specification JASO Standard MA2. In our climate, 10W - 40 is perfect. What you definitely want is a detergent oil and what you don't want is an automotive (car/truck) oil with Moly friction-reducing additives. The reason is significant - Our motorcycles share engine, transmission, and clutch in the same oil case. The Moly friction additives found in most car oils will embed into the clutch plates and can cause slipping (sometimes severe). Car oils also lack the foaming reducing additives that Motorcycle oils have. The transmission and clutch can cause car oils to froth and excess foaming - leading to reduced lubrication and/or low oil pressure and poor distribution. My favorite oil? Motul 7100 4T, but it is expensive when you compare to simply another quart. When factored into the cost of the bike, insurance, gear, gas, and tires - it's cheap! I've used it exclusively in all of my bikes for many years now. Thanks for commenting. Gordon/RTS

[@mrgrieves2406]

Is there much of a difference between the 1992 Cb250 and 1995 nighthawk? thanks

[@RRRToolSolutions1]

Hi, Thanks for your question. No, there is very little difference between the two regarding the steps and procedures needed to maintain. Both are great bikes and give decades of service with just a little care and maintenance. Best Regards, RTS

[@Bishop760]

Is the cb250 2 or 4 stroke?

[@RRRToolSolutions1]

4

[@wsk3kos]

Good Job!! How many oil engine This engine need?

[@RRRToolSolutions1]

Thanks for the thumbs up. It took about 1.6 quarts of oil, in that little cb250.

[@赵卫健-l4n]

wsk3kos 1500cc

[@赵卫健-l4n]

油耗现在太高了。改成异步还可以

[@nonyabiz9487]

Gotta cut off that fart knocker exhaust and put dem shortys on foo!!