Rider Review: 2001 Honda CB250 Nighthawk

Submitted by: Cspan

I see no one has yet reviewed the Honda Nighthawk 250. It was (and is) my first bike, have ridden it 6000 miles in 2 yrs. Here's a brief synopsis of my thoughts.

The Good:

It has a decent-sized frame and traditional styling; it looks like a standard motorcycle and gets complements from those who might not knowingly compliment a 234 cc motorcycle.

It is low maintenance. Air cooled (no coolant to change); drum brakes (no brake fluid to change); no oil filter even!; just change the oil, lube the chain, and off you go.

It gets very good mileage. Fuel mileage is related more to weight than anything else, and this bike is merely 287 lbs dry (without gas, oil, battery). I average 70 mpg in town; I have gotten 88 when cruising at 45-55 mph; but at 65-70, the wind resistance can knock you down to the low 60s.

It is very practical, with lots of space on the pillion and places to bungee stuff. In other words, you can use it, not just ride it.

The Bad:

If you have ridden other motorcycles of 250cc or larger, you will find this bike to be the least peppy, the worst braking, and the lowest top end speed (about 77 with me on it, I'm 190 w/all gear on) of all of them. That said, if it is your first bike, you won't notice it. It can accelerate and brake as well as the average 4cyl. car, but usually no better. Oh yes, the headlight isn't great either.

It is overpriced as a new bike. The R&D should have been recovered long ago; I'm amazed anyone pays $3400 new for this bike when they can get better equipped ones for less. I suppose Honda may not believe in having any "loss leaders."

Mine was an MSF demo, already a little scratched up. For that I saved $1000 and still got a new bike warranty. Unfortunately I needed it, as the carbs were gummed up, the cables were sludgy, electrics were loose, and so forth. It appears the dealer service dept. didn't sweat it getting this thing prepped.

Conclusion:

It worked out fine for me. I'm no speed demon, I love riding so much I enjoy this humble steed. I have even toured on it. It may take 10-14 seconds getting to 60 mph, but it can exceed any speed limit within 1000 miles of my home. It's large pillion enabled me to pack lots of stuff. The engine didn't fail me. I even lowsided it once, wrecking it, but was able to pick it up and drive away.

Would I buy it again? Probably. I'm 6'1" and wanted a larger frame bike. The Virago was nice, but didn't seem to have the relative sturdiness of the Honda. Plus that pillion was tiny and seemingly unusable. The Suzuki seemed OK, a little short. Rebel too short. Ninja - too much plastic for a newbie. There just wasn't another bike worth starting on, for me. I also like the standard position. With highway bars, you really have 3 options for leg position: cruiser, feet on the highway bars; standard, on the driver pegs; and sport, on the passenger pegs. Those choices are a huge help in reducing fatigue when touring.

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