Vintage Thing No.36 - the Honda CJ250T

It was during a rather ribald discussion with some of my motor cycling friends that the question arose -- what is the motorcycling equivalent of an Austin Allegro? My Austin Allegro is a particularly nice example but that doesn't stop them taking the piss out of it. I know that it is not one of the world's greatest cars and some people voted these chubby little cars the worst ones of all time but I like to point out that much of the Allegro's vital organs are shared with the Mini, which, at about the same time, was voted the greatest car of all time. It seems odd to me that two cars with the same engine, gearbox and the clutch from the same manufacturer, and with suspension systems that follow the same damperless and space saving concept, could be both the best and the worst between them.

But, as we say in Cornwall, "There it is and there you are." And as some deeply philosophical type might also say, "Less is more."

After a great deal of thought and many proposals that were discounted either straightaway or after robust cross examining, somebody suggested the Honda CJ250T. Nobody had anything positive to say about this bike and a few of us who had personal experience of one were quite happy to condemn it. The more we thought about it, the more it seemed that the Honda CJ250T was the Holy Grail in our rather pointless quest.

Back in the summer, I spotted this rather smart example at Boconnoc Steam Fair. At the time, I smiled upon it because so many of them were scrapped and even if it was not a great bike, seeing one after all this time brought back many happy yoof-ful memories. In the light of subsequent techological advancements (like reliability), they lost value quickly and their impecunious owners subjected them to unwarranted abuses as they learnt about mechanical sympathy.

Or didn't, as the case may be.

Many years ago, there used to be a delightfully subversive motorcycling magazine in Britain called the Used Bike Guide. The concept was delightfully simple. There were no adverts and no professional staff writers. All the articles were allegedly sent in by real-life owners of the bikes featured and I have no reason to doubt this claim. The only full-time members of staff behind what came to be known as the UBG were the editor and the mysterious and strangely alluring Typing Person who typed out the adverts at the back of the magazine having deciphered the oily scrawls of the advertisers. Against the odds, the Typing Person became a figure of romantic intrigue and there were many instances of almost personal messages appearing to her from motorcyclists the length and breadth of the country who appreciated her "services", prompting her to say that she wasn't that sort of girl. It was all quite innocent, and romantic in a hopeless kind of way. But the UBG was most popular are telling it how it was and not pulling any punches when it came to describing a motorcycle and its strength and weaknesses.

According to the UBG (now on the internet and going just as strong as ever), the Honda CJ250T didn't go, didn't stop, didn't handle, had poor electrics and no style. The build quality was apparently rubbish, the brakes quickly seized up or wore out, the frame was the worst example of Japanese "bird shit" welding and the seats always split and somehow contrived to give you a wet arse even when it was dry.

It's probably a bit unfair to single out the CJ250T from all the other Honda 250 twins of the 1970s and I am now willing to propose that this bike is a two wheeled Austin Allegro and consequently a Vintage Thing. The basic engine design came out in 1974 as the CB250G5 and this bike featured a six speed gearbox, electric start and a front disc brake, innovations which should have assured success. It was a 180 degree twin, too, which meant the pistons didn't go up and down together like they did in the 360 degree British twins yer elder bruvvers and dads raved about.

The styling of these bikes reminds me a bit of my first bike, a Honda CB125S (def'n'ly NOT a Vintage Thing) so has a certain nostalgia value - like old scars might have. But although the 56mm x 50.6mm twin would read to over 10,000 rpm, it was too much of a bloater to be considered a genuine sports bike and that's what the 250 market demanded, because that was the biggest capacity 17-year-old learners could then ride. The G5's main problem, apart from its weight, was a camshaft that ran directly in the cylinder head. If oil changes were neglected, both components could easily be wrecked and although some firms in the UK offered needle roller bearing conversions, most people didn't see the point of this and moved on to something else when disaster happened.

Another problem for the CB250G5 was the CB360, which, with its 67mm bore, was an even more rev-happy beast and gave the same set of cycle parts that the 250 version enjoyed the performance they deserved (although the handling was still too wallowy). The CB360 put out 35bhp and could manage 90 mph. The CB250G5 gave 27bhp and topped out at 85 mph. The only saving grace that the CB250 had over its larger sibling was the 250 limit for 17-year-olds both performance was the main consideration -- and it usually was -- some for the mad two-stroke twin or triple would be the first choice over a lardy four-stroke twin.

The CJ250T, known in some quarters as the 250T, superseded the G5 in 1976. Weight was reduced by reverting to 5 speeds and discarding the electric starter. Less really can be more. Power output and performance remained about the same and it looked a lot better. Unfortunately, quality was still a problem and after only a year a new design of engine was introduced with a three valve cylinder head and a power sapping balancer shaft. This was the Honda Dream that subsequently morphed into the Honda Superdream, and reached it's apogee (good word that) in the form of the CB400N, which some reckon was a better bike than the legendary 400/4.

When you consider the illustrious Honda 250 forebears, the twins of the seventies must have felt like a backward step -- just like the Allegro when compared with its predecessor, the BMC 1100/1300 range. The CJ250T and the Allegro are contemporaries and epitomise the not-so-sensational 70s, although I think the G5 version, with its podgier styling, compliments the bloated lines of the Allegro. Just like BMC with the Allegro, Honda had a succession of stabs at their 250 twins, sometimes making them better with cuts to lose weight (Allegros were hastily revised internally to create more room) or cosmetic surgery to improve their image. If the 250 equates to Allegro 1300 Super (like I've got, I suppose the 360 version would match the Allegro 1750 (I've got a very rusty one of these). You can look hard for sporting pretensions on both the cars and bikes but not find any, which gives them a sort of subversive charm when you drive or ride them quickly.

Most of them have all gone now. They were unlovable when they were new and are now largely forgotten about. The UBG reckons the Honda twins of this vintage needed a rebore at 25,000 miles and big ends at 50k when the rest of bike would warrant throwing away - if the soggy handling hadn't made the pilot do that already. At least the equally soggy handling Allegro is famous, even if it is famous for all the wrong reasons.

So let us remember the CJ250T. With the benefit of hindsight, you could understand its place in the development of a range of highly successful motorcycles, successful in sales terms at any rate. These were not the bikes that killed off the British motorcycle industry. That crime was accomplished by their predecessors. By the time the CJ250T came along only Triumph and Norton were left. These Honda twins were a sensible alternative in a youthful market obsessed with performance. They were best sellers in their day but instantly forgetable. The more I think about it, it seems incredible that this Honda at Boconnoc survived at all.

As usual, then, it seems that I am supporting the underdog. I suppose I'll have to have one now.

I think the die was cast when I read the UBG's assessment of the CJ250T. After pointing out all its deficiencies, the magazine is vital, it was "Don't buy a yellow one -- you'll never be able to sell it."