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Author Topic: 250 Four  (Read 6080 times)

Offline AshimotoK0

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250 Four
« on: February 20, 2014, 06:31:18 PM »
Does anyone remember 400/4's being sold in the UK as  new but with a 250 conversion so that learners could ride them. Seem to remember they were advertised in Motor Cycle Mechanics and I think you could have them changed back to 408cc after passing yout test. Or is my mind playing tricks?

Cheers..... AshD
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Offline LesterPiglet

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Re: 250 Four
« Reply #1 on: February 20, 2014, 06:35:22 PM »
I've never heard of it.
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Offline SteveD CB500K0

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Re: 250 Four
« Reply #2 on: February 20, 2014, 06:59:38 PM »
Yep.

I remember it well.

As a 250 it was expensive and underpowered. But boy, did it look good!


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Offline Bitsa (Ralph Wright - RIP)

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Re: 250 Four
« Reply #3 on: February 20, 2014, 07:00:11 PM »
Nor me 350/4 but mainly europe.Cant see the point of that when in my day you could pass your test on a C70 as I did and go out and buy a 750.When I had finished in bike shops around 1980 never heard of that.
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Bitsa
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Offline Bitsa (Ralph Wright - RIP)

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Re: 250 Four
« Reply #4 on: February 20, 2014, 07:03:23 PM »
Steve.
Well I live and learn still good eh but do not remember that,Do rememeber Paul Smart if I recall right had a 250 four racing bike factory Honda.
Cheers
Bitsa
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Offline SteveD CB500K0

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Re: 250 Four
« Reply #5 on: February 20, 2014, 09:25:09 PM »
They seem to have their own Yahoo group...

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/cb400f/conversations/topics/4829

It seems to be run/organised by Rick Denoon (I think he is/was a member here - I certainly used to get his email newsletters)
Here's Rick's site: http://www.denoonsp.com/my-cb400f.htm

Also Kevin (TTR400) seems to be involved (he's here too).
« Last Edit: February 20, 2014, 09:28:33 PM by SteveD CB500F »
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Offline AshimotoK0

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Re: 250 Four
« Reply #6 on: February 20, 2014, 10:19:25 PM »
Quote from: SteveD CB500F on February 20, 2014, 06:59:38 PM
Yep.

I remember it well.

As a 250 it was expensive and underpowered. But boy, did it look good!


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Are we talking about the same bike Steve..... this was just a bog standard 400F but with 250cc capacity conversion so that a learner could ride one.
I remember my CB250K2 HDT2J I found was 325cc (Read-Titan) , which I only discovered after I bought it (and stripped down in my student room!!!). It's still taxed, so wonder if it still has the conversion.

Back to the '250' 400/4.. wonder who it was who sold them. Possibly House of Wheels or maybe Read Titan.
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“Alright friends, you have seen the heavy groups, now you will see morning maniac music. Believe me, yeah. It’s a new dawn.” Grace Slick, Woodstock '69 .. In the year of the Sandcast.

Offline SteveD CB500K0

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Re: 250 Four
« Reply #7 on: February 20, 2014, 10:22:35 PM »
It was Jock Kerr. He did loads of weird stuff. My room mate at Uni had a CB125S with a 185 conversion.


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Offline AshimotoK0

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Re: 250 Four
« Reply #8 on: February 20, 2014, 11:11:01 PM »
Quote from: SteveD CB500F on February 20, 2014, 10:22:35 PM
It was Jock Kerr. He did loads of weird stuff. My room mate at Uni had a CB125S with a 185 conversion.


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Ah Ha now I remember................Found this on another site ....

" Ah yes, those where the days when physics, metallurgy and customers didn't really seem to matter, cams could be ground by hand, Stellite was your friend and you always rely on Araldite to get you out of trouble.
I used to work there from 1977'ish to 1979'ish. It was in fact a Honda 400/4 with massive 25mm thick liners and C50? pistons taking it down to 250cc. We kept the original liners for when the rider passed his/her test. Just imagine the affect of this way out of design ba**ard child with its super low compression, 'slightly' imbalanced crank in the hands of a learner. I don't think any survived to be resleeved back? I personally nearly lost a part of my head when one of these was on ramp and being revved up (just to see how far it could go) after 2 minutes of top revs decided it wanted no more and promptly threw a rod through the case - and yes ..we did bolt a turbo onto a Gold Wing. It was an old (lorry) Holset turbo with a waste gate fashioned from an old radiator valve and bits from an old c50 - more smoke than the entire red arrow team and proving once more that Araldite (even when mixed with aluminium filings) is always weaker than piston alloy"

Cheers ... AshD
« Last Edit: February 20, 2014, 11:22:23 PM by AshimotoK0 »
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“Alright friends, you have seen the heavy groups, now you will see morning maniac music. Believe me, yeah. It’s a new dawn.” Grace Slick, Woodstock '69 .. In the year of the Sandcast.

Offline SteveD CB500K0

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Re: 250 Four
« Reply #9 on: February 21, 2014, 06:52:10 AM »
You're not wrong. The 185 was held together more by hope and the fact that the 125 was quite well engineered.
Ian passed his test and bought a 400/4! I don't know what happened to the 185. I seem to remember that it only had one piston ring?


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« Last Edit: February 21, 2014, 09:14:10 AM by SteveD CB500F »
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Offline AshimotoK0

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Re: 250 Four
« Reply #10 on: February 21, 2014, 08:05:01 AM »
Looking at a CB250N site they also  did a 125 single conversion for a Superdream. Sounded like an 'interesting' place to work  ::).

At least I am proven to be  sane again, I had this memory from way back of the 250/4 but wasn't sure if my mind was playing tricks.

Cheers,

AshD
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“Alright friends, you have seen the heavy groups, now you will see morning maniac music. Believe me, yeah. It’s a new dawn.” Grace Slick, Woodstock '69 .. In the year of the Sandcast.

Offline Eric Frith

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Re: 250 Four
« Reply #11 on: February 21, 2014, 09:50:37 AM »
I'm pretty sure it was Jock Kerr that did the conversion to 250, and I'm also quite sure it was here in Hertford as well..........I'm still trying to think of where it was as my memory isn't that good today.
« Last Edit: February 21, 2014, 10:43:56 AM by Eric Frith »
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Offline AshimotoK0

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Re: 250 Four
« Reply #12 on: February 21, 2014, 06:52:56 PM »
Quote from: Eric Frith on February 21, 2014, 09:50:37 AM
I'm pretty sure it was Jock Kerr that did the conversion to 250, and I'm also quite sure it was here in Hertford as well..........I'm still trying to think of where it was as my memory isn't that good today.

Listed as   :   Jock Kerr (Roydon/Ware)




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“Alright friends, you have seen the heavy groups, now you will see morning maniac music. Believe me, yeah. It’s a new dawn.” Grace Slick, Woodstock '69 .. In the year of the Sandcast.
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