Honda Nighthawk 250 reviews

I have a 1991 Nighthawk, the first year they came out with them. I've had it for about a year now, and have had no problems with it! Get this - I bought it with about 35k on it (we had to replace tires, chain, sprockets, though)! Original exhaust, engine, etc! This bike will last forever! Reliability wise, I'd say it's great! Even in Michigan, I ride it at least once a month in the winter. It starts up right away every time (may stall out because of the cold and the very lean carburetion), but no other problems! I ride it to school and work mainly, but it's also good for slightly longer trips and short highways excursions. My observed top speed is 73 mph - If you can get it faster, let me know! If you're like me - a high school kid saving for college who wants cheap transportation like this, it's the way to go! The only downsides I can see are the cold-bloodedness and the low top speed. It's also a great chick magnet! Show less

I found this bike to be easy to handle. Very good bike for a beginner. Show less

I got a 1992 250 nighthawk to replace my 1980 250 Yamaha (which needed work)I only rode that bike 4 times before getting the Nighthawk which had less than 1000km on it. I've been riding for 3 months and since I'm a small girl I'm comfortible on the small bike. It handles very well and has enough power for me plus being light enough for me to handle. Great beginner bike! Show less

My nighthawk is year 1992 and has 12000 miles on it. I got it as a used one. It has two cylinders that gives wide torque range from the low rpm. This Honda air cooled, twin can, pallarel twin engine has been used for a very long time and very reliable. The bike is 10 years old, but it seems fine. The double muffler looks wild from behind. The style is the typical Japanese classic bike. The spoke wheels and the drum blakes look nostalgic. But they do not give stopping power very much. The seat is low enough and the bike is light., too. It has enough power in towns and on country roads. The handling is good and makes me feel riding a classic bike. But on highways, it is running almost at full speed, so it gets pretty noisy and windy. I am sure I can get a wind shield for it. It hits 80 mph and i am sure it can get faster than that. Also the bike is light, so I feel a little unstable when a big truck passes me. I should avoid highways if I want the bike live longer. This is an economically cheap, reliable and lightwheight nice bike. Show less

As I've ridden longer, my CB250 is riding better each day. I've put on 3,000 miles in the first 10 months of ownership, and I've found that 70mph is not a problem anymore. I've had it to 76 mph, wide open on the flats. Theoretically, it has a top speed of about 78 mph (redline in 5th gear, est. by means of gear ratios and such). Mileage does drop quite a bit at those upper speeds, but is still very good. An advantage of this bike over others is that there are lots of places to attach stuff on the back of the bike - more than on any other bike I've seen (though a sissy bar can be pretty useful on some other models). Another advantage is that you can use multiple foot positions on the pegs: standard posture, or use rear pegs and lean forward a bit like a sportier bike. That option really helps fatigue on longer trips. So it has a lot of utility, good looks, great mpg, just adequate speed, and very low maintenance costs. Power delivery is unimpressive and not as smooth as bigger bikes like the Suzuki GS500 - but if 0-60 in 4.5 seconds means little to you, and you don't speed, you won't care too much. After test riding the GS500, I felt the best comparison is that the CB250 was like a VW Rabbit (one of my first cars) to the GS500's Toyota Supra (another car I owned). The GS500 had much more power and smooth delivery. But in many ways, the Rabbit was the more utilitarian car (even if less thrilling to ride). Show less

I got my '97 at a substantial discount - had been used as a demo at MSF and had 200 miles and some scratches. So when I put on my first small scratch (with a key), I didn't care as much. The Nighthawk is, like most 250s, an ideal first bike. New riders should spend a year or so getting used to riding in different conditions and speeds before moving up to greater power. I get about 70 mpg around town and 85 in pure highway riding. Pretty economical! As others have stated, low maintenance costs. Just be sure that if you get a used one, the carbs are clean; else, gummy carbs can lead to rough idling and even stalling. Keep in mind this bike is not meant for 70 mph highway cruising (not without modifications anyway). 65 maybe, but even then you may find you have to drop a gear to go up mountain grades at speed. Then again, that's what automatic cars do anyway, so I guess you just have to learn that. In town, it provides plenty of power and nimbleness. There is nothing fancy about the bike. It is plain jane, old reliable, cheap to buy and cheap to maintain. Sure, a Ninja may be the same price (new), with tons more features (disc brakes, tach, etc) but the Honda will probably last 3 times as many miles, all things being equal. The ninja is pricey to maintain. If you drop it, it is very pricey to fix the plastic panels. For your trouble, the Ninja will bring you up to 100mph plus. If that's a need of yours, forget the Honda. If having fun at 65 and lower with the least maintenance cost and highest engine reliability is your bag, then this is the bike for you. Show less

several people have compared the ninja to the little nighthawk; consider this, if you run that ninja at over 10,000 rpm's for long(about 70 mph) your bike will be lucky to last three years. knock it over and the fairing will be at least $400 to replace(repair will not look right). if you want a more powerfull bike, buy a used 600. there are many used ones available for the $3000 to $4000 dollar range. what the nighthawk is, is a very reliable, economical, safe, usable and stylish small motorcycle. it's great in town and up to 50+ mph for short jaunts. for more, get a larger bike. there are plenty of 91-2000 250 nighthawks on the market; why can't you find any older 250 ninja's; because they have been used up. there great starter bikes for a wanna be racer, and fun for tooling around, but forget the long term use and reliability. Show less

The little 250 gets 70+ miles to the gallon of gas and service is inexpensive. It's no racer but can cruise well at 55 mph. Not only a good beginners bike but one which is easy to store, service and operate. They sell fast as well. Show less

There have been numerous larger bikes in my garage over the years, but 250's still provide me with lots of grins. The Nighthawk 250 is nimble, easily manageable, and quite capable of 65-70 all day. It's a very simple machine compared to most bikes these days, very easy to work on without a box load of special tools. Because it's a Standard you can ride without suffering Sport bike neck kinks, or Cruiser spine compression. The Nighthawk's extended length swingarm, long travel fork, and very good seat give it a supple ride. Power rating is 20hp at 9000rpm. Like all current machines it suffers from EPA mandated carburetion leaness. This causes a lag in response at low rpm. It's just a lag and not a huge flat chasm like some bikes suffer. The bike can be made to run like the engineers intended if you change the primary jet from stock it's #35 to #38, and the main from #110 to a #115. Show less