This thing looks loud, uncomfortable, and unsafe. Which makes me kinda want to buy it.
It is often said of Honda that it makes bikes that answer questions nobody asked. This particular bike seems to be answering the question: “How much customization can I do on a budget of £17?”
Quite a lot, it seems. Sure, it’s serving spray paint and Temu realness, but it’s doing so in a way that’s kind of attractive. Wearing a decal that’s presumably stolen from the iconic CR250M Elsinore (produced from 1973 to 1976), this bike – with different tires – would make an excellent flat track weapon. Certainly its £1,695 price tag means that it’s somewhat crashable.
On the road, it might be fun, too. I’ll bet that pulling the baffle from that exhaust results in an unholy noise that is both hilarious and likely to earn fines from police, or bad karma from neighbors, or both.
What the ad says
Nothing. The ad says nothing. It doesn’t even offer the year of the vehicle; I had to look that up using the bike’s registration plate.
Normally, an ad with nothing but pictures would be a huge ‘Walk Way Now’ red flag, but the bike is being sold by Poole Moto. On that basis alone, I feel pretty certain that the bike is, at least, in working order.
About a year ago, I visited Poole Moto as part of an article I wrote for Bike magazine. I spoke to most of the guys there and they struck me as honest, straight-forward people. If they’re selling a bike, it probably won’t fall apart on the ride home.
This bike had 10,266 miles on the clock at its last MOT, which was in June 2024. Its tax and MOT have been expired for several months; something I’d expect Poole Moto will happily sort for you once you hand over your £1,695.
What is it?
This bike started life as a 2008 CBF250. A 249cc commuter bike produced from 2004 to 2012, the CBF250 was described by MCN as “ultra-cheap to run, brisk and efficient across town, and a doddle to ride.”
The CBF250’s air-cooled single-cylinder engine produced claimed peak outputs of 22 bhp and 16 lb-ft of torque. Top speed was reportedly 80 mph.
“It’s a revvy and fun motorcycle to ride but has enough balls to get you out of trouble,” reported MCN. “Just don’t try any heroic overtakes.”
The bike was praised for its fuel economy. Apparently 211 miles are possible from its 16-liter fuel tank. And despite the presence of a drum brake at the rear, its stopping power also received accolades from reviewers of the time.
Back in 2008, this particular bike wouldn’t have looked much like it does now. For one thing, it was black, according to tax and MOT documents. But, also, the overall aesthetics were markedly less intriguing. As MCN observed: “Bikes like these rarely appeal to the heart.”
Making this bike more appealing, however, means that it now comes with a host of paperwork ball aches. You’ll need to get the official color changed if you want to insure it.
And you’ll need to make sure you’re friendly with your MOT tester. At present, the “obviously incorrectly positioned” rear position lamp, rear stop lamp, and rear reflector are listed as “minor defects.” MOTs can be subjective things, however. Other testers might list those as reasons for failure.
Ditto the rear fender that will touch the tire if you press down on it.
This bike was clearly someone’s garage project. If you buy it, it will become your paperwork project.
Is it better than my current motorcycle?
If I wanted to take up flat track racing, maybe. Or if I wanted to rob a post office and ditch my getaway vehicle in the sea. Otherwise, no, this piece of rattle-can glory is not better than a 2012 Kawasaki Versys 1000 with 32,500 miles on the clock and a bad clutch cable.
Should I buy it?
No. Well, I guess it depends on your definition of “should.” Do we mean it in the ideal sense (“The government should make train travel free”) or the command sense (“You should stand behind that brick wall before I set off this dynamite”)?
In the command sense I should not be buying any motorcycles right now. I am financially strapped, struggling to make ends meet as a freelancer, and have two children to support. I especially should not be buying a motorcycle that would ultimately result in my pissing off neighbors, or slamming into the wall of a flat track arena.
In the ideal/wishing sense of the word, yes, I should – and would – buy this bike if my financial situation were different. It looks like stupid fun.
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