Never gonna buy a honda again

[Flipflop]

Are Yamaha top of the build quality tree?
WR250R - mine seems excellent build quality.
My wife’s old TDM 900, bought new and run for 10 years, was faultless- even the chain and sprockets lasted for ages.
The S10 seems to get better quality reviews than the other large adventure bikes.

Time will tell with the 700 Ten ??

[PaulinBont]

My ' budget' CB500X (Thai- built) is holding up well.

Built down to a budget <5k new and it shows in the handling etc, but thrown the RR stick at it and it is very much improved

[catcitrus]

I've had a few Hondas over the years--all secondhand with no problems at all--except a CRF230 which was also excellent (did Greece, Albania, Montenegro, Croatia and back to Italy with full camping kit and mostly trails). I have two Hondas now--both late 90s--a transalp and CB500--both excellent build quality from Honda's best years I think. They are of an age where they are simple and cheap to maintain--not that they need much once sorted--and spares are cheap and plentiful (and secondhand). I also have a WR250R--again secondhand but much newer--Bulgaria and back, Southern France and back--and trail riding of course--excellent build quality but expensive new(mine is ex Scottish police!). From what I've seen of the T7 its build quality is excellent and is much better thought out and fit for purpose than the KTM790, and 4k cheaper.

[dave h]

dave.

[UKJeeper]

My ' budget' CB500X (Thai- built) is holding up well.

Built down to a budget <5k new and it shows in the handling etc, but thrown the RR stick at it and it is very much improved

40,000 miles on my RR CB500X, in 18 months.


List of problems i've had with it are listed below....















































.

[Flipflop]

(mine is ex Scottish police!).

So is mine

[johnnyboxer]

sounds like the quality standard is dropping, with Honda?
because of production in cheaper, relatively third word countries?
though production in Japan itself still has high standards?

I have always opted for Honda .. for it reliability reputation and good pertinent models.
Though I always liked the look of Suzukis.

I was impressed with my previous crf250L, and thought the wheel rims were very strong and remained true, and the looks were great.
But in the end I came to think that, despite the build quality being very good .. paintwork, strong wide seat, engine finish etc etc .. the `budget` element came to the fore more and more.

the suspension was poor, to be polite, and basically non-adjustable, the tyres were absolute shite off tarmac, brakes poor to adequate, and the clutch a silly nightmare after a few k miles.
I bought it with the idea of being able to ride 80 miles to a good mid wales lane/s and then ride home after doing the lane.
I think it was the universal `knobbly/road tyre` problem that finally scuppered that idea, as I had to grind home at 45 - 50 mph after a gruelling day.

So I cant blame Honda for that, but I can blame them for producing a relatively very heavy bike.
OK .. its a budget bike that uses a heavy existing 250 road bike engine to keep costs down, and a steel frame and budget suspension etc etc
but if you want real quality and lightness I believe you have to change colour … orange has now become a very attractive colour to me.


Also, if I think back to the Hondas I have known intimately, they all failed eventually, even though they had very considerate use and good personal maintenance ..

Blade 954 .. engine fucked for no reason .. gentle use.
ST1100 .. just stopped working .. still dont know why .. had to scrap, as moved home.
crf230 .. engine lost oil for no apparent reason .. terrible noise .. got rid, as not afford work to it.
crf250X .. seat a real pain in the ass .. too tall, too heavy, too much maintenance.
NC750 .. nice engine, very economical .. boring as fuck .. fork oil seals blow.

.. but it seems that is just the way it is now? in terns of quality?

You can hardly call those faults on the CRF 250 X - it's an ENDURO bike and derived from a MX bike

It's good for its intended purpose

[garyboy]

I may sound pessimistic towards Honda, .. its just that they are not the biking panacea I always thought they were .. but they are still a very good brand and I would certainly buy another one, especially a smaller older one.

It seems their quality has reduced recently, judging by recent comments, but this seems to be a universal thing in modern globalised mass production?

The crf250X is a great bike, but most modern trail/enduro/adventure bikes are too tall and heavy for the average-sized oap. At high revs it transformed into a smooth whooshing jet, but, I was told, it would not last in the engine department like that for long journeys, needing an oil change on the way! .. the engine oil is separate from the clutch oil, and both are minute in capacity and need constant changing, with the shims needing changing too, but knackered when a finite limit is reached, needing a re-build. This is not acceptable to a mud slogging, long distance, slow old guy like me, .. enter the crf250L … pretty but portly .. butt with a great seat.

[johnnyboxer]

I may sound pessimistic towards Honda, .. its just that they are not the biking panacea I always thought they were .. but they are still a very good brand and I would certainly buy another one, especially a smaller older one.

It seems their quality has reduced recently, judging by recent comments, but this seems to be a universal thing in modern globalised mass production?

The crf250X is a great bike, but most modern trail/enduro/adventure bikes are too tall and heavy for the average-sized oap. At high revs it transformed into a smooth whooshing jet, but, I was told, it would not last in the engine department like that for long journeys, needing an oil change on the way! .. the engine oil is separate from the clutch oil, and both are minute in capacity and need constant changing, with the shims needing changing too, but knackered when a finite limit is reached, needing a re-build. This is not acceptable to a mud slogging, long distance, slow old guy like me, .. enter the crf250L … pretty but portly .. butt with a great seat.

You bought the wrong Honda that was all, for your intended purpose

A CRF 250 X wasn't it, 250L was more suited

[garyboy]

Neither were really suitable for me, as an older relatively shorter rider


What I am saying is that a trail bike of a different colour is more suitable.. a colour that is lighter in weight and more manageable