CB250RSA

[Dick Scratcher]

Got meself another 250RSA, looking forward to another rebuild especially getting those damned rocker-shaft locating dowels out, invention of Lucifer !. 

[Ian]

Dave,
        I bet you had to prise it from Cliff`s grip !!!! He doesnt give much away

(Info courtesy of Arnold)

Ian

[Dick Scratcher]

Ian,
       I take it that you bumped into Arnold out at Montford Bridge, keep meaning to get there myself, the last time I tried it was nothing but traffic jams on both the M54 and the 'old' A5, went home in disgust.
      Regarding Cliff, I bought a bike off him in 1987 when there was a branch of W & H in Newport and have kept 'loose' contact ever since and have always found him to be very fair. He got Ron to check the RS's 'top-end' and he tells me it's not 'rubber-ducked' which if that's the case, the remainder of the 'lump' I can deal with barring something cataclysmic. Seeing the ludicrous prices being asked and presumably obtained on Ebay (some prat is asking £300 just for an engine of probably questionable condition) the price he wanted was far from daft, besides, like Arnold I've got to have a project now and then. Cliff couldn't find the V5C so he's sent off to Swansea for a duplicate and I presume that when that arrives he'll deliver the bike and documents etc. I'm looking forward to having the thing on the garage floor drilling the engine/frame bolts out as apparently this is the norm with Japanese rebuilds, Arnold and I had great fun with his RS over these things. I've no doubt that I'll be on this site grazing for the odd spare part. I'll be doing postings on an occasional basis as work progresses.

                                                Regards...... Dave.

[Dick Scratcher]

Hi Ian
           Correction here...........that prat on Ebay doesn't want £300 for the RSA engine.................he wants £395 !!!!

                                                                                  Dave.

[Ian]

Dave,
       Yes I did bump into Arnold at Montford Bridge on Tuesday eve. Its an nice meet there, plenty of like minded people just there to have a chat and a cuppa. Traffic has never been a problem as far as I`m aware. (well not for me- I have about 22 miles to travel there, I usually go via Ironbridge/Leighton tho).
      Im no expert on RSAs but if I can be of any help, get in touch.

Ian

[guest295]

Before you go drilling stuff out, get a good, heavy impact driver and use it on the engine screws. I've had old Japanese bikes for most of my life and can't recall ever failing to get a screw out, although sometimes I've had to hammer the bit into a screw before fitting the driver.

[Dick Scratcher]

Hi GB500NZ,
                     Thanks for the posting and of course you're spot-on with the advice especially with decades-old Japanese engines. My existing RS I bought as a non-runner for fifty quid ten years ago and as you'd expect it needed a lot of work done but it's served me very well ever since the rebuild having covered 20000 miles  the total mileage now up to 53000. One of the major problems likely to be encountered is getting the motor out of the frame, the bolts having been doused in road-salty-water for years causing corrosion resulting in them fusing to the crankcase material usually followed by careful drilling. I say 'crankcase material' because with me being used to old Italian bikes where aluminium is normally used, the garbage that is universally used these days whilst being perfectly adequate for the task/expected life-span doesn't lend itself easily to being resurrected beyond such as it disappears into a white dusty powder turning 8mm holes into 12 or 14mm ones. We shall see as progress goes on.

                                                            Kindest regards..................Dave.

[guest295]

Yes well bolts onto the frame are a nuther matter entirely. And truly, where unplated steel is hard against alloy, the alloy goes away. Wrenching the steel may well tear away the aluminium. So yes, drill and grind away. I suspect (but don't know) that the aluminium solder sold under various names could be used to reconstruct alloy castings. I've got 'HTS-2000', which claims to be stronger than the original material [err, umm]. It's easy enough to use but needs a LOT of heat. And is fiddly. Good luck.

[500 T C]

     Before touching any fasteners on the RS,  spray  Plus gas  on all those nasty areas. When re- fitting, use plenty of coppa slip.
I hope this saves you alot of heart ache and time.My XBR is soaking as we speak.

[Dick Scratcher]

Hi 500TC, I see you've been to this place before.............best of luck I hope the Plus-Gas works !.