life of 250 rebel engine

[gonzo]

getting back on a bike after a few years. chropractor doing wonders to the wear and tear.
son-in-law totalled the 20 year old kawasaki 440 LTD this year (and parts of his body) and so I've been looking for a new light weight bike for 8 mile to work commuting
the best buy on a small twin seems to be the rebel at $3,100
what is engine life with a 200 lb person? the 440 had 29,000 but was really ready for the scrap bucket with oil and compression leaks.
located in se wisconsin, ass deep in harleys
Gonzo

[Snorebaby]

Welcome Gonzo!!

The Honda's are great as far as service life. As long as regular maintenance is done on it and using Amsoil (think it is the best, especially when used after the first oil change) for the gearbox and engine, it should last as long as you want it to. I don't own a 250, I have an '86 450 Rebel that I rode for 5 yrs before going into storage. Haven't had any problems with it. I am now working to get it back on the road.

[GearJammer]

Welcome aboard, Gonzo!

Snorey is right on. Have seen at least one 250 Rebel owner who had logged over 100,000 miles & some have ventured to say that with proper maintainence, 200,000 miles might not be out of the question. Either way, there should be enough miles available to keep you in the wind & happy for a good long while :D

[cTc]

Welcome, ditto on the rest, the rebel is a great bike and its nearly bullet proof.

[gonzo]

THANKS TO ALL FOR THE INPUT
THERE IS NOTHING IN IT'S CLASS LIKE A 250 REBEL
WAS LOOKING A T A BUELL BLAST BUT FINDING A WEALTH OF BAD PRESS (I LIVE 20 MILES FROM BUELL'S PLANT)
WAS HAPPY WITH A LONG LINE OF KAWASAKI'S, BUT THEIR 450 IS A BUNCH MORE MONEY...4700 VS 3100 (I THINK IN OLD TIME DOLLARS 59 YRS OLD)
THE RIGHT OIL AND SMALL BIKES LIVE WELL
WILL STAY IN TOUCH
GREAT WEB SITE
GONZO

[GearJammer]

Good points, Gonzo. The 250 Rebel pretty much has it wrapped up in it's class, no doubt about it.

The only other 250 that I find aesthetically appealling is the V-twin 250 Virago. Great looking bike with a decent rep, but a bit more pricey if I'm not mistaken ?

Either way, please stop in whenever ya get a chance...

Ride Safe...

[cTc]

I know where I can get my hands on a 2000 virago 250 for $1200. I was supposed to go look at it today, but other things came up.

[GearJammer]

Dang, CTC, that sounds like a pretty good price, no ? I had paid $1000 for the '85 Rebel. No complaints & I have a LOT of respect for Rebels in general, but those 250 Viragos with the V-twin profile look a lot larger than 250cc's & would be a blast to customize.

Please let us know if you end up scoring it, O.K. ?

[orange rebel rider]

I just signed up to this forum, it looks great! My wife is the owner of the orange rebel 250, very proud owner. She had a Harley 883 I bought her, but she never rode it, claimed too heavy and bulky. I purchased her the Rebel and she just loves it. I normally ride a Yamaha V-Max, but sometimes take the rebel out for a spin. So light and nimble and I swear it doesn't use any gas! I think we get something like 70 MPG and that was barely broken in. I joined this site because I am looking for easy hop ups to increase the top end some. I read that some people are going 65-70+ mph and I find that hard to believe. My wife's seams like it will blow up once we hit 55mph on it. I told her not to rev it much more, we need this baby to last a few years! If I could get it to run 60-65 we could venture out together on the highways for short jaunts before turning off on backroads. We both love the bike though and at todays prices, I paid $3,100 brand new in 05 for the Orange!

[cTc]

welcome to the board, great choice of bike, the 55 top end is a bit odd, the 2001 I just sold this week will top out over 90 mph. I think you might need to shim the needle in the carb, that will increase your top end and throttle response.

Theres a lot of good people here who can help answer your questions. Feel free to ask any time.

later

[GearJammer]

Welcome aboard, Orange Rebel Rider!

Your wife has one of the "Candy Orange" Rebs ? Far out! That color is absolutely SWEET! I remember walking into the dealership to buy some parts when that color came out & as I walked by it, it stopped me in my tracks. Very impressive & have heard many others comment in agreement on it.

I hadn't shimmed the needle on the '85 250cc Reb I previously owned & found that top speed on mine was approx. 75 mph., which seems to be average top speed. cTc could probably share his mod info with you as an option.

Another thing that seems to be specific to the 250cc Rebels is that at or around 55 mph, they begin to seem like they're "winding out" altho' they aren't overworking at all, they simply sound as tho' they are. There's been numerous folks who've voiced the same concerns only to find out that it's a normal condition.

I regularly rode mine between 60-65 mph with no problems. This was in a posted 55 mph lane & before they started to crack down on speeders on that long stretch of road. The 60-65 mph wasn't any problem, but the ticket would have been, LMAO!

[brooksallenc]

Just wanted to say welcome from another newbie

[NuBiker]

Amen, brother.
When I go on my Saturday morning rides, I am mostly at wide open throttle on the freeways. It doesn't hurt the bike. Top speed varies with the rider. For me, downhill, with the wind at my back, I have been at 83 GPS mph. However, I am most comfy around 65 mph.
As far as going fast goes, my favorite saying is, "Don't go faster than you can stop!!"
Best Regards,
NuBiker

Welcome aboard, Orange Rebel Rider!
snip..

I regularly rode mine between 60-65 mph with no problems.....

[jsonder]

Every place needs a resident cynic, right?

The speedo is at least 10% optimistic.

Hence, a bike with 99,000 miles has really only gone about 90,000.

This caused me to celebrate as it means the my previously-abused beastie had less than 7,000 miles when I bought it.

[calepo]

...My wife's seams like it will blow up once we hit 55mph on it. I told her not to rev it much more, we need this baby to last a few years! If I could get it to run 60-65 we could venture out together on the highways for short jaunts before turning off on backroads.

Hi Orange and welcome to the forum!

I just purchased a new Rebel last week and I've already taken it out on the highway. 65 mph was not a problem at all. I do experience some harmonic resonance between 45-55 that makes it sound like the bike is going to fly apart, but once I'm past that, it smooths out very nicely. If your wife's bike doesn't smooth out, I would say that something is wrong.

[Guardian]

I read that some people are going 65-70+ mph and I find that hard to believe. My wife's seams like it will blow up once we hit 55mph on it. I told her not to rev it much more, we need this baby to last a few years! If I could get it to run 60-65 we could venture out together on the highways for short jaunts before turning off on backroads.

While my Rebel will easily do 65 + I usually don't push it for extended periods at those speeds. Don't worry the Rebel can take it, you just have to get use to the high reving sound. On longer trips I wear ear plugs so I don't have to hear it screaming as much. :lol: