Hitchcocks Forum

I've been giving the wife's bike a proper looking at over the last week - getting down to stuff like cleaning brakes, checking bearings, shimming tappets, changing fork oil etc rather than just the usual oil change and adjustments. Bike in question is a Honda CBF 250. The is the first modern bike I've been so intimate with (my RE is actualy newer but still not modern if out see what I mean) and am surprised by the precision and quality of the engineering on one hand and awful welding on the other. I could make a better frame myself! (Although the alloy swinging arm is beautifuly made)
There is no attempt at proper joints and there is spatter left in lots of places and just painted over. Are they welded up be robots?

Pete. What have you said?, some poor Japanese welder has just fallen on his sword after reading that.

i repaired my wifes gearbox this morning its running as sweet as a nut now its been oiled

Hi PETE F------------YES, they are robotically welded BUT, back in the day my 1964 Honda CB160 was just as bad----------------and fast forward to a 1980 CG125 and it's no better !!..Must be a "Honda" thing ??----------------My currently-owned 1975 GL1000 on the other hand is very neatly put together..

Changing tack slightly. Has anyone else noticed that some folk go to all the trouble of stripping a bike down to blast and treat the frame only to leave all the pits, splatter and other horrible bits under the new coating when a little time spend sorting it would make all the difference. I know it's usually the people take undertake the work are responsible but why to people accept it, and/or not instruct folk to deal with it?