Advantages: CMX 250 Rebel has a hard working well proven economical engine.
Disadvantages: Check for broken or loose wheel spokes and suspension joints.

...of Scotland; which made me decide it could be time to change motorcycles for a more suitable distance traveller; but still staying with Honda decided on the NT650v Dauville. The CMX250 certainly was a fun bike to ride.... Read review

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Advantages: Economic on petrol, handled well on and off road, lots of power!
Disadvantages: You'll have to look to find one

...In the history of Honda, I'd say 1972 was a very good year. In the old gold/black colour scheme, Honda brought out a 250 K4, a bike that packed quite a lot of power for it's cc's. My ex-husband and I had one. It was no lightweight, being equally as heavy as some other makers 650's and 750's, but was excellent on manouverability and it had some power. In my youth (she says) ... we managed to get 104mph going down the Kings Lynn bypass, with two up. That bike sure had more power than you would have expected! It was excellent on petrol, and we did most of the mechanics on it ourselves - guided by one of those manuals with the step-by-step instructions. There are some of these still about, old "L" reg dinosaurs now but I wouldn't mind betting that with a bit of tlc they could once more be a king of the road. Out of the Japanese... Read review

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Advantages: Looks good. Integrated panniers
Disadvantages: No fuel guage.

...I am a born again biker having not ridden for 25 years. The laws have changed in that time and so I bought a Honda 125 cg to relearn on and to do my test. By law you can not ride larger. Having passed my test (at 52) I changed to a Honda CB500. I enjoyed this for a few months but I wanted something larger engine wise and suitable for a little weekend touring. I found the Deauville! I am not disappointed. OK a few little things - no fuel guage which I would have expected on a "mini tourer". The panniers are on the small side but serve me well. They hold sufficient for myself and my wife for a weekend and I imagine they would do for a few more days. I find the handling very good. I feel as though I am riding on rails. Remember this is not a high performance bike where one lies over and uses the knee! It is a mature looking bike... Read review

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Advantages: Excellent Roadholding, ecconomical, comfortable
Disadvantages: very slightly underpowered

...Riding a motorcycle is a very personal affair. What one person loves, others will hate and vice versa. At first glance, the Honda NT650V - Deauville may not be everyones cup of tea. As more and more people get in to biking, or return to biking after many years away, the demand for stylish, high powered performance bikes is the driving force behind most of the major manufacturers. For the last 8 years or so, the king of the large touring section has been the Honda Pan European (ST1100). This reliable, comfortable shaft drive bike has found its way in to the highly competitive market of big tourers, even dominating the market as the choice of most of British Police forces as their main traffic response bike. However, many people have found the Pan to be too big and heavy for day to day commuting, with fuel effeciencies not that much... Read review

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Advantages: Genuinely Different. Economical. Spacious. Very Well Equipped. Great to Drive. Feel Good Factor.
Disadvantages: Visibility is Compromised. Some Just Will Not Like it!

.... With the 82bhp engine in this heavy and technology laden car, it could only be described as underpowered, certainly Honda did not let anyone test drive a 1.4 on the day! The two cars that I drove were higher up the range, the 1.8 petrol was in i-VTEC ES trim, available at £15,650, whilst the 2.2i-CDTi was a totally equipped, top of the range, EX model retailing for £18,095. Model for model there is a £1245 price difference in favour of the petrol engined car. Nobody could persuade me that it costs Honda over £1200 more to build a mass produced diesel engine! The 1.8 petrol models therefore look something of a bargain. THE OPTIONS GAME: 8 / 10 or "How much do I need to spend to make it habitable?" In truth, all of the Civics are very "habitable" in standard trim. It is not hard to spend further cash on extras such as leather upholstery... Read review

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Advantages: Cheap, ultra reliable, comfortable, easy to maintain
Disadvantages: bit slow, bit ugly, no good for posers

...Picture the scene.... you pull into the pub car park after a summer Sunday ride, the girls sitting at the tables outside look over at the sound of the deep rumble of your V-twin motorcycle, you think you look pretty good in your leathers... 'hello girls' thinking kicks in... and then... horror of horrors... you look down between your legs... and there it is. Your CX machine. Grasping at the last hope of attracting one of the girls you quickly glance over to check for guide dogs or white sticks. No. Damn. Oh well, you only wanted a quick pint anyway. The CX is to pulling power what Norah Batty is to the porn industry. Not so much irrelevant as just not at all connected, despite ostensibly having the same basic features as something that is. Motorcycles exist at two opposing poles - Very functional transport, not very stylish (Honda... Read review

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Advantages: Cheap to run and pretty bullet proof
Disadvantages: Expensive bits when it eventually does go wrong!

...I first came across the Virago when a local dealer was running an open day, a rare event where they let you test ride, unsupervised, any number of bikes. I'd booked tests on a BMWF650, a Yamaha Diversion 600N and a Virago 535. Well, the BMW was fun and fast, the Diversion was Booooring, and the Virago had soul. That V twin rumble that you feel through the seat and the bars is magic. It feels alive beneath you, it made me laugh out loud! From that moment on I had to have one. Some months later I came across a 2nd hand one in another local dealer. They gave me a good deal on my old Honda CG125 and away i went. That was 6 years ago and we've lived fairly happily with one another for all that time, including two accidents where car drivers tried to do for us both! I use the bike daily for my 20+ mile commute come rain or shine... Read review

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Advantages: Acceleration, reliability, all-round capability, V-twin character
Disadvantages: Limited range, paint quality, rear suspension not brilliant

...My black Honda VTR-1000 Firestorm is my second motorcycle. My first was a (relatively) mild-mannered Kawasaki ER-5, in the opinion of many, a perfect "beginner's" machine. I was about to buy a Suzuki SV650S, but Motorcycle City Greenford were doing a fantastic deal on pre-registered VTRs. I picked up mine for £5500 - a truly amazing price at the time, considering my bike, as it turned out, wasn't even pre-registered! At first, I thought I'd made a big mistake. Like many, I bought my bike off the back of magazine reviews and without a road test. It's irritating that getting a test-ride of a new machine is so difficult, especially considering the size of the investment that a purchaser has to make. Why did I feel like I'd made a mistake? Well, compared to the easy, upright seating position of the ER-5 with its traffic-busting high... Read review

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Advantages: good choice, and excellant service
Disadvantages: none

...Norman & Birch Ltd. Are a Stoke-on-Trent Motorbike Dealers and Workshop, based on the edge of Hanley at Marsh street. They have been around for as far back as I can remember, my dad brought me my first motorbike from them, along, long time ago, it was a Suzuki 100cc but that's all I can remember or care to. I eventually went on to a Honda XL 125, Then a Honda Superdream, strange review for a woman you may think, not so, My Dad had a BSA 650, and Mum a Customised Gilera, so you see Bikes were part of family life. Over the years Norman & Birch have serviced and M-o-T'd Motorbikes of all makes and sizes for members of my family, and always done a very efficient well priced job. They have a good team of 3 mechanics all fully qualified to M-o-T testing standard, as of last time their rate was £30.00 per hour labour charge, but they don... Read review

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Advantages: Comfort, Reliability, Durability
Disadvantages: Gearbox, Camchain tensioners

...Introduction My second bike ever, was a second hand 2 year old Honda CBR600F with 6k on the clock. It's the 2002 fuel injected version. My first bike was a Suzuki SV650S which I got after passing my Direct Access in 2002. The Honda was something of a step up from the SV, which was starting to limit my learning on account of its budget suspension. I fancied something a little bit sharper to challenge me a bit more. I looked around at the sports 600s and even considered a 900 for a while then dismissed it - then I realised; a couple of years on a 600 would be a good learning exercise for me. The two bikes I considered were a Kawasaki ZX6r and the Honda CBR600F. The reliability issues with carb icing on the Kwak led me to buy the Honda. £4300 later I was the proud owner of a brand-ish new CBR600F in navy blue /silver. Engine I had... Read review

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