terryc
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I'll put you up ,plenty of room in my box
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Post by terryc on Oct 8, 2019 18:59:23 GMT
Apart from me and Carl did anyone else marry their Superdream girlfriend ?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 8, 2019 20:41:46 GMT
I first got into them when my dad was looking for a work hack. This would of been around 1987 (I was 13) and prices of 250's were literally on the floor. But every Superdream we rang up about in the small ads (around £200 - £300 and in great nick generally) had already been snapped up. It seemed everyone was doing the same thing, grabbing them as cheap commuters. When I saw one parked in town (250N) I was hooked. In the end dad got a GSX250 which I also liked.....but not as much as the SD. It always seemed such a big and chunky bike for a 250 and of course it was a sleeved down 400, hence why....and the sound in standard guise? The tone from the silencers, the whine from the clutch - amazing. They were also so so cheap at that time.....I wanted one even when I wasn't even really into bikes massively having discovered cars.......just being aware that loads were coming up every week in MCN etc for no money at all. In later years, I passed my bike test and hooked many of my own, two I still have, a 250 and a 400 and even an American 400T that I own abroad. The hot air and hate from the motorcycling press, Yamaha RD boys et al made me love them even more. I've always loved the underdog. I've occasionally been in national mags etc for at least ten years now singing their praises...and whilst many have come here and gone, I always said I was in it for the long haul......and I am.
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Post by earlystock on Oct 9, 2019 11:23:43 GMT
Going to be contentious here - but in response to the initial post: They are slow - the 250 was reasonable for a 4stroke of it's time, but yes, not exactly rapid - the 400T was actually pretty quick, when it came out (I have attached s a comparison from when the 400t came our (the SD was not a lot different except for the look). I went from a GT250 to the 400T to a 550F and the 400t was way quicker than the gt250 and not far behind the 550 for performance with rubbish suspension - no worse than anything else in its day no grip that was the way tyres were then, easily fixed now though with more modern tyres shocking brakes - yep, though with modern pads and hoses, not too bad and little to commend them in reality - in their day they were good, reliable, economical and reasonable at most things. I guess the question is why does anyone restore any classic, on the whole your comments apply to all of them (I had an H1, which would be worth a ton now and would be a definite candidate for restoration, but if I am honest, it was not a great bike, and all the issues you raised apply to it, and some). Why do I do it? Good memories I guess, I am to some degree reliving my past, investment - as long as you are careful it is a decent investment, enjoyment - I like fixing things! And I guess - because I can! :-)
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Post by stevie on Oct 9, 2019 12:01:31 GMT
In 1980 I had a rd350 and in my 17 year old hooligan eyes superdreams were s...e and for the sensible nerds, fast forward nearly 40 years and my SD takes me to work and back all year round, I realise now how very wrong I was back then and what a great bike they are, and I dont think I would ever sell her.
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Post by kickstart on Oct 9, 2019 19:30:28 GMT
The first job I had at 16 I was an apprentice maintenance mechanic at a quarry and there were a few older teenagers working there , 1 of them had a cb250t, another had a 250 Superdream another a ts250er trailie anyhows I used to have the old banter with them from time to time and wanted a bike myself not to my old mums liking, anyhow I eventually bought a new mb5 being just 16 (NKWw34X) and whilst I was picking up my bike there was this guy picking up his new 250 Superdream from then on I just wanted one , not just that, the lads at work planned a trip to Spain on their bikes, that was it , and the stories they told me when they got back!!!!
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Post by davefirestorm on Oct 9, 2019 20:06:35 GMT
My first encounter with a Superdream was on a fishing trip in 1980 when one of my mates brothers turned up on a brand new silver 250,I was impressed with the looks on the lines of a CB900 another mate had,he offered me a ride and even though I’d “given up riding” I accepted and liked it going for a quick spin with no insurance 🙀
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Post by marktrower on Oct 9, 2019 20:53:11 GMT
Never gave a superdreams a thought when they came out my ride was a 750k2,a mate at work was wanting me to look to see if I could get is bike going. Then one day he said he was moving and there was no were for the bike all I new it was a Honda and he wants £90.this was 2002 went down with my mate and his van to find a blue 250 superdreams with no spark.the bike was in very good condition and all superdream ,it had a motad exhaust the rest of the bike was standard. EBay was in it's infantry and my local bike brackers could not help.so £140 lighter had the stayter rewound. The bike became my run about till some b*****d decided he wanted it ,the police found it in woods at the back of the pit they ad tried to get it going could not and put a match to it.well a check came through for £680 and started to look for another superdream but a 400 I am sorry to say this but the 250 just runs out of puff to early for me.a 400 came up on eBay in Wakefield put a bid on the bike and won, I was the only bidder, I love the bike it as been my loyal run about for some years now and will be for some years more.
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Post by andydreamer on Oct 10, 2019 19:14:28 GMT
Going to be contentious here - but in response to the initial post: They are slow - the 250 was reasonable for a 4stroke of it's time, but yes, not exactly rapid - the 400T was actually pretty quick, when it came out (I have attached s a comparison from when the 400t came our (the SD was not a lot different except for the look). I went from a GT250 to the 400T to a 550F and the 400t was way quicker than the gt250 and not far behind the 550 for performance with rubbish suspension - no worse than anything else in its day no grip that was the way tyres were then, easily fixed now though with more modern tyres shocking brakes - yep, though with modern pads and hoses, not too bad and little to commend them in reality - in their day they were good, reliable, economical and reasonable at most things. I guess the question is why does anyone restore any classic, on the whole your comments apply to all of them (I had an H1, which would be worth a ton now and would be a definite candidate for restoration, but if I am honest, it was not a great bike, and all the issues you raised apply to it, and some). Why do I do it? Good memories I guess, I am to some degree reliving my past, investment - as long as you are careful it is a decent investment, enjoyment - I like fixing things! And I guess - because I can! :-) Nothing too contentious there earlystock - some good points made. I suppose I meant compared to the alternatives now rather than back in the day - how they compared back then is one thing - and an RD250/LC was a much more exciting machine IMHO - but for similar money now we could buy a nineties CBR600, or a CB500, or an SV650 - all much better machines dynamically. I think it was a rhetorical question really - I guessed the reasons wouldn't be about the bike - they would be about memories it evoked - in one way or another.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 11, 2019 21:15:21 GMT
Apart from me and Carl did anyone else marry their Superdream girlfriend ? I never went on to marry this one (lucky escape). Nice girl but meeting her actually lead to the eventual sale of this bike as she persuaded me to go backpacking and I needed funds. But of course, adventures were had doing that and I don't regret it for one single moment.............but when I got home there was no SD.
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terryc
Forum Accommodation Specialist
I'll put you up ,plenty of room in my box
Posts: 5,307
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Post by terryc on Oct 12, 2019 18:51:28 GMT
Sold mine to buy a plastic pig and a pram with a new arrival on the way
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Post by disasterbus on Nov 24, 2019 15:15:15 GMT
I had a couple of 125's in my late teens and in 1990 I decided to take my bike test. I bought a CB125 to do my test on (way back in 1990) and looked around for for my first 'big bike'. A mate at work was selling this quite tidy 400 Superdream...... I bought it and ran around on it for a few months before trading up to a Kawasaki GT750, a Suzuki GS850 and then a Kawasaki ZX10 which was a great combination of fabulous and terrifying! Various other bikes followed over the years then a load of classic cars. Just recently I've been looking for at the bikes of my youth and I really want another Superdream again. Now looking for the right one.
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Post by buster on Nov 24, 2019 15:23:58 GMT
I bought it and ran around on it for a few months before trading up to a Kawasaki GT750, a Suzuki GS850 and then a Kawasaki ZX10 which was a great combination of fabulous and terrifying! the zx10 must have been green then
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Post by kickstart on Nov 24, 2019 19:06:11 GMT
For me the Superdream was a common sense bike , I,ve always loved the look of them , well built and reliable, quite cheap to run and a decent ride, love the things......
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Post by davefirestorm on Nov 24, 2019 19:46:46 GMT
I’ve always thought the Superdream to be the bike your Mum and Dad would have bought you. “ no you can’t have one of those horrible smelly two stroke Suzukis/Kawasakis/Yamahas”😂😂😂 knowing full well they were the fast sexy option
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Post by davefirestorm on Nov 24, 2019 19:50:36 GMT
I’m too old to have been in that situation,in my case my Mum and Dad agreed I could have a new BSA but at the dealers tried getting me to have a Bantam🙀 and not a Starfire
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