In the battle for economical
transportation with a bit of motorcycling fun on the side, how does
Honda's 250 Nighthawk compare to Kawasaki's 250 HS?
Kawasaki's sophisticated $2999 offering is aimed at the high-bucks 250 buyer. Honda is targeting Fergal Frugal. Honda's Nighthawk can be squeezed from the dealer's hot, sticky hands for a mere $2198.
Cheerful and cheap is the Honda's motto. With its bright red paint and integrated curves of the tank and side panels, the Nighthawk is a better looker than any bargain-basement motorcycle has any right to be. Honda's 234cc, twincylinder, air-cooled, four-stroke mill has been around for decades in one version or other. It's basic, no-frills transport, easy on the wallet and totally inconspicuous on the street. An image bike it's not, although several bystanders commented on how neat the little bike looked, and one thought it was a 750.
The Nighthawk does look just like a big motorcycle. From 20 yards the bike looks like a 750 Nighthawk at 30. This is a proper motorcycle, with air gaps so you can see through the frame. The bike is a small standard, but beautifully proportioned, with a 16-inch rear wheel and a skinny 18inch front held by tiny 31mm front fork tubes.
Don't look for frills or premiums; this is one basic ride-around-townall-day commuter motorcycle. That bulbous gas tank holds an amazing 4 gallons (on 49state versions), and at the miserly rate the Nighthawk consumes fuel, your basic ride-towork commuter could go for weeks without looking for a gas pump.
The basics theme continues in the cockpit. A speedometer is the only gauge you get, combined with a tripmeter to spotlight the bike's amazing fuel economy. The neighboring chromed instrument pod houses large idiot lights for neutral, sidestand, high beam and turn signals.
Also along the cheap-and-simple theme is the steering lock, which isn't incorporated in the ignition. Instead, the rider reaches underneath the steering head, pushes the fork either full right or full left and turns the fork-mounted lock (using the ignition key). It takes only a few more seconds, yet provides a mite more security than an ignition mounted steering lock.
Unlocking the seat gives access to the airbox, the fuse box and a storage compartment underneath the tail big enough for a sandwich, a pair of gloves or a couple of spark plugs.
On city streets, the Nighthawk nips through traffic, due to its easy handling and narrow cross section. It even deserves the Nighthawk name since traveling after dark is easy with a powerful headlight that hasn't been cheapened in the interest of low pricing.
Where the Honda disappoints is under braking. The tiny 6-inch singleleading-shoe front drum is totally overwhelmed by the mass of the bike and rider. Once you've nearly sailed through an intersection with the lever cranked against the bar when you meant to stop behind the crosswalk line, the lack of brakes becomes worrisome. A disc-any disc-on the front would work better, especially stopping at freeway speeds.
On freeways, the little Honda buzzes up to speed, and the classic Honda overdrive top means you may even crank the needle up to the top of the scale (85 mph) on long downhills. On the flat, 75 is top speed, and if you even look at a hill, the Honda starts wheezing asthmatically through its single tiny 22mm carburetor. Close the throttle after a particularly tough hill, and the little motor takes a deep hawk, then spits, and starts buzzing happily along again.
At freeway speeds, the light-duty suspension and narrow front tire are easily disturbed by expansion joints or the frequent jumps from slab to slab that have become a feature of hightraffic freeways, but getting the little bike back on line needs only a flick of the cow-horn bars.
Both machines are perfect for those who are, uh, nearer the ground. Seat heights are low, and weights low, making these machines easy to handle by almost anyone.
The Kawasaki 250 HS is the little motorcycle with HITEC (High Velocity Induction Technology). If the Nighthawk 250 is a small-scale standard, then Kawasaki's 250 is a miniaturized dragbike. Inside that long, low exterior beats a little jewel of an engine. The 248cc, DOHC twin is water cooled, has six speeds, revs to a heady 14,000-rpm redline and overpowers every other current 250 on the street in a straight line.
One touch on the front brake lever is enough to feel the power of the single front disc, a welcome contrast to the Honda, and necessary for the higher speeds and higher profile of the 250 HS.
Nowhere in the rpm range is there a pronounced step, a sudden surge forward as the horsepower suddenly opens up. The only way to tell how fast you're accelerating is to watch the rev counter climb, listen to the frantic buzzing change pitch and watch the speedo needle rise. Unlike the Honda, the Kawasaki is a willing freeway cruiser, although the seat lacks the Honda's long-term comfort, and you'll be looking for an excuse to stop after a half hour.
As you'd expect on a long, low motorcycle, handling out in the canyons is less than race-replica. This motorcycle is designed for the boulevards, not the back roads. In the traffic-light Grand Prix, the Eliminator has little trouble dispatching much bigger motorcycles and every car.
Inside the cockpit behind the tiny fairing's tinted screen, six idiot lights mimic dragstrip staging lights. Details are impressive: the chrome instruments live above a polished alloy and chrome top triple clamp; in fact, the whole package exudes a quality that the Honda lacks.
The weirdest exhaust system award goes to the Kawasaki. Starting out high on the left, the twin exhausts snake around the side of the motor and then under the frame before turning 90 degrees and exiting through a zeppelin-sized muffler on the right. The big muffler quiets those frenetic twin noises, and it's the muffler that the Honda rider will see in any kind of straight-line riding contest.
The Honda gives style with fantastic economy, the Kawasaki offers eccentric style and straight-line performance. There's a clear choice for 250 buyers: are you cheap, or are you mean?