Your Nighthawk - Page Two
Ivo, who lives in the Netherlands (Holland) sent me this note and picture of his 700s. Here's what he says about his bike:
Hi Paul, great site nice bikes etc....
My name is Ivo and I live in Holland (The Netherlands) and since
one month I am the very proud owner of a Honda Nighthawk CB700S
from the year 1985.
It has a Laser 4 into 1 exhaust and a very nice kind of racy sound.
This is my second bike, my first was also an USA-import model
Kawasaki ZL 600, wich I wrecked back in 1994 so it has been a while
for me but what a blast I have every time I ride it.
I have bought it from a woman who had it for more than a year but was
very afraid of its speed and power.............????.......now thats just what
I was looking for.
The bike has 43000 miles on it so I guess I have the most miles of the
bikes on your website, and you all must ride it more instead of polishing.
I really like the kind of streetfighter look it has and also the way it handles
it is fast, powerfull but can also be driven slowly without effort.
In the near future I think I'll give it a new paintjob and some more
streetfighter mods just to make it "younger looking" cause I will
keep this one for a very long time.
Good luck too you all.............Ivo.
Added June 29, 2004
Well, here's a first! Craig and Michael from North Dakota sent me pictures of their family Nighthawks. (Even though they live 85 miles apart!!) A 1985 450 and an 83 650.
Here's what they say:
Hey Paul, Thank you for building such a magnificent website dedicated to Nighthawks. My family loves Nighthawks, my brother, Michael, has owned his 1985 Nighthawk 450 for 5 years now, and I'm the proud new owner of a 1982 Nighthawk 650. I love the design of the 'Hawks and I can tell you this, after riding both the 450 and the 650 I'm glad I'm the owner of the 650...they both ride nice but the 450 lacks the get-up-and-go of the 650. What a difference 200cc's make!
1982 Honda Nighthawk 650:
I absolutely love this bike! It has a great sounding engine, plenty of power, and good styling. I haven't owned this bike for very long but I'm already handling two problems: the charging system and the carburetors, with those minor complications set aside this is an outstanding bike.
Craig (pudamobile)
Finley, North Dakota
1985 Honda Nighthawk 450:
This bike is an great bike, it handles well, responds well and is really quite economical. It'll get up and move too. I have no complaints about this wonderful motorcycle.
Michael
Fargo, North Dakota
Thanks for building such a great site Paul
Added June 29, 2004
Here's a note I received from Randy, regarding his 1983 Nighthawk 550. He says...
Hi Paul,
Here is a pic of my '83 550 at Mt. St. Helens. (That's Mt. Adams in the background, by the way.)
I bought it from a neighbor for $100, it had about 10k miles on it. I've rebuilt the brake and clutch systems and put new fork seals in. Rebuilt the carbs as well. All in all I have about $1000 in it, including the bags. I live in Florida but right now I'm working in Washington and Montana. (No I didn't ride it all the way here!) This bike runs like new! Maybe one day I'll have it professionally painted. Right now it's done with spray cans, but looks ok though.
Randy
Added July 23, 2004
Brian sent me this picture of his absolutely gorgeous '85 650! (I love red!) Here's what Brian has to say:
Paul,
Thanks so much for the site. I looked and haven't found many resources or praises to these excellent all-around bikes! The story for my 1983 Nighthawk CB650 is thus:
I purchased this bike from a co-worker about 3 months ago for $1500. These things hold their value! It has 10,600 miles on it and has apparently been garage-kept throughout as there are very few signs of aging on this 20 year-old bird! At first, I thought it had fairly good power, but after growing suspicious I started checking things and found a sparkplug wasn't acting quite right. After a new set of NGKs it feels like a brand new bike! I can't believe the power now...suddenly I'm not doubting the 73hp claim! And, the low-end power is where it has mattered most. I know I'm writing as if I just got it, but after the plug change that's the way it feels. I'd even considered upgrading to a larger bike, but no more! Who could need more power than this?!!?
Thanks again for the great site!
Brian
Added July 23, 2004
Joel owns this beautiful black 650 made in 1985. Joel tells his own story:
Paul,
Love the site! Thanks so much for putting in the time an effort to share
this info.
Twenty years ago when I was just a wee little lad I loved to ride my family's
dirt bikes and ATCs. That part of my life was put on hold for awhile, until
recently. I have always had the urge to get my own street bike but never
thought my wife would go for the idea. About two years ago, a friend of hers
took her for a ride on his motorcycle one night. The next day she mentioned
her little adventure and said "Maybe you should get a bike." She mentioned
it in the same enthusiasm as she might say "maybe you should change your
shirt." For me however, it was the pearly gates opening and a choir of
angels singing.
Hence began my search for my ideal street bike. I found my Nighthawk for a
great deal, and it was love at first sight. I have always felt most
comfortable on a standard style bike, and the CB650SC Nighthawk fit my
needs perfectly. Not too big, but with a bunch of giddy-up. It was in a bit
of a beat up condition when I got it in March of '03, but with some time on
eBay and Denniskirk.com I have been able to get her presentable again.
Next will be a new paint job. There are a few chips in the paint that I
need to take care of. With a little over 17,000 miles on her and almost
twenty years old, she still rides like a champ.
Added July 23, 2004
Mike, from Pennsylvania (or "PA" as the locals call it) sent me this note and picture of his 1983 550.
Paul,
I've attached a picture of my CB550SC for on the Nighthawk pages. It
is of course a 1983 Nighthawk CB550SC I purchased in August of 2002.
Original miles at purchase was 22,000 and I've put 11,000 on it. It is
Black with a National Cycle 15 inch Deflector Shield (which I don't like
BTW). I'm needing to put my 2nd replacement tire on the back in 11,000
and my first replacement on the front. It was laid down by the previous
owner with some minor scrapes to the mirror, clutch cable and footpeg.
My website is http://www.geocities.com/mrodg88 and shows some great
riding and detailed routes and attractions in the NW PA area.
Mike
Added July 23, 2004
Glen sent me this note and a picture of his sharp-looking Nighthawk 700sc. Here's what Glen says:
Paul,
I checked out your site and loved it. The nighthawk is such a great bike and I appreciate that you took the time to put the site together.
I bought this bike in June of 2002 after being away from riding for nearly 20 years. I did a lot of research before buying and one of the main reasons I went with this one was that I discovered the Yahoo nighthawk group and the loyalty and enthusiasm of the members really impressed me. Another reason was that it was in such great shape and had obvously been well cared for. It's stock except for a K&N filter and the Cobra F1 exhausts which previous owner had installed. (Wish they were still stock) It has 29,000 miles on it and runs like new.
I've had a great time riding it in Arizona - especially through the twisties in the mountains East of Phoenix.
Regards,
Glen
Added August 4, 2004
Jay sent me a picture of his nice-looking 650. Here's his story:
Paul, I really enjoy looking at other riders Nighthawks so I thought I would send a picture of mine. I purchased this 650 with 42,030 miles on it for $660. This bike has been used on a regular bases my all three previous owners so it has been maintaned and garage-kept. All I've done so far is change the fluids and many hours of detail cleaning and polishing and as you can see my bike looks great. The only mechanical concern is that the cam chains are getting rather noisy but I understand this is common for a Nighthawk. This bike is quick, quite and and a blast to ride.
Happy riding,
Jay
Added August 4, 2004
Rich has a VERY sweet looking Nighthawk 450, and he writes the following:
Dear Paul,
Attached is a picture of my Nighthawk 450. It is my first motorcycle and I
bought it in July 2004. The last owner was a Harley guy who used the Honda
to run errands. Subsequently, it was meticulously maintained never dropped.
It has 14,000 miles on it.
I took an MSF class and trained on Nighthawk 250. I liked the riding
position but the 250's were too underpowered for even a beginner. The 450 is
light enough for a beginner to handle but powerful enough to keep up with
traffic.
I read your whole website before I decided to buy a Nighthawk. Thank you for
all your time and effort.
Best regards,
Rich
Added August 20, 2004
Sol, from the Great White North writes about his 450...
Hello Paul,
My name is Sol and I am living right now in the northern town of La Ronge, Saskatchewan, Canada. We experience all four seasons here, summers reaching highs of 34 degrees Celsius to winters going as low as 40 degrees Celsius. No matter what the weather, fishing is always good.
I just started learning how to ride a motorcycle and my first purchase a 1983 Honda Nighthawk 450. I happened to come across it when I told a local mechanic that I was looking for a bike and he mentioned that he had one. When I looked at it, I immediately went on the internet and started looking up any sites and reviews on the Nighthawk and lo and behold, I found that there were many and they all seemed to say positive things about it. That's when I found your site and was impressed about the amount of information you have on these Nighthawks.
Needless to say, it took about a week to get it going because it had been sitting idle for almost 3 years. It still has its original 4000kms on it and is in great condition. It turned out that all it really needed were the carbs to get cleaned and the front brake calipers replaced. After it got going though, it stayed going and so far has been a really smooth ride.
I have attached a picture of it. Right now it is really windy and overcast and winter will soon be upon us here up north. Oh well, that means getting the snowmobile ready.
Thanks!
Sol
Added September 15, 2004
And yet ANOTHER one of our bikin' brothers from Canada writes to say:
This is my 1983 Honda NIghthawk 550 that I bought July 30, 2004. I bought it off one of my coworkers for $1000. I have never driven a motorcycle before, and now I can't get enough of riding it. I live just north of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. All that I have done to the black bike so far is an air filter, spark plugs, battery, turn signal relay, headlight lens, and the right side mirror. I plan on restoring the bike, so I am trying to keep the bike as orginal as possible.
Added September 15, 2004
Darrell wrote from Canada, He sent in this picture of his wife's bike. A snazy lookin' 450 and this story to go along with it.
Hi Paul, we live in Bathurst New Brunswick Canada. We bought the bike this summer. It looked a little rough when we bought it. It had several dents and dings. Some surface rust here and there. The seat was a mess. But it ran like new and seemed really good mechanics wise. The previous owner used it as a comuter bike and kept it running well, but he didn't care much about how it looked. He had a storage rack on the back and a mud flap under the front fender. My wife was not sure about the way it looked but she wanted a bike bad and the price was right. $700.00 Canadian. Thats about $500.00 US. I knew it could be a nice bike once we cleaned it up. We spent a couple of days cleaning and polishing it. We had the seat done, then we had it painted. We didn't know what color we wanted but the guy who did the paint has a shop right next to the local Mazda dealer. When we dropped off the parts we saw the Maxda RX 8 and asked him if he could paint it that color. The velocity red mica is a two part process. There is a red base coat and a transparent red metalic top coat. It really looks amazing in person. The photos don't show the metal flake at all.
So my wife Stacey went for her motorcycle safety course, got her liscense and she just loves her new bike. I'm keeping my eyes open for a mid 80's 650 Nighthawk for me. I saw them on your site and I just love the way they look. Great web page, keep up the good work!
Regards,
-Darrell Lapointe
Added September 15, 2004
Can anyone tell that I'm catching up on bike pictures on September 15th???
Paul wrote me from Detroit with this picture and story if his 1986 700s.
The story of my bike is as follows:
I was crying in my beer over at my friend's house, about how I was forced to sell my motorcycle when I got married. The marriage didn't last and now I had no bike. (I missed the bike more.) My buddy's neighbor was over and said, "Yeah, my wife wants me to get rid of MY bike too." He said he had a 1986 Nighthawk 700s in mint condition, garage-stored and he had only put 440 miles on it durng the past 5 years!! I was instrigued and went next door to see it.
The bike was BEAUTIFUL!! No scratches or dents and only 10,000 total miles!! I snatched it up right then.
Since then I have put many extras on it so it can be MY cruiser!! A few of the options are a custom Corbin seat, maltese cross chrome mirrors, chrome grips, highway pegs, cruise control (throttle lock), leather saddlebags and a few others.
I am SO happy with the way my 700s runs that I don't miss my 1981 900 Custom that much anymore. I will NOT get rid of this bike for anyone!!
Paul Felt
Detroit, Mich.
Added September 15, 2004
Patrick from Columbus, OH sent me this picture of his very nice-looking 550. Here's what he says:
I picked this up with only 5400 miles on it two weeks ago. It was
sitting for two years so it required a carb cleaning, and the bike
itself was a total mess. Underneath all the dirt was a real gem though,
and I am very happy with this purchase. It does need fork seals and
tires (original tires are rotting) which I bought today. What I really
want is a backrest for it, having no luck at all finding one. I really
like the low maintenance aspect of this machine.
P. Whited
Columbus, Ohio
Added September 15, 2004
Jay from Palm Beach County, Florida sent me this picture of his 1992 Nighthawk 750.
Hey Paul,
My name is Jay and I live in Palm Beach County, Florida. I've been riding for many years. This is my 8th bike and 5th Honda. I started on a little Yamama 55 cc in the mid-60s, and have owned two Ducati 160s, and Honda CL175, CL350 and a couple of CM450C twins. Believe it or not, this is my biggest bike and I see no reason to go bigger. I've owned the 750 just two months. I've attached a picture.
Thanks for providing an informative, fun website dedicated to what a motorcycle should be, in my opinion.
In this age of oversized, overpriced cruisers and too powerful, too complex crotch rockets, the Nighthawk is an island of motorcycle sanity. Honda was nuts to discontinue it. Perhaps it will return.
Paul sez: "Amen, Jay! Amen!!
Added September 17, 2004
Robert, from Kansas sent me this gorgeous picture of his 1985 650. So tell me Robert...did you KNOW the light was going to catch your bike so as to make a great photo...or was that an accident?? (grin)
Hi Paul,
I finally had time to get a new picture.
I am located in Leavenworth, KS. I took about a 10 year break from motorcycling and decided last year to start riding again. I had already decided that a 750 Nighthawk would be my reentry bike. This very nice 650 with 14 K on the ticker literally showed up at my door step.
I have two children out of the house but still have a 12 year old at home. My riding time is limited. The 650 does all that I need it to do. Someday maybe I will look for a touring bike but no time to go anywhere right now.
I enjoy quick trips around town and an occasional ride through the country side. I try to hit the Heart of America Motorcycle Enthusiast (HoAME) breakfast on Sunday mornings when I can.
I have my old 1974 CB550 in the garage and hope to have it back on the street next year. My son also has a CT 70 Mini Trail.
Bob
Added October 3, 2004
Paul who lives in Ottawa, Canada sent me this photo of his '82 750. He tells the story of this bike below.
Hi Paul,
I too am a Paul and a fan of Nighthawks. In August of this year I returned to motorcycling after 22 years (…was 14 and a mini bike nut). I found this 1982 CB750SC Nighthawk in a barn with only 8300Km (about 5200 miles) on it. It sat for over 20 years covered, on its center stand and totally unused as the one and only owner had laid it down on its right side and lost his nerve to ride. Damage was almost non-existent thanks to the engine guard. If you look close you can see the flat spot where it must have slid a ways, and the plastic chrome bit near the tachometer will be replaced. Pipes, tires and brake pads have been replaced as well the stock handle bars which were slightly bent and too far back in my lap. The new bars I put on are almost identical, but provide a more forward riding position which I like. I’m sure you could do the same and get that “slightly reclined” feeling you’re after (using something like the ones I just removed – cost was only about $35). I will probably put on some braided brake lines as well to firm up the brake response a bit.
I live in Ottawa Canada and it is getting damn cold here now, so I will be spending the winter polishing it up and removing a few minor sign of age. I did manage to put a thousand kilometers on it before I put it away and feel like a kid again. I am having so much fun on this thing! I took the Ottawa Safety Council course and passed with perfect marks. I read feverishly about bikes and maintenance, and scour eBay for little things whenever time allows. The arrival of this bike in my life was an epiphany and I know that I will never be without a ride again. It sounds corny, but I feel so alive when I am on this thing. I haven’t read the book yet, but I know now why Mr. Pirsig was inspired to write “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance”. It is ‘Zen like’ flying along on any of these marvelous machines.
Cheers,
Paul Devlin
Added January 24, 2005
I love it when I hear from a Nighthawk owner outside the USA. This bike belongs to Torben, who happens to live in Denmark. I don't know what kind of a riding season Denmark offers to motorcycle enthusiasts, but here's Torben's story:
Hi Paul,
My name is Torben and I live in Denmark.
I just turned 50, so now it's about time starting to ride a Bike again. Back in the seventies I rode a two stroke Kawasaki - Wiiiiild!! Originally I wanted to buy a Honda VF 750 S, but when I visited the Bike Store, I caught sight of a CBX 650E, which is the European Name for the NightHawk. (I think) And I had to admit: I was in love - I had to own one!!
But this model is very rare in Denmark, as it was never imported, and the one I saw, was too expensive, so I had to find another way.
And thanks to the internet I found a beautifull Bike near Mainz in Germany. It's a 1983 model with a mileage about 50.000 KM's. I saw ONE picture, and then I instantly bought it. Everything was handled over the internet, so I actually never spoke to the seller. Even payment of 650 Euro's was done by webbank. But now the Bike has arrived by truck here in Denmark - and I'm not disappointed. 650 Euro's was a fantastic price - a bargain!!
Well, taxes are extremely high on vehicles here in Denmark, so before I can get my licenseplate, I must pay about 2.000 Euro's, but I still think I was lucky, cause the bike I fell in love with costed about 5.000 Euro's. Winter is on its way now, and I'm going to spend time polishing and so on.
Here are some pictures of my Dream Bike .....
Greatings from
Torben Frederiksen
Added January 24, 2005
David lives in beautiful San Francisco, and sent me this picture of his 700S.
Hi Paul! Great to see someone has a page on these great bikes. I found my bike for $850 with 18,000 miles from some guy whose wife said it was time to go! His loss my gain. What a great all around motorcycle! I still cant believe how well it performs for almost being 19 years old! The bike has been painted white so its different but I like it. Now I'm looking to add a 4 into 1 exhaust.
I'm located in San Francisco California. A great city to have a motorcycle! I am a 38 year old who just started riding again last year after a 20 year absence. Too busy being a dad. The bike is stock except for the Avon super venom tires. The seat was also shaved down for a corbin seat look. I also took off the Honda decals and put on my own to personalize it.
Again thanks!
David Teran
Added January 24, 2005
It never ceases to amaze me when I get emails from Nighthawk riders who tell me INCREDIBLE stories of aquiring these motorcycle. Here's one such story from Steve up in Washington state.
Paul,
Great bikes the Nighthawks! After 10 wonderful years I just passed my 85 CB650SC on to my 21 year old son and moved to a 02 VFR800. Then I came across this 85 CB700SC. It had 72 miles on the clock a year ago when the previous owner traded it for a Jeep and put 2600 miles on it. The story goes that the original owner rode it once and it scared the hell out of him and it sat in storage for 18 years. Looks and runs like a new bike it is pure joy on wheels.
Steve Dorsey
Puyallup, WA
Added January 24, 2005
I almost hate posting this next picture! I WANT THIS BIKE! (But Boyd isn't about to sell!!) Oh well. [grin]
Paul....
I'm so glad I found this site. I have been looking for a site dedicated to us Nighthawk owners. The pictures I have provided are of my 1995 Honda Nighthawk 750. I bought this bike in March 2003 with then 10,500 miles. To current it has just over 13,000 miles on it. I fell in love with when I saw it on CycleTrader.com. Upon seeing it I knew it was the bike for me. Since I have owned it I have done very little to it. New front tire and new battery. The Targa Farring was on it when I bought it and I like the way it looks. I really want to keep this bike as stock as possible. This bike as so much fun for me to ride. Being that this is my first bike I wanted the Nighthawk as I knew it was a do everything well bike. I don't foresee me ever trading this bike in or selling it. It has too much emotional value to me . Paul, please post the pic of my bike on your site for all to see.
Thank you,
Boyd M.
Stafford, Virginia
Added January 24, 2005