Bought a bike over the weekend - Nighthawk 650

"themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles" (themanwithsauce) 01/26/2015 at 09:33 • Filed to: None

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1985 honda nighthawk 650. Thing started up and ran like a champ once it warmed up in the 10 degree air. Tires were new, the bike has just 27k on the odometer and it's in amazing shape. 800$ and I take it home this week. Had to go out in the sticks for it but it should be worth it for a great first bike. It needs a new battery, a clutch handle, and a good cleaning, but that's all to be expected.

Anyone else own one of these before? Apparently the 650s have shaft drive (no chain!) and hydraulic valves (easy to adjust valves!) so hopefully it's easy to own.

bob and john > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles 01/26/2015 at 09:36

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mmmm, hydraulic valves. my old buell had that. didnt ride it far enough before i sold it to upgrade to make a difference to me

aside from the battery, change out the brake fluids, oils, and make sure the shaft has the lubrication it needs. happy riding!

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > bob and john 01/26/2015 at 09:39

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"make sure the shaft has the lubrication it needs"

JKER > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles 01/26/2015 at 09:39

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Congrats! If I remember correctly you're in GR too so if you need a hand anytime let me know! Except if you need help with carbs. I hate carbs.

bob and john > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles 01/26/2015 at 09:40

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well, i'm the only oiling my chains every other week....


wow motorcycle maintenance sounds dirty

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > bob and john 01/26/2015 at 09:43

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"wanna go for a ride? Great! I'll get the leather!"

"Give me a hand, I need someone good with chains this weekend"

"Right, I'll get on top and kick it hard, but I need you to choke it or else we'll never get things moving along!"

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > JKER 01/26/2015 at 09:44

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Yep! Well it sounds like the carbs are the only thing that might need adjusting at some point and even then it ran decently well in the cold. I don't want to touch it too much if I don't have to.

luvMeSome142 & some Lincoln! > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles 01/26/2015 at 09:46

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An excellent choice, sir. My first was an '84 Honda Magna v30 (500cc). I almost regret selling it to get a bigger bike.

JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles 01/26/2015 at 09:52

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Rule #1 of multi-carb induction: Does it run OK? Good, DON'T TOUCH IT.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t 01/26/2015 at 09:53

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Pretty much. It was the guy's commuter for a year but he's moving to new orleans and doesn't want to move the bike since it's a bit small for him now.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles 01/26/2015 at 10:00

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Congrats on the purchase. I've always liked the Honda CBs. They are pretty straightforward bikes, not a whole lot to go wrong. And it should be a great starter bike - that disc up front will be nice, and it has enough power to get out of it's own way without having too much to get you in a heap of trouble, though I'm sure it can still get going pretty fast. Enjoy, and keep it shiny side up.

JKER > JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t 01/26/2015 at 10:11

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Every damn time I've taken apart the carbs to clean/rebuild I've had something go wrong. Every. Damn. Time.

Roadster Man > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles 01/26/2015 at 10:12

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I've been thinking of buying a bike and the Nighthawk is on my list of possible first bikes. Definitely tell us how it goes!

Coachrotte33 > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles 01/26/2015 at 10:13

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You just bought my 2 wheeled dream. Was headed to buy one the week I got the news the wife and I were having our first kid. Please post often as I will live vicariously through you;)

Stapleface-Now Hyphenated! > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles 01/26/2015 at 10:15

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I know nothing about bikes at all, but that is pretty much exactly the kind of thing I'm looking for myself. Unfortunately I can't seem to find anything that cheap, and the things that are look like they've been through a war.

And I'm still not 100% on riding a bike because I experience how people on the road can't see me in my orange car. A bike would be even more invisible.

BJ > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles 01/26/2015 at 10:30

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I really liked mine (it was blue), especially the shaft drive. Zero maintenance and impossible to tell the difference with a chain in normal riding above 10 km/h. It did have charging problems, however, which required a bit of patience.

Know that the generator on this bike doesn't charge below ~2200 RPM. Pootling around town will be hard on batteries. I would recommend a trickle charger on the bike to maintain the battery.

Enjoy!

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > Snuze: Needs another Swede 01/26/2015 at 10:40

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Thanks! I plan on not eating too much pavement but an 800$ honda CB with a scratch or two on it is probably a good bike to learn on since it won't cause too much heartache when I lay it down.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > luvMeSome142 & some Lincoln! 01/26/2015 at 10:40

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I might get a bike with a bit more fairing in the future but for learning and riding around the city it looks like a ton of fun.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > BJ 01/26/2015 at 10:41

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Yeah it needs a brand new one anyways so I might try and see if I can get a solar charger or something since the bike is not going to be in a garage.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > Stapleface-Now Hyphenated! 01/26/2015 at 10:42

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I plan on riding it on some nice side roads and scenic routes and avoiding the highway for a while.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > Coachrotte33 01/26/2015 at 10:43

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Ha, will do! I hope! It's my first ever bike so I figure I'll learn how much I like motorcycles now while I still heal up fast.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > Roadster Man 01/26/2015 at 10:45

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Well my main requirements were an engine size of 500-750cc and an easy bike to maintain so these 80s hondas that have shaft drive and hydraulic valves were prime candidates. To find such a winner for 800? Too good to pass up. Guy was moving and it's winter.

BJ > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles 01/26/2015 at 10:51

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If it needs a clutch handle, it may have been dropped or laid down. Check that the bars are straight and that the front end is still attached safely and securely (head bolt? I forget the terminology).

Even the smallest differences in the bend of the bars can leave you with back or shoulder pain.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > BJ 01/26/2015 at 10:53

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It was laid down. The guy told me he knocked it over and the handlebar twisted at just the right angle to break the clutch lever. But I'll make a note to do that as I go over the bike in spring.

Roadster Man > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles 01/26/2015 at 10:54

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Yeah, that sounds like what I'm looking for. I'm terrified of bikes though, so I'm open to a 250cc bike. I'm also looking at sport bikes, but I really like the look of the nighthawk and I think I'll probably enjoy the riding position of the nighthawk more.

My big question was what kind of mileage these bikes can handle. I'm fine with doing some work on it myself, but I don't want to get stuck on the side of the road (often). That's awesome if 27,000 miles isn't something to worry about. I'll take note on the hydraulic valves too.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > Roadster Man 01/26/2015 at 11:00

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I'm 6'2" and the riding position is perfect. I can squarely put both feet on the ground at a dead stop but the pedals and handlebar setup fit me well.

itranthelasttimeiparkedit > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles 01/26/2015 at 11:02

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every bike that has gone down is sold as "fell over" =p

BJ > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles 01/26/2015 at 11:03

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I used to ride with a group from work, many moons ago, and there was a female rider who was learning with us. At the end of a ride, I accompanied her home to make sure she was safe and then went on my merry way.

The next day, I innocently stated to the other members of the group, "I rode Kelly home and then went back to my place." That got a lot of giggles and wink-wink "rode 'er home, eh?" kind of jokes...

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > itranthelasttimeiparkedit 01/26/2015 at 11:12

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Eh, but the paint on that side is really good as is the lights and chrome. If it fell over at speed, wouldn't there be some scrapes or a knocked off light or something? They didn't appear to be reattached or bent.

Makoyouidiot > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles 01/26/2015 at 11:12

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Nice price!

Roadster Man > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles 01/26/2015 at 11:20

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Nice! I'm 6'1" so I should be all set. My parents are gonna be so pissed when I tell them I was serious about buying a motorcycle...

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > Roadster Man 01/26/2015 at 11:21

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Yeah.......I don't plan on telling my parents.

Milky > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles 01/26/2015 at 11:38

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You got a 650 and no one is complaining?! What happened to all the first time bike comments - " OMG if you get something bigger than 500 you will literally die the first time you ride it" ???

But nice, hopefully I'm not too far off for my first bike purchase too.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles 01/26/2015 at 12:24

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Definitely the way to go. Although, I'll share a story with you, I started on a shitty Nighthawk 250, rode it for a few months and never laid it down. I got bored with it (no matter what anyone says, 250s are actually shit starter bikes) and moved up to a CB-1 which was a 400cc, and laid it down the first day I had it thanks to some faulty brakes. And I still have that basketcase and it still isn't right, almost 10 years later. So just be careful, don't assume you're *going* to wreck, because hopefully you never will, but if you do, it's not like you're trashing some ultra expensive bike.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > Milky 01/26/2015 at 13:08

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DIfference between me and the rest of you lot is that my head vs. the pavement will probably result in a win for my head. The helmet won't be for m protection, it will be for whatever poor, unfortunate soul hits me.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > Snuze: Needs another Swede 01/26/2015 at 13:09

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I don't assume I will wreck but the bike is heavy so I am going to go out on a limb and assume that I'll take a low speed spill at some point or another.

itranthelasttimeiparkedit > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles 01/26/2015 at 21:39

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I was (half) kidding. But on that note get frame sliders. ASAP. Its your first bike, you're going to lay it down

AdverseMartyr > Milky 01/31/2015 at 05:09

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It's a 650 from 1985, and not a slightly de-tuned race bike. Also, the frame is most likely steel as well. It all results in a slower bike that will be more...gentle in teaching him where his inadequacies as a rider are. I think most everyone is concerned for the "I'm getting a brand new Honda CBR 600rr race replica with twin turbos and carbon fiber everything for my first bike" people.

The nighthawk will still be quick, and a handful, but it is a "normal" motorcycle. And 30 years old.