I've been looking at Nighthawks lately, I like how they look, sound, feel, etc. But were they good bikes? Reliable? Durable? Anything particularly wrong with them?

To be more specific in my case, I'm looking at some early to mid 80's Nighthawk 650's with roughly 30,000 miles each. The weird thing is, I have yet to see a totally trashed one? In fact the ones I've looked at buying are in near perfect condition, is that because they were taken care of so well? Or because they're damn straight rocks of molten manly steel?

Are these a good buy for a school/work bike to have running for years without anything wrong with them? Or should I stay away?

I'm looking at a 92 CB750 myself. Has 5k miles, all stock, mint condition and the guy wants $1000 for it. He mainly used it for riding to/from work/school. Definitely a good commuter bike. According to my dad the 750s are spunky motors. Just like any other Honda, I'd think they are bullet proof.

Edited by DirtRider500R, 12 July 2012 - 06:25 PM.

Yeah they seem to be alright.

I bought a 98 Nighthawk 750 back in 2010.. came with buncha extras at a very good price.. bike was in fantastic shape.. well taken care for.. i rode it for 6k mi., needed nothing else but fuel, chain lube and air in tires..
5-speed tranny left me looking foor 6th gear whenever I get on the highway.
It performed well enough in the twisties, cruises smoothly on highways, decent ride for two-up, cant compain for the price I bought it for, but it just didn't suit my riding style, even with a fork brace installed.



I sold it last month to free up grage space and for a small profit.. even after replacing it with this:

Edited by cat0020, 13 July 2012 - 06:43 AM.

 cat0020, on 13 July 2012 - 06:42 AM, said:

Nice. Is that a Corbin seat? Or stock? Would you take one over a Ninja 250? Any reasons why or why not?

 twistedkeys, on 13 July 2012 - 01:26 PM, said:

Corbin seat on the Nighthawk 750, not the Superhawk 996.

Would I take a Nighthawk 750 over a Ninja 250? hell no,

Ninja 250 is much better for commuting and honing riding skills... best of all cheap to purchase and economical to own/insure.

 cat0020, on 13 July 2012 - 02:25 PM, said:

So is the Nighthawk better at cruising? Seemed like an ideal around-town/country roads bike

Nighthawk 750 was a solid ride, good for two-up riding at relaxed pace.. but it's weight is significanty greater than a Ninja 250, with its single-sided front disc.. braking performance is not what I personally feel sufficient on the Nighthawk.

The front end of both Nighthawk and Ninja 250 are both soft, whenever you apply the front brake, the front end dives significantly.

The fork brace on the Nighthawk helped alot, but still not enough for me to consider the performance good enough for spirited riding.

In city traffic where you may encounter the need for quick sudden stops, weight of Nighthawk could be a disadvantage.

 cat0020, on 13 July 2012 - 02:54 PM, said:

Yeah. I think the Ninja would have a better resale value (at least around here). But the Nighthawk just looks so appealing! How about riding for 2 1/2 hours straight?

I did ride a Ninja 250 a while ago, I remember it was small for me being 6'2" but was manageable. It definitely a "fun" feeling bike. I have sat on a Rebel, Shadows, Magnas, etc. And they all felt ok, pretty standard. I guess the main deciding factor would be reliability.

To give you an idea of what the little ninja is capable of