The Honda CB750 Nighthawk as Used Motorcycle
<img width="200" height="108" class="floatleft" src="motorcycle.in.th/images/articles/The-Honda-CB750-Nighthawk-as-Used-Bike_1.jpg" alt="" />The Honda CB750 Nighthawk had a whole lot to live up to. It was an air-cooled, 750cc Honda four, but similarities to the Honda CB750 that blew minds, broke hearts and changed the world in 1969 end there. The Honda CB750 Nighthawk had a more practical mission. Coming out of the lean '80s, dealers convinced Honda that a CB750 redux could help turn things around.Designed as admirably affordable, broadband two-wheel transport, the Honda CB750 Nighthawk will never be mistaken for its illustrious forebear on the road. A single front disc followed by a rear drum brake and price-point suspension didn't help the cause either, as lighter, faster, more focuses offerings pushed it toward the back of showrooms at Honda dealers. But take a more practical approach and it starts looking pretty good. Sexy? No, but 12.9 seconds at 175 km/h are respectable 400 meter numbers – a 1970 CB750 took 12.9 seconds to go the distance. And not only is the Honda Nighthawk quicker, at 224 kilo complete with 18.2 liters of unleaded, a '91 Nighthawk is also 2.3 kilo lighter than the old Honda CB750.
It's a good-sized ride – the quintessential happy medium with plenty of room for rider and pillion – and more agile than its 1,498mm wheelbase might suggest. The third-generation Honda CB750 puts 62 horsepower on the road evenly between idle and its 8,500rpm redline. Fed by a quartet of 34mm constant-velocity Keihin carburetors, the 747cc DOHC inline-four is a bit balky right out of the garage on cold mornings, but abundant mi-range propulsion and an excellent five-speed gearbox make it somewhere between difficult and impossible to beat for commuting on a budget.
Averaging 19.5 km/l doesn't hurt on that count, either. Neither do hydraulic adjusters that maintain valve lash so you'll never have to. Beyond that, the remarkably bulletproof. According to Honda big bike service experts, the Honda CB750 Nighthawk has none of the previous 650's endemic camshaft-chain rattle, and service on the inline-four engine is mostly doing the regular oil changes.
Special attention when buying a used Honda CB750 Nighthawk, which where build from 1991 to 2000 is to look for obvious signs of abject abuse or neglect, worn-out bits, and double check the paperwork if you buy this motorcycle.
