Honda CB700SC Nighthawk S reviews

Not a Honda Nighthawk 750! The dropdown menu doesn't have my bike, a Honda Shadow 600 VLX. This bike has been a reliable toy for 21 years. It's given me the ride, the play, the outdoors, the get-away-from-it-all that I bought it for. Bought it when I was 47. Haven't had time to ride much in the past few years so it's time to pass it on. It's a lot of bike and a lot of accessories for the price. Perfect for newer riders or smaller riders and women who don't want a big, heavy bike. New bikes are too expensive for people starting to ride. I would rate Comfort at 4 stars and the rest of the metrics above at 5. Show less

1985 Honda 650 Nighthawk - Great bike but only good for 1 rider. Mine was cherry in San Diego and sold it for $2400 with 6,300 miles. Always garaged but used the corvette mostly. The rubber wears out. Felt like a LOT smaller than my 1980 CB750K. It is reliable but when you get over 30,000 miles, good luck. Moved up to a Goldwing. Show less

So I just purchased my first 1997 Honda Nighthawk 750cb, and let me tell you, these things are sleepers as far as engine reliability and power. The 75hp is as some us would say a great takeoff and catch up machine but, they like that 55mph to 65mph sweet spot (about 4200rpm) 5th gear just a sweet cruiser that handles with ease gets me about 50mpg and 1000 smiles to the gallon.Its not the crazy tiptoe 5 gear 120mph type, doing 0-60 in about 4.5s it has pep but its that middle line between over and under powered a mutual relationship ever biker considers for when looking into a new ride. even for lighter riders, At 6'3" 170lbs myself i can one hand this off the ground if needed, I grunt but it is doable at approx 500lbs and still A newer rider, i have no fears of trying to hold onto it at stops.The ride height is perfect for my chicken/toothpick legs, yet my wife 5'5" athletic build has to tip toe and side crotch the saddle a little to get her feet down. With a size 12 steel toe i recommend trying to move your shift peg position up for your foot noticed the boot sits low like real low touches before the pegs when you bank and lean because of the angle your toe is at. For what it means to you it truly is one of the greats as far as reliability honda hit the nail with this engine theres a reason they haven't changed in so many years of production you will notice basic maintaining more than wrenching (p.s take the carb in its do-able but takes alot of time and patience, like alot of patience 😉) hands down one of the best cruising commuter bikes I've been on been riding 43 miles one way to work with it every chance I get and wouldn't trade it or sell it I will hold onto this gem for future generations because I am certain it will still be running the same by that point in its life.... hope this helps!!!!! Show less

For anyone looking for the best all around cheap street bike, look no further. 31,282 miles on the clock and I've never touched the motor or even the carbs. Pros: Dead reliable, excellent engine and transmission, Good torquey power, quality made, easy to maneuver around town for a rather heavy bike, confident solid handling (lives high speed sweepers), comfortable riding position, nice exhaust note, naked retro looks, easy to work on, cheap to buy and maintain. Cons: Brakes are reliable and don't fade, but stopping power is all in front. Rear drum feels slightly wooden, and locks up easy, could use a 6th gear for better freeway cruising, not even a gas gauge on mine but no biggie..one less thing to break...I use the odometer (get about 140 miles on a tank but I weigh 235 and 6'2" frame), She's a bit cold blooded on cool mornings at start up... Choke it to 2000 rpm for a couple minutes or she'll stumble. Overall a satisfying personality with juicy power and yet no racer pretensions. It's not as quick and fast as many bikes, but considering it's age, it keeps up surprisingly well and does everything you ask it to. Show less

On my third Nighthawk 750; first a 2003, then a 91, now on a 92. I keep selling them for other CBS, a 500X, a CB1100, two 919's, but keep going back to the 750; they're that good. I've have crossed the country on my 91, including some of the dirt high mountain passes in Colorado that I had no business having a street bike on, and she kept on rolling. No carb mods despite spending a good bit of time above 10k'. I now have a set of Progressive rear springs and front braided steel brake line, and the best tires that I have found are Avon RoadRiders; they stick like glue and last forever. I love not ever having to worry about the smell of antifreeze from a air cooled bike, and it's as smooth as any bike I've ever ridden. Anyone who calls this bike boring needs to have their testosterone checked... Show less

Highly recommended motorcycle. Great first bike or for the nostalgia. Shaft drive is bullet proof. Turns on a dime compared to my CBR1100XX. Light weight makes it easy to back up into parking slots. Didn't mind not having a fairing either. If you find one that is running solid, you won't regret it. Show less

On my third Nighthawk, first a 2003, then a 91, now a 92. I keep getting lured away by other CB's, the 919, 500X, and the 1100, only to keep coming back to one of the most underrated bikes of all time. I have crossed the US on mine, both on and off road, alone and with my dog on the back of the bike; there's not much more that can be said that hasn't already been said about performance, except slap on a set of Avon Road Riders and you can hang with anyone in the twisties. But for the love of all things holy, don't buy one and start chopping it up, as that's sacrilegious. Show less

I bought a 2002 CB250 in 2004 and have kept it ever since. They're often dismissed as 'beginners bikes,' and they do serve well in that function - but it's also one of the last small, basic Honda motorbikes that you can find - simple, low maintenance drum brakes, super easy oil change, cheap tires - everything about them is basic and fun. We've done a few tours through the western mountains and deserts, and this little bike has never let me down. It did blow an oil seal once (common with Rebels, which share the motor), but this was fairly easy to repair and has given me no trouble since. These make great city or suburban bikes as well as lightweight touring machines. I replaced the front sprocket with a 15 tooth to give a little better freeway performance, but otherwise it has remained stock (with an aftermarket rear luggage rack). Parts are dirt cheap (should you require them) and maintenance is bone simple. A cool little Honda like they used to make them - zippy, fun, simple and economical. Show less

My first vehicle purchase was a new black '82 450 Nighthawk. I put almost 40,000km on it, and found it to be a very good starter bike, but found it a bit small for the multi-lane highways that I was often travelling on. I bought a new black '84 650 Nighthawk from a dealer in March of 1985. The extra weight and superior suspension of the 650 made it a much nicer platform for highway cruising, and I loved the no maintenance aspects of the bike: shaft drive, hydraulic lifters, etc. My only real complaint about the design and engineering of the bike is that the alternator was not strong enough -- the battery is discharging whenever the engine drops below about 2500rpm. I put just over 70,000km on it when it suffered a catastrophic engine failure. The exhaust valve guides had worn oval, and the exhaust valves had worn through the valve seats, and into the head, so there was zero compression in the middle two cylinders, and the lobes were almost gone on both cam shafts. In the 10 years of ownership, I had only had to replace the sender for the gear-position indicator (over-and-above the usual maintenance items such as oil/filter changes, tire replacements, etc.) It was speculated that one of the small feeds that sends oil to the top of the engine had become blocked, and starved the top end of oil -- no engine would survive that for very long. This bike "died" during the summer of '95, and I sold it to somebody who was going to do a full engine rebuild. (I did not have the funds or the time to take on this project, which in hind sight was too bad, as the rest of the bike was in beautiful condition). I did not have a motorcycle again until the summer of 2020, when I came across a used '84 650 Nighthawk with 73,000km for sale not far from me. The owner had completed a complete engine over-haul at 70k, and was asking a reasonable price, so I decided to take a chance, and get back on two wheels. I was not sure how I would do, as a 58 year old who hadn't been on a motorcycle for 25 years! After a few tentative launches, I started to feel like I had been reunited with an old friend. This bike has the typical Nighthawk whine, and feels very similar to what I remember of my previous bike. The paint was not in very good shape, but the previous owner had included a full set of replacement decals with the bike, so I took it to be professionally painted. I chose the '83 color Siren Blue, as I was not a fan of either the red or black colors from '84. I will be VERY careful to use only top-quality motorcycle oil in this one, and hope to get many more riding seasons out of my new/old friend. Show less

I bought this bike for my son to learn on. We had a 250 Ninja, but I wanted something more sedate. He got his license and moved on to the ninja. I thought of selling the nighthawk, but it was fun and I decided to add some foam grips and a 15 tooth front sprocket a couple years ago. It can cruise comfortably at 65, but can struggle on hills and high wind. I'm approaching retirement and wanted a bigger bike, but my wife said she won't ride with me, so I figured the nighthawk will get the job done if I'm soloing it. I added a center stand and a rear rack. The most I've done in a day is about 250 miles, but I know I can take it farther with no problem. I will replace the chain and both sprockets and change the fork oil to a heavier weight, and while the rear wheel is off, replace the rear brake shoes. It delivers up to 80 MPG in good conditions, and never gets below 65 MPG. No repairs needed yet. I would recommend it to anyone who wants cheap, reliable transportation and doesn't care about impressing the Jones. Show less