Honda CB700SC Nighthawk S reviews

I purchased my black/red (type A) 85' Honda Nighthawk CB700SC 5 years ago. Since that time, I have changed the oil, air filter, front tire, plugs, and cleaned the carbs (because the tank was rusted - had that Kream'd). My only complaint is that the tank rusted even though I use fuel treatment, and always keep it topped-off. What stands out about this bike? The technology you get for something made in '85: adjustable Trac (anti-dive) front shock control, front disc brake, oil cooler routed through the frame, shaft drive (that doesn't have that chain 'whine'). The handling and weight balance is terrific - I am able to come to a complete stop and then take-off without touching the ground. I see these guys cruise up to and away from stops with their feet off the pegs nearly touching the ground, and chuckle. I very seldom take my feet off the pegs for a stop sign. The speed is invigorating above 6,000 RPM - a blast hits when the main jets kick-in. I would highly recommend this bike to anyone who can find one in good condition. I have learned that you cannot use a K&N filter without changing the carburetor jets, and it's best to use the Honda OEM air filter - not a Uni or any other aftermarkets. Also, have the tank lined (if it's not already) immediately! Another side note: With the age of this bike, I have found that consumable parts are still readily available, but things like gas tanks, side plates, OEM stickers, and the like are no longer available. My next bike? Honda ST1300 with ABS. Why did I rate the bike only 4 stars for comfort... Goldwings take the cake! Show less

I love many things about the CB250 Nighthawk: it's lightweight, agile around town, super-reliable, cheap to run and insure, easy to ride, easy to work on, easy to park, low-maintenance, durable, versatile, good-looking and FUN! I get gas mileage of 80-90 mpg, and with a California-version 4.3-gal. tank, my range between fill-ups is 300+ miles (non-Cal bikes have 4.8-gal. tanks). Last but not least, at the end of a long riding day I'm just as comfortable as I was in the morning. No other bike offers all these advantages. Some say you will want more power. I'd say you might, but I personally don't and never did. The CB250 is no roadburner but has more-than-adequate power for daily riding, and can be made to run even better with a couple of simple fixes. The only downside in my opinion is that the MSRP has crept upward in recent years. There are now two or three bikes in the marketplace priced lower than the Nighthawk, but there's still nothing that comes close to matching its all-around competence. This is THE motorcycle. Show less

Okay, I'm a bit biased in my praise of the 250 Nighthawk, I've owned three of them. Other than a halogen headlight upgrade in 2001, and a change in the fork oil drain procedure, the bike has remained the same for 14 years. Honda got it right the first time, so why mess with a good thing? As a daily commuter, it is comfortable and as reliable as daylight. As a weekend play bike, it will not disappoint while touring the backroads. The bike handles predictably, and the moderate power will keep you out of trouble. Being of small displacement it's not a crotch rocket, but it has enough muscle to cruise all day at 65mph, or run up to 80mph wide open. Fit a windshield, or the Rentec rack, a tankbag, or saddlebags, it accepts all. If you are looking for a basic, well engineered bike that has a great grin factor, and is easy and inexpensive to maintain, you found it. Less is more. Show less

I bought my bike used. It's a 1993 model and the previous owners put some serious miles on it. I have put many thousand on myself. I'm not a rider that drives it to work everyday and I don't go over the road either (not that you couldn't, that just isn't for me). I like to weekend ride and get away with my bike. This is a great bike as all the other reviews attest but not only ride ability but this is NOT a bike you have to invest time and money into the constant maintenance on. If you are the type of rider that likes to ride a lot and then take a brake and not ride for a while, I'd strongly consider a Nighthawk CB750. It is virtually free of upkeep. With all of the miles mine has and years that I've had it I have only changed oil, the battery once, and tires once (I did replace my Tach when I first got it also). Trust me when I say that is great compared to some bikes out there. If anything does go wrong... you won't be stuck without a part. Honda CB750's are as plentiful as Honda Accords and it hasn't changed a whole lot over the years if you have access to a good motorcycle junk yard. I've owned plenty of bikes and have thrown my leg over many more but this has been my favorite. Easy to ride, always ready to go, and a good price for what you get. I can leave most of my friends off the line and down the road if I wanted to with the exception of just a few super bikes that I run with. I've had tons of compliments on it and have been asked if I wanted to sell it repeatedly, everyone loves to ride it. don't fall in love with a paint job... get a whole bike that you'll love, and the one I love is the Nighthawk. Show less

Got my 2003 when I heard they were being discontinued, and have ridden 22500 trouble free miles in the past 14 months. I Added a Corbin seat, sport bags, a SlipStreamer, case guards, and backrest/luggage rack and some highway pegs and a set of risers to make it perfect. NH-750 can be as tame or wild as you want/need to be, and still rack up close to 50mpg commuting! Tires, just OEM Dunlops, last great. I got 13K on the rear and 21K on the front before replacing them, and they still had decent tread. Putting Ride-On in the tires seems to help. So far, a battery and front pads have been the only additional costs. But the drink holder from Barefoot Willie's adds a lot of comfort on hot days. I'd ride this bike cross country anytime! Show less

I bought my 2002 Nighthawk used with 353 miles. I did not get to ride it as much as I would have liked. First thing, it's very comfortable to ride especially for semi-long distances. That is the main thing I look for in a bike: comfort, if you're not comfortable you definitely do not feel like riding. This bike is not great at doing any one thing, it does it all well. Low maintenance makes things nice over other bikes. Show less

All hail the passing of the last great descendent of the original Japanese "superbike" - the Honda 750-Four. This is my first bike, and it's used, which I bought with 2500 miles on it. I love it! It does everything I want of it, without quibbling about the details. It's no sportbike, but at age 41, I'm not interested in doing wheelies and stoppies, or racing in the streets. I wanted low-maintenance, reliability, and spirited performance in a forgiving package, and I got all that and more. It's smooth and nimble, and once it gets above 4000 rpm or so, its torque really starts dialing in! It's a great first bike for an old newbie like me, and I plan on keeping it for a few years. I'd like to get a different bike in the future, but I'll have to do some serious soul-searching before I give up my Nighthawk! It's that good! Show less

Had a motorcycle in my mid 20s. Now 51 and wanted to get back into riding. In Oct 2004, I found a brand new 2003 Nighthawk 750 at a great price. This used to be considered a "big bike" years ago, but not any more. I guess most things are relative. This is a good first bike for larger riders (relatively high seat height compared to many). It can do all things pretty well, and most things very well. I was concerned having not ridden in 25 years, but this bike is well balanced, has smooth throttle and is easy to ride. No problems from the moment I started it. I recommend this bike highly. Show less

This has been my first riding season, and my bike is a 1993 Honda Nighthawk 750. Rest assured, if I had done my Internet homework before buying, I might have reconsidered. As it is, there is a Nighthawk in my garage, and I couldn't be more pleased. It should also be made clear that since I don't have a long motorcycling history, the Nighthawk represents my baseline in comparing motorcycles. It was the bike I cut my teeth on, and it is has been my primary ride (on nicer days) for the last couple of months. I should also note, I'm 6 feet tall, weigh 250 pounds, and have a 32 inch inseam. When I first was bitten by the motorcycle bug, I asked a lot of questions about things like brands, displacements and styles of motorcycles. My strongest influence recommended Honda, 600cc, and sport respectively. Aesthetically and ergonomically, I wasn't attracted to sportbikes. I don't do much long-distance riding, but even on the showroom floor sportbikes felt awkward and uncomfortable. Cruisers were more comfortable, but they still didn't feel quite right. I tried some dual-sports, but my stumpy legs left me grasping for the floor with my feet (if that's possible for non-simian primates who wear shoes). When I sat down on the Nighthawk, it was more like I found THE bike. The first few days of riding taught me a thing or two: first, it takes every muscle in your body to lift a 470 pound bike off of its side; and second, the handlebar doesn't like 700 pounds of bike and rider falling on it. I had to replace the starboard bracket, and the bar is still slightly more swept back on that side than the other. In practical riding, I have had no problems. The bike either pounces on green lights or accelerates so smoothly that my mother could almost stand to approve of me riding (she can't, but you get the idea). The curvy "Lake" roads of Oakland County offer no challenge to the Nighthawk. I can zip around the twisty Pontiac Lake, Williams Lake, Elizabeth Lake, and Cooley Lake Roads at speeds I don't feel comfortable with in my car. I don't drive as aggressively as some, so I can't comment on the bike's ability to pass between semis at 100mph with two feet of clearance on either side and the front wheel in the air. I will say the bike is a more-than-competent commuter for suburban areas. The bike I purchased was used and came with an aftermarket windshield. Why the windshield was added I'll never know. The person who owned it before me must have been a few inches shorter than me, because the shield dumped all the displaced air squarely in my face. I wear a full-face helmet, so there was no discomfort issue, but the noise was incredible. After I removed the windshield, the wind noise was still there, but greatly reduced in volume and ferocity. Too much power has never been an issue for me. My two or three incidents of malicious gravitation were of the same type: stop-shift-stall-fall. The 750cc engine does, however, bring my immense bulk up to speed effectively and quickly. I sometimes wonder if most of the power goes into getting my mass moving or keeping my less-than-aerodynamics carapace from dragging the bike to a halt. To make a long and rambling review short: I like the Nighthawk 750 more than any bike I've ever ridden... which isn't saying much since it's the only bike I've ever ridden. It's a classy rig that can move a big guy like me and still have enough 'oompf' to shake a tail feather or two. However, if power and weight scare you, inquire elsewhere. Just as a side note. One of the common complaints about this bike is the soft fork suspension. For a person of greater heft, this is an even more visible issue. I'm looking into new fork springs, as that was a recommended upgrade for riders who, like myself, weigh twice as much as Honda's ideal, average rider. Show less

I have owned this bike for about 6 months and am very happy with it. It was my first bike after spending most of my life wanting to ride a motorcycle. I took the MSF class and bought this bike because I thought a smaller engine would be great to start out on. The styling is really nice because it is a perfect combination of cruiser and sport bike. I have gotten it up to 85 miles/hour and it ran smooth. The only downside to this bike, so far, is that it is not comfortable for longer rides. I'm 5'10" and find my legs cramping on trips over 40 minutes. I put my wife on the back and she gets cramped after 20 minutes. We put the backrest on, and I bought an aftermarket fairing on. If you plan on doing any freeway riding, a fairing IS A MUST. Before the fairing, the wind would blow me around, and my body acted like a sail; the wind trying to pull me off the bike. With the fairing, I tuck right behind it and the bike is hardly affected by the wind at all. Very low maintenance; I'm very happy with this bike. It is small enough to lane split easily and confidently. I believe I picked the perfect bike for my needs. This bike has given me so many miles of pleaure, I'm ready to upgrade to an ST1100 and do some cross country touring! Hard to find aftermarket parts. Ebay has been pretty good. Hondaline is way too expensive. Show less