| Author | Message | ||
     Xbeau12s |
Just sold my Uly which makes me pretty sad but I know it went to a good buyer so that eases my mind a little bit. I'm going to get another Buell but not right now. What I'm looking at is a cheap form of transportation (motorcycle) and since I've had such good opinions on this wonderful board I thought I'd mention the idea here. It's a 1985 Honda Nighthawk 700S. 30K miles. Runs well and looks pretty good for being almost as old as I am. If I do get a bike like this when I finally purchase another Buell I will have the cheapo one to commute in and beat the hell out of. Don't want to do that to a nice new Buell! I've done some research on the nighthawk. It sounds very reliable. Air cooled, hydraulic valves, pretty descent on power. The model has been around for a long time but this particular one was only from 84 - 86. (Message edited by xbeau12s on July 12, 2010) | ||
| Gunut75 |
Is it the blue and black, or the red, white, and blue? I think ya mean 750s. I had one. They're awesome bikes. I had the red, white, and blue. The shaft drive is great also.  | ||
| Gunut75 |
Your right. 700cc. Geez, am I getting that old?! They are all over the place in Milwaukee for $1200 or so. I would ride another! | ||
| Preybird1 |
Buy a kawasaki klr650. They are suited for all types of riding. And they are cheap and reliable, And they have been around for 20+ years!! I bought my 2006 with 2400 miles on it for $2,495 and i love it. I switch between my X1 lightning and the klr. I bought the kawi primarily because i didn't want to put a lot of miles on my favorite buell. And the fact that i can load the snot out of the klr and go camping with it "off road" | ||
| Fordrox |
is that the nighthawk S? if so that is a very nice collector bike, the nighthawks of the 80's were good bikes, i don't think you would be disappointed. | ||
| Pwnzor |
Nighthawks have always been excellent bikes. If it's in good shape, I'd pull the trigger on it in a hot second. Would help if we knew what your price range was... | ||
| Xbeau12s |
I can get it for $1000 I'm thinking. The cheaper the better for now! And it will make the wife happy knowing I won't be taking out another loan. I'm gonna fund the purchase with my uly parts I have on e-bay. Damnit I miss that bike and it's only been 3 days. It's hard getting up and going to work and not putting on my gear. I thought about a KLR or A Dr650. Not really what I'm into but I have not test drove one yet. I think there are some where I'm at. The Nighthawk I'm looking at is the black and red. My favorite colors! (Message edited by xbeau12s on July 12, 2010) | ||
| Xbeau12s |
here's pics of the Beasty   | ||
| Firebolt020283 |
nice looking old school bike. | ||
| Fast1075 |
Those are some completely excellent reliable bikes. And they are one of the best looking old school bikes around. | ||
| Xbeau12s |
Thanks for all the positive information! Hopefully it's in good running condition when I check it out! | ||
| Pwnzor |
Dude... that's a great bike. As long as it hasn't been violently abused, it will serve you well for a very long time. | ||
| R100rs |
went to a beemer rally several years ago,sat.night they had a speaker who had rode around the world several different times.the last time was on a nighthawk,had a great story about at the start of the ride all the GS's and KLR's taking a crap. had the bike at the rally looked like any well used d.c. commuter ride,none the worse for wear and tear.writing this,i wonder why i never had one.  (Message edited by r100rs on July 12, 2010) (Message edited by r100rs on July 12, 2010) | ||
| 86129squids |
+1 great bike! Somewhat collectible, but kewl in any case... Do a little research on critical parts availability, tires in particular, as they were 80's sizes and kinda out of date today- mebbe brake pads, etc. There's gonna be several vintage Jap bike forums online- go check them out too... Good luck! | ||
| Froggy |
Another option is a cheap Blast. Rock solid, great for commuting, and its still a Buell (unless you get a 2010) | ||
| Xbeau12s |
I rode a blast. It was ok but not for me. Reminded me of my 04 KTM Duke II though. | ||
| Babired |
Nice looking bike | ||
| Aeholton |
The 700S is a great bike. Bought one for my wife a couple of years ago when she wanted to move up from a Ninja 250. She didn't like the weight of it. They have hydraulically valve actuation that doesn't require adjustments (like the air cooled Buells). I think I put more miles on it than my wife. Was a great commuter. Plenty of power and smooth. | ||
| Xbeau12s |
Well I'm gonna pick it up tomorrow. I drove it. Seats been re-covered, carbs have been cleaned. It runs out great. Has a 6th gear (OD) and the indicator and all the lights work! Here is a good bonus also. I'm getting a parts bike which is mostly complete. It's the same exact year (black and blue color scheme) and the motor only has 8000 miles on it. I think I scored pretty good for a guy who's looking for a bike on the cheap! I'll have to update when I get it! | ||
| Gunut75 |
Awesome.  | ||
| Indybuell |
Blast. | ||
| Koz5150 |
Well, if you want first hand experience, it was my first bike. I also owned it at the same time as I own my 2002 M2. I loved my 1984 Nighthawk 700s. i still kick myself for selling it. It was the ultimate gas and go bike. Nothing to adjust (maybe a carb sync) nothing to maintain. The clutch plates did start to wear out after awhile, but that can happen on any bike. It was deffinately down on power from the M2 and smaller. I think it will be much smaller feeling then your Uly was. Super great for general street riding, but I thought it was a bit tight when riding two up for any distance over 30 miles. I wish I had saved mine to use as a track bike, however the tire selection seemed a bit limited. I bought mine for $1,200, put tires on it, and sold it at the end of the season for $1,500 back in 2002 when I bought the Buell brand new. I still have the Buell  Other minor complaints: rear shocks were marginal at best (due to age), and the gear indicator stopped working. Issues I could live with for the price. (Message edited by koz5150 on July 12, 2010) | ||
| Oyrider |
One of my friends commuted on a 700s and put over 100K on it with no problems. Keep the oil changed, and the wheel sizes will limit tire choice. Great bike! | ||
| Xbeau12s |
Nothing can really compare with the Buell and that's kind of something I have to accept right now. I'll be looking in hopefully another year or two for another. Thanks for all the advice! I can always count on this forum for a lot of good information. And some laughs too! | ||
| Reepicheep |
Fantastic bike for sure! But make sure you know the price... A $1200 bike can quickly become a $3000 bike after new intake boots, carb slides, fork seals, etc. Factory parts for old bikes are absurdly high (DAMHIK). And the legendary reliability of those inline fours is fairly relative. At 30k miles, my 1986 Yamaha Radian (another neat bike from that era) was a nightmare compared to how good a shape my 05 9sx was at 30k miles. The "power" was relative as well... in those days those were seriously fast bikes. These days, between the weight and the power, they would be judged adequate for commuting. Not a bad thing... I had a blast on a 17 RWHP KL-250. Just know what your expectations should be. | ||
| Xbeau12s |
I checked out oldbikebarn.com. Tires and lots of parts. The prices are not that bad. | ||
| Reepicheep |
Price four carb slides, and four carb boots. If that doesn't make you go all wobbly kneed, then a nighthawk would be a great bike for you! | ||
| Xbeau12s |
Good thing I got the parts bike! | ||
| Slaughter |
Sunny has a 1985 VF500F Interceptor and there are a few sites with online ordering and you can directly view copies of the microfiche. Virtually every single part you can get New Old Stock. Have no fear. Cool bike. | ||
| Xbeau12s |
It's so strange when you hit 8000 rpm an rpm I never hit on a Buell is where the bike has a real boost. I'll have to get used to that. The parts bike has all the body panels. I think I'm gonna make a re-finished set to swap back onto the running one. Should be a fun project. |
