I love my CB750!
Written: Mar 06 '07
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Pros: Affordable, reliable, fun, versatile, modestly powered, comfortable, looks good.
Cons: Single front disc and rear drum. Non-adjustable front suspension.
The Bottom Line: This is a great bike to start out with. It will get you confident in a hurry. Or keep it forever, it will last that long!
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| z_evil_genius's Full Review: 2000 Honda Nighthawk 750 |
Everyone should know that the perfect motorcycle for you is very subjective. As such, I have found that the 2000 Honda Nighthawk is absolutely the bike for me. I bought mine used, about a year ago, with only 6000 miles on it. It came with a sissy bar, windshield, center stand, and highway pegs attached to the outermost exhaust pipes. Because I bought it from a dealer, it took hours to complete the sale and I was forced to ride it to the hotel (in phoenix, I live in Tucson) in a downpour. No matter, the bike was solid, responsive, and fast. Not as fast as those sport bikes, but both Honda and my insurance company considerate it to be of that classification. Because I love the looks of the motorcycle so much, I added a tank bag and a medium sized sissy bar bag to it for storage. I just couldn't bear to put saddlebags on since it would mess up the overall appearance.
Anyway, I bought the motorcycle to replace an older, less reliable bike. My father owned a 1980 CB750 custom which was a great motorcycle, and this is most likely the reason for my decision to get a nighthawk. His experience was always that the motorcycle was reliable, maintenance free, cheap to own, comfortable, yet sporty. Although this is by 1980's standards, I find it all to be true today. Additionally, I find the ride to be exceptionally smooth. At highway speeds, I don't feel a lot of vibration or anything, and the engine actually seems to smooth out just before red-line.
I find the height to be perfect. For a person of almost 6 feet, at a light my legs are just slightly bent. Obviously, it may not support shorter people, but for me it was perfect. Riding around town, I find it easy to scrape pegs on almost any corner, to the point I've worn them down. But it isn't too powerful, as was my initial concern and experience with sportier bikes. I never liked bikes that had such throttle response that it jerks in the turn. I am especially fond of the mostly black engine. With exception to the valve covers, everything else is black, which suits the style of the bike. A cruiser can have lots of chrome, but not something as modest as this. The nighthawk's qualities aren't in show, but in price, performance, and other such goodies as I've mentioned above.
I don't find it too heavy. In fact, it's quite easy to lift onto the maintenance stand by myself. Not that I have to. It doesn't leak oil and it's air cooled, so there's no other fluid to worry about except brake fluid. I love that it has automatically adjusting valves.
I wanted a motorcycle that performed better than a cruiser, was more comfortable than a sport bike, was versatile, and affordable. I found all of this in the Nighthawk. It saddens me that Honda has stopped production as it may not sell well, but it is the most well rounded bike they had to offer. They may have decided it wasn't worth meeting the latest standards. The nighthawk only has a few downfalls. Lack of adjustable front suspension, single disc brake in front, drum in rear. It can be cold blooded in the morning. Most bikes today have fuel injection, double front disc brakes, adjustable suspension all around, etc. So, in order to get the nighthawk up to that standard, some re-engineering would be necessary, as well as new production parts, etc. For a motorcycle that doesn't sell as well as other Honda models, it makes sense why they killed it.
The last thing I can think of is all the people commenting on how it looks. Maybe they aren't real "enthusiasts", but even my motorcycling buddies are surprised by just how aesthetically pleasing it is to them. It has just the right balance so that the engine is appropriately visible, the required components such as lights don't hinder the appearance. Best of all, no radiator to uglify (yes, I made that word up) the front. The tank is 5 gallons which can get me 200 miles before asking for more. My wife also finds the passenger pillion to be fairly comfortable and is put most at ease with the sissy bar and hand grips. This is truly a great all-around motorcycle.
For anyone on the fence about what motorcycle they want, if you want to do it all, you can't beat the nighthawk. Some may become bored with it, that's possible as it isn't particularly outstanding in any single category. But if you're like me, you'll never want any other motorcycle for your commuting needs.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 3400
Condition: Used
Model Year: 2000
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Epinions.com ID:
z_evil_genius
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Reviews written: 3
Trusted by: 0 members
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