Total Motorcycle Community Forums

i have a 1986 honda nighthawk cb700. from my experience in trying to get parts for it, its a pain in the "O Ring". they all have to be ordered from the dealer. i understand the bike is referred to as "a step-child" bike that was only manufactured for about 2 years. ive owned alot of bikes in my time, but i have to say this one is unique.
anyways, i need a little feedback about some issues im having, if anyone could help with that id appreciate it.
first of all, the throttle cable snapped recently, its a simple part in most cases but, once again it had to be ordered. i didnt want to wait 7 days to get it so i took a chance and scoped out a motorcycle graveyard. i found 1 off of a yamaha that worked. but it was hell getting it in. places ive called all said there is no aftermarket parts for this bike because its too old, im guessing. and noone knows if there is any other machines that have parts compatible with what i need. i found a throttle cable off a yamaha and got lucky, does anyone have expertise on this particular bike that could give me some ideas on another kind of bike that i could check on that might have compatible parts for my nighthawk?
2nd, my bike is smokin' like a am-fm out of one of the mufflers, the right side. and its leaking oil like mad. ordered and got the grommets for the valve cover, (thats where its leaking from) i havent installed them yet. does anyone know if that could be the reason its leaking oil? and also could the oil leak be the contributing reason it smokes so bad?
because this bike seems to be so "rare", is there anything unusually special i should know about it? i didnt do my homework before i bought it. i know i should of, but i didnt. thanks

They actually made it for three years, not two. It was available in '84, '85, and '86. In '84 it was black/red, in '85 it was black/blue, and in '86 it was black/red/white/blue.

The parts are still very much available. In fact, my throttle cable snapped, too, and I was able to get one at my Honda dealer for like ten bucks...and I waited less than a week. Check out eBay for anything you need. That's where I obtained my Corbin seat.

If you take care of the bike it will last forever. The NightHawk 700SC was way ahead of it's time and it is very durable.

They made and sold zillions of those bikes. One of the most trouble-free and least maintentence demanding bikes ever made. Once you get it working right after somebody neglected it for probably many years, you will likely love it. Good for about 120 top, 12 second quarters, can be ridden just about anywhere.