New guy

[ZahKlooster]

Hello Everyone,

I'm new to the motorcycle world and will be going to write my test for my M1 tomorrow . (I will be taking the safety course for sure too)

Anyways I was pricing out bikes and a neighbour of mine has a1980s (can't remember the year but looks like a 1981) Honda CB750 custom for $1 500.00 with new battery and safety done. It looks in great condition but already has 54 000 K (yes from Canada) on it. It is chain driven and its road ready. I was wondering if that is a fair price and if there is anything else I should look out for.

Another question I have is the fact I'm a 6'4" male weighing around 200lbs I'm very sure 750ccs will be able to get me out of the way when needed but is it too much for a beginner?

I look forward to hearing the input. Thank you

[pchast]

Depends.... do you act more like a sr. citizen or a teenager?

[ZahKlooster]

I'd say in the middle. I'm looking for a bike to get back and forth to work but still be able to go for those long drives to nowhere on . The price of gas now a days is enough of a gouge into my spending cash so a speeding ticket or something stupid isn't top priority for me either.

[madjak30]

Well, since you didn't ask what the top speed was first...they were the performance bike of the day...everyone else had to catch up to that bike...but by today's standards, it's what we call the UJM (universal Japanese motorcycle)

Is is like this...


This is a newer one, a 1992 CB750 Nighthawk...they were in the 70Hp range and were just under 500lbs, kinda puts it into a gray area bike for a beginner (hence the maturity question)...front disc brakes, rear drum...pretty reliable and economical to operate...

The price he is asking is reasonable...in Canada it is sometimes hard to find a bike in road worthy condition for less than $1500, so if it looks like it is taken care of, it's probably a good deal.

Later.

[pchast]

great... sounds like a good deal on that bike. You said the safety check was done BUT - take some time to sit on it and check carefully the tires and brake lines yourself. Better yet would be to get a mechanic to check the machine if you are unsure of your own inspection.

Its similar to mine though a larger motor. Its also an in line 4, I believe, so keep it under 6-7000 RPM. These machines tend to be a little top heavy but it can be handled with care. Lots of parking lot practice to make stopping second nature. ( After riding for a while I once stopped and forgot to immediately put my feet down.)

Good luck with your new ride.

Pete

[ceemes]

man, an '81 CB750 as a first ride......nope, can't say I think its a good choice. I am 6' 3" and at the time when I began riding, 200 lbs and I started off on a CM400 and tooled around with it for about a year and half to two year, then got a CB750 as my second bike. Figured I had this biking lark down pat. That CB750 Custom quickly taught me how wrong I was. For an old machine, it is actually a lot of bike, could put out around 77 HP at 9000 RPM when new, plus she is heavy to boot, almost 560 lbs when fully loaded with fuel and oil. You be better off starting off with something smaller IMHO, something like a newer Ninja or CBR250. But I would get that CB, just put it away for a bit, polish it, drool over it and once you got the basics down, you will be ready to ride it. And they are a great ride, well worth the wait and effort.

[ZahKlooster]

Thanks for the advice everyone. Its defiantly not a nighthawk in my searching non stop the past couple days . Funny enough through my searching I've found the exact bike for $1 200 with less then half the kilometres on it. Fully certified and road ready as well. When I go to see it I'll have my uncle with me to help check it out (he is a mechanic) to make sure it all checks out. Both do look well taken care of though. At this price it's a little hard to walk away from something so beautiful.

Thank you all again.