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Honda CB700SC Nighthawk for sale

850 Combat

850 Combat

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https://losangeles.craigslist.org/wst/mcy/d/cb700sc-nighthawk/6680656224.html

There are few to no survivors of these bikes that I see, anyway, including the 650.

With shaft and hydraulic valves, routine maintenance was designed to be minimal. They were reasonably quick. 16" front wheel was all the rage at that time. It wasn't a lasting fad. I never rode one, but I suspect that the were quick at the expense of any mid range power. I've never seen these bags on one. It looks like a practical little sport tourer.

Aybody have experience with this family on Honda? Any reason that they are nolonger on the road? This owner has a spare complete with blown engine. I don't know if you can blow up a GS850.
 
When my Uncle returned to riding later in life his return bike was the standard 650. He rode the heck out of it. I think the only problem he ever had was a bad camchain tensioner. The engine got a little noisy as a result, but no catastrophic failure. One replaced it was fine. After he sold it the charging system failed in typical GS fashion.

He was around 250 or so pounds at the time so it was underpowered, but it still carried him around just fine.

The 700 SCs are pretty cool. Ive only ever seen a handful in real time....
 
The 83-85 CB650SC & 84-86 CB700SC are nice bikes. Some more info here: http://www.hondanighthawks.net


If abused badly, they can develop the tendency to pop out of gear. So pass on any bike with this symptom.


There was an issue with alternators on the 83 CB650SC. Bought one new back in 83 & had the alternator replaced with the later version.
There also was an issue with the 84 CB700SC but I don?t remember what it was.
 
I know absolutely nothing about them. I was never impressed with the looks of the Nighthawk, but the Nighthawk "SC"'s were beautiful bikes. I always thought, & still think, I wanted one, just for the looks.
 
One of the better looking 80's bikes IMO. Always thought that they made a lot of sense as a semi-sporty do-everything bike.

I've only ridden one, and honestly I didn't like it. It just handled "weird". That may have been the 16" front wheel, or it just may have been issues with the example I rode, but whatever it was the front end did not inspire confidence.
 
I constantly just miss out on buying various SCs, which are one of my all time favorite Hondas. I just looked at a totally neglected one locally, but it needed more than I wanted to spend to revive it, even at a $600 asking price. Despite the loss of shaft drive, the subsequent 750 CC version of the Nighthawk is just about perfect as a standard. With a few tweaks (mainly just better suspension and upgraded brake lines and pads), they are do-anything machines.

I have loved the Nighthawk series ever since the 650SC came out.
 
I had a pristine red '85 650sc for many years. Rode it to death, and loved it. If they started manufacturing them again, I'd buy one brand new. Extremely comfortable, reasonably quick with a change of disposition when pushed up beyond seven grand or so. Beautiful sounding engine. Almost no maintenance. Not much range, with a little fuel tank. Probably every single one of them developed a bad cam chain tensioner. Mine did, and it was an unpleasant job replacing it. Never had to touch the carbs, the electrical or the engine in general. I'd change the plugs every few years, just because it seemed like I should do something like maintenance. Tires were always replaced because of age, not wear. Had to put in a new driveshaft (easy fix).

In the end, it developed some unpleasant internal chain-like noise; not surprising, since the alternator, oil pump, starter and (of course) cams were all chain-driven. I sold it on ebay with full disclosure of the sound (still ran great), and got twice what I paid for it around 14 years earlier. I miss it, but I have my DL now, which is equally satisfying to ride.
 
I've got a very nice CB700SC in my garage and I quite like it. Mine is completely stock all the way down to the exhaust and rides wonderfully. They do have a small list of common problems with them. Most notably the starters, alternators and transmissions. You are correct in that all the power is in the upper RPM's but it is the EXACT same speed as my GS750 with a 4 into 1 and 530 chain conversion with a 52 rear sprocket. If I get a friend to ride it that his the same weight as me, we can pull 1st - 4th without moving an inch relative to each other.

The seating position is a little more upright than the GS and there isn't much feel in the front end but once you get used to it they do handle pretty well. Overall a very solid bike but if you are buying one that has sat for some time plan to spend the first 2 years of ownership and riding replacing all the seals as they start leaking. Because all of the accessories are set back behind the engine and driven with a chain there are about 8 extra seals that don't get oil on them when the bike sits. From what I could tell the clutch also pretty much slipped from the factory so stiffer springs are usually required.
 
Here's a picture of mine with the 750
 

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hahahahah 700 you all should call up the guys and thank em for downgrading a 750 to a 700. Doubt there was much power difference but I recall a trip down south years ago ad one of the boys had a cdn spec and it had a magic impact on all the other honda fanboys. So what was the cc of the 700 vs the canadian and one assumes worldwide spec 750 version? My little 550 is a 572 cc bike as per the cylinder bank. When would it be a 600 at 576?


It was a precursor to the whole nasty genre of sporting 600s all the 550s got a marketing blits and a stroke and or bore massage to make squid a reality.
 
jabcb said:
If abused badly, they can develop the tendency to pop out of gear. So pass on any bike with this symptom.
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Click to expand...

I don't think jumping out of 2nd is specific to Honda.
I agree, avoid any motorcycle that does this, unless the price is right. I have no desire to ever split a case again.
 
exdirtbiker said:
I don't think jumping out of 2nd is specific to Honda.
I agree, avoid any motorcycle that does this, unless the price is right. I have no desire to ever split a case again.
Click to expand...

I think you're right. It is fairly common across brands. What is unique to the Nighthawk is that every one I've ridden (mine included) makes a terrible clunk when shifting into 1st from neutral. Sounds like the transmission is ready to come apart. The only known solution is to ignore it and ride on
 
I traded the 550T I got for my wife for an 85 650 and the only problem we had with it was it didn't charge the battery at idle. It picked up only after 2,500 rpm. A battery tender took car of any starting problems as long as you didn't let the bike just sit there and idle we never had an issue.

I recently did a total tune up and took care of all the leaking seals(mentioned earlier) on a 72 year old church members 650. Also an 85. He had it painted red the day after he bought it new. The dealership apparently only had black ones in stock and he wanted red. It looked lighter than the one we had, but not faded. He said that he didn't really like the red that came on them so his painter came up with a color he did like.:D I told him my wife didn't want me to take it back, as she really liked the one we had.

When I dropped off the bike to his house, he broke out an old black and white photo of him back in the day, sitting on his Matchless Silverhawk. This guy is lucky if he's a buck ten wet. He fancies himself quite the ladies man, running around in his bright red mid 2000 something Vette. lol
 
Matchless Silver Hawk. Overhead cam V4 built in the early 30s. I've never seen one. Would like to though. At 72 today, that bike would have been 9 tears old when this sporty fellow was born.

Kind of like a twenty something with a GS1000 today, although you can bet that the Matchless had a different wrench time to ride time ratio, with an engine designed in the 20s. I had never heard of that engine family, so thanks for that.
 
The1970's said:
I think you're right. It is fairly common across brands. What is unique to the Nighthawk is that every one I've ridden (mine included) makes a terrible clunk when shifting into 1st from neutral. Sounds like the transmission is ready to come apart. The only known solution is to ignore it and ride on
Click to expand...

Compared to many bikes, I find that Hondas do this in a more pronounced way-or at least vintage ones: My 900F does it more than many other non-Hondas I've had.
 
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