My affinity for 80's shaft drive hondas

3jvj · 05-02-10, 12:38 AM

Led me to pull the trigger on e-bay (again

).

Total time from find to finish: 10 hours.

Total miles 250.

For $250 I just couldn't pass it up. Had to drive through one of the wickedest snowstorms I've ever seen to get it. Top three. Inch to two inch clusters and visibility ended at the hood of my suburban. Headlights would fill up every 20 miles and my top speed was about 25 miles an hour for 50 miles or so.

I'll post pics when I've got some daylight but this is the new scooter. I always liked the look of the nighthawk. Kind of a chick bike, and not as much horsepower as my v45 but it has the classic pull of the inline 650. Quick.

Stats: (borrowed from some interweb site)
1983 nighthawk 650
Colors:
Pearl Siren Blue
Candy Wineberry Red
The headlight and instruments were rectangular
The exhaust system was a 4-into-2
The forks had the "TRAC" anti-dive system
The emblem was located above the axle
The speedometer numbers were marked in increments of 10 (i.e, 10, 20, 30, 40, etc.)
The engine used hydraulic valve adjusters and clutch.
Engine: Completely new 655cc, DOHC inline four-cylinder
Power: 72 horsepower
Valve train: Hydraulic Valve Adjuster system
Transmission: 6-speed
Drive: Shaft
Clutch: Self-adjusting Hydraulic
Brakes: Dual front disc brakes with twin piston calipers
Oil: Oil cooler
Wheelbase: 1460mm (57.5 in)
Seat height: 777 mm(31.1 in.)
Fuel capacity: 13 liters (3.4 gal.)
Weight: 197 kg (434.3 lb)
The serial number began JH2RC130*DM000034

Looks like this one:

Super pleased. It seems to be in great shape. Bought it from a fella that's going into the navy next week. Real nice fella.

Red Herring · 05-02-10, 09:18 AM

Nice! I can't wait to see some pics!

I have always had a real soft spot for the CB700sc

3jvj · 05-02-10, 11:11 AM

Time to unload and clean it up.

Even has decent rubber.

3jvj · 05-02-10, 09:22 PM

Got it unloaded and found that all of the electricals have been disconnected. Present but unhooked. Flipped through the clymer but it wasn't much help on so vast a scope. I need a shop manual with schematics, I think. Guy gave me a full spare motor- in the crate of course.

Had the wife throw a leg over. It's a good fit. Now if I can just get her to learn on the 80 I should be set.

So a couple of phone calls later and I had my hands on a 550 nighthawk I had owned years ago. Hasn't run but "it should with a little carb work"

FREE. "I'm over it- come get it". YES; I'LL BE RIGHT OVER.

So now I don't need the manual, and I have another one. All the electricals are intact and funtional, and I think most of the parts are common to the two. I'll use the 550 as my blueprint. That's two bikes in under 24 hours, and a pseudo guarantee that I can get something cobbled together that'll run.

3jvj · 05-02-10, 09:25 PM

Loading the 550:

This is just too easy. At the bare minimum I have a running bike and a full set of spare tins and parts. At best I'll have two running bikes (one to keep and one to flip).