1984 Honda Nighthawk CB700SC
Amazing 'California Special' with Factory
Hondaline Luggage!
Museum/Collection-Grade Condition from every angle!
Please wait for all pictures to load!
Just over 23,500 original miles from new - mostly
- if not all-original - paint and bodywork, trim, wheels and driveline.
Honda's most revolutionary 1980s Superbike
- factory dual front discs, shaft-drive, hydraulic lifters and more.
Amazingly-accessorized with Jardine 4-into-1 header and exhaust, Hondaline
bags with key and Bagman tank bag!
Selling only because I am too tall to ride it comfortably!
I never thought I'd say this about a bike!
About three or four years ago, I saw one of
these bikes in this sort of condition - it may have even been this one -
in the showroom of Richmond Superbike, our local Ducati service center and
tuning facility. I nearly bought it on the spot for far more than I will
sell it to you today. From that day onward, I've had the latent desire to
own one. A year or less ago, a good friend of mine will attest to that he
nearly sold me his blue/black 1985 CB700SC in similar condition (albeit
with stock exhausts and no hard luggage, 'natch).
Imagine what I thought when
I saw this for sale locally - practically right around the corner from here.
When the prior owner brought it over to deliver it to me, I knew I had made
the right choice. This is the one that was worth the wait.
Note the new Metzlers and the incredible state
of preservation throughout. Yes, there are a few small scuffs and scratches
if you look closely, the left bag has some slight rash to the decal - but
the bike has never been down to the best of anyone's knowledge nor did it
ever spend a night out in the weather. It also has a nearly brand-new AGM
(glass-mat, no maintenance) battery - I know this only since I went in there
the other day to fix a slightly loose connection at one of the terminals.
Simply put, this is the Nighthawk for the Longrider
- it came to me with the bags and I added the Bagman red and black tank
bag out of my stash o' stuff since it matched the bike so well. It has a
non-scratch pad and I even put a microfiber cloth between it and the original
paint tank.
However, in the case of the
Longrider mentioned above, he or she needs to be 6 feet or less with short
legs. Most of my Nighthawk S riding friends are well below 6 feet tall and
ride these very comfortably. The upright seating position combined with
the location of the pegs makes this somewhat unbearable after about a half-hour
ride for me.
The original paint tank. It's black and you
are seeing some light swirl marks, nothing more.
There's no way these are reproduction/replacement
stickers.
I was asked a weekend or two ago at a show whether
these were CBR bags.
No. These are the correct factory
accessory Hondaline hard bags offered for the 1984 model year.
Even the seat cover is original to the best
of my knowledge. When a bike doesn't bake outside but lives as charmed a
life as this one has, it's easy to stay in prime condition.
Additionally, I've checked all
fluids and they are clean, clear and at the top - oil (recently changed),
rear drive, brakes and clutch (yes, this has a hydraulic clutch!) are all
at operating levels.
Just a stunning machine at every angle. I think
I'm just taken in by the looks more than anything - especially with the
factory bags.
Note the new Metzler Lasertec V-rated rubber
- front and rear.
This is also neat - like the rear suspension,
the front forks are air and valving adjustable for damping and rebound.
Honda's TRAC system was a remarkable anti-dive and it still works great
over 25 years later.
That's right - you don't need fancy new Konis
or Hagons - the factory put double-adjustable shocks too - there's a dial
knob at the top for damping.
You like that Jardine exhaust?
One of the most popular aftermarket suppliers
for a bike whose stock system typically rusted out from the inside pretty
quickly, this Jardine 4-into-1 system is very rare. When the bike mags used
to take these machines for long-term tests, this was one of the first things
that found its way onto the bike.
The other half of the equation. There's only
very light surface rust on the header, the camera makes it look far worse.
Remember above when I said the bike had shaft
drive? That's right, and it's a good unit, too, like an old airhead BMW.
They last forever, require no maintenance other than periodic oil changes
and allow for cakewalk-simple rear wheel removal.
Note the "8.83" date
code on the alloy wheel - it's pretty pristine - and the near-new Metzler
isn't bad, either!
The inside of the left Hondaline luggage - note
straps to hold your stuff in place are still in great shape. These are just
so cool.
Even the key for the bags read "HONDA"
- this key releases the bag and works in 3 out of 4 of the locks (I think
the 4th one is just sticky, I haven't messed with it).
The space-age instruments - sorry about the
glare, the speedo reads 23,506 in this shot - everything works splendidly
up here apart from the typical fuel level sender issue these bikes all seem
to have regardless of care. After about 1/4 tank, it sinks to E. Use the
trip odometer like you would on any other machine. The tank is pristine
on the inside, having been aircraft gel-coated (not cream!) in the last
couple of years.
So that's it...
who am I / why am I selling
I'm Chip
Lamb, vintage car and motorcycle enthusiast - I run a small
collector automobile parts business and consult to the collector
automobile and motorcycle auction industry on a variety of different
levels. I write for a handful of publications including Keith
Martin's Sports Car Market & Corvette
Market magazines, Classic
Motorsports and more. I have a nice little collection of my own and
I had hoped to make this a part of it.
However, I need to use what
I have - I can't stand it when something sits for too long. I'm not going
to cut this up and modify it; had the grips not been original on this bike
I wouldn't have put the ProGrip 714 gels on that I put on most all of my
bikes for comfort, so I'm not about to mess with the pegs or the seat to
make it better for me. The fact is that this is one of the finest sport-tourers
for someone of shorter stature than me, so I am sadly forced to just chalk
it up in the same category as a Formula Ford or a small British race car
- something I can't enjoy due to my size!
Normally, I would not solicit trades when selling
on eBay, but if you have a nice (for those who need a definition, the bike
above is "nice") Honda Transalp, NX650 Dominator or perhaps even
a KLR650, I could see a trade; I'd like a small Dual Sport that fits me
better as I don't currently have such a machine.
I'm also interested in the right
'87-8 Ducati Paso 750 Limited (Pearlescent White and in this sort of condition
with no apparent needs only need apply - please don't waste my time with
bitsas or needy bikes) and will trade plus cash for the right example. If
the guy in New Jersey with my dad's old bike that he bought new chimes in,
I'm all ears. Likewise, a nice Kawasaki 2-stroke Triple or a Ducati 600
Pantah are two bikes I've always wanted to own. Again, there's no "relative
nice" or "nice for its age" in my vocabulary.
If such a trade is possible, please send a link
to pictures and provide other information to
me in an e-mail. Please do not offer me anything I'm not asking for,
that really rubs me the wrong way.
payment/shipping/pickup
Barring any of the above, payment is due within
seven days of auction close/Buy it Now option unless
alternate arrangements are made with me in advance of any bid. If you
cannot pay, do not bid. I am not a bank, there is no in-house installment
plan. Accepted forms of payment are cash or cashier's cheque. I am always
amazed at how many people seem not to read or comprehend these terms when
I write them.
Shipping/pickup must occur within
fourteen days of auction close unless
alternate arrangements are made with me in advance of any bid. If you are local (20 mile radius of Bon Air,
23235), I'll simply bring you the bike myself on receipt of payment. You
can come with a trailer and pick up or hire a good transporter like Jim Vangelakos who runs up and down I-95 all the time with his
enclosed trailer rig. Overseas buyers are not a problem either provided
you comply with the above terms and hire someone to take it to a nearby
port, such as Baltimore or Norfolk. I will not make container/shipping arrangements
for you, but I could even be persuaded for a fee to trailer the bike to
one of those ports as I occasionally send cars overseas.
Bid with confidence, see my feedback, thanks
for looking.
QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? CONCERNS?
E-MAIL
ME OR CALL 804-357-4926