How old is your oldest motorcycle?
- Thread starter CourierDriver
- Start date
That V65 Sabre and Nighthawk bring back memories. I had the same V65 Sabre in blue/silver. It and the CB750F I started out riding on the roads on, belonged to a very cool uncle, who basically gifted them to me. Great times.
I'll go dig up a pict of me on the nighthawk, great bike.
Loved the hydraulic adjustment and no chain to adjust lube, clean or replace.
I also had its predecessor - the CB750F super sport.
Honda has played a major role in my life.
First taste of freedom - XR-75.
First trophy - rode a CR125R " Elsinore"
First peg scrape on a streetbike- CB750F
Honda generators kept our campsites going and our fridges cold.
2001 Yz125
The 700cc Nighthawk S had shaft drive. The Nighthawk 750 in @rekit's pics was chain drive, but did have hydraulic lash adjusters. I never owned any version of Nighthawk, but they were descendants of the 750F (as you noted), which was what sparked the memory for me.
My sister had a yellow Nighthawk 750.
1982,
The nighthawk I had was sized to dodge the Harley initiated <700 CC tariff.
Sadly both it and mine had a drum rear brake as did my V45 Sabre.
2001 Honda XR650R
94 Honda RC45 60K miles... it is an HRC $27,500 homologated race bike that is awful at lawful speeds... it likes 90mph in 1st gear and
go-straight-to-jail-velocity in 6th gear... if you are not vigilant it will turn your license into toilet paper...
Two Wheel Ordeal (true story)
go-straight-to-jail-velocity in 6th gear... if you are not vigilant it will turn your license into toilet paper...
Two Wheel Ordeal (true story)
Last edited:
I don't keep bikes for long, but if I had a buying story as @BusyLittleShop does with his Honda RC bike, I would keep it forever too. I would probably make one of my kids swear on my death bed they will keep it in the family.
I liked the chain drive, I could change the ratios. That bike was set up for magazine 1/4 mile times I guess when new. I removed 4 teeth from the rear sprocket eventually to make it highway ready. When I sold it to a Harley owning friend later, he loved the acceleration. I told him he would have loved it before. I also like drum brakes on the rear (on old bikes), they work good enough and don't need much maintenance.
The nighthawk S might be the only bike I don't have at least one pict of.
I didn't have it long before getting the V65.
A buddy worked with had a nighthawk 650 and we swapped bikes for a ride, I cant recall who took this, but at this moment I was riding his and he was riding mine.
Still the only protestant white guy with a jewfro around.
2021 BMW F750 GS 
Last edited:
1985 Yamaha Vmax. Bought it new on April 18, 1985. My 35th birthday.. 136,000+ miles on it. Never been into the motor, except for a clutch and 2 stators.
I liked this bike.
I rode this bike all around Alaska and Canada one summer in a group.
We all just stopped for gas when the Vmax did.
My best friend had a Vmax. At the time I had an FJ1200. Same deal with us on rides: When the Vmax needed gas, I'd just fill-up, even though I had plenty left.
Summer of 83 I was riding a Honda 450 Hawk, I wanted fast, I needed cheap (like zero) and the Hawk fit that bill.
I rode it from Valpo Indiana to the North shore of Chicago pretty much every weekend without snow. My path added an half hour further each way because the gas was cheaper than paying for the toll road - thats how broke I was.
I'm "pretty sure" the mill in this bike was shared by a non cruiser version, style aside same hardware.
I did a quick bike switch ride with a neighbor that owned one and remember being immensely impressed by it at the time. It pulled really strong, enough for easy first gear wheelies when snapped at the right RPM.
As we pulled back in I declared his bike killer, and he declared mine - <and it till hurts today> - " a dog".
He remarked " it's as if the power band were one giant flat spot like all the cam lobes have been ground down" .
I liked that bike too. Great sport tourer.
1920 Indian Scout
