1982 Honda CB900C
Summary:
More reliable than a battle tank, and a wonderful joy to ride and own
Faults:
Minor oil leaks (tach drive seal, valve cover gasket).
Fuel petcock leak.
Timing chain requires frequent adjustment.
Signal light switch contacts need cleaning every two years.
Hard on the rear tire (keeps turning into smoke and long, black lines on the pavement).
General Comments:
Overall a great bike, and very hard to kill!
As a young punk (I purchased the bike when I was 17), I did nothing but beat on this thing for years, and it has never been out of commission (except for multiple crashes from goofing off).
On long trips, the seat becomes uncomfortable, but I got a custom aftermarket seat for Christmas 2005; I'll see if that improves it.
A small windscreen works great on this bike for keeping wind off the rider, because of the relatively low seat height and relaxed, upright rider position.
The fuel tank is relatively small for a large bike, and range is about 240km/150miles at best on the highway with luggage, but the factory seat makes you want to get off and stretch about that frequently anyways.
The cam chain requires frequent adjustment on these bikes; not a difficult procedure, but vitally important to prevent major engine damage. Mine starts to get slightly noisy (rattles) at about 4000km/2500miles.
Lots of power; does 13.2 seconds (traction limited off the line) at 105.4MPH in the 1/4 mile even after 13 years without being tuned; high 12's are likely if I get around to tuning this year.
The factory exhaust was long gone (rusted out), and the aftermarket replacement 4-1 header is shot (2 pipes are crushed and lots of rust). The only replacement exhaust systems available anymore are MAC non-performance systems; not too expensive, but little performance benefit.
Would you buy another motorcycle from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 14th May, 2006
8th Oct 2012, 14:28
People will always try to low ball you because they are cheap. If in good shape, these bikes should easily bring $1,500 all day long. I wouldn't hesitate to spend $1,500 on one of these bikes in good shape!! Too bad car makers don't build cars to this level.
26th Jul 2009, 21:29
Accurate assessment. I absolutely love mine. I cannot believe how little people are willing to pay for these in dire straits. I've had mine on c l for $1500 and people insulted me with lowball offers. I feel like I'm riding a 4-5k bike. So I'll be keeping it, and continuing to love it. Ride safe.