Faults:

Consumables. Nothing you wouldn't expect from a bike of this age.

Seat was falling apart. Rebuilt for $120AUD by local upholstery specialist.

Rust storm inside the fuel tank, blocked the tap. Cure: hold the tank upside-down and shake.

General Comments:

I got this bike off eBay in disheveled condition for $500AUD. I saw it as a cheap restoration project.

Being inexperienced, I learned that the cost of restoration depends on how much work you can do yourself.

Classic style. Derivative perhaps - but lovable. However, all that chrome is vulnerable to rust. And authenticity means drum brakes.

Apparently, Honda put a belt-drive on these things for the 1983 model year. Some previous owner may not have enjoyed this feature, as mine had been converted to chain-drive.

This machine is petite. I'm average in stature, but sitting on this baby-cruiser, it almost looks like I've borrowed a kids bike.

Very easy to ride, friendly towards learners. Nonetheless, a learner with any kind of passion will soon desire more power. Speed, braking and handling are inadequate for fast or aggressive traffic.

If you live in a quiet suburb or town, this bike would make a charming commuter. Chugging down a country lane feels great - very 'English'.

Honda + air-cooled twin + detuned = Reliable.

Easy to work on.

In Australia, the CM was popular enough for the wreckers to still have some parts lying around. Between them and your Honda dealer, you can keep it going forever.

Collect one if you must. After 2 years I sold mine. What I really want is a CM400.

Faults:

Nothing has gone wrong for the length of time that I have owned it.

General Comments:

My only complaint about this motorbike is that it seems nearly impossible to find parts for it. I've been to 4 different bike shops in the area, and a scrap yard, and no-one makes parts for my model year. I can find parts for '83 and '85, but for the most part neither year seems to have compatible parts to mine.

Aside from the above problem, the bike is excellent to learn on. It has a low enough centre of gravity that makes it very easy to maneuver at low speeds (perfect for your M1 exit test). The motor is easy to work on and pretty robust, I rode for my first summer unaware that one plug was not firing at all.