Faults:

Stator blew soon after sale. Replaced by mechanic (no real knowledge at that time). Aside from frangible parts (sprockets, tires, cables, etc) no troubles.

General Comments:

Holds up amazingly through periods of use, abuse, and ignorance! Charged the battery today for the first go in two months. Gave it the choke and she immediately started.

Owned the bike for ~16 years; it goes and goes.

Speedo is broken; friends report 105 mph on long straights!

Very forgiving; Is capable of 6th gear burnouts with the front drum brake locked (shift quick!)

EXCELLENT choice for first time rider. For this platform maybe the automatic (CM400/450A) would be easier at first, but at a certain cost.

The manual transmission gives enough grunt for fireroads and other light-duty off-pavement stuff. She's not a mudder but will definitely take you to a cemetery, quarry, firetower or other non-paved destination.

Paid $500 in 1993. Anything less than $1000 in good shape is a go. $1250 would make me pause, but remember, I'm old and bought mine a while back...

Faults:

The bike's clutch was slipping, had to replace it.

The tank was banged up and I replaced it with a tank off of a CM450A.

The right side cover was missing, replaced that.

A few misc. parts were broken or missing (i.e. turn signal lens, frame bolt, headlight adjustment, etc.)

Both tires were dry rotted, replaced both tires and tubes.

Two spokes broke on the bike somewhere along the way. Had the rear wheel re-laced when I had the tire put on. I chose to use someone with some experience for this one.

Since I've been riding the bike, only spokes have required maintenance... other than typical fluid changes and all that.

All other maintenance I performed myself.

General Comments:

Overall this is a really great little bike. It's great for a beginner, which is why I got the bike.

I rode dirt bikes for a long time, but never on the road... so I wanted something a little more "tame" to start with. However, I learned that this bike is pretty powerful. It's light weight, and has a pretty powerful motor, I think I've seen that it's around 45 hp. Once I gained some experience, this bike is a blast. My bike handles very quickly because I have straighter bars on it.

Braking is a little "iffy", definitely need to engine brake by downshifting if you're carrying any kind of speed up to a stop.

My only issue with the bike is the comfort. The "king/queen" seat is a little uncomfortable, and causes me to get pretty cramped up on the tank (I'm only 5'9"). I've been looking for a straight seat that would fit the bike, but to no avail. I'm pondering customizing a seat.

I definitely feel like I was riding after getting off of this bike after about 20-30 miles. I would never attempt a 100-mile+ ride on this bike. NO WAY!

Someone of shorter stature or a female would be a perfect fit for this bike, in my opinion.

This is a great commuter bike... no doubt about that. Good in town, and short small highway trips. And I average about 55-60 mpg on it. Good stuff!

General Comments:

I bought this motorcycle a few weeks ago. I'm a first time owner/rider, and I finally got the bike registered, etc. and got my learner's permit.

Today was the first day I rode it to work. The bike performed flawlessly, and I made it safely to my destination. I definitely need some practice though, in order to gain more confidence. I'm lucky to live in an area of Maine where my commute to and from work is all back roads and traffic is sparse at best.

My reason for selecting the motorcycle was based, in part, upon the reviews of others on this website and I'd like to say thanks. As a new rider, I feel as though I can contribute to this forum by saying that the Honda CM450E is a great beginner bike with all the power and speed a beginner needs. I hope this contribution is helpful to other first timers who are looking for a beginner bike.