Honda Nighthawk Dead

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jesse

Touchdown! Greaser!
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Jesse
My motorcycle died this morning. It started making a very loud banging noise in the bottom end about 200 miles from home. I stopped at a gas station and the engine just died when I slowed down.

I let it cool off and tried hitting the starter and nothing happend. I pushed it down a hill and tried to push start it in second gear which I've done countless times. The rear tire just locked up and wouldn't budge. The motor was locked up.

After loading it in a truck and taking it to a friends house I tried push starting it again and it started but continued to make the loud banging noise in the bottom end. I'm going to leave it here for the weekend.

I could probably find another motor for it and do a swap but I'm not sure it's worth it. A Jap bike with a blown motor just has no value. I'm going to strip the valuable parts off to sell on e-bay and junk the rest. I hate to say goodbye to it as I have a lot of memories my favorite of which was riding to Mississippi last year.

Maybe I'll buy another bike next year...ugh.
 
jesse said:
My motorcycle died this morning. It started making a very loud banging noise in the bottom end about 200 miles from home. I stopped at a gas station and the engine just died when I slowed down.

I let it cool off and tried hitting the starter and nothing happend. I pushed it down a hill and tried to push start it in second gear which I've done countless times. The rear tire just locked up and wouldn't budge. The motor was locked up.

After loading it in a truck and taking it to a friends house I tried push starting it again and it started but continued to make the loud banging noise in the bottom end. I'm going to leave it here for the weekend.

I could probably find another motor for it and do a swap but I'm not sure it's worth it. A Jap bike with a blown motor just has no value. I'm going to strip the valuable parts off to sell on e-bay and junk the rest. I hate to say goodbye to it as I have a lot of memories my favorite of which was riding to Mississippi last year.

Maybe I'll buy another bike next year...ugh.
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If you really like the bike, I'd look at getting a rebuilt motor or overhauling yours yourself. Parting it out will no doubt be PITA.
 
What?

Exceeded the JB Weld to base metal ratio limit?

I can't believe it....

:rofl:
 
It can be reduced to a simple mathematical equation, to decide which route to go (as it appears you have already analyzed well, Jesse).
Unless there is an emotional attachment - then all logic is out the window!
 
How many miles on it? Mine had 37K when I sold it, and the one before 36K when it got thieved.
 
So what's it cost to rebuild or replace with used engine?

I mean, you swapped the tranny on a FWD Pontiac, I magine an engine swap on a rice rocket should be a one-say walk in the park for you.

Edit:

By the way, I had a car spin the mains about 1,700 miles from home when I was just 18. Ended up selling the car for $10.00, and headin' on home. Loud engine noises far from home are not welcome. BT, DT.;

Good luck!
 
I've got a 99 Honda CBR600F4 I'm not riding. Has about 11k miles on it, runs great, some scarring on the right side, along with extra cowl panels.

No idea what it's worth.
 
Might have just been its time. Go for it, get another bike! Used bikes are cheap. You have to have something to ride so you can use all your gear, right?
 
SCCutler said:
So what's it cost to rebuild or replace with used engine?

I mean, you swapped the tranny on a FWD Pontiac, I magine an engine swap on a rice rocket should be a one-say walk in the park for you.
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The cost wouldn't be much if I could find a motor. I'm sure I could swap it in an afternoon. But the reality is you go through a lot of effort of hauling the bike 100 some miles and finding a motor, etc. When you are finished you still have a 20 some year old motorcycle that needs some front end work and isn't worth more then about $500.

It's time to let it go I think.
 
Also..the motor in it now--I have no idea how many miles. The rest of the bike has 36k but the current motor is already a swap. For all I know it could be at 100k now.
 
steingar said:
Might have just been its time. Go for it, get another bike! Used bikes are cheap. You have to have something to ride so you can use all your gear, right?
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I'll tell you what I've always wanted and almost bought several times.

2005-Suzuki-GSF1200S-small.jpg


Suzuki Bandit 1200S

Inline four cylinder, air cooled, rock solid motor. Good road bike with a sport look. Upright seating. Lots of torque.
 
I gotta tell you, Jesse, I don't even know much about motorcycles, but when I see that and I read about it being a 1200cc four, it sounds appealing, it surely does.
 
Got nothing bad to say about the Susy Bandit. Good bikes. Good luck getting one.
 
I will start looking for some good deals for you. Our dealerships have trade in's all the time. I am sure after Gastons, you will need a good deal.

Ps. I want one of the songs off your Gastons movie.
 
I'm wanting to sell my bike...but it doesn't look like you want a big cruiser. Mine is a Kawasaki Vulcan 1500.
 
jesse said:
The cost wouldn't be much if I could find a motor. I'm sure I could swap it in an afternoon. But the reality is you go through a lot of effort of hauling the bike 100 some miles and finding a motor, etc. When you are finished you still have a 20 some year old motorcycle that needs some front end work and isn't worth more then about $500.

It's time to let it go I think.
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http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1996...emQQcategoryZ35595QQihZ018QQitemZ280072969748


Where is the bike now? Can you dispose of it where it's at or would you have to fetch it anyway?
 
Sorry.

BTDT.

Discovered EBAY.

Got my current ride: 35 y.o. Black Yamaha Maxim. Inline 4 cylinder. Cruises 40mpg at 70mph. 7000 miles. Smooooooothh. And, Chel digs it. $1200. It'll last forever!

Hope your luck is as good!
 
lancefisher said:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1996...emQQcategoryZ35595QQihZ018QQitemZ280072969748


Where is the bike now? Can you dispose of it where it's at or would you have to fetch it anyway?
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Thanks for the effort but that is the wrong motor. Mine is a 1985 Honda Nighthawk 700S. They made them in 84', 85, and 86.

Honda made another Nighthawk in about 91' up into the 2000s as a CB750 but it's entirely a different machine. It's more of a standard/cruiser. The CB700SC was more of a standard/sport bike.

Right now the bike is at a friends in SE Minnesota. I can strip parts off it next weekend and there is a local motorcycle junk man who will pick up any bike for free. The stuff I want to e-bay are simple: fairings, gas tank, seat, shocks, ignition modules, that's really about it.
 
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Man that sucks really hard. The 700S was one of the finest bikes ever made IMHO. I'm just sorry I never bought one. Good luck with the next ride.
 
You guys with these motorcycle threads. Now I want one of these!
 

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Jus don't bite off more than you can chew. Average life expectancy of a liter superbike is roughly a month. They can really bite back.
 
steingar said:
Jus don't bite off more than you can chew. Average life expectancy of a liter superbike is roughly a month. They can really bite back.
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I hear ya, and that is true, they can be a handful. I've had motorcylces since I was nine years old starting with a 50CC Honda dirt bike and going up from there. What I like about the V twin engine is the midrange power and torque. I like the powerband a lot better than the higher reving in line fours. Still I won't go near a Hyabusa.
 
The Nighthawk has been revived.

I decided that I will be buying a new bike. At the same time I just couldn't let the nighthawk be thrown on it's side to never run again.

I was able to find another 1985 Honda Nighthawk 700S that someone had let sit outside laying on it's side for the last ten years. A jap bike that has been laying on it's side for 10 years is worth almost nothing. I paid $50 for it.

nighthawk1.jpg


As you can tell it was in rough shape. Most of the bike was completely ruined. Everything cosmetic on the bike is junk including the front fairing, instrument cluster, wheels, gas tank, side covers, seat, etc.

The bike also included a family of mice that lived inside it. Let's just say this thing did not smell pretty. The important thing was the engine wasn't locked up and the frame was straight.

My original plan was to pull the motor out of this one and stick it in my bike. After some thinking I decided it would actually be easier to use this new bike instead. In theory all I'd have to do is bolt my carburetors on it and hit the start button. For the most part this is all it took to make it run. I had to redo a lot of the wiring as it had been chewed through by mice.

Here is a picture of both bikes stripped in order to decide how to proceed.

nighthawk2.jpg


Out of the two bikes I was able to build a bike that was better then the one I had. I went over the bikes deciding which parts were better and bolted that onto the new one. It took about a weekend of work but it's now up and running. I'm probably just going to give it to someone for free.

I'm on a hunt now for a Suzuki Bandit 1200S.....
 
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My new baby will be here on Friday:

89034646_1.jpg
 
Some of the 2001 Bandit's had piston problems burning excessive oil. *Worry mode on*.....
 
Suzi's a pretty good bike mechanically, and the engine in the Bandit is pretty bullitproof. Oil is cheap.
 
jesse said:
Some of the 2001 Bandit's had piston problems burning excessive oil. *Worry mode on*.....
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I think Suzuki did a silent recall and fixed all of the ones customers complained about.
 
Bill Jennings said:
I think Suzuki did a silent recall and fixed all of the ones customers complained about.
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Yeah. That's what I heard. This one has 15,000 miles on it. I would think if there was a problem it'd be fixed by now. The guy I am buying it from is the second owner of the bike and was not aware of the problem. He claims it burns no oil.

I'm going to look at the exhaust and plugs when he brings it to me. I'll have to take a bit of a risk.
 
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