Is a 1982 Honda cb450 Nighthawk a good bike?
I'm looking at a 1982 Honda CB450SC Nighthawk. This is my first bike. There are 26K miles on this bike and the dealer wants $1375 for it. Kelley Blue Book said this bike is worth $1175. I ran a vehicle history report and found nothing wrong. Should I buy it? How much should I pay?
It was a great bike in its day, but 32 years old is too old for a motorcycle. I'd be afraid that you'd have one problem after another, and spend most of the time waiting for parts (because parts for a 30 year old bike are not always easy to find!)
Blue Book values mean nothing on motorcycles and sports cars. If you go to a dealer and point out that their prices are $1k over the blue book value, the answer you'll get is 'Well, if you don't buy it, some other idiot will come and buy it.' THEY know what they can get for it!
For <$2000 or so, you generally don't get a good, sorted-out, reliable, ready-to-ride motorcycle. You get a bike that's running 'for now' or 'ran when stored', or a 'project'. Over 30 years is actually a 'vintage' bike, and some bikers keep them for special occasions but not as daily riders.
Thanks for the advice mr smartypants
Good in it's day, may still be good enough for a first bike if cheap enough to be expendable on big crash. I have a 1981 CM400 Honda that is used as a trainer, got it with front end damaged cheap, fixed it to ride as rat and later got it street legal for students- put a speedometer on it and fixed lights, etc. It has it's 3rd student now, has been repatched a couple times from 2nd and 1st students, still running as used but if it gets a bad engine or frame bent incident it'll be parts bin/salvage yard with no regrets- it has had a good life longer than most of its assembly line at the time run mates. If you do a minor drop damaged- you'll get the opportunity to learn a bit of wrenching. You note it is you're first bike- so budget concerns make it possible acceptable choice. Alternative is what? $6000.00 financed new something that might get dropped and will be worth 1/2 purchase price end of year? I tend to advise the 'Rat Bike' look for new riders- get the safety gear, learn to dodge fat pedestrians and drunk driver and after a years riding and couple thousand to 5 thousand miles on road with some city and at least one 500 mile trip you can make a newer bike decision based on experience and budget. Cycle may still be running and get you a $999.00 sale to vintage rider or another beginner for next bike purchase- or keep it awhile longer as backup work rider.
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