Despite all my better judgment, about nine months ago I went out and bought a 1981 Honda CB650C. I didn’t have any riding experience, knowledge of old bikes or even a motorcycle license; just a few friends, a borrowed pickup truck, and a free afternoon.
When I purchased the bike, it ran, but only when hooked up to life support. I stored it over the winter, and once Punxsutawney Phil declared an end to Michigan’s snowy madness, I broke into the carburetor work that I knew needed to be done. Through trial and error, after painful error, I also found that the bike had a few finicky electrical problems that needed to be sorted. One of which left me on an unresponsive motorcycle rolling at 50 mph on a four lane road. But that’s another story entirely.
After riding it fairly regularly for the past 3-4 months, I have gotten to know it quite well, and feel as though a full review is in order for my 35-year-old companion. Without any further stalling, here is my review and my thoughts:
1.) Aesthetics
In terms of looks, it has what some might call a “great personality.” The gas tank has paint chips of all shapes and sizes, the chrome has faded, the seat is ripped, the side covers don’t match, it’s generally covered in grease, grime, and dirt, and it seems as though the previous owner put on a blindfold before attempting to repair weld the exhaust.
When I bought it, it sounded much like a sewing machine, the steady thrumming stifled by four large mufflers. Really, a mild and respectful sound. But, where’s the fun in that? So, I drilled the mufflers out, and now it sounds like someone tried to edit together clips of barking dogs to sound like an engine, which at the moment is pretty cool, but I’m sure the fun in that will fade quite fast.
2.) Mechanical Soundness
It leaks oil. Well, just a little bit.
It could definitely use a new set of tires. I still need to set the idle just right, pretty much every bearing could use a liberal application of grease and the choke cable is a bit iffy. The clutch is starting to fade, and the dashboard needs a few light bulbs replaced, but on the bright side, it has a new brake system. All of the lights and horns work, the suspension is intact and the engine runs well like a Honda should.
3.) Handling and Power
For a veteran bike, it certainly feels very light on its feet. Very flick-able and easy to control in turns, despite the big air-cooled four-cylinder engine packed into the heavy steel frame. The suspension is a little firm in really rough conditions, many times an unexpected manhole cover will bounce me six inches off my seat, but for average roads, it’s quite a pleasant ride.
In terms of power, there really isn’t too much to say. It certainly felt fast to me as my first bike, because there is nothing like bike speed. But my perspective changed when I went and test rode some 2016 model year 900cc bikes. My old 650cc power plant is quite torquey, and likes to pull in the low RPM’s, but the power plateaus into just a lot of noise up higher. With some tuning and expensive parts, I could change that, but I don’t see any reason to.
Conclusion
As fun as it was to take brand-new $9,000+ bikes for a ride, as much as they impressed and stunned me with their features and technology and scared me with their absurd power, I still found myself looking back at my old CB. Despite her rough appearance, the styling is classic, something motorcycle manufacturers have been trying to replicate for decades.
Almost everywhere I take it, all bikers, from the power-rangers on their neon rocket ships to the bearded, tattooed Harley riders get a kick out of the old girl. There’s something unique about finding an old piece of machinery and bringing it back to life, something very satisfying and fulfilling. And the fact that she can still draw a crowd speaks to that.
