A couple of years ago I decided to teach myself how to ride a motorcycle. The smart and reasonable way to do this is to sign up for a course. Never one to be accused of doing things the easy way I bought a cheap motorbike to teach myself instead.
When I embarked on this journey I knew very little about motorbikes but I had strong feels on what I did not want rather than what I did. I had no desire for a large, loud, Harley-Davidson style bike. I had even less desire to have anything with the Harley-Davidson brand name on it as they seemed quite a bit more costly and had a certain vibe to them (fairly or not). I also had no interest in a crazy, ultra high performance sport bike. Looks wise and comfort wise there was a lot of appeal in more of a standard motorbike. A classic one would be ideal but I definitely did not want the maintenance commitment of a legitimate classic.
I figured a small displacement bike would be a decent idea for a self teaching beginner and better make it a cheap one in case motorcycles and I did not gel. I found this Honda Nighthawk with only five thousand some kilometers (three thousand-ish miles) on it locally. They must have been a hard five thousand some kilometers though. It was originally red in color but painted (poorly) flat black at some point in the past and while a little odd looking I figured it would make a good learning bike. I talked the seller into delivering it to me since I did not even have a helmet yet never mind the ability to ride it or a license.
The Nighthawk is powered by a 234CC air-cooled parallel twin backed by a five speed gearbox which was also used in the more common cruiser inspired Honda Rebel. Interestingly the engine is completely square with a bore and stroke of 53 mm × 53 mm (2.1 in × 2.1 in). The drive is via a chain.
The Nighthawk is a small bike ideal for learners and was often used by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) training courses. The design came out in 1982 and did not change much over the run until it was discontinued in 2008. Slowly I taught myself to ride around the neighborhood before venturing out into the city. For those who have not ever ridden before there is a lot to coordinate together when first learning. First gear is down with your foot, then neutral is up with your toe followed by second to fifth. Clutch, throttle, turn indicators, and front brakes are handled by your hands. The rear brake is activated by your other foot. Juggle all of this while steering and trying not to drop the thing. Unlike many others I never had the opportunity to ride a dirt bike when growing up so this was all new to me.
There was no gas gauge on the Nighthawk but there is a reserve tank which you reached down and switched over to when running out of fuel in the main tank. As a beginner this a daunting task to contemplate while riding so I was careful to keep the tank topped up.
As my confidence grew I ventured out on the highway with the Nighthawk. It could just maintain highway speeds but felt very unstable in any kind of wind. Unfortunately southern Alberta is one of the more windy places in the world. Naturally we have plenty of electricity generating windmills around these parts. Lightweight bikes are a handful in the wind at the best of times but a closer look at the fork seals revealed they were (well) past their best. The other problem was the brakes were both drums and not very effective at all. A bike that was fun, lively and tossable around town became a little too lively (and less fun) out on the open road.
The Nighthawk bodywork was a little strange looking as an updated standard and I had visions of turning into a cool cafe racer style custom. I even picked up a cheap classic tank which I later flipped when I figured I did not actually want to build a custom bike.
After a season with the Honda it was time to move on. I had learned the basics but felt I wanted something a bit more highway capable. I sold it onto to another fellow learning to ride and occasionally still see it around town.
Nice post about a nice little Honda twin! Anyone interested in diving into the world of vintage Honda twins should visit Hondatwins.net. It’s possibly the nicest, most helpful bunch of people* you’ll ever encounter on the WWW.
*validating Honda’s legendary ad campaign during the 60’s.
My first motorcycle was a 175cc Kawasaki, purchased in 1973. It was essentially a trail bike (although a little heavy for that) with equipment (lights/horn/etc) that made it street legal. After a short learning curve I was comfortable enough riding it around town, but, since with me aboard the top speed was around 60 MPH, I didn’t ride it on the highway. I still owned the bike when I joined the Air Force and the little Kawasaki spent most of the next four years in my brother’s garage. He didn’t ride it very often so the bike was still in fairly good shape when I returned home. I rode the little Kawasaki, nearly always off road, for a couple of years before having an accident that damaged it enough so that repairs would have been needed. I decided against spending the money and instead bought another bike, a Honda CB550, a story for another time.
I did it like this too. Self taught on a borrowed Kawasaki 175. I paid my friend the owner a form of rent – bought a new battery for the bike at Farm & Fleet.
After a week or two of basics confidence was way up and need for more speed was also elevated. This led to a Kawasaki EX500 – much more satisfying twin and ideal for around town. Then came BMW R65, BMW R80 and BMW K100. When the wife also wanted to learn and the EX500 being gone we bought a used Suzuki GS500. All these bikes were excellent and the two 500s were both ideal for a new rider and for city riding.
This motorcycle process started in the summer of 1989; I sold the last bike (the R80) in this just completed summer of 2019.
I taught myself to ride on an ’85 Suzuki DS80, and had a couple of years on ’86-’87 Honda Sprees before I got a car. I got a Honda CB360 when I was 21 as cheap wheels to go to work. I’d already had lots of road experience by then, so there wasn’t much learning curve. It was a fun, light bike. A couple of times I rode it to work in the extreme cold because the two cars failed to start. I don’t recommend it, though. Very cold when you are wet from snow! I recommend a light, easy-handling bike for beginners. Plus, I could get up to 100 with my head down by the gauges, redlining in 5th (out of it’s 6 gears).
I mean, how fast do you need to go, considering one rolling object in the road or a crash with ANY car can mean certain death. They say you always crash at least once. I only did once on a moped when I was 15. There was a cable run across a church parking lot that I did not see at night. I was slammed to the ground, no helmet, and was out cold for about 20 minutes. I still have neck problems. But I was competent/lucky enough to never wreck on a real bike. But I did hit a bumblebee with the helmet visor down at about 65 mph once. Can’t imagine what that would have done to my bare face! I haven’t ridden since 1995, because I figured I had cashed in all my luck coupons and had a new family that didn’t want me to die. I sometimes miss it. Never slept better than after a cruise. Cars can never duplicate that sensation.
My first bike was a Honda 76 CB 360. Great bike to learn on but like your one a handful when a big truck went by on the highway.
I took the course and would recommend it to anyone learning how to ride. I know it saved me over the years. As a bonus you get to ride their bike when you do the testing. Also at the time (early nineties) it lowered the cost of insurance so the course was pretty much free after a couple of years.
I picked up a 1984 Yamaha Riva 180 a couple of years ago and it is great around town. Although it will do highway speeds barley I tap out at 80kms/hr. It makes the ride to work an adventure and saves me about $20 a week in fuel.
Thanks for the post.
I was just thinking about motorcycle trips, reading this was a good way to scratch the itch on a snowy day.
A good first bike, unlike most you have not made the relentless climb up the displacement ladder and stuck with smaller bikes. Could a middleweight adventure bike be in your future DS?
My first bike was a Bridgestone 90. That was in 1972 in Iowa City. I had never ridden a motorcycle before. I took the bus to the seller’s house, paid him, and drove off after the owner showed me the controls. I just drove off, and spent the rest of the day riding around town and in the country nearby. I must have looked pretty funny, being 6’4” on that little bike. Even funnier when my 6’3” friend joined me on it.
I mostly stayed pretty close to town. Riding it on the highway was not very pleasant. It would hit 55-60 if I leaned down low enough but it was a stretch. But I did take it on some highway runs to some towns not too far away.
Helmet? What’s that?
They’re wonderful bikes, although they were completely outsold by the Rebel (same drivetrain, but Sportster styling) in the US, and definitely among the perfect bikes for a beginner. There are times I wish every beginner could be restricted to motorcycles like this for their first six months.
It’s fun to watch how times have changed when it comes to beginner bikes. My first was a ’75 Kawasaki G3-SS, 100cc two stroke street bike that used the same engine as their 100cc motocrosser at the time. After about three months I bought a ’72 Honda CB350, sold the Kwak a short time later to a girl I was seeing, and this Honda was my ‘big’ bike for the next four years. Cafe racered it as best I could with no aftermarket parts available, and spent a couple of years riding with buddies who owned CB400F’s. Did a lot of long distance (350 mile trips) touring, with it. Amazing what you can do when you’re in your late twenties.
Still want one of those 400F’s today.
Spring of 1980, I figured out the Honda wasn’t enough anymore, and finally got serious: 1979 Triumph Bonneville bought new as a leftover (it was between that and a ’79 Kawasaki KZ650 – I’ve always felt the choice I made was the difference between a few years riding and the lifelong obsession I’ve developed). Simultaneously, I ended up with a ’74 BMW R90/6.
Small and middleweight bikes were history.
My first bike was a Honda CB400F which I bought for $800. I rode that for a summer, sold it on for $800 and bought a 1978 Triumph Bonneville, the first of three Bonnevilles I owned.
I also owned a Moto Morini 500 for several years. Has anyone else here ever owned one? I’ve never even seen another one.
Nice story. I really like how you conveyed the big step a motorcycle newbie has to take. It was a little bit different for me. The first motorized bike I rode was speed limited thing with a 50cc engine and flyweight clutch. One thing less to coordinate. Next step was another speed limited mokick ( MOAL is on these pages) . It had all controls of a real motor cycle except turn signals. Then came a real motorcycle: BMW R 26. I think the gradual stepping up while the brain completes its neurological development may have been a factor for me still being around.
Great story. I consider myself lucky as a kid to ride dirt bikes, have the private property to ride them on {our yard; at the time we weren’t incorporated into city of Tigard yet} and a mom who wouldn’t let me play football in school, feeling it was dangerous, but loved motorcycles. I let her ride my Trail 70 once. She crashed. And laughed about it. I really want one of the new Super Cubs, but Honda is a wee to bit proud of them
Just took the beginner rider course in June and purchased my first bike in early August. It’s a low-mileage 2008 Honda Shadow 750.
I know it seems a little large for a first bike, but where I live dictates that there is a fair amount of multi-lane highway driving with lots of semis. I like the extra heft of it, and it has plenty of power for highway cruising at 75-80 mph. Fuel economy isn’t bad either, at a touch over 50 mpg.
I learned to ride on a 125 Honda Grom and a Suzuki VanVan at the course, so the weight of the Shadow was intimidating at first.
The weather is too cold to ride now (below freezing most nights). I’m already looking forward to the spring.
“I had even less desire to have anything with the Harley-Davidson brand name on it as they seemed quite a bit more costly”
Costly bikes and costly parts. A friend of mine swore off Harleys when he found himself paying three times more for a brake lever that was identical to an import bike, but used Harley specific dimensions…
I remember when these came out, The 250 Nighthawk is based on the 82-83 CM250 and i have a CM250 C in the garage that I bought in 91 and plan to get running again as project.
The CMX250 Rebel uses a different frame and slightly different engine. They are good little bikes and I’ve even seen small riders use the CM/CB 250 for light touring.
This guy did Canada to Mexico on a Nighthawk 250!
https://advrider.com/f/threads/north-to-south-america-on-a-honda-250.1379856/
One of my regrets in life was that I never rode a motorbike but once. A friend in college had one and let me ride it around the parking lot.
On a recent trip thru the Black Forest in Germany, there were more motorbikes than there were cars. Of course, the riders were donned in leather jump suits and top dollar helmets. A completely different mindset in Europe compared to the US concerning motorbikes. I envy them.
Looks like it is back up for sale. And only $600. I could use it for the Beater Challenge. The fork seals still need done.
https://www.kijiji.ca/v-street-cruisers-choppers/lethbridge/600-great-starter-bike-honda-nighthawk-250cc/1473046641