Honda CB's and their mileage

Brendami

Brendami

New Member
I'm looking at cb's but a friend told me to not buy on with 2,500 mi or more. Do they really go that fast? whats an alternative?
 
I'm estimating mine @ 33,000 mi. No smoking, rattles or other bad noises. And, I know the PO wasn't the brightest bulb or gave a rat's ass about proper maintenence. Honda CB's are some of the longest lasting bikes (with decent maintenence) out there. Just my .02
 
51,000+ miles on my 79 CB750 Limited. Starts every morning, great compression, and runs incredibly strong.
 
SCARE! said:
what CB?

engine size?
year?
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i was looking at 350s. They seem to be popular among the cafe racers and good looking to say the least. I'm impartial to the year. Just want a good deal, and to not regret it.
 
miles mean almost nothing when talking about vintage bikes.
Even less when talking about a bike that has been dragged out of the barn it has been sitting in for the last 30 years

Years do much more damage then miles.
 
Brendami said:
Just want a good deal, and to not regret it.
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Buy the best running and sorted bike that you can find, and not something built buy some bandwagon jumper just to feed the hipsters
This hobby is about RIDING, not talking on the internet about how great a deal this that or the other thing was.
A 1500 bike that just passed an inspection is WAY cheaper then a 500 "barn find"
 
surffly said:
A 1500 bike that just passed an inspection is WAY cheaper then a 500 "barn find"
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not even considering buying something without a title, registration, inspection, etc... not that great of a mechanic, don't wanna deal with the dmv, i want a GOOD bike.
 
oh and I heard that the bigger cbs are better but I'm not that tall, and I live in SF which is a cramped city so I wanted a smaller bike to be able to get through the traffic.
 
A small bike has plenty of advantages - light weight, fewer pistons, especially fewer carbs, etc. But really that decision is up to you. I ride a 650 twin now (about 400 pounds wet) and had a 1968 Honda CL175 before (about 260 pounds wet) and there is definitely a difference.

And people can destroy a bike is less than 5 miles. Get a compression tester - it will tell you a LOT more than the odometer.
 
Big Rich said:
A small bike has plenty of advantages - light weight, fewer pistons, especially fewer carbs, etc. But really that decision is up to you. I ride a 650 twin now (about 400 pounds wet) and had a 1968 Honda CL175 before (about 260 pounds wet) and there is definitely a difference.

And people can destroy a bike is less than 5 miles. Get a compression tester - it will tell you a LOT more than the odometer.
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What is this compression tester you speak of? I can guess what it does, but how much does one cost?
 
They can be had for $25-$50+. Critical tool to keep around, especially for shopping around for bikes. Pull the plugs, check compression, gives you a decent and quick report card for internal condition.
 
Actual miles operated is irrelevant when dealing with old bikes since most of the time the engine needs a top end rebuild.
 
Brendami said:
Do I get a gas compression tester or are there special ones for motorcycles?
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Something basic like this is what I use: http://www.harborfreight.com/quick-connect-compression-tester-95187.html
 
you need to stop listening to your friend.ODO mileage means nothing. Does the odo work?Is it the original odo?Was the motor rebuilt ? I have worked on cb's with 40,000 documented miles.
 
Reinhard said:
you need to stop listening to your friend.ODO mileage means nothing.
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if mileage means nothing what else do i look for? most of the time its just a bunch of previous owners telling me that they keep it in tip top shape, regular maintenance, the whole song and dance. I can't really tell if its good or not right? at least if it has low mileage i have something going for me (if the odo is correct).
 
The normal rundown is to check compression (the numbers are always lower on a cold motor), the kickstarter and electric starter spin the motor, transmission shifts through the gears easily, etc.
 
surffly said:
Buy the best running and sorted bike that you can find, and not something built buy some bandwagon jumper just to feed the hipsters
This hobby is about RIDING, not talking on the internet about how great a deal this that or the other thing was.
A 1500 bike that just passed an inspection is WAY cheaper then a 500 "barn find"
Click to expand...

Best advice ever
 
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