Which Honda CB is best?

[Mr.E]

Im going to attempt to toss this on the pile without evoking flames and bids to self serve myself....

I honestly think the rider has way more to do with a bike's ability to handle on the road than just the bike's reputation among advertising budgets... think about it. 10 years ago riding on the dragon's tail I was frequently up the mufflers of "superior"bikes. Me on a steel framed ninja 750, them on delta boxed yams and all the gixxer kids with their naked asian girl helmets. And then I was also getting passed by far superior riders than myself on ninja 500's and cobbled together streetfighters. My point being that no matter what you ride or how long you have been on two wheels, someone else will always be capable of doing more than less.

I like cb750s. I also like cb500t's. They are still relatively cheap to buy, cut up, and parts are everywhere, thanks more to Honda's ability to crank out gazillions of bikes and parts than to broken ones being plentiful. Truth is, most Cb's I find that aren't running is usually due to the crackhead owner being a moron, and not faulty bike design. For the same parameters, I usually avoid 2 strokes and rare bikes. I can't afford the initial investment, and parts are rare and pricey. Kinda sucks but that's just how it goes.

So I got long winded, and probably off topic, so disregard all I've said, and just learn to ride what you have until you outride (not abuse) the bike. Any idiot can wheelie and rev at red lights, but the number of people in our ranks who can really ride seems to be dwindling. And isn't cafe racing about doing all you can, with what you got?

 

[crazypj]

Saw this CB650Custom today, bit different, GSXR750 motor, etc

 

[Swapmeet Louie]

That bike has a thread on this board pj.

 

[sallgoodguy]

I'm with you, MrE... If what you're saying is that in the turns.. talent shines, but in the straights it's the guy with the ballsier bike, and the balls to ride it full tilt.

 

[Mr.E]

I'm with you, MrE... If what you're saying is that in the turns.. talent shines, but in the straights it's the guy with the ballsier bike, and the balls to ride it full tilt.

Yeah that's kinda what I mean. Except even in the straights its possible to separate the real riders from the "look at me's." Ie: "no stupid, its not cool to race around the mall parking lot in flip flops and a wife beater in first gear and seeing how long you can keep the rev limiter begging for mercy. Better you go out on the road and rear end a car trying to impress that jail bait girl who smiled at you in the food
court..."

Lol, I see it every summer... or maybe im just getting old and grumpy

 

[sallgoodguy]

FLIP FLOPS!!! HAHAHA!!!! I almost spit coffee laughing at that!! How about flip flops and shorts! No helmet on, but a helmet strapped to the bike! Ipod on the arm with headphones on!! On the upside... these guys do make it easier to get parts.

 

[VonYinzer]

Saw this CB650Custom today, bit different, GSXR750 motor, etc

Hmmmm... That bike hurts my head. Hahaha.

 

[ronnie]

Liking this thread, I have a 350F pj, it is smooth and it is my first bike but I like it and enjoy the hell out of it. it was restored within the last year or so by PO and has 24k miles on it.. What am I looking at in terms of things going wrong on it.. I don't know what the resto intailed but I would imagine the engine was torn down too cause it has new allen head bolts here and there..

You should write a book pj, or a sticky thread about the bikes you have worked on. That would be gnarly just to read!

 

[crazypj]

Several people have said same thing, problem is, most of the bikes I've worked on are the ones with problems, book would turn out mostly doom and gloom, plus it would be more of an autobiography (almost entirly about bikes, women, and drinking 8) )
Not sure I want people knowing that much about me
(although I lot of it is unbelievable, and I was there doing it ;D )

 

[Big R]

SNIP........most of the bikes I've worked on are the ones with problems, book would turn out mostly doom and gloom,..........SNIP

This is why I don't ask about my bikes. As long as the brakes don't fall off or the suspension doesn't snap into pieces, ignorance is bliss!

And Ronnie, I think the biggest problem with the 350F is the cam chain tensioner sticking. As long as it is adjusted per the schedule, it will be better off than one that is neglected.

 

[ronnie]

pj, yea doom and gloom is probably right.. But I would read it. And we could all use advice on women and drinking.. Haha!

Thanks, Rich.. I agree with you about nothing critical failing when I'm riding!

 

[adriannarnold]

Yeah that's kinda what I mean. Except even in the straights its possible to separate the real riders from the "look at me's." Ie: "no stupid, its not cool to race around the mall parking lot in flip flops and a wife beater in first gear and seeing how long you can keep the rev limiter begging for mercy. Better you go out on the road and rear end a car trying to impress that jail bait girl who smiled at you in the food
court..."

Lol, I see it every summer... or maybe im just getting old and grumpy

Hahahah So true.

This a great thread by the way. Thanks for all the info PJ

 

[HolyRoller]

Hey. Love resurrecting old threads.... this was a great read.

Anyone around here ever actually own an HD Sportster or work on one? I have been seeing some pretty sweet Sportster café bikes lately... I wonder if they are as bad as we often make them out to be. Any info PJ?

 

[crazypj]

Back from the dead ;D
All Harleys can be reliable, but it will cost you, one way or another.
Most of the EVO range is a big improvement on the earlier Iron Head, main reason being the hydraulic tappet adjustment (although that has it;s own issues)
There is a massive aftermarket parts availability for engine/transmission stuff, you don't need the 'buy more chrome'
The newest ones I don't know so much about but I'm led to believe they are more reliable.
Any bike will have problems when owner doesn't know what they are doing and uses internet for all information (some of the HD sites are downright dangerous)
Aftermarket smaller wear/service HD parts are relatively cheap compared to imports

 

[raptormeat]

I got a cb360 after seeing pj had 4 of them, and being able to fit it in the back of my CRV (crazy rad vehicle) for an easy move.
I just got a sissy bar for it too and am going to try and "tour" on it, just not on I-80 constantly. However I used to ride it from Cheyenne to Denver on I-25 and it kept up with the meth heads Just gotta drop to 4th if you wanna pass some big rig in a safe amount of time. It's not a couch with AC and Sirius XM while you ride, and it gets buzzy after a while, and maybe this is naive, but if you're gona do all that on a DynaGlide, might as well just buy a no doubt cheaper car and keep the windows down for the "wind in your free spirited hair" effect, it seems pretty much the same to me. I got a bike to be nimble and be able to park it anywhere.
I've only been stranded once on it due to a short in the kill switch. I dislodged the ball bearing a few days earlier after going 3pm trying to wheelie on it lol. Turned my high beams on, overloaded it of something, whole switch melted. Hitchhiker back to Tahoe with z pizza delivery guy and a couple who asked me if I was carrying any weapons.
With a 17t sprocket it's nice and I hope my 378 rebuild sees 50k miles on it.

Random question, but I see little itty bitty tanks on a lot of 800/1200cc HD choppers my friends have built and I can't help but think they must have to refill them every 50 miles. I need 50 miles to just get settled in. Anyway did we ever find out the OPs final choice?