Just purchased 92 NH 750, New Rider

[Bernoodle]

Hello.

I just bought my first bike, a 1992 Nighthawk 750.  Got it two weekends ago for $1500.  It has 23K miles on it and looks pretty good except for one scrape on and around the Honda decal on the left side of the tank from where it got dropped at some point.  There's a few other minor scratches that are probably from that same incident but they're hardly noticeable.  It came with the pictured luggage rack/backrest but I've already taken that off as I wasn't crazy about it.  It also has the center stand, a Corbin seat and also came with the original seat and a touring windscreen. 

It also could probably use a decent cleaning and polishing/waxing of the painted surfaces.  Any tips on how to clean without messing anything up (ie. getting water where it shouldn't be)?

I only have my permit and am practice riding now in preparation for getting my license.  I used to ride dirtbikes as a kid so I was able to hop on and ride pretty easily.  I also used to have a moped when I was a teenager but this sure is a lot more fun. 

[SirSeanSean]

  to the forums. Very nice looking bike you got there. And that Corbin is priceless, especially with the back rest.

[talespin]

  to a great forum.

You may find some motivated buyers here for that backrest.

Motorcycles are made to be in the weather. Washing shouldn't be much of a problem, I make sure I don't direct a heavy stream of water at anything electrical. The only things I think you'd need to worry about are the gauges and ignition. Don't douse anything, just spray on enough water to get the soap off.

Alternatively, there are some spray cleaners out there made specifically for painted surfaces.

[JB1290]

  to the forums. Nice bike. 

[jerjohn]

 
You can probably get a good price for that honda line back rest. Try here first, then ebay 

[NightHawked]

  to the Gang. That's a damn good lookin ride you got there. Enjoy.

[HawkFuzz]

Welcome.   Good looking NH!  I love the corbin with the red welt.  Keep the shiny side up.   

[ariwhiteboy]

  to the forum! Very nice looking 750. Make sure you get yourself some Quality Crash Gear ASAP. There are alot of us still walking,talking, and riding because of it.

[gammer]

Nice bike 
I like that seat, and the red pin stripping on it look good too.

[tomb raider]

    Keep that back rest, if you every want one you will play hard to find one..    Great for trips or ?    Good looking Bike  

[drdubb]

Nice bike. Has the necessary extras for long rides.

As per everyone else, that backrest is hard to come by and comes in handy for strapping things down. The centerstand and crash bars are also and extras.

[marriedman]

All that for $1500? Nice job! I'll take that backrest off your hands!

[creaky]

  to the forum, great looking bike....the Corbin seat is turning my eyes green.

[Bernoodle]

Thanks for all the welcomes.  I appreciate the offers for the seat and backrest but will likely be holding onto those, at least for the foreseeable future.  I will also be taking the advice re: getting some protective gear/clothing.  Next paycheck will likely get a leather jacket with all the armor stuff built-in. 

[mattrowe19]

First,  to the forum! For the jacket, you may consider a textile jacket. They're more versatile than leather for varying weather conditions. Check out motorcyclegear.com . They have some great prices on gear.

[marriedman]

For the jacket, you may consider a textile

+1 to that. I had a leather jacket for about a week. The leather jacket was bulky, very heavy, and made it difficult to move. But I sure felt protected!

Luckily the place I bought it from (www.ironpony.com) allowed me to switch it out and use store credit towards my new textile jacket. Joe Rocket Atomic 4. I love this jacket!

[Bernoodle]

I was just thinking leather because I assumed it afforded the best protection in case of a fall.  The pricing on the textile jackets does seem to be much more affordable though.  Thanks for the links to the online stores, I took a look and saw some nice jackets.  I just think I would need to try one on in person and not risk having to buy/ship/return if it doesn't fit right the first time.  I'm 5'10" and kind of lanky so I usually need to find a balance between long enough sleeves and not swimming in the torso area.  So far I've been just using my casual leather jacket but it's definitely not a permanent solution.

[mattrowe19]

+1000 on the Joe Rocket Atomic 4. I have the same one and I love it. I switch to my mesh jacket around 80-85 degrees. But for everything else, it's great!

[Hawks_Nest]

Greetings from another NJ Nighthawk rider. If you are heading Rt 17 North, PM me.  We can ride together someday.

If you are not sure about protective riding gears, visit local bike shops and try as much as you can. Harley/BMW showroom in Lodi has decent collection of riding gears. Internet ordering/return can become hassle if you are not 100% sure what you're ordering.

Ride safe.

[TimmyJ]

You got that for just 1500? Man, what's the catch? I mean, although I really like mine, it makes me feel I WAYY overpayed for mine.

Nice bike by the way. Welcome

PS - RPM gauge work?

[Bernoodle]

Yep, tach works fine (knock on wood).  Brand new tires too.  Like I said, only visible flaw is the one bad scrape across the left Honda decal on the tank and some smaller scratches on and around tank.  I was thinking I might just remove the decal, touch up the paint and then just put a new decal over it.  Thanks for the compliments!

[ariwhiteboy]

Textile jackets are great, and they've come a long way in 20-30 years. The new stuff holds up very well in an off and can often be used again. I have a leather jacket, and while it's cool  , both my go-to hot and cold weather jackets are textile. 

Don't worry about returns/sizing from www.motorcyclegear.com, many members here have ordered something and had to return due to a sizing issue with no problems whatsoever. They used to be called "New Enough" and if you do a search for that you can find some very positive reviews of their customer service and freakishly fast shipping. For many members, including myself they are the go to place for gear.*

*These guys should pay me!

[Bernoodle]

Thanks for the suggestions re: riding gear. I actually bought the Joe Rocket Atomic 4 jacket but am not sure I'm going to keep it.  I bought a medium and a large to try out and figured I would just send one back if one fit better.  However, they both have fitment issues.  I'm going to post a more detailed question on this matter in another thread in the appropriate section.

[SirSeanSean]

  I'm going to post a more detailed question on this matter in another thread in the appropriate section.

 

[jsepanski]

I really like that red bead on the seat!  The one I just purchased has a white one.