My "Bucket List" Nighthawk 750

[Hawk4Tony]

Well Forum Friends, I'm looking to retire in the not to distant future and thought it would be good to have one more bike before I'm really to old to lift that leg over the seat.  It's been 10 years since my last bike which was a sweet '80 CB650 SOHC that was a mild project. So sorry to have let that one go. With 2 of the kids still in college though, that put my bike budget at $1500. With the help of my brother, we found this '02 NH750 with 43k miles near Dana Point.

The beach weather and a low speed drop by the previous owner contribute to the cosmetic issues of this NH but mechanically it appears to be in good shape. The tank though not dented can use a repaint and the Corbin seat is pretty weathered worn. I got an estimate on having the seat redone for $100 in vinyl from a good local shop.

Oil is now changed, the clutch lever, headlamp bracket have been straightened from that drop. Next is bleeding the brakes, checking the tach connections (intermittently works so hope it's not that solder issue I've seen posted), and continue some of the cleaning up.

I looked at other bikes in my search including a Kawi Police bike that was in great shape but the NH 750 feels like the perfect fit for me.

Hope the photos show up. And thanks in advance to the forum members for all the technical tips etc. that are posted.

First photo should be after picking up the bike (note the tweaked headlamp). Second one is of the Corbin seat. That's why it's good to carry a towel in sunny So Cal to throw down on the seat and tank. Third photo is at Crystal Lake.

Tony

[NightHawked]

  to the addiction, always liked the black ones. Not a bad price on the redo on the seat. FWIW they do have vinyl upholstery paint you could try on the gray areas. Enjoy!

[luckylindy]

  Tony.  Hope you enjoy your NH.

[hppants]

Welcome to the group - ride safe.

[Hawk4Tony]

Thanks for the welcome.

I need to get a shop manual. Is the Clymers a good one?

Besides some basic metric tools are there any other specialized tools needed?

I want to change the fork fluid but looks like I'll need a large hex for the top. I'm guessing that the drain plug is hidden as well. Is there a "How To" link on the fork fluid change?

I was going to do what NightHawked suggested by using vinyl paint but the cost of the prep spray and color spray would come to about $50 with shipping. I was going to just go all black. It would still look worn but not as bad I thought. But if having the seat recovered for $100 would make it look new on top then that seemed better unless there's a local source for vinyl paint that is less expensive.

Any ideas on how to replace the rubber bumpers on the seat pan?

Any thoughts on what it should cost to have a shop paint the tank?

I'm including some close ups of the tank and seat.

Thanks

Tony

[hockeyhawk]

 

[mikefootusa]

Tony, in my opinion...get a Honda service manual...the Clymers has not worked out very good for me...but I have an oddball '82 CB750SC.
The guys and gals here have been very helpful to me as I'm newly getting back into the saddle (1972...last bike).  There is alot of good knowledge here.
Welcome to the forum!

[AmericanClassic]

I despise Clymer manuals. However, they are cheap.

My biggest complaint is that they are terribly organized, so there is no "look this up quickly" mid project. On my GL, I had to look up camshaft removal, in order to find out how to remove the rear cover, and then they made no mention of the fact that the process they showed was for the CDI bikes, and the TI bikes had an extra step covered in the back of the book.

They will get you by on a lot of things though.

[floridahawk]

 

[flynrider]

 

   I think you may be out of luck with the tach.   I've seen several of them fail with the cold solder problem and the first indication is that they start to work intermittently, then eventually not at all.  Maybe you'll be lucky, but don't hold your breath.

   As for manuals, I have both.  There are some things that are more clear in the Clymer than the Honda manuals, and vice versa.  The Honda manual is a little more cumbersome since it comes in two parts.  The Common Service Manual which covers general items that apply to all Hondas and the Nighthawk specific manual which is self explanatory.   I usually search through one manual before realizing what I'm lookin for is in the other one.   

   Good luck with the list    (and check your PMs)

[geaux]

I just got a corbin seat that looked abused but a 5 buck can of black vinyl dye spruced it up.

[NightHawked]

Yea I was thinking along the lines of maybe it was Rustoleum brand available at AutoZone. I don't have experience on heavy wear areas so I was thinking of taping off and just painting the gray areas and even painting those black. I think I paid under $10. for the the spray can. I've used it and several like products several times over the years and was satisfied with it. It's not going to be as nice as a redo but for a little money and time it may spruce it up. FWIW the more you stay on the seat the less you'll see of it.

[Hawk4Tony]

Yea I was thinking along the lines of maybe it was Rustoleum brand available at AutoZone. I don't have experience on heavy wear areas so I was thinking of taping off and just painting the gray areas and even painting those black. I think I paid under $10. for the the spray can. I've used it and several like products several times over the years and was satisfied with it. It's not going to be as nice as a redo but for a little money and time it may spruce it up. FWIW the more you stay on the seat the less you'll see of it.

You're right Nighthawked, sitting on it definitely makes the seat blems less noticeable  I'll try Autozone and see if they stock the vinyl paint. As for the tach, if not the solder issue, are there connections I can check? After straightening out the headlamp bracket and reconnecting some of the connections, the tach has started to work.

Geaux - If you remember the brand of vinyl spray you used and where you picked it up that would be great, too.

Thanks for the offer Flynrider. PM sent.

Tony

[NightHawked]

I mentioned AutoZone as the most recent place of purchase but have purchased other brands at most autoparts stores and Walmart over the years. Mentioned this previously on the forum and the recipient could not find it.

[Hawk4Tony]

Thanks to Nighthawked, I went to Autozone and picked up the vinyl/fabric spray which was about $9 with tax.

I masked off the black parts of the original seat and spayed the gray with the flat black color. Used about 2/3rds of the can. Maybe one more touch up but I think this will do til that time when the seat absolutely has to be recovered. Photos below.

Also, a shout out for the hook up on the manuals. This will be a big help.

I didn't pick up on this when the bike was purchased but the front tire was mounted with the "direction arrow" pointing the wrong way. Is this an issue?

Thanks

Tone

[AmericanClassic]

Not horribly if your a fair weather rider. The direction of the tire is (at least primarily) so it will disperse water most effectively. Backwards it might be a little better than a slick.

[Hawk4Tony]

Thanks American Classic.

Is the "better than a slick" assessment based on wet streets or just in general? Any problems in changing the direction of the same tire on the rim now?

Fortunately the weather for the most part has been great in So Cal. but that should be changing in the near future.

[creaky]

There is no substitute for the factory service manual. Here's one on fleabay:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Honda-Service-Manual-CB750-Nighthawk-00-02-/170697582324?hash=item27be5e66f4&item=170697582324&pt=Motors_Manuals_Literature&vxp=mtr

[skramer360]

I can't imagine that there would be a problem switching the tire around. I have also read that the direction is important for tire life if you are a "sporty rider." What I read was that the front tire holds together better under hard braking if the arrows are followed, and the rear holds together better under hard acceleration. YMMV.

[Spoonman]

It also very much helps to have them proper in wet weather.

[jerjohn]

Good job on the seat. 

[Hawk4Tony]

Thanks jerjohn, Spoonman & skramer360. Work has been pretty hectic so it may be at the Thanksgiving or even the Xmas break that I'll able to take the front tire off and take it to a shop to have it changed. With my brother's help, the rear tire was pulled and the rear brakes inspected and put back together as it should be.

Thanks creaky but I was able to get both manuals in electronic form with the help of forum members.

One of the other ways this forum has helped has been on stressing the importance of the right riding gear. I was able to pick up a new Joe Rocket Nova jacket off of Craigslist for $40. I was pretty stoked about that one. Next is looking for the gloves, pants and boots. With 2 kids still left in college, I have to look for the best deals possible  but I have a better sense of what to look for.

Even though I have a great job and like the folks I work with, there's moments when I wish I was already retired so that I could spend more time tooling with the Nighthawk.

[FearThis SC]

  Tony!  Great looking NH! 

Ride Safe...

[Hawk4Tony]

I'm having fun with my NH and thanks to the forum have gotten some good information. I recently picked up a near mint used Nat. Cycle Street Shield EX  at a great price on EBay and it finally arrived last night. I was like the kid in a candy store. Opened the box and all the parts seemed to be there.

I couldn't wait to put it on but the bar clamps seemed a tad too big. Though the EBay ad said it was for 7/8" handlebars the tape measure shows the clamp to be more like 1" in diameter. ARRRGGGHHHH!  banghead

I emailed Nat Cycle and they replied that the parts I need will be about $23 (parts bag # 051). I may still order it but want I still want to see if there are some forum members who might have some fixes. So . . .

1) Any ideas on what I can do to make the existing clamp work? In other words, ways I can shim up the existing clamp so that it is secure on my handlebars.

2) If anyone has the Street Shield EX on their NH can they post some close up photos of the mounting points?

Hope to get some responses by Saturday so that I can try and mount this shield. 

Here's a snap of my NH stopping on the way back from Crystal Lake just above Azusa, CA. It's a great ride up there.

Thanks All

[hppants]

Glad you are having fun, Tony.  I don't own this bike anymore, but when I did, it had the National Street Shield EX on it.  Here's a couple of shots of the mounting:





For the lower mount, a smaller worm gear clamp seems easy enough.  For the upper, you might go to the auto parts store and look for a piece of rubber 1/8" gskt material and try to shim it between your hardware and the bars.

Good luck.