Horsepower: 67.7 @ 9,500 rpm
Torque: 38.7 ft/lbs @ 8,500 rpm
1/4 Mile: 12.3 at 117.09 mph
0-60: 3.68 seconds
Believe it or not, it almost keeps up (on paper, at least) with Blaine's bike. At almost 54% the displacement, it puts out 56% as much horsepower, and 45% as much torque. It weighs fully 3/4 of what the big Kawasaki does (516 v. 710), so why are the acceleration numbers so close to each other? Must be the slightly taller gearing in the 1300...
I've been keeping a restoration journal of my progress on a 1974 240-Z (go HERE if you're at all interested) and I think I'll do the same here, if only so I can look back in a few years and laugh at how far I've come! :-)
October 3, 2000
I pick up my bike today! Since there's nobody to drive me out to get it, after work I drive myself out there, ride the motorcycle home, and take my mountain bike back out to retrieve my car. Darn, but I'm out of shape! My first ride is uneventful, except for taking off from a dead stop like a rank beginner. I'm sure the guys standing in the parking lot are shaking their heads at each other and saying, "NEWBIE!!!"
October 4, 2000
Beautiful weather, and I'm unable to resist the urge to ride around a bit. I go 10 miles south of home and ride around on back roads that I've driven a thousand times in a car. It's completely different on a bike. Each ride seems to take twice as long as in a car, but it's also over twice as quickly. Tough to explain. I guess it might be because I'm concentrating so hard on getting everything right. Learning to drive a car was something like this, but at the same time, was nothing like it.
I've noticed that I have a difficult time turning. I don't have confidence in my machine yet, and I get anxious every time I approach a high speed turn. My first thought is, "Oh my god, I'm headed for the ditch!" Finally I realize that there's nowhere I go and nowhere I turn that I'm not headed towards SOME ditch somewhere. There will always be ditches, the key is to see where they are and steer the bike somewhere else! Later, I realize that this principle pretty much applies to life, as well as biking. I'm of the opinion that things will smooth out tremendously if I just stop analyzing so much and just go with the flow. Sort of like dancing - once you get the muscle movements down, you can stop worrying about the mechanics and everything smooths out.
While riding around in the countryside, I discover that when the gas gauge's needle hits the red zone, the bike will stop! I'd read about folks having problems with the reserve setting on the petcock, but mine seems to work well and with a twist of the valve I'm off to find a gas station. Filling up the tank for the first time, I feel a huge sense of satisfaction. This is MY bike! :-)
October 7, 2000
I'm in the mood to fiddle with the adjustable shock absorbers, but in the process of putting the bike up on the center stand I step wrong, and slowly, majestically, inexorably, it topples over on its side.
Well, crap.
I pick it up, and a quick exam reveals a handbrake that resembles a bendy straw more than a brake lever. Attempting to place the lever in a vice and straighten it result in me bonking myself on the nose when the lever snaps in half. The windscreen is also crunched, but not so much that it won't stay in place. In fact, had the previous owner not smoothed over the windscreen/fairing joint with Bondo and painted over it, I'd probably only have to reattach it and be on my way. But noooo. Now, a trip to the bike store is in order. I buy a brake lever (just 13 bucks) and price windshields. HOLY CRAP! $110.00 for that little piece of plexiglas? Black duct tape is looking mighty good, for right now!
October 6, 2000
DAAAAAMN, but this thing is fun! I took it out to warm up the oil, and ended up riding around for half an hour. I'm finding that the more I learn, the less scary (and yes, I'll admit that there's some fear running around in my head) it becomes. Ever since I got dumped off of a go-kart at high speed when I was ten, I've been somewhat wary of open vehicles that offer little protection for the driver. I know if I screw up in a car, most likely the only thing that will get hurt is my ego (and my wallet). If I crash this baby, I'm toast. I ain't no fool, I respect that. But I won't let my respect get in the way of my enjoyment, either! This is serious business here, but it's also serious fun.
October 7, 2000
It's raining today. Darn. Since I couldn't ride, I spent my day doing maintenance on the bike and the Z. I decided to start by changing the oil on the bike, even though the guy I bought it from said it had been done recently. I never trust what anyone tells me with regards to vital fluids in a "new" vehicle. The old filter was on pretty tightly, and I finally got tired of messing with it and drove a big screwdriver through it to get it off. I had heard that the old filter would squeeze through the headpipes, but it was a no-go. I ended up removing the entire exhaust to get the muffler off. What a pain in the butt! I'm surprised Honda engineered anything this way.
While waiting for the oil to drain, I take a step back and look at my ride. The alternator, clutch basket, and crankshaft covers look like crap, with about 40 percent of the clearcoating missing from the aluminum. I don't care if it IS a 15 year old bike, it still looks like crap. So I pull the pieces off, wet-sand the remaining clear coat off with 600 grit paper, and hit them with a polishing wheel on a bench grinder, followed by a good dose of aluminum polish. Now, they look great!
Cosmetic needs attended to, I got the new filter on, re-hung the exhaust, and filled the crankcase with the 4 quarts of oil indicated by several tech sheets I xeroxed at the library. OOPS! it says 4 quarts, but at 3 1/2 it begins overflowing. So I took out the drain plug and emptied about 1/2 quart from the pan, bringing the level on the dipstick down to normal levels. There must be about a quart retained by the oil cooler, or something. I can't wait to get the service manual on this thing!
Now, the plastic that covers the instrument faces begins to annoy me. It's got a fine web of scratches and cracks in it that makes the gauges difficult to read at times. I pull the cluster and dust off the faces with a soft brush, only to discover that 16 years of age and UV radiation have made the gauge needles extremely fragile. Before I realize what's going on, I've broken off the speedometer needle, and cracked the tach needle. Okay, let's step back and take stock here. In the five days I've owned the bike, I've dumped it on its side, broken the brake handle, broken the windshield, and broken the needles off the instruments. Maybe it's time to stop puttering...Super glue puts the needles back together, and I gently replace everything, hoping that they don't vibrate apart anytime soon.
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We found that there was a dearth of information on the web on our bikes, so we're trying to rectify that. In the hopes that someone will find useful information here, we've scanned several test reviews on them. These reviews come courtesy of Cycle and Motorcyclist magazines, and I certainly hope that nobody from that fine publication objects to our using it here. If you like the articles, consider subscribing to the magazine. We take Motorcyclist ourselves, and think it's a fun read.
February, 1984, Motorcyclist Magazine
Honda Nighthawk S - The California hot rod made in Japan
March, 1984, Cycle Magazine
Honda CB700SC Nighthawk S - Surprise: Custom now means California hot rod.
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September 1985, Motorcyclist Magazine
Honda CB700S Nighthawk S
