Honda Bikes That Must Be Rode?

[Scootaloo]

Hello All

I'm a bit of a Honda Fan-boy, I cannot really say why, I'm sure there are many reasons to hate them... but ever since I read the full story about Honda's motorcycle technology I have felt hooked and wish to try them all at some point.. Unfortunately due to the EU and other monsters lurking at the turn of this century It seems all the new stuff that is coming out has to be the most stripped down, soulless cheapest plastic-shite that they can produce... this has put me off anything made recently to be honest...

That just leaves all of there pre-2005-ish stuff and as time's a wasting I would like to compile a list of affordable, semi-practical rides that are fast disappearing from our streets... so quickly BCF, what is there!!

Summary - What Honda bikes should I ride before they're too rare... I'm not a particularly wealthy person. I would like to obtain them in a progressive way. (I.E least power output to most)

Bikes I have ridden so far:

- CG 125's
- Two CBF 125's
- Two CB-1 400's
- CBR400RR
- CBF500 (I imagine this is similar to CB500)
- Honda Varadero 125

Bikes I would like to ride:

- C90
- CB 125 T2 (These are pretty much extinct I think)
- NSR125
- XBR500
- NTV650 (Similar to daeuville)
- CB750
- VFR800 (Pricey)
- X11
- CB1300 (Pricey)
and a partridge in a pear tree.

Well I think that's about the whole line-up.
Anymore to add to that list? I think I've covered pretty much all the models that could be bought for a reasonable cost.
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(CBF125 - 09) (CBF125 - 11) (CB-1 - 89) (CBF500 - 06) (Push Bike) (CB-1 - 90) (XL125 - 01) (VF500 - 83) (GPZ500 - 94) (GPZ500 - 95) (GPZ500 - 87) (XV535 - 94) (XV535 - 94) (GPZ500 - 87)

[Jamie95]

C90 is by far the most fun aha
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2 smokers

[Snop Doog]

A Fireblade! (Pricey)

[arry]

[Snowdonia Rider]

CB100 with MotoX tyres and a home shortened bodged exhaust Aahh memories of my childhood! You would not believe the abuse that bike took in the fields and it never, not once broke or died in any form, shape or way. What a bike! That's probably the only Honda I can think of that would be worth a spin on, and maybe an original Blackbird
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I want your clothes, your boots and your motorcycle.
Suzuki GP125 Suzuki GSX600F Suzuki SV650S KTM EXC250F SkyTeam Bongo 125
My YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/SnowdoniaRider

[malteser273]

Honda hornet
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Honda Hornet 600

[Minty]

Y U no have at least an old school Fireblade? Are you a lady?
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My fingers smell of your mum.

[Teflon-Mike]

You need to be more specific on the CB750; you have at least four different incarnations; The original Single Over-Head Cam, 750 'Four', in K series guise with wire wheels and chrome mudguards, is a notable 'classic' and good roadable examples are likely to command £6-10K... and are neither all that affordable or common.

IS the one to sample though, but, raised on modern machines that took it's 'user-freidlness' as the new standard, you probably need to ride something rather more antique and bone shaking like a Meriden Bonneville to 'get' just what a revelation it was.

Subsequent SOHC models were de-tuned to meet tightening emission regs, gained plastic body-work and pressed comstar wheels; I don't think they 'quite' have what the K0 did and would't bother with.

Next generation was the DOHC FII that appeared around 1980; all plastic body-work, 'Euro-Sport' styling with duck-but spoiler on the tail, BUT, no longer the 'Flag-Ship' model in the Honda range; the CBX1000 'Six' was the head-liner, but the bike they offered as a serious 'sports-bike' was the CB900FII.. options are divided whether the 750 was a sleeved down 900 or the 900 a bored out 750.. but no matter, they shared a lot, but the 900 was the World-Super-Bike contender, the 750, the more friendly and lesser tuned little brother.

Last of the line air-cooled 750's were the 1984 CBX750 with the 16v DOHC motor; most powerful air-cooled four Honda ever made, I believe, bar the Homologation special CB1100 edurace racer. Unfortunately in a period of supercharged motorcycle evolution it was too little too late, in the face of the new wave of water-cooled motors.... re-incarnated ten years later as the CB750 'Retro' or 'Night-Hawk' in a 'budget' twin-shock frame with CBR600 wheels and brakes, its actually a rather useful if generally uremarkeable motorcycle.

SO, as far as your list goes I would clarify the CB750 as an SOHC K model. And I would add the CB900FII. Possibly a CB400 'Four' as the more affordable alternative to a K0, as it was in its day. Was the first of the small-bore screamers, and although a tad tiny, possibly more 'fun' than the 750.. whose excellence was just being SO freindly ad undemanding; the 400 'four' is the more engaging making, if not begging you to work for it.

You have the VFR800 on the list, but, the 'interesting one' is the chocolate cam VF750...if you are fascinated by Honda Techology?

1984; They are still making the Triumph Bonaville in Merden, and offered them with the single carb, because some buyers still held they were more reliable and easier to set up...A-N-D with only just over ten years of Japanese 'Big-Bikes' on the market, and the oldest CB750's starting to vex DIY mechanics and prove the knockers 'right' over 'Jap-Crap'.... Honda released the VF750....

Vee-Four, they said was the ONLY way forward for modern motorcycles to continue offering increased power, while meeting emission regs and NOT becoming even wider and unwieldy as the air-cooled fours with end of the crank generator had.... Make a V, they said, it can be as slim as a twin..... err. yeah..

The Bonneville boys were having palsies, at the suggestion of four cam-shafts, sixteen valves, with sixteen screw and lock-nut tappet adjusters! Before they got to the two cam-chains, and the water-jacket..... I had, util my mother chucked it out when I got married, the 1984 Christmas edition of Motorcycle & Motorcycle Mechanics magazine, that featured a VF750 on the front cover with a 1980's' 'Robotic Dancer' holding a spanner "Only for Robots" I think was the cover article, and peered into what the future might hold for the DIY motorcycle mechanic...

Of course, had Honda not got a reputation for atrocious Cam-Chain and cam-chain tensioner problems already, this might have been more readily accepted.... BEFORE they sent the first batch of bikes to the USA with un-hardened cam-shafts in them!.. The rest is legend!

But a BRAVE thrust to the future; the bike was PACKED with innovation; the V-Concept engine was probably the most notable; and obviously 'wrong'.. but to build it, and keep it compact and keep its weight down, they went to extraordinary lengths developing thin-wall pressure die-cast techniques, and the like; my VF1000 for example and I think the 750 is the same has a 'Wet' magneto, in the sump, to save space and weight...

Fascinating machines fron a technological history pot of view; and quite incredible, how far they went to find the more convoluted solutions to the problems of the era...

Notable amongst them, The V-four.. taking two pots off the end of the bank and putting a second bank behind.. quite curious, that they did that, when to save crank-width on the CBX-Six, they had "invented" the piggy-back generator.... (look at pics of old brit-bikes, often have the dynamo or mag behind the cylinder driven off the primary drive).. and its the exact solution they used on the air-cooled CBX750..YET going V-Four, they put a pair of pots where they could have mounted a generator, so HAD to stick it on the end of the crank, and STILL had to try elimination compartments to keep it 'slim'?!?!?!?

Edison School of Engineering..... there is no such thing as a failed experiment.. every failed experiment is a lesson.... And if there is any 'greatness' in the Honda success story, it is probably NOT so much Sochiro Honda's 'engineering genius', he was remarkably conservative in his ideas, just very demanding his expectations! The 'genius' was in Takeo Fujisawa, who SOLD all ways Sociro found, in Edison speak, 'not' to make the perfect motorcycle!

Of which the VF750 is probably the 'greatest' example!

But almost ANY of the series will do; the VF500 is quite a useful motorcycle to compare to a CBR600 or a VFR400, ad the VF1100 Magna? Well it was the original Super-Cruiser, ad techno-marvel of its age... digital dash and plastic chrome, it REALLY is early 80's techno-kitch incarnate.

I think you ought to have a early chain cam V4 in thier some-where; and the VF750 and 1100 Magna are both very 'affordable'.... risky.. but affordable!

You have the C90 in the tiddler list, and I suppose I'm to blame for the T2 twin being included!

Personally I would swap the NSR for an NS, or better still, and MBX125; Sochiro Honda Hated two-smokes with a passion, apparently.... which leads to something else about your list; you have no dirt-bikes on it....

1960's, the Japanese were flogging bucket-loads of small displacement bikes in the US; and not being long haul high-way bikes MOST were 'Street-Scramblers'. Honda, offered four-strokes for the more conservative buyers; and to stick a relitively affordable and practical example n your list, I would suggest the XL250 twin-shock. However; loosing sales to Yamaha & Suzuki who were vying for top spot in the new to the US sport of 'Scrambles', but to win short tight course races, they needed a light responsive two-stroke; Sochiro wouldn't sanction such a bike; Hence the Honda 'Elsnore' was conceived at the new R&D plat in the US, and was apparently developed under a Honda 'Plant' project code.. they told Sochiro it was a Lawn Mower! BUT, that was the granddaddy of ALL the Honda two-strokes for their entire two-stroke adventure; and again, for technical historic interest, you might like to tick a US Elsinore on the list; plenty coming to the country as grey-imports from the US, they are quite affordable, and actually quite useful in EVO era MX I believe.

Honda H100.. was a capitulation to the Yamaha RX100, and the air-cooled two-stroke commuters of the 70's, a decade too late... not as interesting as the CG125, except that it's forgotten in the shadow of the CG's later success. H100 exists because ACTUALLY the CG125 WASN'T a success! Another great marketing success over engineering experimental failure.. tryg to make a four-stroke commuter as reliable and low maintenance as a two-stroke.. might be worth inclusion.

Back to the MBX/NS/NSR issue; the MBX125 was hastily engineered to provide a competitor to the Yamaha RD125, after the CB125 Super-Dream had proved a flop in the now totally 'teen' tiddler market. It was just as over-priced, but concervtively engineered t was NOT a bad bike. The NS.. stands out as their second attempt, AND, they got it remarkably 'right'. The perimiter frame aping the the current VF's was de rigeur and a clear three years ahead of the Yamaha TZR, it's a notable example of Honda, for once, beg ahead of the game.... I mean... so often they have had teams on so many pitches you have wondered if they are in ANY game, or if they are, who they are playing... but that one? Actually quite novel for Honda!

Got to be worth a mention; the CB250N 'Super-Dream'; beloved of the perpetual L-Plater of the 250 Learner-Era. Still reletively affordable, though enough optimists i the teen-revival market trying to hype prices. An overhead cam twin for the learner market, when twins and overhead cams were still venerated and rarely found the same machine. Again, technically another of Sochiro's experiments in how not to make the perfect motorcycle.. though its biggest flaw, was probably simply being TOO remarkable. It wasn't actually as slow and lardy as so many would suggest, or as unreliable; compared to the air-cooled two-strokes it was't FAR off the pace; it just didn't do it with much pezazz; but Honda's top selling motorcycle n the UK for a very long time... must have been doing something 'right'.

Brings us back to road-bikes, and two CBR's for you to pop o the lst some-where.

1986 'Jelly-Mold' CBR600 Aero. Honda back-tracked on the VF debacle, ad offered what was a very close facsimile to the Kawasaki GPz600R that had proved all the bolox about V4's just that; and launched with a lot of Corporate willy-wavig, remdig every-one that Hoda had 'invented' the across-the-frame-four with the CB750-Four, and diverting attention from the lack of pioerig features, like Yamaha's the new five valve heads.... talkig about 'attention to detail' and how the enclosed body-work saved them making the engine cases cosmetic components saving them seventy two ounces..... possibly one of the ugliest Honda's ever built, which is a touch challenge give some of the monstrocities they have created, BUT it was a bech-mark motorcycle and its general architecture has become the pattern of a modern street motorcycle; while its 'attention to detail engineering', ad evolution over revolution has become the 'norm'..

Until 1993, when they had a Honda Moment, ad built the perforated plastic 'Fire-Blade'.. these are about as CHEAP as they are ever likely to be right now; and it was the bike that reset the bar for a large displacement sporting motorcycle. Bit of a mind-burp for normally conservative Honda.

And so back to the VFR800.. ad the Homologatio Special RC30 and RC45's, which are ever going to be 'affordable'.... Corporate face saving, Honda had put so much to the VF project they HAD to prove it could do 'something'... and the FIRST VFR was't atually a 750, it was a 1000. The VF1000R The VF1000 street-bike was rather porcine; powerful, though not hugely; 120bhp fro its water-cooled motor was out-done by the air-cooled FJ1100.. but the 'potential' was displayed by the R version built for F1/Super-Bike racing; that at the time was 'open class'...

Anyway, 1984, the VF1000R, was developed fro the VF1000F; the motor got re-cammed to deliver, for the time a quite remarkable 140bhp, as much as a off the shelf RG500 GP bike; to try ad get the weight down it got a alloy frame, and it got 'endurance' racing full fairigs with twin headlamps....and I believe to keep weight in check a number of fairing panels were in avante-guarde Carbon-Fibre.

Did I mention the Gear-Driven-Cams? No? Well it was the first Honda to be so equipped, supposedly to increase crank rpm limits whilst maintaining accurate and reliable cam-timing.

Unfortunately; having chucked SO much technology at finding the log-way-round 'problems air-cooled motorcycle design, going V-Four, saving a few pounds n a quarter to monster was NOT really going to do THAT much... over-all MIGHT have worked better than a GPz11 or CB11.. B-U-T unfortnately, was released at the same time as Suzuki took the 'short way round' and used the oil to help cool the air-cooled engine, ad the went into over drive over weight saving to create the GSX-R's...... So the VF1000R had a very short lived, and none too successful racing career...

I recall that the RC30 had a list price in 1988 of £10,000, about the price of two brand new VFR750's.. something the press remarked upon quite often. VF100R whe launched four years earlier, though wasn't far behind, ad there wee still unsold models n Dealers show-rooms as late as 1990 with slashed sticker prices down around £6K... up until recently £3K would still pick up a very tidy original condition example... and probably still secure something quite useful.... as the unloved and unremembered.... a lot of 'iterest' being the original VF-R and the RC30 proto-type, for the money that... but still...

Back on topic; something that Honda only recently admitted to was that for almost twenty years, they LOST money on every VFR they sold.. every-one knew they lost money n the RC30, which eve as 'The Most Expensive Prodction Bike in the World' was heavily subsidised by HRC 'cos they vetted buyers to flog them to folk that would race them... they WANTED TT ws, Super-Bike wins and endurance race wins, and were prepared to loose money to 'pepper the field' with V-Fours.

One of the most successful race bikes ever.. you have to chisel a little beneath the tarnish of 'cheque-book-bought-glory'....

But you have to give them credit for perseverance; they took a bad idea, and stuck with it to take it to the top, and keep it there...

There was just ONE fly in the ointment; little Italian upstart, who had, at the time Honda was building its reputation on pioneering GP technology AND putting that technology on the streets, a rage of small displacement, low volume 'sporting' sigles, who'se one novety was a curious, and quite antiquated valve train arrangement taken from a 1920's Norton...... that both opened and closed the valves without a return spring... WHO, to get to the lucrative 'Big-Bike' market had doubled up thier biggest, 350 single to make 750 in-line V-Twin; another return to antiquity and the days of the Brough Superior. DUCATI

I mean, it might not have been SO bad to have a noisome italian upstart snapping at thier heels, BUT they begged Honda's star GP hero not of retirement to put them on the Podium at the Isle of Man, to get them started! The exploited national ifluence on the FIM to keep the WSB rules favouring the big-twins with higher capacity limits and lower weight limits, aganst the Japanese Fours....

Enter Honda's 'Ducati'... the VTR1000.. the bike that Honda built, after beating them with the 4-pot RC45, i the face of Ducati' defence that they weren't manipulating the FIM for favourable rules, ad that there was nothing stopping Honda build a big-twin...They did that TOO to beat them again with it.

Again, technically interesting; there was absolutely NO reason for Honda to build the VTR other than to cock a soot at Ducati and build a Ducati that didn't break down! Ad these too are about as affordable now as they are ever likely to be.

So. what else we got? GL1000's? The original ufaired Gold-Wing. Built in America for American Motorcyclists, a four-cylinder BMW... its another interestg motorcycle, and the original unfaired model is a lovely looking machine, as well as interesting.

Pan-Euro... don't mock! Launched in 1988; its been around SUCH a log time now, ad has such a reputationfor being, well, a Pan-Euro... hard to conceive that when launched it was ACTUALLY a very very brave step out of the mainstream. Engineered fro the ground p as a dedicated tourer, unlike say the FJ1200 that was a re-dressed all-rounder, or the Suzuki GS or Kawasaki GT shafteis that were 'old' air-cooled street-bikes with retro engineered transmission, ad re-dressed with fatter seat ad bigger tank as tourers.. the Pan was heralded as the 'European GoldWing'... BUT even to the conservative BMF crowd of the day, it was 'too much technology' ad 'too little versatility'... Honestly, people griped about the fitted panniers, that 'denied' them fitting 'universal' system luggage of their own choosing, or stripping the bike back when in daily service... "Don't want t be carting all that crap to and from work every day, DO I?"

BUT, few Hodas that stick out for me, anyway for you to thunk on; Thing is they are the most prolific motorcycle manufacturer in HISTORY, nearly half the bikes on the worlds roads are Hondas, and they have always had a VERY thick catalogue thanks to Takeo Fujisawa who reckoned that if some-one else could flog a bike to a niche market, so could he, and got Sochiro to build one for him!

I seem to recall i the early 80's a Honda press anouncement making its way into MCN.... Honda offered more 50cc mopeds its brochure than Honda Suzuki and Kawasaki together had in their entire catalogues of all motorcycles of all displacements, while the entire Honda brochure contained more motorcycles, of all displacements than all the catalogues of all other motorcycle manufacturers offering machines for sale the UK...

SO! You have a LOT of choice, to sample from!
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My Webby'Tef's-tQ, loads of stuff about my bikes, my Land-Rovers, and the stuff I do with them!
Current Bikes:'Honda VF1000F' ;'CB750F2N' ;'CB125TD ( 6 3 of em!)'; 'Montesa Cota 248'. Learner FAQ's:= 'U want to Ride a Motorbike! Where Do U start?'

[Taught2BCauti...]

I remember back in the 70's, my next-door neighbour had a Honda Moped that I found fascinating at the time.

You had to pedal it like a bicycle to get it started, but the entire engine was contained within the back wheel.

Never seen another one since - anyone know the model?
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Honda Varadero XL125(V8)
www.TheFutureIsHere.eu

[1cyl]

CR500
CRF450

SM'd Obviously.
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Chase my Witch up, Catch my Snitch up.
The SMC | The Pit | Stable

[wr6133]

[Mudshark]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Honda-CBX1000-Classic/321590177442?_trksid=p2047675.c100011.m1850&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D28111%26meid%3D2a38acf5d7b24eeba057004f3f124d61%26pid%3D100011%26prg%3D11472%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D10%26mehot%3Dpp%26sd%3D251273824635
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R1250RS
XT660X

[andyscooter]

Didn't Honda do a monkey bike
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gilera runner vxr200 (chavped)
if its spelt wrong its my fat fingers and daft auto correct on my tablet

[trevor saxe-coburg-gotha]

vt250

Don't ask.
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"Life is a sexually transmitted disease and the mortality rate is one hundred percent."

Mobylette Type 50 ---> Raleigh Grifter ---> Neval Minsk 125

[nowhere.elysium]

Without a doubt, the SP-1.
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'10 SV650SF, '83 GS650GT (it lives!), Questionable DIY dash project, 3D Printer project, Lasercutter project

[SQL]

[Mudshark]

CG125 as below

was actually looking for a pic of the horrid little "easy rider" CM125 twin, but I just love these

https://elsolitariomc.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Honda-cg125-Custom-Punk-by-ElSolitarioMC.jpg
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R1250RS
XT660X

[P.]

[phatstorage]

I've had a 250 Bros, hornet, transalp, nc700s, nc750x and a cbr600RR, none have really made me look forward to riding as much as my current bike, VFR800 me a Honda bitch too.

[cheeseman]

Teflon mike gave a wonderful history of Honda and mentioned the 2 bikes i would definitely desire: the amazing cbx1000 and the original Goldwing GL1000. whilst i agree that the st1100 is an amazingly practical machine, it isn't particularly exciting having used one for 18 months.

[stinkwheel]

H100 for off the throttle wheelieness.

CB250RS, sweet little single.

NSR400 (already rare).

Black bomber (also rare).

Steel frame CBR600 for all round competency.

A Blackbird which finally knocked the ZZR11 off the "fastest thing ever" slot.

VF1100 sabre because it's incredibly silly. A 120bhp cruiser from the early 80's. A v-max killer and proof someone at Honda has a sense of humour.
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[Irezumi aka Reuben]

Honda Bros650 and NSR 250. Both very fun bikes and far more capable in terms of handling than you will be able to exploit.
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Pictorgraphicalfantastical

[CG Sam]

[stinkwheel]

[Aff]

I think the thread title is giving me a small seizure.
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Current Bikes:Honda 929RR Fireblade, Honda CD200 Benly (Project), Stomp Z2 140
Electric Bike Project