Nighthawk values

[Gene]

Disclaimer: I don't understand artificially high (or low) bike values. I am not selling my bike now, or anytime in the future. I just want to understand. I guess supply and demand.


It's confusing. It seems that the value of vintage Honda's are all over the place. To me, a huge aspect of buying a bike is maintenance. For example, my 85 650 is a 4-cyl with 4 valves per cylinder and hydraulic lifters. That is important to me. People with older Honda's seem to be asking insane money for them. I know, if you can get it. I also am glad I don't have a CBX,the idea of adjusting all 24 valves, (even if they are bucket and shim) makes me very glad I have the bike I have.There are more features that are important that are standard on the Nighthawks.

What are your thoughts?

[Sterminare]

I think CBX's are valuable because they're both rare and different enough to be desirable, not many 6 cylinder bikes period, even fewer in a sporty naked model, makes it unique and desirable enough that you're willing to look past the extra hassle of extra spark plugs to change, extra valves to adjust, etc. Id love one they're just plain cool. but I love my Nighthawk and its self-adjusting hydraulic valves and low maintenance shaft drive. (ignore that it's in about a million pieces right now). So if Im only able to have one bike that I ride every day, id choose the Nighthawk (and I did). But if I had the money to have a couple of bikes, some to ride and some to gawk at, I'd love a CBX.

same with the Yamaha Vmax, not too many bikes are 4-cyl V-twins. it's extra complexity and extra work to maintain but it's just different and plain cool. the rarity and the higher cost makes it suited to collectors/enthusiasts who are willing to pay more for a bike that they won't necessarily ride all that often. if you only take the bike out a handful of times per season if at all you barely/never have to do that more complicated maintenance in the first place so you can just enjoy the novelty of the engine

[mollusc]

The inline 4 UJMs from the late 1970s through to the late 1980s were made in such large numbers that they went from common to outdated, without ever becoming unique.  There's not much difference between a Yamaha and a Honda and a Suzuki from that era, so those prices have remained pretty constant for many years.
It's only when you start to get to something special -- the CBX, VF/VFR, 1986 700S, any of the turbo bikes, or something else that had a limited run and offered something distinctive -- that you start to see higher asking (and buying) prices.

[Gene]

The inline 4 UJMs from the late 1970s through to the late 1980s were made in such large numbers that they went from common to outdated, without ever becoming unique.  There's not much difference between a Yamaha and a Honda and a Suzuki from that era, so those prices have remained pretty constant for many years.
It's only when you start to get to something special -- the CBX, VF/VFR, 1986 700S, any of the turbo bikes, or something else that had a limited run and offered something distinctive -- that you start to see higher asking (and buying) prices.

Ok, what is special about the 86 700s?

[mollusc]

Ok, what is special about the 86 700s?

Very limited numbers, and people like the colours of that year in particular.

[Larry Fine]

I remember seeing Nighthawk 250s selling for as much as Nighthawk 750s.

[Bob H]

I remember seeing Nighthawk 250s selling for as much as Nighthawk 750s.

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