1982 Honda Nighthawk 450
Posted on | September 16, 2008 | 15 Comments
This is my 1982 Honda Nighthawk 450. What a fun little bike these are. This is about as close as you can get to a perfect city commuter bike. I am of course partial to a CB350 or kin, but this Nighthawk 450 sure fits the bill pretty well too.
In the late 70’s and early 80’s bikes motorcycles were going through a lot of changes. Many were dropping their mechanical ignitions in favor of electronic systems. Consoles and gauges which were once steel were fast become plastic. Larger amounts of body work were becoming common place, and some funky wheel combinations were hitting the market.
These nighthawk 450’s are great little bikes for what they are. They are great for zipping around town or quick jaunts down the interstate. The motors are smooth, make good power, and are relatively low maintenance. This was definitely a transition motorcycle for Honda. They were beginning to make motorcycles that were styled a bit more sporty and aggressive. The same features you see on this bike can also be seen on the CB750F, CB900F, and CB1100F models of the same time period. They were using well formed fuel tanks and plastic body work that was designed more for aesthetics than it was for function.
Honda did not jump to plastic headlight buckets and gauge clusters on this model like they were about to do on the Honda Magna’s and Sabre’s. They did however switch to a real dorky style of wheel. It is styled like a Comstar Wheel, but it can be disassembled. The radial supports unbolt from the rim and hub so the wheel can be taken apart. I would bet that the singular glaring reason Honda started using these wheels was the cut costs. It is easier and faster to cast several small pieces than one large one. Personally I have always preferred a spoked wheel in every case.
These Nighthawk 450 motors were essentially the same beast as the CM400 and CMX450 motors. They really do run smooth and reliably. This is an excellent first bike for someone just getting into riding, or is even perfect for someone like myself who prefers to ride a small and simple machine rather than the big hogs and performance driven bikes that most are drawn to. In almost every case a bike like this is all you need to have a great time on two wheels. The small stature, light weight, and peppy motor make it a blast to zip around on. It is very maneuverable, and the seat is soft and wide. The Honda Nighthawk 450 is indeed a great all-around bike.
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15 Responses to “1982 Honda Nighthawk 450”
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I have owned nearly every make and model of vintage Japanese motorcycle as well as a number of other Europeans and more modern bikes. I do everything from simple fixes to full restorations. I also travel and ride every chance I get.
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December 1st, 2008 @ 12:02 am
While the wheels on these motorcycles are constructed of several smaller pieces rather than one large casting, they are not bolted together. A closer look at your wheels will reveal that they are riveted and a note stamped into them warns against trying to disassemble them.
December 3rd, 2008 @ 12:22 am
Hey man is $650 a good deal for an 82 450 Nighthawk with 69000 miles? Runs well, good tires, fair condition. I want to offer the guy $450. What do you think?
December 3rd, 2008 @ 7:34 am
Troy – Thanks for the correction, you are indeed right!
Wes – Hard to say, how much a bike is worth varies considerably by your location. If you are on the west coast I would say that’s a decent buy, if you are on the east coast it I wouldn’t pay over $500. Keep in mind that 69,000 miles is quite a lot for the little 450 twin, it may be due for a top end refreshment soon. You can certainly do the repair yourself, but budget a couple hundred dollars to do it up nice.
March 1st, 2009 @ 5:56 am
I live in Ohio…and after reading this I’m wondering how the guy that wants to sell me his 82′ honda 450 for $650 says it has only 10,000 miles. Is that possible for an 82? Wes said the one he was looking at had 69,000 miles…quite a difference. I know nothing about motorcycles. I’ve been trying to learn as much as possible before I make my first purchase. I don’t want to get scammed esp. because I’m a woman. Evan, what do you think? And are all 82′ honda 450s, called nighthawks?
March 17th, 2009 @ 5:39 pm
Anna,
I bought an ‘82 450 a year ago with 2,400 actual miles on it. It sat in a garage for most of it’s life and just wasn’t ridden. I talked to the original owner so I know the mileage is right. This is in the frozen Midwest so the riding season is 6 months of the year.
March 25th, 2009 @ 10:19 pm
Good lookin’ bike Evan. I have one just like it, picked it up last summer with just 12,000 miles on it. The previous owners did a great job of caring for it, and it still looks great, just like yours. You are correct, it is a blast to ride. I’ve been out of street bikes for over 20 years, the last one I had was a 85 Kawasaki 600 Ninja. These aren’t the powerhouses I used to ride, but alot of fun nonetheless. And nothing beats the cool factor of riding a classic! Take Care.
March 29th, 2009 @ 6:03 pm
Interesting article, i have bookmarked your site for future referrence
April 1st, 2009 @ 7:07 pm
Comstar wheels are the pieced together ones, so you have a typo in this. ComCAST wheels are the cast wheels. My honda-factory-manual for my CM450 verifies this. So technically you have Comstar wheels, which are the dorky version of ComCAST wheels.
May 5th, 2009 @ 10:06 am
I bought that 82 CM450 for $500. I have had it for about 5 months and put on a couple thousand miles and it runs great!!! I love this bike!
May 5th, 2009 @ 10:11 am
Anna,
I have learned that the mileage does not mean a whole lot if the bike is in good condition and has been taken care of. I have seen a lot of older bikes with low miles because some people don’t ride them much. I ride all the time! There are many different 1982 Models but Nighthawks can be 450cc and up. Always look on the front neck of the frame for model information. And $650 is a great deal for those LOW miles on an 82.
May 9th, 2009 @ 11:01 pm
Anna:
This is very posssible. Keep in mind that most 450’s are meant for cruisin’ the city, not long highway stretches, which is where most miles are accumulated. I have an ‘82 450 with 9,000 miles on it. Although this is relatively low, it’s still very possible. Take a look at the bike, though. If it only has 10k on it, it should look like it’s in pretty good shape. Good luck, it’s a great bike!
July 6th, 2009 @ 8:20 pm
Hey I’ve got a 81 cb400t hawk and I’m having problems finding a carb schematic online. Do you know where I can find one? Also, how does an air pump work in the honda carbs? Thanks for the carb cleaning article it was a huge help. My bike only runs on one cylinder until its right warm, and then after that its can be touch and go running at less than 4000rpm. any Ideas?
Thanks,
Darnell
August 13th, 2009 @ 8:19 pm
Hi Evan, you mention quick jaunts on the motorway. How do you think it would do for a 2-3 hours morning ride at higher speeds?
I’m also looking at one of these as my first bike and 90% of my riding will be to and from work on the streets but I wouldn’t mind the occasional longer ride. Does it have a lot of vibration? Only ridden off-road before.
Greatly appreciate any input, it’s hard to find!
Cheers, DR.
December 4th, 2009 @ 10:18 pm
hay i bought a honda nigthawk cb450 4 months ago i paid 400.oo for it and it has 6,678miles on it and it is like new no rust dents on it i am the second owner of it
December 14th, 2009 @ 10:39 am
I just bought an ‘83 Nighthawk 550 for $850.
It has 11,000 miles and is in excellent shape. Seemed like a very good value. I’m the 3rd owner, no rust, dents, etc. Does anyone know if the seats on these bikes can be changed out? I prefer a seat with less height difference between the passenger and the driver, but based on the way this (original)seat appears to fit the frame, I’m afraid I may not be able to add a more standard (ie., flatter) seat.