Buying my first bike – 1980 Honda CB650 Question

Hey, great blog! I love checking out your updates and the nice work you do. I’m in the process of purchasing my first bike-1980 Honda CB650 and wanted your opinion. The original owners still have the bike and it’s only got 3,800 miles on it. They are in their 80’s and want the thing gone. Because it sat for so long they took it to a friend/mechanic and got the tank sand blasted and sealed. I drove the bike around and it runs decent but needed the choke. They are willing to give it up for $700. This is by far the best deal i’ve found but figured i’d get an experts advice? Also, what’s a good place to get parts for a bike like this, preferably online since i live in the boondocks of Indiana.

CB650 SOHC’s are great bikes. They are a good mix of comfort, power, and ease of maintenance.

Any bike that has been sitting that long will need a thorough carb cleaning – it’s not hard to do, you can read my how-to article on the site.

Just as a word of advice – only buy a bike which has sat unused if you plan to learn about motorcycle maintenance. Bikes that have been sitting should always get a proper lube and inspection before putting any serious miles on them. The bike will also needs tires, etc. If it’s in real good cosmetic condition $700 seems OK, but not great.

My one word of caution would be – old bikes that have sat idle have dry rubber – inspect the seal around the output shaft of the motor (behind the front sprocket).  If that seal leaks the bike is basically worthless, because the motor has to be completely disassembled to replace it.

Good luck with the new ride.

Peace and grease,
-Evan

Evan Fell

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