Honda cb900c

[Mixagon_imp]

I've heard about a cb900c which has been stored in a shed for many years and might be up for sale near me very soon.
I don't know much about these bikes only that they were made 1980-1982 and mainly for the American market and they are a very heavy cruiser type about 80bhp with a high and low range gear range meaning they have 10 gears. A right hand shaft drive is powered from a left hand chain drive so a transfer box is fitted to swop sides.

I'm hoping to view this bike soon and wondering if anyone here as any experience of these bikes ? Is it worth buying and what I should be looking out for etc.
Thanks for any info

[tod.branko_imp]

I was listening a podcast recently where they have mentioned it. I think it was Ms. Emma on Motorcycles & Misfits (if any of you enjoy podcasts this is a really good one for people with longer attention span)
From what I understood, the 10 gears were and still are a novelty, they have no practical purpose and tbe bike is hellish to maintain. Also not a great riding bike. Now if you are looking for something different in your garage, as a collectors item, maybe it's worth a look

'14 CB1100 STD 5 speed

[Whoops]

Right up my alley! I had a beautiful blue 1982 CB900 Custom. I loved that bike dearly and wish I still had it. I bought it with 1,500 miles for $1,250 in 1987 and sold it in 2006 for $1,800.

The guy I bought it from had tipped it in his garage while running and it caused an open wind on the stator. He couldn’t figure out why it kept eating batteries. I spent about $120 for a new stator cover and coil and it ran perfectly ever after. The shaft drive was indestructible and the bike could really move. I got a ticket doing 129 mph, two-up on the way home from Arizona. As luck would have it the Highway Patrol officer that pulled me over was retiring in a week and told me he didn’t want to go to court. He ended up writing it for 10 over (it was actually 1 mph shy of doubling the limit).

The riding position was almost the same as the CB1100, save for the bars being higher and coming further back. The dual range was a bit gimmicky and I always left it in high for better freeway cruising. I loved the chrome everywhere and kept it polished and waxed. There wasn’t a pit of rust anywhere on it when I sold it. If it is in good condition, I would say go for it! A lot of people give them crap for being a bin bike, but they are fantastic looking and a blast to ride!

The only thing I would add is the rubber and wiring is now 40+ years old. The dealer way back warned of ground faults that could cause a short in very humid/rainy conditions. Of course that never happened with mine, but I suspect the dealer had seen it a few times.

[rboe]

That bike was extremely under rated and had the misfortune to be around the same time the Goldwing was. Or else it would have been the uber tourer. Good looking bike, kinda low for aggressive handling though - if you decided to push things.

The two speed secondary tranny came about when Honda decided to give the bike shaft drive.

[GoldOxide_imp]

Right up my alley! I had a beautiful blue 1982 CB900 Custom. I loved that bike dearly and wish I still had it. I bought it with 1,500 miles for $1,250 in 1987 and sold it in 2006 for $1,800.

The guy I bought it from had tipped it in his garage while running and it caused an open wind on the stator. He couldn’t figure out why it kept eating batteries. I spent about $120 for a new stator cover and coil and it ran perfectly ever after. The shaft drive was indestructible and the bike could really move. I got a ticket doing 129 mph, two-up on the way home from Arizona. As luck would have it the Highway Patrol officer that pulled me over was retiring in a week and told me he didn’t want to go to court. He ended up writing it for 10 over (it was actually 1 mph shy of doubling the limit).

The riding position was almost the same as the CB1100, save for the bars being higher and coming further back. The dual range was a bit gimmicky and I always left it in high for better freeway cruising. I loved the chrome everywhere and kept it polished and waxed. There wasn’t a pit of rust anywhere on it when I sold it. If it is in good condition, I would say go for it! A lot of people give them crap for being a bin bike, but they are fantastic looking and a blast to ride!

The only thing I would add is the rubber and wiring is now 40+ years old. The dealer way back warned of ground faults that could cause a short in very humid/rainy conditions. Of course that never happened with mine, but I suspect the dealer had seen it a few times.

This, ... this is exactly what I like to hear.

[Tom_imp]

I've always coveted the one year only 1983 CB1000 Custom. I see a few nice ones for sale every spring at reasonable prices. They are all air-cooled in line 4 hondas. What could be bad about that.

[PowerDubs_imp]

Great bikes. Those early 80's CB custom is what I modeled my CB to look like.

[NHCB1100_imp]

I agree. I have a 81 cb750c that is all original and tucked away for storage now. Two years ago I looked at a 83 cb1000 and almost bought it. I really wanted a cb1100 but couldn’t find any in the northeast for sale. Within a few weeks i looked at and passed on the cb1000 as it had spent a lot of its life outdoors and showed it and then a cb1100 came for sale in maine that I jumped on. Happy it worked out how it did overall.

[Whoops]

This thread just got me looking. You don’t see a crated vintage bike roll across the auction block very often.

https://www.mecum.com/lots/LV0122-489009...-in-crate/

[NHCB1100_imp]

Wow…that’s awesome. Sure don’t see that very often.