[mrvyas]

Hi Everyone,

What do you guys think about a beginner (riding for 6 months) moving up to a vintage bike like a ’78 Honda cb550 or CB 750? I live in SF and my wife and I see so many beautiful old Honda’s and there are a few for sale. I would think that the power delivery on these bikes would be smooth, and since it’s a Honda fairly reliable. Any thoughts?

Here are the specs:
Model: Honda CB 550 K 3
Year: 1978
Category: Sport touring
Rating: 70.6 out of 100. Show full rating and compare with other bikes
Engine and transmission
Displacement: 544.00 ccm (33.19 cubic inches)
Engine type: In-line four
Stroke: 4
Power: 50.00 HP (36.5 kW)) @ 8500 RPM
Compression: 9.0:1
Bore x stroke: 58.5 x 50.6 mm (2.3 x 2.0 inches)
Valves per cylinder: 2
Fuel control: OHC
Cooling system: Air
Gearbox: 5-speed
Transmission type
final drive: Chain
More details Consult a Honda repair manual.
Physical measures
Weight incl. oil, gas, etc: 208.0 kg (458.6 pounds)
Chassis and dimensions
Front tyre dimensions: 3.25-19
Rear tyre dimensions: 3.75-18
Front brakes: Single disc
Rear brakes: Expanding brake
Speed and acceleration
Top speed: 175.0 km/h (108.7 mph)
Other specifications
Fuel capacity: 16.00 litres (4.23 gallons)

[Matt]

It is a 30 year old bike, “vintage” and “reliable” are not entirely mutually exclusive, but close to it.

The 550 won’t overpower you, even as a first bike. The 750, probably not. But it will be heavy. The brakes and handling on these bikes will be pretty poor by modern standards.

Just like owning a 70s car, it is a different experience. Either you love it, or hate it.
If you go this route, don’t do it with any images in your head of it being cheap. Parts are hard to come by, and you’ll have to get your hands dirty doing a lot of the work yourself. To some, that is the appeal. To others it is a headache.

[Ben]

I don’t think the Bikes would be that bad as a second bike, but I hope you like to do your own wrenching I had a Kawasaki GPZ 900 for about 3 months once upon a time, during that period I realized that I hate working on bikes haha. But if you like that mechanical stuff, then I say go for it

I’ve seen a really cool CB 400 that parks at my work sometime. Whoever owns it really takes care of it.

Ben
~Best Beginner Motorcycles Admin

[Author]

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