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Before the U.S. motorcycle industry took a dive in the early 1980s recession, domestic manufacturers managed to push through 45 percent import tariffs aimed at motorcycles larger than 700 cc. It doesn’t take much imagination to name the aggrieved party.
The Big Four Japanese manufacturers responded quickly by de-stroking some 750 cc bikes for the U.S. market, and refining popular 650 cc models. At the time, the technological push had been for liquid-cooling, V-4s, fuel-injection and turbocharging, so the CB700SC Nighthawk S was something of a surprise.
Honda had gone back to the drawing board and come up with a retro naked bike. The production run for the Nighthawk S was short at only three years, but the bikes were handsome in red and black or blue and black and have proven to be bulletproof. Many can be found today in good condition, and on long-term ownership.
The CB700SC Nighthawk S had a 696 cc, air-cooled, DOHC in-line four-cylinder engine with four carburetors and developed 80 bhp at 9,500 rpm. Electronic ignition was coupled with hydraulic lifters, an automatic adjuster kept the cam chain tight, the six-speed gearbox led to shaft-drive and the Nighthawk boasted Honda’s first spin-on oil-filter. It also had an extremely useful center stand.
At 516 lbs, the Nighthawk was no lightweight, but it was capable of a 12-second quarter mile and topped out at around 120 mph. Since the bikini fairing was mostly for looks, that was plenty. Gas mileage was 40-45 mpg and MSRP was a competitive $3,398.
The square headlight was in current fashion, as were the 16-inch wheels and Honda’s own anti-dive front disc brake. Black chrome was everywhere, with just a few polished items like valve covers, cooling fins and some engine casing parts. The 1986 bikes were principally black with contrasting pin-stripes.
Naturally, the bikes are not perfect. For one thing the seat is quite tall, and despite Honda’s best efforts to move the engine down and forward, the bike is quite top heavy. That’s not helped by very narrow handlebars, which had the effect of moving the mirrors (which can be rather blurry) too far inboard, giving a view of the rider’s elbows. The 16-inch wheels were intended to deliver speedier steering, but the loss of gyroscopic stability means the bike wants to tuck under when ridden hard. The anti-dive fork has its critics as well.
Nonetheless, the Nighthawk is a low-maintenance “keeper”, and those that were not crashed or trashed by being left outside can be discovered in remarkably good condition. The ideal person to buy from is a middle-aged owner who has ridden it regularly (but not far) in good weather. Maintenance really only involves oil changes, brakes and tires, but check that the fork seals have been replaced. The bike is quite softly sprung and too heavy not to have the suspension and brakes in good condition.