Nighthawk

Honda first branded the CB750 as a "Nighthawk" in 1982. They have revived the name several times over the intervening decades, but none of those remakes had the classic, sexy lines of the '82-'83 model.



The bike was created when Honda executives finally realized there was an open market niche for a foreign-built "American-style cruiser." Their design encompassed a larger, more aggressive style than would typically sell well in Japan. The bike was quite popular, competing favorably with Harley-Davidsons in the American market, and the other major Japanese manufacturers soon followed suit with Americanized cruisers of their own.

I remember when I first saw the Nighthawk on the cover of a magazine in the high school library. I was a freshman and didn't even have a driver's license yet, but I was determined to one day own a Nighthawk. Alas, I've owned a lot of Hondas since that time, but never a Nighthawk. I could pick one up for cheap nowadays, but my enthusiasm for project bikes is waning with age, especially when I think of dealing with carburetors, stretchy chains and crappy brakes. Still, if I ever come across one in really good condition, it'll be very tempting indeed.