As we're not always riding new or modern bikes, I wanted to provide more insights on this CB.
Going back to some kind of basic motorriding, as the CB doesn't bring a lot of features.
A little bit more about it's history:
The engine was derived from the CBX 750.
The CBX delivered a 'brutal' 90hp but was tuned down to 72hp and went from a 6-speed to 5-speed gearbox.
The "nice" part is that the engine has hydraulic valve lifters, so that prevents some hassle during maintenance.
The CB was actually built as a bit of a "hommage to the original CB 750".
I first rode this CB Sevenfifty in 2010 being my first "big" bike.
At that point the CB was still in it's original state and to be honest, it was showing.
My first impressions were actually pretty straight forward:
* Damn I really love the looks. The classic look really did it for me.
* Wow this bike is heavy. That feeling changed after riding also a Varadero & R 1200 GSa.
* Man this bike feels capable. Riding two-up, fully loaded, a little bit more sporty-riding, it does it...
So if I had to summarize this bike:
The good thing about this bike? It's not really bad at anything.
The bad thing about this bike? It's not really good at anything.
72hp on a bike that weighs +/- 230kg isn't really providing you with a kick in the back, but it's not slow either.
A double cradle frame with double shocks will not give you the same riding precision as the modern frames.
And the brakes will not shock you with their initial bite, yet after upgrading to steel brake lines it was improved a lot.
Yet this bike isn't going to stop you from having a lot of fun!
When I went travelling to Scotland I really went fully loaded, foldable chair, 3-person tent, cooking supplies, clothes, camera & laptop.
At that point the bike was still on his original springs & shocks (+/-20years old), but the bike handled it rather well.
The 22liter tank gives you around 320km of range which isn't to bad at all, most of us will stop a bit sooner to get a rest.
Knowing what I do know, I would not really recommend the bike for a starting driver.
The weight can sometimes surprise you and the brakes aren't on the level of modern equipment.
What I can advise when buying an older bike:
- Get the suspension checkout, change the fork oil.
- Clean the brake calipers, you won't believe the dirt that get's in there and the difference it makes.
Those two things made a huge difference for this CB.