Scott,
Congrats on your purchase! My first bike was a 1982 Nighthawk 450.
The highway capability of a 450 is somewhat limited - with stock gearing
the engine will turn approximately 5,000 RPM at 70 MPH. The 450 is a great
motorcycle for rides under 50 miles and at speeds of up to 55 MPH. Faster
or longer will wear one out very fast. I put 400 miles on mine the last day
I ran it and the fixed riding position caused my muscles to badly stiffen
and I barely managed to get up the stairs to my second story apartment.
Like most late 70s / early 80s Japanese motorcycles it has a
relatively high center of gravity and not a whole lot of low-end grunt -
but high end power is available. Properly cared for - a 450 is an excellent
commuter bike (which is what it was designed for) with a top speed
(according to the manual) of 80 MPH.
Depending on how the bike runs - a set of spark plugs (NGK DR8ES-L
plugs I believe) is a quick replacement that can keep the bike running well
and I'm sure that the rest of the group will back me on a carb cleaning as
being a good idea. If it runs well now - a can of Seafoam run through a
couple of tanks of gas will do wonders. (I once put an entire bottle into a
4 gallon tank and it was a bit on the extreme side)
Be absolutely certain you have the correct size and width tires
for proper handling.
My bike came without its tool kit (a common problem) so I carried
a couple spare sets of plugs a cheap ratchet and a cheap socket for
swapping plugs along with a very old set of metric open end wrenches. I
also carried a list of specs - oil type - quantity - spark plug type,
filter type etc along with the VIN and other info on a sheet I kept in the
bike for easy reference if I ever needed it.
Changing your oil, filter, spark plugs and electrical fuses is a
good idea - even those that don't appear to need replacement (in the case
of the fuses) just to be certain that they have been done. If the bike has
been maintained as well as it appears hopefully you'll get years of
faithful service out of your first ride.
There will never be another first motorcycle for you - although
I'm on my third - there are times that I regret selling my first bike.
Enjoy yours!
-Joey
On Tue, Aug 19, 2014 at 11:44 PM, Hawk4Tony <[email protected]> wrote:
> Congratulations on your passing your class and your new bike.
>
> What's important is that the bike "spoke to you" and you enjoy it. From my
> perspective it looks very clean and has the classic lines of the bikes from
> a bygone era. And you may find later on that you'll want something else but
> there's no harm in keeping this one. Just look around and how many do you
> see that look like it?
>
> In addition to Allen's suggestions, just do searches online for help. The
> Nighthawk-Forums.com site is being built back up and will be an even better
> resource in the future.
>
> You didn't mention the bike's history much but I'd recommend new tires if
> needed. I noticed the wrap on the headers and per my brother who's one of
> my go to persons when I need help, those wraps may build more internal
> engine heat. If they are covered because of rust or bluing, there are
> products that can help to address that or one can just paint the headers
> with the Hi Temp paint for exhaust manifolds from the auto parts store.
>
> Again, your 450 is a beauty so enjoy it.
>
>
> On Monday, August 18, 2014 11:27:40 AM UTC-7, scott siegel wrote:
>>
>> Hi guys- I'm a brand new rider living in Brooklyn NY... I just took the
>> MSS course this weekend and saw an ad on craigslist for this 450 and went
>> to see it literally on my way home from passing the course and fell in
>> love. It's in beautiful condition - I took it for a spin around a few
>> blocks - which was incredible - and texted them back within 2 hours to buy
>> it... got it this morning. I was looking at 250s at first, like the rebel
>> or v-star... thinking that's what a beginner should learn on.... then a
>> rider friend said to at least get a 500- he suggested a vulcan which i was
>> looking at (online only) but not really feeling... As soon as I saw this
>> bike it spoke to me and seeing it in person and riding it sealed the deal.
>> It was literally the first bike I sat on, which I know is stupid, but I had
>> to have it and couldn't risk letting it go to someone else. So I bought it!
>>
>> Anyway so here I am - brand new rider with this awesome bike in great
>> shape. And I have no idea how to maintain it. I feel like even when I'm
>> ready to upgrade I will want to keep it- it just seems very special. (side
>> note why don't they make these anymore??) So I want to maintain it as well
>> as it has been (at least...)
>>
>> The person I bought it from talked about riding it often on the highway
>> very comfortably, but some posts suggest that it feels rough over 65-70...
>> can anyone talk about that? I understood it would be able to achieve high
>> speeds - I guess I assumed it would not be uncomfortable to do so.
>>
>> As I said, and as you can see if I post a pic successfully, it's in great
>> shape. It has some minor cosmetic stuff like scratches/scuffing on top of
>> the tank which I'd love to get rid of- is there a way to do that?
>>
>> I'd also love to get some new rubber covers for the footpegs- any idea
>> where to find those? I poked around a bit online but didn't see much.
>>
>> Also some of the metal components have little bits of rust- is there a
>> way to take care of that? And a way to prevent more? My MSS instructor said
>> he uses WD40 on his metal parts to clean and prevent rust - is that right?
>> (he has a ~2000 CBR XX)
>>
>> What other things can I do to keep it clean and well maintained? I want
>> to do everything I can to keep this beauty looking and running perfect. Any
>> and all advice would be greatly appreciated, as would any stories, photos,
>> tips, tricks anything!!! This is ridiculously exciting... I'm glad to be
>> part of this group. Thanks!!
>>
>>
>> --
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--
-Joey Kelley
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