Buying a CB1

[rossman]

Hi,

I am looking to purchase a 1990 CB1 which is in fairly good condition, it has never been dropped and runs well (according to the owner) I have only seen pictures and plan to look at it soon.

I know very little about motorcycles and this will be my first bike.

What should I be looking for when I examine the bike?

Are their any tests I can do to the bike that will determine if anything is wrong?

How can I tell the bike was stored correctly over the winter?

What is the average cost of a 1990 CB1 that has not been dropped and runs well?

Any help or direction on this would be great!

Thanks

[psubrock]

I mean, if it runs well it was probably stored correctly and taken care of. What is the mileage? If it is high miles I'd ask when or if the valve clearances have been checked. There really isn't anything special you would look for on this bike that you wouldn't on another but on bikes that have been dropped make sure the frame mounts aren't cracked. But, these bikes are almost 20 years old it helps to understand the mechanics and be able to do maintenance to save on shop fees. I have seen 1s go on ebay for $1500 to $2000 dollars. Throw some of the pictures so we can see the condition.
Hope the purchase works out for you, it is a fun little bike.

[BAA-BAA]

My CB came from riding school, it was a learners bike, I was happy it already had a scuff on RH side engine casing, and front brake lever. I have dropped it since,  some stupid driver in Spain decided to bang on suddenly...I locked the rear wheel and ended on the deck.......broke the lever and scuffed the existing scuff......not a problem.

Expect a few niggely carb things going on, its normal its nearly 20 years old..

You must have found a bike by now?

[chuckzjunk]

...I have just purchased an '89 model for my girlfriend. I work for a motorcycle dealer, and we took it in on trade a couple years ago & I put about $900 in it on trade. Then that guy sold it to one of our techs for around $1500 & he kept it for a while. Then I bought it for my "vertically challenged" girlfriend for $1100 & I felt like it was a GREAT deal at that ........when I assign a value to a bike for my shop I look at what I think I can re-sell it for at that time, thats the best way to assign value. Look at it this way "If YOU think it's a good deal then who cares what anyone else thinks" & keep in mind if it doesn't feel right to you trust your GUT INSTINCT & "if it's too good to be true, IT USUALLY IS !"

A great example is recently I spotted a KENDON motorcycle trailer on a "CRAIGSLIST" SITE , when I questioned ths individual about their item , they began to give confusing answers regarding "proof of ownership" paperwork & I told them I wouldn't wire the money unless they faxed me proof of ownership & at that time they refused to sell me the trailer. I am not sure if they ever had a title / proof of ownership !  THIS TRAILER WAS AT LEAST 1400 DOLLARS UNDER MARKET VALUE, but what do I do with a vehicle with no PROOF OF OWNERSHIP

Good luck
chuckzjunk
 

[rossman]

I did not purchase the bike yet.

Current owner purchased it from a bike collector before, he only put 5000km on it in 4-5 years he owned it. He also only did a few oil changes.  Track record is unknown.  The bike looks to be in good condition and never been dropped. 30,000km on the bike.  The tires are 3-4 years old and need to be replaced. New battery was just purchased.  It has passed safety inspection (lights, wires, horn...) Owner has all the needed paperwork & proof of ownership for selling the bike, he is asking $3000 firm for the bike.  I will be taking it for a test ride sometime this week.  My knowledge is only what I have been able to read up on the internet.  I have taken a motorcycle course and have only a few hours of riding time with 2 diffenrent bikes.  I plan to take it to a mechanic to inspect the bikes engine & parts before I purchase it but that is costly.  See pictures. Thanks.





Thoughts ?

[bbanna]

I know I am probably going to get hammered for this, but personally, I would not bother taking it to a mechanic. It is not like a car where there are a lot of hidden things. If the bike starts easy and quick, that is good. Blip the throttle a couple times and let it settle into its idle. I fit does not shut down and idles nicely, then that is good. Rev the bike and let the throttle snap closed. If it revs up nicely and then then when you release the throttle and it closed properly, then that is good. You already mentioned it passes the safety inspection.

This is a normally aspirated motor. It is not fuel injected with all sorts of bells and whistles. The bike looks to be bone stock. I would say your money is best spent on a few new items. You mentioned tires already. Other things I would look at right away and possibly change would be the following:

- Air filter
- Spark plugs
- Oil & oil filter

If you are going to pay someone to do something to the motor, then I would suggest possibly getting the valve clearances checked and if need be corrected. If you are mechanically inclined, you can do this yourself as well. It is the typical Honda shim under bucket design.

From the photos, the bike looks sweet. If it runs good, then t probably is just fine. One other thing I would check on the bike. I highly doubt there is any problem there, but check where the upper motor mounts attach to the frame to make sure there is no cracking. This can happen on older bikes, but just be safe and check it out.

Brian