Honda ahead of it's time

[cookiedough]

Saw this 83 honda CB1000 for sale locally and really never knew Honda was that much ahead of it's time with a 10 speed transmission.  Must not have been too good though since say only made for 1 year.

http://madison.craigslist.org/mcy/2636675009.html

Any thoughts on good or bad of this bike for it's day?

[NITRO]

I'd never heard of that either. I wonder how you switch between the high and low gears?

Looks like a good price for a 1000cc cycle-- buy it!

[hoser]

I have ridden one, kind of a pita shifting through all the gears, I usually went through the 5 low gears and used the top high gear for overdrive, 1st 5 are great for drag racing.  A powerful bike.  Hoser   

[Fritz]

Honda started with that in 1981, had a buddy that had a CB900 with a high and low range, I don't remember how it switched between high and low, but they were very nice bikes.

[honda*mann]

Hi,

Father-in-law had 2 of them. It was nothing special really. Going to high gear from low gear lowered your rpm's by about 500.
There is a shifter by the other sifter to switch from high to low. He would just keep in high all the time for the best milage.

That bike seams quite high priced I would think. Have a buddy that bough one of those last year and paid hundreds not thousands of $$'s

[salty]

My CB 1000C is real "croch rocket" and a great day rider. The ten speed tranny is more of a novelty, I'm using high range almost exclusively. Value depends on condition as you know. That CL is probably not to far off the mark. I have totally reconditioned mine and feel it's worth about $2800. The end of the inline 4's did come to a halt in 1983. You might remember, these inline fours bikes put the British bike makers out of business.

[Pluggy]

I have had my 1980 CB900C for 31 years.  The CB1000 is a one year only bigger version.  That one pictured is probably one of the few with an original exhaust.  Most rusted at the bottom.  The bike is easy and fun to ride.  The 10 speeds is a regular 5 speed gearbox and a dual range "subtransmission".  I usually leave it in High range.

It is a very reliable machine.  It has never needed a valve adjustment and I've never opened the carbs.  The generator will not support a lot of extras, it is capable if you ride at highway speeds.  

One minus is parts.  Those bikes look like a CB750 and a lot of vendors sell used parts as "fits CB750/900/1000".  Parts that may look alike don't often interchange.  Brake and final drive parts are the same as Gold Wing.

1980's bikes are getting some collector interest.  Many 900's and 1000's have been butchered and modified into worthless condition.  That 1000 is a stock good looker and should increase in value if you hold it a while.