After a long absence from riding I bought a very clean 2003 Nighthawk
750 last March. I have been using it as a daily commuter for my short
hops that are 50% freeway, and 50% city streets. It had 6400 miles on
the odo when I got it and is just turned 8400. I've enjoyed 3 or 4 day
trips carving around mount Tamapais and winding roads in Marin and
Sonoma counties including HWY1.
My impressions of this bike are very good. It's not as nimble or quick
as the latest Italian or Japanese crotch rockets, but it is
surprisingly close in performance considering its weight and the age
of its design. I find its power curve to be comfortable and its
handling simple and re-assuring. What it lacks in peak performance, it
makes up for in riding stance and comfort.
It's actually quite fast and powerful when you get past the halfway
point of its rev band, and I always feel confident merging onto the
freeway. I do wish it had a 6th gear. This would improve freeway
cruisng greatly. I've stretched her legs only up to 110mph and there
was still room left, so top speed isn't an issue for a commuter, but
it would have been more pleasant at lower rpms even at speeds around
75mph.
I'm 6'2" and weigh just over 200lbs and although the brake set up is
minimal in my opinion (one disc in front and just a drum in back), it
has been adequate for me (I think the large front disc helps). Having
said that I wish we had the extra discs as they do in overseas. It
discourages real quick and short hops, while encouraging smooth
comfortable cruising.
Nontheless I'm kind of addicted to the throttle and although I haven't
done a detailed calculation,
I think I'm only getting about 40mpg which is less than I had
expected.
The shifting is clunky at slow speeds but becomes dramatically better
(smooth and quick) at higher speeds. The exhaust has a pleasant sound.
It ain't boy racer, but it has an authorative rumble and sounds
especially bad ass when downshifting from 4-3 and 3-2.
The younger crowd like this bike's looks ("cool old-school, look at
all those chrome pipes, where's the radiator?,etc." )
Bottom line impression: The Nighhawk doesn't excel in any one area.
However it does everything better than expected for a 40 year old
design. It's greatest asset is how competent it is in all functions,
plus it has great value and incomparable reliability. It is the
perfect bike in my opinion, and as far as it's looks...well I'm in
love.
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