You can fool some of the people
some of the time...about 25% of Harley riders coming towards me
gave a cheery wave, figuring the high bars and laid back riding
position redolent of their righteous steeds. No doubt they either
sneered or laughed when their mistake was revealed. The thing
was, I didn't really crave the American Iron - really, honestly!
I'd ridden a few and they brought to mind Urals and old BMW's
rather than anything to lust over. And, if you want a beautiful
babe, buy a Porsche, the old slags on the back of custom Harleys
didn't appeal either. I wanted to f..k ancient hags?
Okay, I will admit that the 1983
Honda looked a bit wimpy in comparison to the American icons but
then it had only cost £995 from a friendly grey importer.
Apart from finding the radically mounted footpegs, it was a breeze
to leap on to and ride off into the distance. Any Harley rider
worth his salt would've been swearing his head off at the lack
of power and torque but this was due to the fact that it didn't
really start motoring until seven grand, with its 42 horses peaking
at a heady 9500rpm. In other words, despite the styling, here
was a typical Honda twin that thrived on revs. Anyone used to
Jap bikes would have a ball on the throttle, Harley devotees finding
its lack of torque just another excuse to take a bloody big hammer
to it.
The NV's clearly based on the
VT400/500, with an ultra short stroke, watercooled engine that
needs all of its six gears. As expected of a Honda of this vintage,
all it really required was a regular, 1500 mile, dose of lubricant
and a nervous right wrist to build up the revs. It came with 19,400
miles on the clock, three years later has 38,600 miles up, and
runs just as nicely as ever. As far as engine reliability and
longevity go, the VT/NV series is hard to beat. By far, the motor's
the most impressive part of the package.
As to the chassis, it was a mixed
bunch. As a custom allowance has to be made for its handling,
which was surprisingly good on smooth roads and only let down
by shagged, original suspension on the rougher stuff. With kicked
out forks and 390lbs of metal to shove through the bends it wasn't
the fastest turning beast on God's earth but once used to its
ways I was able to make respectable time. Top speed was just over
the ton, but the riding position limited cruising speeds to 75mph
maximum. As my licence was in a precarious state this was fine
by me. The cops tended to have a good laugh rather than lay any
serious charges on to my head.
The main hassle with the chassis
was the nasty front disc. There was a useful drum to the rear
that was still shod with the original shoes, but the front disc
was a serious piece of shit. No doubt when brand, spanking new
it was a gloriously efficient stopper, but time, wear and corrosion
added up to a lack of power and lots of shuddering.
The disc was going dangerously
thin and had been gorged by pads down to the metal at some point
in its life. Pads lasted about 7000 miles. Real finesse was required
when using the front brake in the wet! Both the front wheel and
disc appear unique to the NV, no easy way to find a replacement.
Frequent caliper rebuilds, lots of prayers and equal amounts of
cursing meant that it hasn't actually done for me yet, but there
were many close shaves!
Given the machine's age, the finish
was pretty good. A bit of alloy rot on the engine cases and wheels,
but they cleaned up without much effort. Even the exhaust system
exhibited few of the signs of internal corrosion. A happy early
life in the hands of a Japanese poseur obviously helped. One side
of the saddle has just begun to tear and the miniature front mudguard
is a bit shaky on its mounts, but nothing serious or dire on the
immediate horizon. I've seen five year old Harleys in a much worse
state!
As I'm a short-arse I don't really
appreciate the pillion perch being higher than mine, young ladies
usually left towering over me. It wouldn't be so bad if I could
dump the helmet, rest my weary head between their breasts, but
little chance of that given the way the plod react to minor infractions
of the law. The thick saddle is at least comfortable for both
rider and pillion, showing up the lack of range from the 2.7 gallon
tank (the bike does a not too reasonable 45-55mpg).
One minor problem, it would splutter
and choke up with about half a gallon of fuel still left in the
tank. Unleaded petrol it didn't like either, doing about 35mpg
and not wanting to rev beyond nine grand. Poor engine running
could combine with a truculent gearbox (especially after the bike
had done 24000 miles) to make forward progress a rather tiresome
business, totally out of line with its laid back appearance.
Because the engine always needed
revs, those not used to the vagaries of aging Honda gearboxes
won't be happy bunnies, but, as with most things, time and experience
compensates for even the most nasty of mechanical contrivances.
The state of gearbox is a good indication of the true age of the
motor, many bikes in importers sporting false mileages - relatively
easy to fake given the bike's good finish.
The bottom line is that they are
inexpensive ways of getting in with the custom crowd, have more
than adequate performance but lack entirely the expected vee-twin
torque. Reliability is excellent, the finish better than most.
You can get away with running them into the ground or lavish a
bit of tender loving care on them, keep 'em going for ages.
J.L.