Classic Honda Motorcycles You Can Buy For Cheap

Every year, manufacturers release a slew of new motorcycles. Each one is better than the previous, with features upon modern features. There are rider aids, creature comforts, premium materials, rider modes, cruise control, and safety tech. We, as riders, have never had it better, when it comes to having motorcycle choices.

But sometimes, all you need is a pair of wheels, some gas in the tank, and an open road. And that’s where vintage motorcycles come in. Lacking almost everything we just mentioned, these machines of yesterday, nevertheless, continue to be popular with riders of all ages. Maybe it’s the hard-earned patina, the soulful growl of an older engine, or the overall simplicity of the bike, but we just can’t get enough of them.

And though there are many great, classic bikes still on the market from brands like Triumph, Harley-Davidson, Kawasaki, and many others, it is Honda’s reliability and engineering prowess that makes their bikes more desirable than the rest. Whether you want to get yourself a first bike, restore one from the ground up, or turn it into a custom, there are plenty of great used choices. To make things simpler for you, we’ve rated a small sampling of available models by price, taken from CycleTrader.com.

In order to give you the most up-to-date and accurate information possible, the data used to compile this article was sourced from various manufacturer websites and other authoritative sources, including bike-urious.com, motorcyclecruiser.com, and Cycle World.

10 1973 CB750

Used Price: $9,995

The Honda CB750 is considered, by many, to be the first superbike. Its arrival in the late 1960s heralded a new type of bike, which featured modern technology, superior performance, and a cheaper price. The influx of Japanese bikes based on the CB750 ultimately led to the downfall of the British motorcycle industry in the 1970s, and caused Harley-Davidson to run to the government for assistance in the 1980s. But the CB750 itself was so popular that it outsold and outperformed many of its competitors for several decades. And the shadow it cast on the rest of the industry remains considerably long, even to this day.

Engine Specifications

9 1984 VF1000

Used Price: $6,000

The 1980s saw an explosion and proliferation of mainstream sports bikes. Kawasaki introduced the Ninja line, which continues to this day. Suzuki birthed the infamous Gixxer. Yamaha laid the foundation for the R6, with the FZR600. And Honda had the VF1000. Dubbed the “Interceptor”, when it was first released as the VF1000F in the early 1980s, Honda’s powerful V-four bike was but a taste of things to come. It only lasted up until the end of the 1980s, so examples in good condition may be hard to come by.

Engine Specifications

8 1993 Gold Wing

Used Price: $5,999

The Gold Wing is a bike that needs no introduction. Originally envisioned as just a bigger, more comfortable Universal Japanese Motorcycle (UJM), Honda saw what their customers were doing with the bikes, namely touring, and began modifying the bike to suit their needs from the get-go.

Over time, the Gold Wing became even larger, more comfortable, and loaded with cross-country features like stereo and infotainment systems, speakers, hard luggage, fairings, and reverse gear. These days, if you want to travel the country in style and comfort, you can hardly do much worse than a Gold Wing.

Engine Specifications

7 1967 CB77 Super Hawk

Used Price: $5,900

Considered by many to be Honda’s first sports bike, this lightweight, small-capacity twin was also a great beginner motorcycle. It featured a comfortable, 30-inch seat, an electric start, and 28 horsepower. It was also wicked fast, reaching speeds of over 100 miles per hour. And it had a lasting pop culture influence, as it was the bike that was used by author Robert M. Pirsig in his popular book, “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance”.

Engine Specifications

6 1999 GL1500C Valkyrie

Used Price: 5,499

The Valkyrie was Honda’s attempt at engaging the large-capacity cruiser market. It utilized the buttery smooth Gold Wing engine, with some tweaks, but featured a typical cruiser body to entice Harley riders to the brand. The original model was styled as a standard naked cruiser, while later models had touring upgrades such as windshields, hard luggage, and fairings.

It lasted about six years, with the final year featuring the infamous Honda Valkyrie Rune. Honda made 3,000 units of the Rune, which was a huge swing and a miss for the brand, due to the divisive style of the bike. The Runes are hard to find these days, but the original Valkyrie is still a great power cruiser, and can be had for a steal.

Engine Specifications

5 1982 GL500 Silver Wing

Used Price: $4,999

The Silver Wing was an interesting bike for Honda. More Moto Guzzi than a UJM, with its angled, transverse twin engine, the bike had other uncommon features for its time. It was liquid-cooled, shaft-driven, and had an electric start. Several variants were produced, in custom, deluxe, and sports packages. Eventually, a faired version was introduced with the GL650, where it began to resemble its larger sibling, the Gold Wing.

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4 1989 XL600V Transalp

Used Price: $3,999

The Transalp has had a resurgence as of late, with the introduction of the latest model. But the original dates all the way back to the late 1980s. Back then, motorcycle companies were scrambling to put out bikes in the rising ADV market.

Many of Honda’s competitors had already made significant headway in the market, chiefly among them BMW, with their R 80 G/S bike. The Transalp was a more road-biased model, compared to something like Honda’s other ADV bike, the Africa Twin, and has continued to be produced, on and off, to this very day.

Engine Specifications

3 1979 XL185

Used Price: $3,995

The XL line of motorcycles were Honda’s capable dual-sports, eventually culminating in the Transalp, before transitioning to street bikes like the Varadero. Starting in the 1970s, multiple versions of various displacements were produced. As such, the XL185 was simply an upgraded XL175.

It had a single-cylinder engine, a kick-start with a compression release valve, and an instrument cluster. If you’re looking for a solid, classic bike to get yourself some off-road time, there’s no better place to start than an XL dual-sport.

Engine Specifications

2 1976 CB550

Used Price: $3,400

Truth be told, you’d be perfectly fine if you settled for any CB bike from the 1970s. If the CB750 is a bit out of reach, price-wise, there’s always the smaller CB550. It looks just like its bigger brother, but is smaller and lighter, making it the ideal beginner entry into the vintage CB world.

Honda only made the little inline-four for four years, from 1974 to 1978, before it was upgraded to the larger capacity CB650 version. These little bikes are great to wrench on, simple enough to fix, and lend themselves well to brat, tracker, scrambler, or café racer makeovers.

Engine Specifications

1 1969 CT 90 Trail

Used Price: $2,950

Honda has a long history of their best-selling Super Cub mini motorcycles. But they turned a new corner of popularity when American dealers began modifying them into off-road capable Trail versions. Based on a concept developed by Herb Uhl, the converted Super Cubs had knobby tires and a “cheater” sprocket at the back. Being fairly lightweight, with an automatic clutch, these little trail bikes were perfect for traversing overgrown, mountain back roads, and soon Honda was selling these officially.

Over time, their popularity grew, and Honda produced them in great numbers, which is why you can find some of them in good shape, and for a decent price. Of course, you can always get the newer, 125cc version, with all the modern features like fuel injection, disc brakes, and ABS.

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