Transmission is clunky when changing gears, especially when up-shifting. Occasionally, when up-shifting, it will fail to catch the new gear and will slip back into the current gear, which is not a welcome surprise.
Also, it is very hard to get neutral, especially from first.
The lock on the storage cubby did not last more than a few months.
An excellent in-town commuter bike, gets great gas mileage (80+ in the summer, 75 or so in the winter).
Adequate power for 55-mph freeways, but power begins to drop off around 60 mph. Around 65 mph you get the feeling that the engine is about to explode.
Essentially, it behaves like what it is: a 234 cc standard. Corners better than a cruiser, but not as good as a sportbike. More comfy than a sportbike, but not as comfy as a cruiser. I dig the ergonomics of standards over cruisers or sportbikes - sitting up high to get a good view of the road and a better feeling of control over the bike, but still sitting upright and relaxed.
If Honda still made a Nighthawk in the 400-500 cc range, it'd be my choice for a replacement. Since I expect this bike to run for a while, maybe they will by the time this one dies. Until then, I'll just have to stick to surface streets and downtown freeways.
I owned one of these for awhile, and followed up with a CB 250 Rebel. Both bikes essentially have the same power plant and transmission. Neither one is going to get you up to highway speeds very quickly, I was doing better than 100 miles a day on mine and I have to say it really starts to wear on you after 30 minutes or so. The only major complaint I have regarding the 250 Honda's is their size and the anemic throttle, it's difficult sluggish on acceleration beyond 50mph.
Overall, though both are great bikes to learn on and to have for short trips, for anything beyond 40 miles in one sitting, I'd suggest a bigger bike or driving a car.
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