Everybody sits around bemoaning the bikes they coulda-woulda-shoulda bought (or shouldn’t have sold) before they dramatically increased in value. So here’s your chance, if you missed out on dirt-cheap Slabbies or for-peanuts VF1000Rs or a price-of-a-cup-of-coffee Ducati 900SS, here’s a nice clean Honda CB900F Super Sport with what is claimed to be a factory option fairing. This bike is from the very last generation of superbikes before the GSX-R and its ilk transformed the motorcycling landscape. It’s big and relatively heavy, a hot-rod UJM with an air-cooled inline four, roomy ergonomics, and a twin-shock rear end. The bike was only available for a couple years here in the USA, before being replaced in 1983 by the CB1100F.
Powered by an undersquare 901cc inline four that produced 95 claimed horses and was backed by a five-speed gearbox, the 570lb (wet) CB900F isn’t a particularly fast bike by today’s standards, but it was a good handler and very well-received at the time. The styling is very much of the era, with little ducktail flip a the back and very 1970s graphics. Overall, it looks a bit like a Ducati Darmah if you squint just a little. They straddle that era between classic and modern sportbikes and may be heavy and slow by today’s standards, but also pretty useable real-world motorcycles.
Most examples of the CB900F are big, burly nakeds, but this one has what is claimed to be a factory option fairing that gives the bike a bit of an endurance-racer look and should make it a great mile-eater in the event your local bike gathering spot isn’t so local…
From the original eBay listing: 1982 Honda CB900F Super Sport for Sale
SPECIFIC DETAILS: This BEAUTIFUL bike is a very nice survivor. The condition is ORIGINAL except where noted. I am the SECOND OWNER. The original owner had Honda install the Sport Fairing and the Continental (European) kit. This kit included the Super Bike handlebars and the rear set of foot controls. I have the original handlebars and foot controls. The exhaust is a 4 INTO 1 Yoshimura. I have the original exhaust which is in good condition. I recently invested over $3,000.00 on the KEIHIN CR31 Carbs, K&N Filters, Dyna 6000 Ignition system and coils, OHLIN rear shocks and Progressive springs. I have not installed the Progressive springs. The brake pads were recently replaced. The tires are in good (fairly new) condition. I have all of the original parts to this bike (carbs, shocks, ignition, etc.) I have the factory Honda service manual. I also have the factory Honda protection cover. (All of the original items that I have noted above are included in this auction).
This bike is a little cold blooded, but once it’s warmed up, it runs strong. If the bike sits for more than three or four weeks, the battery will need a charge. Not sure if it is something with the battery or something else. This bike does have the Honda clock and AMP gauge.
The fairing has a small crack by the left mirror. The right side lower fairing has a small crack. There is a small dent on the lower left side of the gas tank. There are a few other chips, scratches and scuffs, very normal for the age.
I would rate the condition of this bike as VERY GOOD (8.5 to 9 out of a 10) considering that it is a 35 year old survivor.
This bike is a vintage super bike that is a thrill to ride and definitely turns heads where ever I go. Don’t miss out on this rare piece of motorcycle history.
These are currently not very expensive to buy for the most part, but if you’re planning on jumping in here to make a killing when the market for early 80s superbikes explodes, you may want to look elsewhere: the seller is asking an eye-watering $9,500 for this one, although bidding hasn’t quite caught up to that ambitious goal. Mileage is reasonable, it looks to be in excellent cosmetic condition, it’s been updated with a set of Keihn carbs that should improve performance and reliability, and it’s fitted with that unusual bodywork. Is all that worth the premium the seller is asking?
-tad
This bike is really a red-headed step child. The most valuable 900F’s are the 81’s on account of the one-year only stripes. This one has aftermarket CR carbs and pods (which have no idle circuit, and as everyone knows, pods on a vintage 4 cyl Honda usually don’t end well). It does have the desirable sport clip-on’s, but it doesn’t have the more desirable factory rearset kit (which would have been spec’d with the bars if they originally came with it…i.e. he bought those for the build), and he has an aftermarket exhaust to top it off. The only way this would be worth big money, in my book (and in the books of collectors) was if it was all stock. It’d make a great daily rider though. Super comfy and plenty quick. I’d say it’s worth ~$3500. He’ll never get $9k for that thing (that buyer buys a perfect 1100F or CBX). Classic “it’s worth what I have in it” fallacy.
$9K?!?!! Meh, that will seem like a bargain in 30 years. This year, however, I think half of that is ambitious, and I really like these ‘F’ bikes; I have two.
nice but personally I would repaint the rear shock to black and do something about the exhaust.
It’s a great looking bike (and an iconic model), but I have to agree with Rob that the collector value is potentially diminished by the non-stock / factory bits. It makes sense that these early F models would appreciate over time, but the CB1100F stands out to me more (speaking personally and nostalgically).
Agree it’s good to see these bikes creeping into the discussion on this page. I have a 1982 CB900F I bought new in 1982 when I worked at a Honda dealer. So those stories about “wish I had never sold” thankfully don’t apply. I paid $2450 out the door in March of 1982…still have all the paperwork.
This one has some desirable factory stuff like the sport fairing with gauges, and what was officially known as the “Continental Handling Kit,” more often called the Sport Kit. It included lower bars, revised throttle housing (to clear the tank with lower bars) and revised foot rest assemblies that moved the pegs up and back about 1.75.” These indeed are in place Rob if you compare to a stock 900F. I installed that kit when my bike was new in 1982 and still have the installation instructions.
As noted by Rob, the CR carbs and pods filters are a love/hate proposition with these DOHC bikes. More hate than love. If set up properly (rarely done), they ran great. The vast majority run like crap particularly in the 4500-5000rpm lean spot. But they sounded good with a pipe and too many guys equated sound with performance. The stock airbox and carbs worked surprisingly well, even with a mild aftermarket pipe. I installed a Kerker K2 pipe in 1983 with stock carbs/airbox.
The Yosh pipe on this bike is the full race version, that required dropping the pipe to remove the oil filter (no gap between the numbers 2 and 3 cylinders for clearance). Again in the day, I was surprised how many guys bought that pipe thinking it was better. Only to skip oil filter changes after the first one. Be cautious of oil-related wear (I’d pull the cam cover).
Surprising with the thousands of dollars of performance mods (like Ohlins) this bike still shows the original rubber brake lines. And these calipers gum up quickly if the fluid gets old. I’ve completely rebuilt the calipers on my bike 2 times in 35 years. A set of stainless lines and Ferodo pads in the day made a huge difference.
This bike presents well, but if you look closely it’s nowhere near the claimed 8.5-9 out of 10. Given the miles the wear seems right. More like 6.5-7 overall. As for price, we’ve all seen here time and time again that bone stock is the way to go for value….particularly 80s Hondas. The sport fairing is also a love/hate addition, as it eliminated the stock factory headlight brackets. If installed new as many were, those parts are likely long gone but still available used on eBay if the next owner hates the fairing look.
It will be interesting to see where this bidding goes.
Happily surprised by the number and quality of the comments this post generated. I’ve been eyeballing these for a while and wondered how a big, 1980s superbike would be received… I’ve definitely heard bad things about pod-filters on the Honda CBs. One guy claimed you could actually accelerate and decelerate slightly on the highway by moving your knees relative to the outside carbs.
Thanks Tad for posting this one.
Awful ugly thing in my humble opinion.Im n my 60s now and my son desperately wanted one cos some American called F Spencer did some daring deeds on a similar machine back in the day.
So one was found, paid around £800 Sterling in 2005, pushed it around the garage for few years, yes the brakes seized on, plus it weighs a ton.
Rode it a few times, suspension and brakes a joke,
Handing soft and wavy, ridden slowly it’s passable but very UJM, bulky thing. Sold it for £800 Sterling and replaced it with a TTR250 Yamaha which is a cracking little bike-won’t do 200mph but will climb a wall and is dead simple to maintain and fun to ride. Yeah it’s not a “sports” bike but it is a full-on Enduro spec machine and for my old bones is a doddle to handle.
I did have an early CBX twin shock which is the bike you want if that era is your thing-if only for the sound. And the motor is great to look at, even from the saddle. Bigger is better. The CBX was the best of the few 6 cylinder machines ever manufactured, the Kawasaki 6 is ugly as sin and the Benelli 750/900 was a peculiar beast, though they make a great basis for a Caff Racer.
In my humble opinion.
Thankfully the world of mo`sickles is a broad church.
Surprisingly a descent, stock ’83 CB 1100F can be bought for 3,500 to 5,000 dollars.I thought they would become more collectible and be worth more money since they are the big dog and last CB of that era and a 1 year only model.
Is this one of those weird honda models that had a 10-speed transmission?
No that weird bike with the 10 speed is a CB900C
or Custom. It really was a standard tranny with a 2 speed rear box on the left side. Kinda like a high low selector.
Giant heavy pig, but fun fun fun! Oh yeah, the’re really giant. And heavy. And piglike.