Honda CM400?

Inexplicably no one has come to look at my fantastic Focus ($1200!) I've been trying to sell for several weeks. I guess nobody drives manuals anymore. One of my friends offered to trade me for a Honda CM400 he has. Looks like it may be worth about the same IF it's in decent shape and running, which I'm not sure his is. Consider the swap or will I have just as much trouble getting rid of the bike when spring comes? I know nothing about these and my only recent Honda experience was a CL350 that I owned 20 years ago that was a disappointment.

Those are among the least desirable of old Hondas.

FIL had a CM400e, a couple years ago, for about a year. Bought it for $500, rode it maybe througha half tank of gas, then sold it for $300.

His was in very good shape, I might add. So, I think you'd be getting the very short end of the deal.

I also wouldn't do it. The CM400 is a nice little bike, but it's of no use to you, and they are pretty much worthless and unsellable on the market (unless you go looking for one).

You should be able to get about 6 CM400s for $1200 :)

ddavidv wrote: Inexplicably no one has come to look at my fantastic Focus ($1200!)

It's up to you, but I don't think your listing is going to draw calls. The description is long winded and you come off quite curmudgeonly in it. The car's got a lot of miles and has already had the engine replaced once. Bragging about how many things have broken on it while you've had it isn't helping.

Nor does it help that there's a nicer and newer one with less miles for $400 less than yours right in your neighborhood.

I own an '80 CM400T, paid about that with 90% restored cosmetics including new paint and NOS decals, rebuilt carbs, and less than 6k miles. Not a terrible little bike, but I know I'll have to take a good loss just to get rid of it.

Figures. I couldn't find ANY decent cheap cars when I needed one (hence the acne-scarred Focus) and now Craigslist is overflowing with the berkeleying things.

I like old vintage motorcycles but the Honda in question isn't something I'd ever keep. Considered chopping it up into a Brat Bike or something but that would be much effort expended for no financial gain (and I doubt it would hold my interest long as a keeper).

Thanks for the critique Foxtrapper; I'll rewrite the ads for this weekend with 'less is more'. I keep forgetting Craigslist buyers are more often than not complete morons who don't understand anything about cars and it shouldn't be my task to educate them.

OTOH...when I Google pictures of customized ones I begin to get stupid thoughts.

Bikes are so easy to work on but I have no experience trying to customize one. Other than maybe chopping the tail off a bit I don't want to rework a frame. Just how difficult is building something like these?

Since the bike isn't worth much anyway I wouldn't feel bad about hacking it to bits. I think the worst thing stylistically about them is the mag wheels; replacing with wire spokes opens up a whole other avenue.

Anyone here actually done something like this? Are my chances of winding up with a pile of unusable parts greater than being able to create something reasonably unique for not a lot of money?

I had one back in the early 90s. My first reliable transportation. I traded a car stereo for it. It was junk, but it wouldn't die. The brat bike and cafe racer pics you posted are easily doable, and none have major frame mods. I see a rebel tank on the gold one, I believe. The big question is consumables. Fork seals, chain, sprockets, tires. These will nickel and dime you to death on any bike. The big thing in my opinion is the bike has a perceived value far less than the asking price for your car. Unless it has been mechanically restored, I'd say keep walking.

I don't think the bike will be a fair trade for the car. I'm just considering if I can swap it for the bike plus some cash to make the deal more palatable to me. The guy who owns the bike has zero attachment to it.

What you need is to swap the car for cash and some bike, not the other way around.

As other posters already said, the CM series Hondas aren't exactly desirable.

I either didn't write it correctly or you're reading it wrong. The bike isn't worth as much as the car and the 'seller' would need to add cash to the deal.

Its real easy to put a lot of work and a surprising bit of cash towards making a custom bike, while ending up with a mess.

The cm400 was the...delux Civic of bikes at the time. While worthless financially, they are very rideable. They do nothing special, but will do it all surprisingly well. Anvil like reliability and excitement.

So some cash and a cm400 for your Ford? Not a horrible idea. Give the little cm400 a few rides to see what you think of the bike itself.

Lot of people rode the heck out of them, for good reason.

ddavidv wrote: I either didn't write it correctly or you're reading it wrong. The bike isn't worth as much as the car and the 'seller' would need to add cash to the deal.

My bad - I was mainly trying to reinforce exactly what you wrote above.

@BoxheadTim, I'm not sure who was wrong with that whole exchange. Re-reading what I wrote I take some blame too.

@foxtrapper having only owned three bikes so far and ridden maybe a handful of others I find the pull to try more flavors a bit irresistible. Since you haven't offered to swap me your Honda XL for the Focus I guess this is the only other alternative.

I sold my CM400T for about $1100 a few years back, and a CM400C with no title and missing half the parts for $400. They were part of the whole awkward transition between the standard UJMs and the later cruiser-style bikes that came in the mid 80s, hence being less desirable. There was also a CB400 that was similar but with a larger rear wheel, which is pictured earlier in this thread. Decent commuter bikes, but I think the car is worth more than the bike.

Blissfully now a moot point. Car sold for cash last night.

Nice! That's always a good feeling.

Now give your buddy a couple of hundos for the bike and have at it. IIRC, 914Driver did a mildly modded Kaw 400 that turned out nicely-or maybe it was his son.