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from first to second. Considering the engine's wide powerband, and the lack of vibration, a five-speed tranny would be perfectly sufficient. In our day-to-day riding, we only used first through fifth, with the engine turning right around 4700 rpm in fifth. The sixth gear would probably be very welcome if traversing something the size of the California desert. Under the heading of rider comfort, the Nighthawk scores good marks. Heading the list are the truly adjustable handlebars. Like a "normal" one-piece tubular bar, the Nighthawk bar is adj ustable for pullback at the top of the triple clamp. But each side of the bar has a collar arrangement to allow for even more adjustment. If you can't get comfortable with the 5's handlebars, try one of the "custom" psuedo-choppers. The seat is soft, wide and comfortable, and the hump at the halfway point went unnoticed. While the seat is nice to one's buns while riding, the seat mounting is a pain in the aforementioned posterior. The amount of jimmying to get the seat to sit flush in its mounting is excessive. And when you consider that you have to pull the seat up to get at the helmet lock, you had better get used to the idea of taking your helmet with you into restaurants and the like. Controls are first rate. The hydraulically actuated clutch has a nice, light feel in addition to the plus that it never needs adjustment. While the rear brake pedal connects to a drum, the front brake lever connects to a pair of Honda's superb twin-caliper discs. If you want better brakes up front, talk to Erv KanemoLO about obtaining the ones off Freddie's N5. The grips t;cored mixed reviews. They don't leave as much rubber on bare hands as previous efforts, but at least one tester complained that they were too hard. The handlebars do pass some vibration to the grips, so softer ones would help the situation. The mirrors, which are altogether too small, also suffered from the vibration. Even'though there is a little buzz, the overall feel ing of the bike is one of smoothness. Honda has gone to push-to-cancel turn signals, a very nice touch. The speedo and electric tach are from tbe Interceptor and can be a bitdecieving at first. The needle on the speedo starts from the very bottom of the instrument face, and the rider will be past the national speed limit before he notices the needle rising. Time in the saddle eliminated the problem for us. The 5 model also features a nice, easy-w-read LCD gear position indicator. We suppose we can include the lack of time the owner must spend maintaining the bike under the rider comfort category. With the shaft drive, hydraulic valve adjusters and the hydraulic clutch, about all the rider has left to do is change the oil. The 'Hawk has an external oil filter mounted on the front of the engine. Honda personnel said that it could be changed without removing the pipes, but we took a look and have serious doubts about it. Oil goes in every 4000 miles, but the gas in the tank needs a refill much more often. We averaged in the midLO low-40s in the mile-per-gallon category, buta lotofthat was because the bike is so much fun LO ride under power that we kept it down in the lower cogs mucb more than we normally do with bikes this size. One tester found that refueling was difficult and the locking gas cap hard to engage, but another had no feelings about it either way. By now, if our use of the English language has matched our intent, you've probably gathered that we like the Nighthawk 5. We do, and with good reason. The 5 is a versatile machine, capable of being a commuter bike, a canyon cat and a sports tourer that can handle long stretches. We like bikes that allow us LO do many things. 8 Specifications Engine Type Displacement Bore x stroke Compression ratio Starting system Ignition system Transmission Carburetor ' Air cooled DOHC four cylinder. 696cc. 67.0 x 49.4mm. 9.3:1. Electric. C.D.1.. '.' Six-speed. Four 34mm Mikuni. Frame Type. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. Double cradle. Front tire 110/90-16 69H. Rear tire 130/90-16-67H. Dimensions Wheelbase Dry weight (claimed) Fuel capacity Suggested retail price 68.6 in. 471.8 Ibs. 4.2 gal. $3398. . .. "-_." .. _- 25