Topic: How would you value a pristine rebuilt CB650 (1979)?

[HondaMan]

One of my clients is considering selling her beautifully kept CB650, 1979. It has fine black 4-2 pipes, new rear tire Avon Roadrider II as of yesterday (matches front, both are the "good" Avon Roadriders), barely 500 miles on a new chain. I just installed a new YUASA 12N14A sealed battery in it yesterday. I did some repairs on the engine some years ago: it had been mis-reassembled by someone and when she got it, leaked oil all over. Not anymore!

It has custom needles on the instruments, pretty cool mod. Everything works, and the only 'down' side is the OEM seat cover is beginning to show some dry cracking.

The owner is thinking of selling it: what would you guess it to be worth? It's ready to ride, and a nice bike with decent aftermarket paint job in metalflake black/bronze. It almost has a 'goth' look to it.

[RAFster122s]

How many miles on it? I would love to have a 79 650 but am facing a move and hip surgery which will be requiring some time off the bike and rehab and the surgery itself won't be cheap.So, my pennies are tied up. Fresh tires aren't cheap, new rear tire for my VStrom is exceeding $200 now.  So, that increase the value, not kidding. A bike that needs little to nothing and a vintage bike at that is valuable in my book.
With inflation I cannot venture a guess and even though the 650 is a redheaded step child of the CB fours I think they should go for good money. I'm seeing auctions of CB550Ks in stock trim that are going for $4000-4500 for very nice examples and $3500 or little higher in good examples... But, exceptional bikes can push $6000-7500 for people in a bidding war. Not having a stock paint job is a strike for many buyers though. The fact it is stock other than paint and a nice running example everything else is gravy to me... The 650 can spank stock cb750s if breathed on a very little amount as Honda got so much right on the motor. If you are adventurous you can put a Dyna Electronic Ignition on one as we have a couple members who had done this.
I thought I bought a CB650 motor but it got resold after I paid for it but had not went to pick it up. At least I didn't buy more for it in anticipation than a few things, a Honda OEM head gasket being extremely hard to find and it is an expensive item when you do find it as they aren't available any longer and aftermarket support is even trailing off. That will be the challenge for owning a cb650, is talking Vesrah or Honda into making parts for them. They are getting parted out way too often, Mr Monkey claw seems to have lots of 650 motors from various years. I would hope they aren't parting viable bikes but I can bet they are as they don't try to sell too many whole bikes...when they do, they usually are getting way more than they would from private sales.

I would say $3800-4500 would be my expectations on the low end. You gotta remember the low numbers and one year production in standard frame is going to make them worth a lot more to collectors not too far down the road. Inflation is killing everyone's pocketbooks but collectors have the money when these kinds of deals come along. Soon people will be competing for a bike you want as a rider for a collection.
Haggerty will insure them for what you value them at if it is within the realm of realistic.

[fizzlebottom]

Less than she wants, unfortunately. $2500-3k is probably the tippy-top most people would be willing to go for a 650. Anything more is dealership pricing. I think it'd be a reach to get 2500 honestly. This will heavily depend on location, but even around Seattle where used prices have been ABSURD, I've seen nothing but price cuts on CB650s over the last 2 years. They never reached that same pinnacle of value that the CB750s did, even though some people try to price them like CBXs at first.

This is the personal opinion bit: The '79 CB650 is my least favorite of the range. The lines never made sense to me. One thing it does do better is that is has a less cruiser-like stance and a shorter wheelbase than its descendants. If the side covers lined up with the tank in a better manner, I'd probably like it a lot more. But it just doesn't flow well and I could never care for that factory maroon / brown color.

I think asking for $2700 to see if there are bites and then cut over the coming weeks as needed might be a good move.

[RAFster122s]

If you are gonna keep it then it would be worth the $, but there are so few 79 cb650s around, you see 3 or 4 a year at most on a good year. Where did they all go?

5 years, if we are still around, I think they will start demanding good money.

The GB500 is going for 4500 to 5000 frequently.

So, the maroon paint is a turn off for you too? I never liked it.

So, it's worth more in parts than as a whole?

David

[Tracksnblades1]

RAFster122s,,

Hoping your surgery goes well and you don’t have a hitch in your get up..
Soon to be good for another 100,000 miles..😇

[HondaMan]

Yeow, Rafster!
I had my back 'overhauled' in 2019 and it made me 30 years younger (at least) in the end. Big surgery, yet I walked out of the hospital and drove myself home just 24 hours later (boy, was the doc pissed when he found that out!) and got younger every day since.

Of course, about 8 hours after that, the anesthesia wore off...but that's a different story.
Since then, my riding has improved, not to mention my general outlook on life.

The 650 has quite the miles on it (34k showing) but runs like the wind. My brother had one of these for years after he stepped up from his CB500 SOHC4, and his had every single thing Vetter made for it. He called it the "Rolling Vetter ad of Missouri", and it fit!

[Bankerdanny]

If you are gonna keep it then it would be worth the $, but there are so few 79 cb650s around, you see 3 or 4 a year at most on a good year. Where did they all go?

5 years, if we are still around, I think they will start demanding good money.

The GB500 is going for 4500 to 5000 frequently.

So, the maroon paint is a turn off for you too? I never liked it.

So, it's worth more in parts than as a whole?

David

The '79 was a transition model, basically a '78 550 with an upgraded engine, I think that's why you don't see as many. I think the later cruiser style 650's and the Nighthawk were more popular. Personally I prefer the '79 specifically because it has the UJM lines of the 550. I especially like the burgundy/black paint scheme. Paint the reverse Comstars gold and you have a great looking bike.

[grcamna2]

If you are gonna keep it then it would be worth the $, but there are so few 79 cb650s around, you see 3 or 4 a year at most on a good year. Where did they all go?

5 years, if we are still around, I think they will start demanding good money.

The GB500 is going for 4500 to 5000 frequently.

So, the maroon paint is a turn off for you too? I never liked it.

So, it's worth more in parts than as a whole?

David

The '79 was a transition model, basically a '78 550 with an upgraded engine, I think that's why you don't see as many. I think the later cruiser style 650's and the Nighthawk were more popular. Personally I prefer the '79 specifically because it has the UJM lines of the 550. I especially like the burgundy/black paint scheme. Paint the reverse Comstars gold and you have a great looking bike.

I like the look of the first year 1979' CB650 better than the 1980' CB650C and later years.

[RAFster122s]

I would prefer the cb650 from 79 but I am not a fan of the cruiser bike look. The paint I don't like, but that is true of that styling of the era...

If I had the cash I would be asking for contact info.

Sell it on BAT and demand a reserve price if they won'tist it then go to another way...