A great around-town bike, Honda’s CB200 isn’t one you’re likely to take on an extended road trip. Maybe in a pinch on a two-lane road with a 55 MPH speed limit, you’d be ok, but I just rode mine yesterday, and I had forgotten how relatively slow it was. The seller has this beautiful, restored 1974 Honda CB200 listed here on eBay in Avondale, Pennsylvania, and they’re asking $2,800 or offer.
Sometimes, on a motorcycle, slow is good. It’s more relaxing to go slower and take the back roads, so something like this CB200 could be just what a lot of us are looking for in this crazy, high-paced, crazy driver world we live in. Get off the freeways, get onto the back roads, and enjoy the ride. Life is short, and you won’t get much joy from being on a crowded freeway on a motorcycle with 90% of drivers looking at their phones the whole time. Here’s the one I bought, after writing about it back in 2022. It’s one of my favorites, I’ve always wanted one and will never sell it.
The CB200 was made from 1973 through 1976, and its most distinguishing feature is the gas tank. It’s a cool, angular, square tank with a padded, sectioned black piece running down the middle on top. The CB200 is, for all intents and purposes, an update of the CB175 with basically the same frame and other shared parts and pieces. The exhaust isn’t original; the seller says they’re a new set of custom mufflers, so if you’re into bone-stock, this isn’t that. At 291 pounds, this is a fairly “light” motorcycle and easy to ride and get back onto the center stand. Hagerty is at $2,700 for a #3 good-condition example, and $4,100 for a #2 excellent CB200.
Speaking of the exhaust, CB200s are known for eventually having rusty mufflers, typically the left one. Mine has a rust hole in the end and is much louder than it should be. Original Honda-stamped exhaust pipes will be hard to find. I got a new replacement from David Silver Spares, and it’s exactly like the original, but doesn’t have the Honda numbers stamped on it. The starter button is another known issue with these bikes. The factory electric starter button doesn’t work on mine as the interior plastic bits degrade over the decades. I’m assuming everything works as it should in this example, as the seller doesn’t mention the electric starter not working. Thankfully, these bikes also have a kick starter as a backup.
The engine is Honda’s 198-cc SOHC four-stroke parallel-twin with 17 horsepower sending power through a slick five-speed manual. It’s said to run great, has new tires, a rebuilt front caliper, a new gel battery, new carbs, a new seat cover, and more. What’s the minimum size motorcycle you need to be happy?
Having owned some really quick and fast bikes like a Yamaha V-Max and Yamaha turbo 650, the bike that I owned for 43 years was a relatively under powered Yamaha SR500. I even tried riding Route 66 from Chicago to Santa Monica on the SR. So why a small slow bike? They are fun and forgiving. This Honda with a front disc brake will allow you to go hot into corners and get on the gas early as it is incapable of breaking the back tire loose. Easy to ride, easy to maneuver in a parking lot, easy to maintain and miles of fun. You don’t need a big heavy overpowered bike to have fun on 2 wheels! Buy it and plan some adventures.
An easy bike to learn how to ride on the street with this is a “work of art” to the eye for those of us growing up in the the 70’s. Beautiful coloring and “quick” back in the day but I do prefer the CB 350. Still this is something to be desired if only for the weekends.
Ding, ding, ( stomping on Milton driveway bell) another from Howards dusty abyss he calls a mind. Set the Wayback machine for 1975, Sherman. Oh it was a busy time. The Vietnam war ended, President Ford almost shot, SNL premiered, I had my TS400, and a friend had a Trophy Trail 500 Triumph. His then wife expressed interest in a motorcycle, so he got her this bike. Back then, the motorcycle road test was split into 2 classes. 0-175cc and 175cc and up. Rather than take my ring ding, that was barely street legal, I took this. Passed with flying colors, I might add. Today I believe you must take the test on the bike you are going to ride. For a city bike, these were great bikes.
In a side note, around the same time, I began my trucking career, and the boss asked if I had a chauffeurs license, I said no, he said get one. 1976/77 was a much different time, my friends. When I went to the ( Wis) DMV, after a short written test a 3rd grader could pass, the examiner asked, “have you had a road test of any kind in the last 2 years”? I said, well, I took my motorcycle test last year, good enough, $8 bucks, NEXT!!! Times sure have changed.
Also, it seems comments, or the lack of posting them, is a hot button here. In defense of the site, I’m sure the site is riddled with nincompoops heck bent on ruining our fun. I remember Hemmings went through a similar issue, eventually banning ALL comments. We have a unique group here. Not so much the stuffiness of Hemmings readers, but just regular Joes( or Joannes) with life stories that make this site worth the hassle. I know I’m the worst offender for complaining( thanks dad) but I hope the issues are resolved and I always enjoy the stories.
…And we always enjoy you. Thanks for all you are successful in posting.
Same here Howard. I enjoy reading the experiences as much as the write ups. And I sure do hope we can keep commenting. For me, this is a great way for me to unwind after a long day at work. Or on a Sunday morning enjoying a cup of coffee…….
I feel kind of bad here. I haven’t said one word about this beautifully restored Honda…. Well. Ok, I just said something now.
I have had this evil scheme brewing in my head for some time. I want to get two small displacement vintage bikes like this one and tour all the Great Lakes islands.
Trailer the bikes to a coastal town, unload them, ferry the bikes to the island, tour, load up the bikes and head to the next island.
This Honda would be perfect for my wife and a nice compliment to my 71 CB 350.
Perfect little bike for riding around the islands, cheap to run an does cost you $20,000
“It’s not a big motorcycle,just a groovy little motor bike”
I rode from Oregon to Mexico on one in the 70’s couldn’t do today
I had a 1977 CB200T. what is the difference between mine and the one that is posted?