Newbie looking for a NC30

[rx_se7en]

I am new to this forum. I've been looking at the NC30 online and reading about it on this forum for the past few weeks.
I really like the bike and am thinking of buying one.
I live in Canada, so the bike is not easy to find, but that's part of the appeal :)
I haven't worked on bikes before, but I am willing to learn.

What should I look for when buying a NC30?
How do I tell if the fairings are original?
How much money do you think I will need to set aside to buy parts to fix up the bike?

I found a couple for sale online close to where I live.
http://ontario.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehicle ... Z399974014
http://ontario.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehicle ... Z401382819

[force-v4]

Hello mate.

The 1st 1 has a set of chinese replica panels on it but looks pretty clean.

The 2nd 1 has non original paint but I can't tell if the panels are genuine.
Again, the rest of the bike looks clean enough.

But like anything, its a bit hard to tell from flashy pictures, as it always makes them look better than they really are!

Good luck & welcome.

[rx_se7en]

Thanks for your help.
How do you identify if the panels are original?

[Cammo]

Genuine honda panels have the part number and honda wording moulded into the back of most of them, not always easy tell without taking them off the bike.

As force v4 says, the first bike doesn't have original panels, you can tell by the look of the v-piece (in front of the radiators). It also appears to be an early (89) model bike as it doesn't have the rear shock reservoir (or possibly has had an early model or aftermarket shock fitted). It also has early (gold) calipers, but mounted on later model forks. None of this is a problem but it doesn't appear so original.

I can't see anything out of place on the second bike, looks all original to me (possibly aftermarket mirrors, difficult to tell) and appears to be in quite good condition.

Not much probably needs fixing on either, but you can always improve some areas (electrical/charging system particularly). They're not difficult to work on at all once you familiarise yourself and have the time, a haynes workshop manual is a must in my opinion. The build quality is really very good - it rivals or surpasses some modern bikes in my opinion - so whenever pulled apart they go back together well.

It's a good idea to look at consumable (e.g. tyres, brake pads, brake disc thickness etc) and factor this into the price of each bike. Parts will be easily had even in your part of the world via the internet.

Best thing to do would be to go and view the bikes - be warned though as soon as you hear either running you'll want one even more! You won't regret buying one, many on the forum (myself included) have had newer, faster and flashier bikes but there's something special about these little motos.

There's buying guide here, worth a read: http://www.400greybike.com/guides.htm

[rx_se7en]

Thanks for the detailed information Cammo! that helps me alot.
Question, i know OEM fairing can be expensive, how much would they cost?
And where can I get them from?
Do the honda dealers in UK or Japan still have stock?

[rx_se7en]

what do you guys think of this one?
http://ontario.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehicle ... Z406841685

[Cammo]

Overall it looks pretty decent to me. The front cowl isn't original, possibly Silhouette (Japanese brand), it looks like decent quality whatever it is. It also has crash knobs, front braided brake lines and the rear undertray trimmed.

Original fairings are very difficult (or impossible) to source new. Used fairings in very good condition tend to sell for a fair bit as most of these bikes are over 20 years old now.

[rx_se7en]

yeah, i think it's not all original either. There are two screws behind the front turn signal lights, which I don't see on original panels.
And the "A" in the Honda decal is flipped on the right hand side?