Honda’s 650-class Nighthawk was introduced in the early 1980s as a U.S.-market standard motorcycle, positioned as a refined everyday ride rather than a pure sport machine. It arrived for the 1983 model year and remained in the lineup through 1985, giving Honda a middleweight four-cylinder standard with upright ergonomics and a broad appeal to commuters, touring riders, and riders who wanted a versatile, approachable inline-four.
The 650 Nighthawk was part of Honda’s larger push in that era to offer practical, well-finished motorcycles with the smoothness and mechanical sophistication associated with the brand’s four-cylinder street bikes. It stood apart from the earlier CB650 naming by adopting the Nighthawk identity, which Honda also used on other standards in the same period. The model’s reputation has endured because it combined a simple, classic standard-bike formula with Honda reliability and a relatively understated style.
This nameplate had a single continuous production run in the U.S. and was not later revived as the same exact 650 model in a separate era. Today it is remembered as one of Honda’s most recognizable 1980s standards, especially among riders who value the period’s mix of everyday usability, smooth multi-cylinder character, and clean, no-nonsense design.