That is not an excessive mileage but the 650s are less easy to get major parts for should you ever need them like Piston rings and or engine replacement and parts.Some 650 owners are trying to,"Band together" and get some made for the future so that may be good news.
This would not stop me buying one at the right price though.The 650s seem to have their own small weaknesses like the Starter clutch mechanism wearing quicker than he 500s due to a couple of things.
As I've done a lot of work on the 500s I've also learnt a lot about the 650s and I suspect that as they were at the end-of-the-line of CX/GL V twin design I think Honda got a bit sloppy.
Bad or hard starting puts a strain on several parts like the Battery,Starter motor and the Starter clutch mechanism causing premature wear.I know this from experience on one of my CX but seem more prevalent in the 650s.
Here's what I think and know.
1:
There has recently been posted a modification for the Starter motors to make them better because of bad internal grounding however other users have just serviced the Starters which is easy and made sure there's no corrosion.On my CX500s I service and clean my Starters and have no problems.This is often overlooked in routine maintenance and can easily be done in an evening and only has to be done say every couple of years.Remember that many of the parts on these bikes may have not been apart and cleaned or serviced for over 25 years so just a bit of common sense really.
http://globalcxglvtwins.hostingdelivered.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=208
The starter motors from a CX500 can be used on the 650s and some say they are better.I cannot attest to this but a well serviced Starter motor is important on either bike as are good ground straps/frame grounds.This the same for any vehicle.
2:As the 650 engines have more mass I would use an upgraded battery with a superior cranking amp rating instead of the default battery
This is the stock budget type battery,
http://www.tayna.co.uk/VARTA-514-011-YB14L-A2-12N14-3A-P33.html
Which has a CCA of 140 amps.I would buy a
http://www.batteryprice.com/powersoniccb14l-a212v14ahleadacidmotorcyclebattery.aspx
or,
http://www.norbsa02.freeuk.com/goffybatteries.htm
Sealed one both of which have a CCA(Cold Crank Amps) of 190+ amps
Also I've stripped and cleaned the Throttle/Starter button mechanism as on one of them the wire was frayed to the starter button causing bad starting.If you ever decide to service it just be careful of the small ball bearing underneath at the bottom part of the light switch mechanism as without it the light switch would be vague.
3: And may be controversial.
Having converted my Main CX500 to an Electric fan I have quite a deep knowledge of the cooling systems on these bikes.It's often posted that the 650s run hotter than the 500s and some posters reckon this may cause the seemingly premature wear/breakdown of the Stators in the 650s.
If this is the case one of the 1st jobs I would do if I got a 650 would be to bypass the Honda electric thermostat and fit one of my cheap ones as per,
http://globalcxglvtwins.hostingdelivered.com/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=209
As I think that Honda may have fitted one that comes in too late for my liking.Mine operates almost exactly around the nominal mark switching my Ducati Fan in and out perfectly when required and keeps my running temps optimal in all conditions.This is only supposition but based on my knowledge above.
Do not let any of the above put you off buying the bike at the right price but ask questions as well as you/we don't know how the bike may have been cared for.A badly maintained bike can be ruined easily under 20,000 miles but a well maintained CX/GL can do well over 150,000 miles without need for a re-bore or new crank etc.
There are very few things not known about these bikes now so taking care of them and fixing them is no big deal really.
"Prevention is better than cure" and never truer than with any motor vehicle and pre-emptive oil changes go a long way to a happy engine
