Topic: Why the Honda CB750

[scottly]

My first job. Started when the first Honda 50's were introduced.

That would have been September, 1959, according to Honda's website.

[CycleRanger]

Reasons to like the CB750.

40+ years old and thousands of parts still available, and now there
are more and more aftermarket parts too.

THIS!  (and that other stuff too.) but THIS!  Not nearly as many parts are still available for a lot of other Honda models.

[HondaMan]

My dad and I are driving back from picking up my new K1 and he thinks I didnt get a good deal. We started a debate and long story short he asked me. 

"why the Honda CB750, what makes them so special?"

My question to all is why the CB750 for you?

Not just us: check out the September 2012 MotorCyclist Magazine: they have declared it the "Bike of the Century"!

Mine just passed the 40-year mark: this is my 2nd one. It was built 11/71, in my hands 3/72, one of the first 800 of the K2 (with K1 engines, still). My K1 (bought 4/71) suffered a nasty assembly accident at Honda, had a bad frame, got traded for this K2.

To ride them in the days they came out was to struggle through crowds of folks standing and staring at it when you came out of the store, or work, or wherever you last parked it. A dozen questions about it later, you rode away while they watched and listened. On Saturday nights, it dominated every street racer who tested you. On the open road, everything was in your way. By 1972 (I have pictures to prove it!) there were so many of them on the road that when you mentioned 'motorcycle' everyone in earshot would ask, "Is it a Four?". In one picture I have, of downtown Keystone, SD on a July day in 1972, there are nearly 60 bikes in the picture, parked on both sides of the street, and only 4 of them are NOT a CB750. There were even more behind me in that shot. This was not a 'convention of Hondas', just a typical summer day in a resort town. This was common everywhere.

You could throw a leg over one, ride it to the coast (either one). Then change the oil and ride back: many cars wouldn't even do that in the 1960s and 1970s.

Today, 40.5 years later with it, I wouldn't have anything else. I've had 9 bikes, 4 of them Honda Fours, 2 of those CB750 SOHC4. Nothing else can tour/race/street/strip/Saturday Night Cruise/customize 100 ways/be ready to ride TODAY (not tomorrow) like these bikes.

But then, I'm biased. 

[Gurp]

Plus 1  honda man

[Tews19]

Mark, may you please post some old school pics?

[lucky]

Just a point of fact but the Triumph Trident and the BSA Rocket 3 were available before the CB750; They could claim to be the first Superbikes.  The Kawasaki H1, Norton Commando and the British 3s were quicker in the 1/4 mile.  The British bikes handled better.  The CB750 was not worlds better than what was available at the time.  You can see this in its race record which is pretty poor.

What made the CB750 better was it was relatively cheap, user friendly, and was a better all around package than any of the other options.  It wasn't the first or the fastest but it was the most complete motorcycle for its time.

Scott

I met a guy at a car wash who was washing a brand new Triumph Trident when they were first introduced.
I asked him how he liked it. He said,"I don't know, it is the first time I got to ride it, because it has been in the dealership for almost the whole 3 months I have owned it." " The middle piston seized for some reason."

[bjatwood]

I just knew that growing up in the 70's I would own a CB750. I mean everyone that I ever saw riding one would rev the hell out of it and the sound in the upper RPM range would just make my neck hair stand on end! It just was so cool 

[lucky]

My first job. Started when the first Honda 50's were introduced.

That would have been September, 1959, according to Honda's website.

Well I started in 1968.

 I believe the Honda's were the CT90's by then. The newest ones. Many people bought two of them to put on their motor homes to take camping.

But we were still getting lots of Honda 50's to work on.
Mostly tune ups and new tires. People wore out those automatic clutches some of them had.

I bought a brand new S90 while I worked there.
Later I bought a used Benly 125 too.
A few years later a CB400F (new) and then much later OSSA TT Special.

Before the war I was at the dealership when we uncrated the First CB450 Black Bomber as they call it now. We called them black Dolphins back then.

There was a gap while I served in the Viet Nam war.

A hamburger at one of the first fast food resturaunts was 13 cents!

People bought many hamburgers!!

[lucky]

My dad and I are driving back from picking up my new K1 and he thinks I didnt get a good deal. We started a debate and long story short he asked me. 

"why the Honda CB750, what makes them so special?"

My question to all is why the CB750 for you?

Not just us: check out the September 2012 MotorCyclist Magazine: they have declared it the "Bike of the Century"!

Mine just passed the 40-year mark: this is my 2nd one. It was built 11/71, in my hands 3/72, one of the first 800 of the K2 (with K1 engines, still). My K1 (bought 4/71) suffered a nasty assembly accident at Honda, had a bad frame, got traded for this K2.

To ride them in the days they came out was to struggle through crowds of folks standing and staring at it when you came out of the store, or work, or wherever you last parked it. A dozen questions about it later, you rode away while they watched and listened. On Saturday nights, it dominated every street racer who tested you. On the open road, everything was in your way. By 1972 (I have pictures to prove it!) there were so many of them on the road that when you mentioned 'motorcycle' everyone in earshot would ask, "Is it a Four?". In one picture I have, of downtown Keystone, SD on a July day in 1972, there are nearly 60 bikes in the picture, parked on both sides of the street, and only 4 of them are NOT a CB750. There were even more behind me in that shot. This was not a 'convention of Hondas', just a typical summer day in a resort town. This was common everywhere.

You could throw a leg over one, ride it to the coast (either one). Then change the oil and ride back: many cars wouldn't even do that in the 1960s and 1970s.

Today, 40.5 years later with it, I wouldn't have anything else. I've had 9 bikes, 4 of them Honda Fours, 2 of those CB750 SOHC4. Nothing else can tour/race/street/strip/Saturday Night Cruise/customize 100 ways/be ready to ride TODAY (not tomorrow) like these bikes.

But then, I'm biased. 

Good story HondaMan.

[Slug750]

I remember picking up my new K2 in 1972. I picked it up after work and it was pouring rain. The dealer suggested I wait til the next day but I headed out of town and rode that K2 on country roads in the dark, right through til about 3 am - following the run-in instructions to the letter - only stopping to get fuel. I wanted to run her in just right as quickly as possible so I could wind her out and enjoy the full potential of that beautiful motor. I changed the oil every 1000 miles and she did about 20,000 miles before I finally ended up walking for two years after doing something stupid with several law enforcement vehicles in tow. She never let me down and spent most of her time at 80-100mph. Flat out was just over 120mph according to the speedo. I sold that bike after looking at it parked for six months and have just finished restoring another K2 at the age of 59. The same things appeal to me now as back then - looking down and seeing that engine either side of the tank, the sight and sound of those four pipes, the effortless power delivery and tons of torque. After years on sports bikes with clip ons and back ache, it's a great feeling to once again be able to sit on a bike that's so comfortable to ride and that's only grown more popular with time. All these years later I've grown too, and come to appreciate still having my arse intact - and intend just enjoying the steady cruiser side of my Honda 4 this time round. Slug

[Old Scrambler]

I rode my sandcast CB750 from Wisconsin to LA in the fall of 1969....mostly on Route 66. Not only did people stop me or drive at my side while on the road, the bike always drew a crowd when I stopped.  About 6 weeks after I arrived in LA I was on the bike and at a stop sign in a residential area. A biker on the opposite side of the intersection stopped as we approached each other and wanted to look at MY bike.  It was STEVE McQUEEN .  Is there another reason to have a CB750?  I will never forget his grin after we exchaned bikes and took a ride up the Pacific Coast Highway. When I ride my stock K3 (owned since new) people still look because a bike that shows the motor and has stock pipes is sooooooo coooooool.

[72500john]

 now that is coooool. my only regret is i was too young then to own one. now i do 

[hoodellyhoo]

I was born almost 20 years after these bikes appeared so I wouldn't consider myself part of the "normal" fanbase.

I owe my fascination with motorcycles (new and old) to my father, who has always been riding. I was along with him when he went to look at buying what is now my 350 in 1996, so I guess that went a long way towards getting me on the sohc4 honda bandwagon.

So why do I like the 750 over other, especially newer, bikes?

For one, I love the styling of the 60's-mid 70's bikes and the 750 excels in this regard. They looked like motorcycles should, like well styled machines. There was shiny chrome, colorful paint, and polished aluminum. Their engines had to be aesthetically pleasing because they were (gasp!) exposed for all to see. I like that the top end looks like a strong solid lump (something that dohc 4's don't do) I feel this solid look is a direct visual compliment to the torquey nature of the motor, and its reliability.

I like the "flatness" of the top of the bike. There's no ugly step in the seat. The tank doesn't buck upwards or downwards. I like that the tank is big and rounded, yet not big enough to keep that beautiful motor from protruding on both sides. It's fun to look down there when you're riding and imagine all those parts spinning around, making that wonderful power when you twist your wrist.

I like those big round gauges, the same way I love the giant speedometer on a vincent. It adds to the visual strength of the motorcycle.

I love the riding experience. Driving a car has become so bland and predictable and I feel motorcycles are slowly headed in this direction too. I like to think of it as like driving one of those big sports cars from the 20's and 30's ( think W.O. Bentley). It's not light and flickable like the 350, but it is solid and strong. The gearchange requires more deliberate movements than the 350, and there's a healthy clunk that makes me feel like I'm moving large gears in some piece of heavy machinery. The engine has such wonderful character, especially for a four. I can cruise down city streets in top gear just riding that torque and listening to those mechanical noises from an air-cooled motor. There's power all through the rev range, just twist the throttle and go. Hills and wind pose no obstacles. And when I decide to really open it up the sound is positively menacing. It's a loud and aggressive howl, completely unlike the high pitched whine of modern 4 cylinder sport bikes.

I like knowing that I'm capable, through the help of this amazing forum, of solving ANY problem I may have, mechanical or otherwise.

I like that it requires periodic maintenance and adjustments, and that these adjustments are all fairly easy. This forces you to spend time with the bike and get to know it better. I like to fiddle with stuff. I like adjusting my carbs and hearing the bike run smoother, or adjusting the valves and hearing the ticking sound go away. I feel like I'm helping improve my bike and am being immediately rewarded with better performance. What can I adjust and improve on a modern bike besides chain tension? No vacuum operated petcocks for me, thank you. I would rather turn the lever myself. And you can have your self-canceling turn signals too. It's my bike and I would like to decide when to turn them off. And if I forget, then it's my own damn fault and I'll learn not to do it next time.

I love that I pulled a crusty 35 year old 40K mile 750 out of a building, never touched anything inside the motor, and it runs great now with no leaks (individual experience may vary)

I like that it functions perfectly well in modern traffic. There's power to spare and brakes that work.

I'm sure I'll think of more but I really need to do homework now!

[splitt]

When I was 13, my neighbor bought a CB750K. A couple of days later, he rode over to our house to show it to me. After looking it over and drooling all over it, he told me to go ahead and take it for a ride around the section. Keep in mind, that the largest bike that I had ever ridden up until then was a 400. That thing was huge, smooth and powerful. Ever since then, I've always had an affinity for that sohc 750.

Soichiro Honda turned the motorcycling world on it's ear when they released the Honda CB750. All of the other manufacturers were playing catch up the day that it was released.

[HondaMan]

Soichiro Honda turned the motorcycling world on it's ear when they released the Honda CB750. All of the other manufacturers were playing catch up the day that it was released.

Still are! (IMO).

[HondaMan]

Mark, may you please post some old school pics?

I just got  new scanner for the old computer, just for that: I would like to put some of them in this next book, too.

[750K]

Why? Hard to put into words, it's probably got something to do with the huge grin it puts on my face everytime I put it in gear and ride. I'm so glad I bought a cb750 as my first bike, a modern crotch rocket or such just wouldn't have been as fun for my first.

[Terry in Australia]

The mag cover bike looks like a prototype, look at the mastercylinder, and line, sidecover emblem, seat and bars look different..

I've got that magazine here somewhere Frank, and they actually feature a prototype and a production model. The article spans several pages, with lots of pics, but the centrefold is obviously the prototype, which looks quite different from the final production model.

A few years ago 736cc (Andy Morris) posted pics of the remains of a prototype that he almost scored from a Honda dealer that could well be the bike in that magazine article. From memory, many of the parts used on the prototype were CB450 items.

Interestingly, most of the engine castings on the prototype were markedly different than the first sandcasts, and wouldn't interchange with our bikes engine parts. 

Oh, and why did I fall in love with the CB750 when I first saw one? It was the first 4 cylinder bike I'd ever seen, and with 4 carbs, 4 exhaust pipes and a disc brake, (when most cars still ran drum brakes) it was very exotic when compared to the rather staid twin cylinder English and American "Oil distributors" of the era. Cheers, Terry.

[Lostboy Steve]

I don't own one because I have a soft spot for the cb550. (It was the first REAL motorcycle I ever sat on.) That being said #1 REASON the 750 is the end all be all. Because any little douchebag in a riced out civic can thank it for them being able to "play" with their inexpensive and highly reliable vehicle even after an unskilled retard worked on it. The unfortunate thing is that they dont know or care about this. Sorry, but it's true.


http://thekneeslider.com/archives/2008/05/01/honda-cb750-it-really-changed-everything/

[RSchaefer]

Great to see also the younger guys interested in these great bikes, there is just something magical about the CB750.  I started working in a Honda shop in '65, got a 50, 90 .......  Went into the Air Force in '67 and saved up and purchased my CB750 in '69.  I eventually tricked it out with a custom "Body by Tracy", hard tail, extended front end, etc.  Eventually traded it in as a basket case to a local accessory shop for credit towards a set of hard bags for my '75 Goldwing.  So for me to get back into them its, lets say reliving my past.

But I just do not see the following or the interest of the younger guys in other models of the era.  My neighbor across the street in '75 had a Kawasaki Mach III and he would come over and all he would talk about was my CB750.  I have not been on other forums for other same era bikes but we just seem to have a much bigger following AND seem to attract the younger guys.

Its just a wonderful machine!!

[jsleeper]

I just started riding last year - getting a motorbike was something I wanted to do but never did.  Then after I met my lady, who has a 1976 CB750F, I knew I had to get one and start riding.  Bought my cousin's Buell Blast to learn on (and to have my first newbie crash on), while wanting something like a Ducati Monster to ride every day.  Anyway, one day after putting her bike back in the garage I was sitting on it, looked down at the engine poking out and started falling in love. A couple weeks later rode the bike for the first time and fell in love - had to get one for myself so we can both ride one together... 

[Sniper X]

Not only did the CB750 change Honda, it radically changed all Motorcycle companies.  How they made, and what they made. It forced the Europeans out of the motorcycle market because they refused to change, and forced the other Japanese manufacturers to make better and more affordable motorbikes for the world. A change that has never stopped evolving solely because of ONE motorcycle, the 1969 CB750. Plus it is a bike that lives up to it's mystique and reputation in every way even to today. Practical, easy to maintain and repair, fairly cheap, and fun to ride.

[Lostboy Steve]

Not only did the CB750 change Honda, it radically changed all Motorcycle companies.  How they made, and what they made. It forced the Europeans out of the motorcycle market because they refused to change, and forced the other Japanese manufacturers to make better and more affordable motorbikes for the world. A change that has never stopped evolving solely because of ONE motorcycle, the 1969 CB750. Plus it is a bike that lives up to it's mystique and reputation in every way even to today. Practical, easy to maintain and repair, fairly cheap, and fun to ride.

The universal Japanese Motorcycle.

[Magpie]

I think the UJM showed up more with the DOHC 750. Cliff.

[Eydugstr]

Why the CB750...

It's held up incredibly well over the years.  The only knocks against it compared to modern bikes is pretty much the weight and the maintenance intervals!
The controls are still pretty much in the same spot as most modern bikes, a newbie fresh from a MSF course could hop on a CB750 for a trip around the block without having to re-learn everything. 

Great parts availability, best of all vintage japanese motorcycles, far as I'm concerned.  Honda still offers excellent support (I just got done buying a set of transmission forks, brand new through Honda...still availabile through a dealer for a 40 year old bike!).

My other main ride is an '05 Kawasaki Concours, and while it's a great bike in its own right, still prefer to ride the CB.  It weighs less, the transmission is way better spaced for commuter riding, fun and general "vibe" of riding something that's older, and it never fails someone will come up to me and ask "What is that?" or say "I /my father/my brother/etc., used to own one of those.."  followed by "..and never should have sold it."