Topic: So, Just How Did You Get Involved With Hondas, Mind Sharing Your Story?

[USMC5811]

Picture is worth a thousand words...


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[DH]

Picture is worth a thousand words...


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Excellent pic..

[bill440cars]

        Yeah, Honda had a great idea, so it seems, when the introduced the Goldwing. And look at how it's evolved too. Has a Huge following too!

[grcamna2]

Picture is worth a thousand words...


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Was this your Dad's bike and then your first bike too ? Nice looking CB350G 

[bill440cars]

Picture is worth a thousand words...


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Was this your Dad's bike and then your first bike too ? Nice looking CB350G 

   Thought that looked like a 350G.  My youngest brother-in-law bought one new and when he was ready to leave motorcycles and go with cars, I had the chance to trade him mine and give him some difference, but neither his Mom nor my Wife thought that was a good idea. So, it didn't happen and about a week or so later, it was stolen. Anyway. My Brother-In-Law had put a Hooker 2 into 1 header w/ megaphone on it and sounded great.   

[Gene]

   Thought that looked like a 350G.  My youngest brother-in-law bought one new and when he was ready to leave motorcycles and go with cars, I had the chance to trade him mine and give him some difference, but neither his Mom nor my Wife thought that was a good idea. So, it didn't happen and about a week or so later, it was stolen. Anyway. My Brother-In-Law had put a Hooker 2 into 1 header w/ megaphone on it and sounded great.

This bikes were just too easy to steal.

[MoMo]

sure looks like a 350G. Do you remember if it had front disc?

[Don R]

My brother was in Japan in the early 60's and rode there. When he came back he was an aircraft mechanic so went right to air cooled dealers. One was Honda, one was VW. They both made an impression on me. I learned to ride on his Suziki 250 and a 450 Honda. 

        Where in Japan? I was stationed at Misawa AFB for 2 years (Dec 1967-Dec 1969) I got schooled by a Suzuki X6 Hustler, while in Japan and the 1st 450 I ever saw, was over there and was a CB450K0 and then another buddy bought a new 1968 CB450 and I got to ride it, Nice!

He was at Misawa and one other base, he was in a bad bike wreck there and was sent back to Wright Patterson to finish his duty. 60/61 maybe? There was a base motorcycle club, they rode on the Honda test track once.

[bill440cars]

   Thought that looked like a 350G.  My youngest brother-in-law bought one new and when he was ready to leave motorcycles and go with cars, I had the chance to trade him mine and give him some difference, but neither his Mom nor my Wife thought that was a good idea. So, it didn't happen and about a week or so later, it was stolen. Anyway. My Brother-In-Law had put a Hooker 2 into 1 header w/ megaphone on it and sounded great.

This bikes were just too easy to steal.

   
    I hear you and being in Little Rock and  where he parked it in Little Rock didn't help either. He though it was secure enough, locked the fork and left, only to come back and find it gone.

[bill440cars]

My brother was in Japan in the early 60's and rode there. When he came back he was an aircraft mechanic so went right to air cooled dealers. One was Honda, one was VW. They both made an impression on me. I learned to ride on his Suziki 250 and a 450 Honda. 

        Where in Japan? I was stationed at Misawa AFB for 2 years (Dec 1967-Dec 1969) I got schooled by a Suzuki X6 Hustler, while in Japan and the 1st 450 I ever saw, was over there and was a CB450K0 and then another buddy bought a new 1968 CB450 and I got to ride it, Nice!

He was at Misawa and one other base, he was in a bad bike wreck there and was sent back to Wright Patterson to finish his duty. 60/61 maybe? There was a base motorcycle club, they rode on the Honda test track once.

           I flew into Yakoda (spelling?)AFB, rode a bus to Tachikawa (Spelling? AFB and when the weather cleared enough (Stopped Snowing) we flew on up to Misawa AFB Pretty cool to find someone else who had been there, even though I was there a few years later. The Base had a motorcycle club and they had a track (sort of) and the 2 photos I have posted on here before, of me racing my '66 CB72, were there.  Here are those 2 photos, hope they are clear enough

[vfourfreak]

1974 . Road races in the North of Ireland. The start of the 200cc race, and approx 20 CR93 Hondas bellow into life.

That did it for me.

Kev

[63SSRagtop]

Mine is a weird story.. Always been into bikes since the first time I tried to find 4th gear on a trail 70 when I was about 8.. it needs to go faster!  Anyways..  Didn't ride for a long time until just before I retired from the service.. Decided I wanted a Harley so grabbed an FXR, then wanted bags so grabbed an FJR..

Had a buddy that built a ratrod BMW S1000RR and was just amazed by this bike..  He'd built the bike for the salt flats and discovered he had stage 4 cancer.. I wanted to get the man and the bike to Bonneville this last year but the chemo was messing with him too badly but in the planning I was trying to think of what bike I could roll around with his and decided to build the walking dead bike to run around Bonneville with...

Here's the S1000RR
https://www.instagram.com/p/BDmdY6Gp2pD/

It now has a side car affixed to it (as he occasionally gets dizzy) although we weren't quite done painting it
https://www.instagram.com/p/BL_v4vcjk1u/

The more I looked at the CB's the more I started to like them so anytime I find a decent deal on one I buy it..  While building Daryl's bike every time I fabricated a piece I kept thinking of things I'd like to do to my own custom so alas I run into a '77 that I'm building now..   CB500X rear end with CBR600RR and a host of other weirdness in between by the time she's rolling..

https://www.instagram.com/p/BNsumokDsvt/

[Johnie]

I was in the drum corps in the late 60's and we were leaving outside practice one summer and a guy had a Bridgestone twin. I asked him for a ride. I was hooked and the rest is history. Really only had a Honda dealer around here so started to stop buy there before I was even 15 to check them out and get some of the cool brochures. Bought my first ride a 1965 Honda 65 Super Sport in 1970. Got my first talking to from the local police that same year for riding on the road with no plate on the bike and no license in my wallet Rode that bike a few years then bought a new '72 CL175, '74 CB450 and my first CB750K7. The pic is of my CB450 and CB750 back in the day...and the girl I married in 1979 who loved to ride. We had our first child in 1983 and she said I should sell the 750. Sold it to a friend in 1983. Bought it back in 1999 and with the help of this forum did my first carb rebuild. Bike never ran that good. Bought a Goldwing in 2001 and sold the 750. Friend gave me a 1980 CM400E which was my first restore. Did a few 400's then found the red KO in 2006 which was my first 750 restore. Did a few since then and the stable is growing. What a fun hobby...

[bill440cars]

1974 . Road races in the North of Ireland. The start of the 200cc race, and approx 20 CR93 Hondas bellow into life.

That did it for me.

Kev

. Totally understand that! Would do it for me, too.

[USMC5811]

"Was this your Dad's bike and then your first bike too ? Nice looking CB350G  "

Sadly, no.
He had it for about a year or so, then got rid of it.
I was searching at meets for an affordable one but turned out to be a unicorn - either wrong year, color, cafe'd out, or restored and out of my price range.
Have a '78 CB750K but still looking...


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[grcamna2]

"Was this your Dad's bike and then your first bike too ? Nice looking CB350G  "

Sadly, no.
He had it for about a year or so, then got rid of it.
I was searching at meets for an affordable one but turned out to be a unicorn - either wrong year, color, cafe'd out, or restored and out of my price range.
Have a '78 CB750K but still looking...


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I'd like to find a purple one in nice cond.

[USMC5811]

"Was this your Dad's bike and then your first bike too ? Nice looking CB350G  "

Sadly, no.
He had it for about a year or so, then got rid of it.
I was searching at meets for an affordable one but turned out to be a unicorn - either wrong year, color, cafe'd out, or restored and out of my price range.
Have a '78 CB750K but still looking...


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I'd like to find a purple one in nice cond.

I've seen some purples, but mostly a lot of faded reds


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[70CB750]

My dad had a CZ, I bought CZ after my military service. 5 years later I bought Honda CBX750 to travel Europe with my wife.  Sold it before moving to USA.

In Virginia a friend gave me 1970 CB750 in 2011 - he got it free from a neighbor and passed it on for the same price.

After that i bought a rolling K3 frame - that became eventually The Red.

          Ironic, about the CZ. Jawa/CZ/ESO was one of the last franchises my Granddad had, before he passed away in 1967. Being as the Jawa & CZ are of the same family, you and I have something in common. My Dad built a Jawa 250 he built from scratch and I have yet to see one that was as impressive. He had the Factory Specs and steps on modifying the motor, all the way through and drawings with specs on building what we now call expansion chambers. It didn't even sound like any 2 stroke I had or have ever heard. I have heard of the other CBXs that Honda made, but have never seen any photos or heard much detail about them. I will have to check into that. I guess the 6 cylinder CBX is the only one that made it to the U.S.? Correct me, if I am wrong.  Cool story, my friend. And I appreciate your sharing it with us. 

I remember rebuilding the CZ to stop it from leaking, it helped for a short while   BTW, Yezdi in India is Jawa too.

That CBX was Europe and other countries - Australia for sure, Terry or RR had one afaik.  Mine looked like this:.
Very smooth and very fast, loved that thing.

The CB700 sold in USA was a close relative to CBX750.

    Never had any issues with leaking, on the older Jawas (talking 1950s), fortunately. But now, I am talking street models and not motocross models either. That might be the difference. I really like the red CB700 you posted. I have included a photo opf the 1965 Jawa that I am slowly working toward building as close to one my Dad built back in the early 1960s. Problem is, I have only my memory, to rely on, for the details of my Dad's Jawa. I can not find that he had any pictures and for some reason, I never took any of it either. I won't be able to build it to perform like his did, but hope to at least make it look like his did. I think I pretty much remember the details of the build, except the specs of the engine mods were listed in a magazine that was put out back then, that covered the Jawa/CZ/ESO bikes and the Skoda car. old Jawa would run with the Triumph 500 Twins of the day. And the Jawas I am talking about, were like the VW of motorcycles. They were cheap to buy, very slow, but very dependable and didn't change much, over quite a few years.

I know guys back in the old country who still run and wrench old CZ and Jawas, there is quite the following in Czech and Slovak and going to East from there.  I know a guy here from Ukraina and Jawa 350 was his wet dream when he was a kid.
Also Yezdi in India is Jawa clone, back in the day I worked on casting forms for Yezdi, our tool and die factory was making them.

Jawa and CZ got killed by the east block economy, the russian market would take any number and they did not want any changes since the infrastructure was a problem - easier to move and get parts for something that never changed.  Jawa and CZ 2 stroke is basically the same bike from 1950 or so on.

Sorry for the rant

[City Boy]

Hi gang.My intro to motorbikes was thru a friend who had a 66 Yamaha 305.He let me try it one night and it felt like I had been doing it forever!
 I had my heart set on either a Triumph Daytona or Kawasaki 350 Avenger.Financial reality set in so when my pal moved on to a Sportster I took over the Yami complete with chrome frame and gold metalflake paint.
 Next thing you know I get a job at Nelson Motorcycles in the Toronto Beach area,a Honda Service dealership at the time.Then the 750 hits the market and I bought a 70 model in April 70.Its been all Honda all the time since!! The K0 still lives with me many modifications later.
                    Rock On

[bill440cars]

Mine is a weird story.. Always been into bikes since the first time I tried to find 4th gear on a trail 70 when I was about 8.. it needs to go faster!  Anyways..  Didn't ride for a long time until just before I retired from the service.. Decided I wanted a Harley so grabbed an FXR, then wanted bags so grabbed an FJR..

Had a buddy that built a ratrod BMW S1000RR and was just amazed by this bike..  He'd built the bike for the salt flats and discovered he had stage 4 cancer.. I wanted to get the man and the bike to Bonneville this last year but the chemo was messing with him too badly but in the planning I was trying to think of what bike I could roll around with his and decided to build the walking dead bike to run around Bonneville with...

Here's the S1000RR
https://www.instagram.com/p/BDmdY6Gp2pD/

It now has a side car affixed to it (as he occasionally gets dizzy) although we weren't quite done painting it
https://www.instagram.com/p/BL_v4vcjk1u/

The more I looked at the CB's the more I started to like them so anytime I find a decent deal on one I buy it..  While building Daryl's bike every time I fabricated a piece I kept thinking of things I'd like to do to my own custom so alas I run into a '77 that I'm building now..   CB500X rear end with CBR600RR and a host of other weirdness in between by the time she's rolling..

https://www.instagram.com/p/BNsumokDsvt/

            Pretty cool story. Sorry to hear about your friend. Can definitely appreciate your doing what you can for him. Friends like that, aren't as plentiful now days. Thank you for sharing too.  By the way, your username made me think of an Uncle that I was pretty close to and we did a lot together. He had a '63 SS Impala Convertible years ago. I got to drive it off and on and that was one sharp car. His was black w/ red interior 327 4 spd posi. Hated it when he traded it off, for whatever reason. So, you had one as well?

[MikeSimon]

I was born and grew up in Germany. Hondas were not that popular there during my "formative" years. CB450 (Black Bomber) was the largest Honda available then, I started riding illegally on back roads on NSUs (Max, Lux) and some of my Dad's old Adlers. BMWs were our dream bikes when we were kids. There were two guys who rode R69Ses customized with Hoske tanks, Horex forks and BSA seats. We were drooling. First Honda that caught our attention was the 1969 CB750 Four. There were two brand new ones in town. One red, one green. We kids were drooling again. My first street legal "large" bike was a 1972 Kawasaki 350 Triple. When the CBX came out in 1978, I fell in love and wanted one badly. Graduated from University in March of 1978 and got my CBX in November of that year. Still have it. Candy Glory Red.
While I was racing BMW sidecar rigs (Dieter Busch - built "Kneeler"), my street bikes were Hondas. The prices and the reliability slowly convinced me that Honda was making the best "small" (as in motorcycles) engines. Owned and still own quite a few. Although I like and own modern bikes for recreational travel, I am stuck in the late 70s and early 80s.

[63SSRagtop]

Pretty cool story. Sorry to hear about your friend. Can definitely appreciate your doing what you can for him. Friends like that, aren't as plentiful now days. Thank you for sharing too.  By the way, your username made me think of an Uncle that I was pretty close to and we did a lot together. He had a '63 SS Impala Convertible years ago. I got to drive it off and on and that was one sharp car. His was black w/ red interior 327 4 spd posi. Hated it when he traded it off, for whatever reason. So, you had one as well?

Yah Jon is the weirdest cool cat I've ever met.. like the dude a lot.. damn shame he's stage 4..
This is him with the bike winning some sort of award a couple years back.. really, really pissed off all the cats with the add on farkle on high end bikes.. wished I coulda seen that! 

https://www.instagram.com/p/BDmeZb8p2qU/

Yeah, before I went ballistic with the bikes I'd picked up a 63 SS Convertible Nova.. She'll be beast one day!  ZZ430 crate, mustang II dropped spindles up front, Ford 9" out back in a 4 link setup..   Putting in Detroit speed mini-tubs for more room for rubber out back.. gonna need it with the small block in there!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BO5-DMkD5k7/

BUT I'm gonna work on her and try t get here finished, or at least on the ground by this summer.. (and my new bike too).

[bill440cars]

I was born and grew up in Germany. Hondas were not that popular there during my "formative" years. CB450 (Black Bomber) was the largest Honda available then, I started riding illegally on back roads on NSUs (Max, Lux) and some of my Dad's old Adlers. BMWs were our dream bikes when we were kids. There were two guys who rode R69Ses customized with Hoske tanks, Horex forks and BSA seats. We were drooling. First Honda that caught our attention was the 1969 CB750 Four. There were two brand new ones in town. One red, one green. We kids were drooling again. My first street legal "large" bike was a 1972 Kawasaki 350 Triple. When the CBX came out in 1978, I fell in love and wanted one badly. Graduated from University in March of 1978 and got my CBX in November of that year. Still have it. Candy Glory Red.
While I was racing BMW sidecar rigs (Dieter Busch - built "Kneeler"), my street bikes were Hondas. The prices and the reliability slowly convinced me that Honda was making the best "small" (as in motorcycles) engines. Owned and still own quite a few. Although I like and own modern bikes for recreational travel, I am stuck in the late 70s and early 80s.

           I understand your having a Kawasaki Triple, when the 500 came out, I wanted one so bad, but didn't have the funds. Then, there were several others that got my eye,  (including the CBX) but again, couldn't swing it. Really set me back, when I was able to get a deal on my CBX that a close buddy had. Had it for about 6 years, then "My economy" caught up with me and I had to part with it.     Photos are all I have, to show what it was like.   

[MikeSimon]

Nice! A black 1980. About half of the 80s were produced in Marysville, Ohio. Honda started their U.S. manufacturing in September 1979 with the CBX and the Elsinore motorcycles.
They are really going up in value.

[bill440cars]

Nice! A black 1980. About half of the 80s were produced in Marysville, Ohio. Honda started their U.S. manufacturing in September 1979 with the CBX and the Elsinore motorcycles.
They are really going up in value.

           Thank you, I was pretty hung up on it, but "Life Stepped Up" and I had to come up with some cash and, well you know what I mean. Wish I could have figured out another way, but it is gone, leaving me with 6yrs of memories. I liked everything about that CBX, except that Honda put a restriction on the speedometer and tach, for 1980.