Topic: When was the first time you ever laid eyes on a CB750?

[AwesomeCB]

I saw a blue-green in Sept. or Oct. of 69, parked on the street outside my college. It was the most incredible thing that I had ever seen and knew right then that I would one day own one. Still don't own a '69, but I've had a 77, 72 and a 76. I've had at least a dozen bikes of all kinds since then but the blue-green '69 for me will forever one of the most beautiful motorcycles ever made. Can't afford one now but I hear there's this investment scheme called Powerball that I plan to look into.

[Bailgang]

I saw a bunch of them back in the 70's while growing up in the Chicago area but was unimpressed at the time. All my older brothers had Kaws and 2 of them had H2's so therefore in my minds eye at the time Kaws were the most wicked bikes and any other brand of bike was a wannabe. Funny how opinions change with age.

[70CB750]

When a buddy of mine offered me Dorothy, 1970 CB750.  OF course he called her SHART and the license plate spelled the same.

[72 yellow]

Remember seeing some at Anderson's in Pontiac, MI around 1970.  Didn't pay close attention till I bought my new 1978 CB750F there. 

[beemerbum]

I was in law school  in Chicago . I was riding a Triumph at the time. I walked out of a smoky bar and there it was at the curb. I had heard and read about it. Seeing it live knocked the breath out of me. I sat down on the curb and counted exhaust pipes. Then I looked at the front wheel and realized that I was looking at a real disc brake.  I searched for oil drops on the pavement and found none. The real kicker was the button on the right handle bar that said "start". Ultimately bought a 450. I still can't remember why I didn't buy a 750 at the time. Probably because I was on a Top Ramen diet at the time for $ reasons. Now, 40 years later, I have 3, K1,K2 and K7. I would still like to find a Trophy 500 as well as a nice 450 Honda. Growing old can't be helped. Growing up is completely optional, as the wise philosopher, Jimmy Buffet once said.

[Deltarider]

Dutch television used to have a program Wereld op wielen (World on Wheels). It was about cars and in every program they tested one except this time... they tested the CB750. I still remember the images of the Honda stored in an industrial freezer room to test the koude start (cold start) as they used to do when they tested cars. The CB started rightaway without any hesitation. I'd like to have a vid of that test but, alas, I've not found it yet.

[evanphi]

Being younger than most of you guys (I just turned 30 so now my daughter says I'm old!)... I first saw one during the cafe racer craze of the last 10-15 years. Then I got my bike license and I knew I wanted one. I've always liked vintage vehicles and getting my hands dirty. It's been a fun 5 years with Rhonda!

[Don R]

 It didn't make a big impression on me at the time, my brother had been in a bad wreck and my parents would have had a cow if I had shown any interest in a bike with a motor. It was probably the red sandcast that I ended up owning, the original owner rode it everywhere and haunted the same places as my brother.

[Ujeni]

I had learned about these wonderful bikes while I was in the Peace Corps (no CB750s in my village in Malawi!). I came home and saw a 74 all-original at a gas station. Spoke with the owner and KNEW I had to have one when he started it up.

Many bikes later, one of my favorite motorcycles is my 1969 CB750 sandcast:



When I restored the bike, I took this photo:



Special bikes indeed!

[WhyNot2]

When I bought the one I have now in 2013.

Only the second bike I've ever owned.

First was my Harley Softail in 2006 on my 50th birthday.

Now I have a CB350F, SL350, CB175, CB100

[dave500]

I had learned about these wonderful bikes while I was in the Peace Corps (no CB750s in my village in Malawi!). I came home and saw a 74 all-original at a gas station. Spoke with the owner and KNEW I had to have one when he started it up.

Many bikes later, one of my favorite motorcycles is my 1969 CB750 sandcast:



When I restored the bike, I took this photo:








Special bikes indeed!

well done,looks like a model kit you glue together,im sure the first one I saw in the flesh was at school early 70s,an older rich kid had one and I remember him talking with a teacher in the parking area for a while about the bike before he roared off on it,man I wanted to be him!

[beemerbum]

Ujeni... Awesome!

[seanbarney41]

I was born in 1971, but I was transfixed by motorized vehicles (mostly cars) from a very early age.  I can remember seeing a cb750 at a very early age.  Of course, at the time, I had very little idea what I was looking at.  But I somehow knew what an exhaust pipe was, what said exhausts generally sounded like, and that this extremely magnificent specimen had FOUR of them and the sound was like nothing ever heard!  This memory affected me very deeply.

By the early 1980's, motorcyles had changed vastly from that early memory and I was only dimly aware of the cb750.  Growing up, I had no role models who rode motorcycles of any kind.  I was only interested in 4 wheel vehicles, primarily skateboards and muscle cars.  I was not aware of seeing another cb750 until some time in my early 20's.  My best friend's mom had a new boyfriend and here was his motorcycle parked in my friends garage.  Once I learned what it was, I remember thinking to myself that I would have to own one of these!  Ironically enough, my friend's mom's new boyfriend is a member of this forum!

[Spanner 1]

Outside our local bike shop in my hometown back in the old country 1970. The two shop owners Joe Murphy and (? ) Ryan both had K1's which they parked outside. They closed-up shop every night at 6 pm. Me and by buddy Dave were young teenagers and would ride our bicycles down there at 5.55 pm. The owners always came out and started their bikes and let them idle while they turned the lights off and locked up the shop. Both bikes had stock 4-into-4 pipes but with the baffles removed. Then the sweet sound of both bikes burning down the road. We loved it over and over ! Oh and one bike had the awesome # plate; FBI 999. Actual Irish plate from Co. Monaghan 1970 !

[05c50]

The spring of my junior year in high school, I bought my first street legal bike, a brand new 1970 Cl100. I rode the heck out of that bike and thought it would be nice to have something bigger, but I was OK with it. One day a guy at work (much older than me) showed up with his new CB750. I was amazed by the size of the gas tank! He let me take it for a ride around the block and I remember thinking to myself "why does anyone need a bike this big?". How times have changed!!

............Paul

[Flyin900]

Honda did a travelling promo in 1969 around existing Honda dealers to introduce the CB750 and I traded my 1966 CB450 in plus an additional $1200 Canadian to buy one brand new.
Amazing bike in it's day for sure when the British stuff was still in the Stone Age other than maybe the Norton Commando's. Buddy bought a very sexy Norton 750 with the upswept exhaust that was a looker for sure.
Today I don't have the same fondness for the CB750 that many members here seem to have for them. I much prefer the larger CC  DOHC models from the 80's, or the small CB SOHC bikes.

[dave500]

the commandos are a vibrating piece of #$%* full stop!

[DickL]

I had bought a new 305 superhawk in 1968 from Manchester Honda in Connecticut. I brought it in one time and John Larabee grabbed me and brought me upstairs to show me a new 69 CB750. I couldn't afford it - it was $1395. Each time i came in i lusted over that red 750.  A few months later Dick Mann won the Daytona and i ordered the gold one. I waited a month and John called me and told me that someone cancelled on a red 1970.

DICKL

[Flyin900]

Who cares..... they looked amazing and the upswept pipe set up was pretty rare too on a Commando. And yes they vibrated.... just differently than a Honda four.

[dave500]

ya forgot the four speed clunky box,a mate has a very well restored 850 my 550 easily out drag races over and again.

I aint no stranger to nortons,just glad I don't own one!the new jappers just killed all comers,made all the slackers die or lift their game,so all the brit #$%* died resting on their laurels for too long,seriously the Honda 750 four swept the floor clean and set the standard for years to come,electric start/12 volts/decent switch gear/5 speeds,wet clutch/disc front brake/tacho and speedo,all the Hondas and Japanese bikes offered more and true value for money,no one liked to admit it though but it was a fact,a bit like kia and Hyundai today?

[Handlebar]

When I was age 9. My dad owned a Gulf gas station in Perry Mi. and I would pump gas ect. [full service] back then. The guy come in for fuel on a 71 750 which blue my mind so freaking cool, At the time i was riding a Rupp roadster.LOL.

[Keith]

My brother in law had a blue k0 cb750. He could not come to a stop without tipping it over much of the time. He had stepped on a boobytrapped grenade in Vietnam, and was so severely wounded they thought he was dead. I bought a 75 550, the 750 seemed too big. Bought a new750 in '76!

[Kevin D]

 What I remember, this is 48 years ago, ok? We didn't get any at the shop in 1969, the first came in early 1970. I was a skinny kid and I had already had a dust up with a crated 450, and now came the crated CB 750, 100 pounds heavier than the 450, so I didn't much like it. I couldn't manhandle it, like was done with the smaller bikes, to get the front fender and wheel on, and get it out of the crate. But I never dropped one or scratched one, it was just a lot more difficult to handle in and out of the crate. So I didn't like it.
 That all changed that May, when I got my candy blue green K0.

[Yamahawk]

First one that I remember seeing, was back out of high school, and the fellow that had it, was like One with the bike. This was in 1974, so not sure of the year, but it had to have been an older one as he had low bars on it, and it sounded real good... I remember him pulling out so smoothly, and looking like he was part of the bike, as he laid across the tank... man and machine, as One.
Charlie

[Killer Canary]

I've never seen one.
Strange; I've heard that Honda sold a few of them.