Is the riding expearience of the two "night & day"?
-Steve
Definitely not. The original CB750 is quite modern when it comes to riding experience.
Seven Fifty wins hands down in the braking area - two front disk with strong grip, you can make the front wheel screech with only your index finger. It takes some time to get used to it.
Acceleration - more or less the same. I never felt down with the CB750. Seven Fifty is just 8 or 9 CV more powerful.
Seven Fifty has one slight annoying thing - when you put the ball of your foot on the footpeg, your heel touches the exhaust, leaving burnt rubber. I like to ride with the ball on the footpeg, and I'm forced to put the feet in a position I'm not confortable with.
Seven Fifty has also a lower seat, or it is maybe the indentures on the foam. I can put my feet flatter than with the CB750. Also, the weight seems to be located lower. Lifting the bike onto the centerstand is also much easier in the newer model.
The one thing that I liked less is the sound. The engine sound has less character -sounds too "electric"-, and the exhaust note is boring. The CB750 has much more character, the Seven Fifty is more "civilized".
Exactly what I wanted, a "dull-looking" bike, reliable, easy to ride, but with a heritage that only real "connosseurs" can appreciate. Obviously, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, I like the looks of the Seven Fifty, but I understand that it was not designed with that intention.