Topic: Different SOHC models and the rider's personality, a connection?

[GroovieGhoulie]

How much part does the personality of the rider play into the SOHC four that they choose and like?  For example, in general, do people who prefer the 750s have certain traits as compared to 550 fans or 400 fans or 350 fans?

I'm going to have at least one of each someday, (I like completing sets) but in general, I am drawn to the small ones, the 400s and 350s.  I like the styling, the miniaturized engineering, the lightness, tossability, the handling and the hi-revving howl of the thimble-sized pistons.  I like downshifting and working the gearbox constantly.  A downshift or two is preferable to grabbing a handful of throttle.  I value handling and braking above all else.  With my 400, I can run up to the red in the bottom three gears, be cranking it over right and left like a GP racer and still be within the bounds of the law in most places.  It's more fun to ride a slow bike fast than a fast bike slow, IMO.

My brother wants a 750 and when I mention that it won't handle like my 400, he doesn't care.  He wants POWER, and lots of it.  A 550 will not suit him (though I like them), nope, he NEEDS 3/4 of a litre.

It just seems to me that there are different subsets of the SOHC community.  Am I way off on this one?  There appear to be guys who like 750s only and guys who only like 500/550s, while some guys are drawn to the small multis.

If you like a certain model better than others, could you maybe fill me (and the rest of us) in as to why?  I'm very curious about this.

[Noel]

I think it's quite obvious. People who like the big bikes and the small bikes are fundamentally inferior to people who like the 500. I mean, duh. 

Seriously, I ride a 500 because it makes adequate power without weighing as much as the 750. I "traded down" because I just got tired of a big heavy motorcycle. The smaller bikes, OTOH, caused me concern that they might not make enough power to lug my big fat arse around. That may or not be a valid concern, as I don't have any experience with them, but that was my train of thought.

The 500 seems like a happy medium to me, and I don't regret it.

[Noel]

BTW, I just like motorcycles, and I especially like SOHCs. I would NEVER badmouth another man's SOHC. They're all cool!

[Jonesy]

I like 'em all.

I dig miniaturized machinery, so in this case the small-cc 4's appeal here. But, I love my 750 as all you need to do to accellerate is to turn the throttle- I like having my left foot get a break from shifting.

[GroovieGhoulie]

BTW, I just like motorcycles, and I especially like SOHCs. I would NEVER badmouth another man's SOHC. They're all cool!

I agree completely, I like all bikes and all SOHCs (note above that I want at LEAST one each), but I'm just trying to dig into each personas preferences.  You can prefer something without hating the alternatives.

[Bob Wessner]

I too like all the SOHC4's, share the same feelings about the smaller displacement bikes. However, I'm 6'4'' and my 750 is just about right, anything smaller would not be much fun to ride.

[Phaedrus]

I love shifting the gears, and I love the nibleness of my 550.  There is this beautiful S curve on one of the roads to work that just puts a smile on my face everyday as I flick the bike from left to right.  At 6'2" the bike seems a little small, but I like it that way.  As I had read somewhere before: "The 550 is just enough bike"

[hopterfixer]

I think my 750 fits me the best physically, but I love everything about it.  I too am 6'4", and I think I would look like a clown show on a 400.  Sometimes I wish I was smaller, just to do things "little" people can do.  Just my thoughts. 

[Bob Wessner]

"little" people

P.C. would be height challenged. 

[hopterfixer]

Everything is relative Bob. 

[Japbikemike]

I'm 6'1" and a good 18 stones (US readers, do the math), I've had 750's for 15 years yet have my eye on a 350f.  Monkey humping a football?  Perhaps, but the monkey sure looks happy.

[cbjunkie]

well i'ave only had my 750 for a few months and dammit if i didn't get to ride it for long before i wrecked on the 350 and was laid up the rest of the season...

i haven't really had time to even get used to it (the 750), really and i'm looking forward to doing just that this summer. i'm 6'1, not as hefty as some of you lot, i'm more on gordon's frame and i can tell you that i really loved riding my little 350 around and i'm sorry she's gone.

that said, i once caught a glance of myself in a storefront window and it was a crushing sight, i gotta tell ya!    like a spaghetti noodle flogging a can of cheap tomato paste.

i'd love to get on a 550 one day and see if it combines the best of both worlds...but as my mechanic buddy says, "there is no replacement for displacement".

junkie out...

[Vatch]

How much part does the personality of the rider play into the SOHC four that they choose and like?  For example, in general, do people who prefer the 750s have certain traits as compared to 550 fans or 400 fans or 350 fans?

The venerable 650 left out again....

[6pkrunner]

I get the ones that I relate to from my days gone by. In my neighborhood there had to be 40 plus 750s from the period of 1970 to 1974 or so. And given the fact that there were just so many 750s made, they are easy to find for projects. That said, one friend had a chocolate brown 1972 CB500 and another had the first year CB350 Four. I would like to eventually get one each of those. There was a beautiful bronze 1972 CB500 on eBay a few weeks ago and was going for next to nothing, but shipping would be a killer.

[Terry in Australia]

Well I've always loved the 750's, but I'm also aware that there is a certain attraction out there for 650's, 550's, 500's, 400's, and the cute 350F, particularly among girls and homosexuals.

[Dusthawk]

Well, I stand at six one but tip the scales at 330 pounds. Whenever I sit on anything smaller than a 750 I feel like a whale riding a Shetland pony. I had a Shadow 600 for a few months and that just brought that fact home to me because every time I grabbed a handful, even with a dropped gear or two, it just didn't want to giddy up. So, there it is, my 750 and I get along just great!

[dusterdude]

ive had a hard on for the 750 ever since i was a teenager,so at 44 i finally got one.its a bit big for me,but i love the power.i would however like to eventually get a smaller version of the sohc also.

[clarkjh]

I like my little 550, but would like to get a 750 as well as the smaller 4s.  I do think with my 5'9" and 125lb frame the 750 would be a little big for me but it would still be nice to have a complete set of the SOHC/4s.

James

[Dave Wyatt]

I started out on a 750 Kawasaki and anything smaller that I have ridden feels tinyl and underpowered.  Tipping the scales at 275 only adds to the problem.  And now, the CB750A feels too small for two up riding.  I appreciate the smaller bikes, but just like my cars, there is nor replacement for displacement.

[mlinder]

Every street bike I've owned was a 750 or larger. I'm only 5'11" and fluctuate between 155 and 165 lbs. I've ridden smaller bikes and just can't get into them as much. I love riding long distances. 600 to 1000 mile wekends were common for me when I had the BMW 750. I just don't think I'd be able to handle that on a little ol' 500 4 cylinder. I find the larger bikes to be a bit more surefooted in adverse conditions as well, though anything over 500lbs is just too heavy for any bike.
Perhaps I wouldn't mind a smaller bike for city commutting. I'm looking at a smaller bike for the girl anyway, so I'll be able to test that theory out.
Don't get me wrong, I've been looking at paulages little monster and would love to have one, I think.

[eldar]

Dont know what to say here. I am going to experience a new side of my 750 this summer once I get a tank on it. I dumped my fairing, but am keeping it for road trips, and so that weight will be gone and it will be almost like a new bike. That said, I would love to have a an 81 -82 650. I dont get much into the looks of a 500/550 but I like the 400 but the 350 is too small although I have ridden a rebel and it was a fun little thing NOT for long distance though!!!

A big part of the 750 for me is the size of it. I sit almost as tall as when I stand! Makes for a larger profile so idiots on their cell phones can see me a bit easier.

[Noel]

I wonder about the physical size issue.

According to the specs, the 750 seat height averages about 31.9 inches. The 500/550 is 31.7 inches. I can't find handlebar reach listed anywhere, but I can't feel much difference between the 750 and the 500. (The difference in wheelbase is maybe three inches.) The 750 is definitely a bit wider, but I don't see how that matters when the subject is bike fit. And of course it's a lot heavier, and I DEFINITELY don't see how that's an improvement. It's why I switched, in point of fact.

So I'm probably missing something, but at the moment I don't understand the POV that the 750 is the only SOHC that's physically big enough for larger folks.

As for displacement, well, okay. I see the attraction of horsepower, although I'm resisting it more easily these days. (I played with the real horsepower of modern bikes for a few years, and finally realized that I kept most of them out of the power band most of the time. 150 horsepower just isn't real useful in most real world conditions, IMO.)

But at the same time, SOHCs just don't make much power. Any of them. I mean, a properly tuned 750 is making what, 65 BHP? High twelves in the quarter? And topping out at 125? Marginal at best, at least compared to a modern 600. (Or 400, for that matter.)

I guess what I'm trying to say is that if we were into power, we wouldn't be playing with SOHCs. I like the CB750 an awful lot, but I feel a bit silly talking about "big bike horsepower" when parked next to a Haybusa, or repeating "No replacement for displacement" when the R6 next to me can utterly dismantle my 750 in every concievable situation.

So someone enlighten me. Did you really ride the 750 and the 500, 550, or 650 back-to-back and realize that the 750 was the only bike powerful enough and physically large enough to suit your needs? Or is there maybe a touch of perception trumping reality here? 

[eldar]

Does it really matter? Sure these things dont make much compared to todays bikes, but then none of todays bikes will be remember 10 years from now. A busa will be nothing more than a footnote in history in a few more years, the 750 will live on and by extention, the smaller 4s.

What is an interceptor? you ask most people who ride today and they would not have a clue unless they googled it. It was just another early crotchrocket and nothing more.

NONE of us would be here if we wanted performance and loads of hp. We are here for classic bikes. And of the classics listed, the 750 is the most powerful. So the displacement card is still playable.  Also, just because seat height may not be much different, it is the sum of all the parts. the 750 is larger in every aspect. Sure it is heavier but it has diet potential. drop the center stand for 1.

For many, the 750 is the perfect blend of size, weight, and power they are looking for. For others it is the 500/550. For me, if I wanted a smaller bike, I would do the 400 as it will outdo the 550 in almost every area.

Everything is based on a rider's own perspective. IF it was not, again, we would all be on crotch rockets if it was all about performance.

[Philly550K1]

one thing that seems to correlate highly with motorcycle ridership in general is obsession with numbers, and to a lesser extent, size.

as it relates to this forum, clearly 750 riders are attempting to compensate for something they lack.

i bet if it were as easy to make a bike in small increments as it is a suit, we'd all just settle on one that fits (i'm a 544).  or wear one a few sizes too big and puff out our chests.  or on occasion, slip into the wife's heels and skirt, and pirouette in front of a mirror, much as your typical 750 rider likely does....

obviously, there's psychology involved, and a hefty dollop of aesthetics, with a pinch of nostalgia thrown in.

i have a hunch many of us on the forum would take a clean and/or cheap sohc of any size rather than, i dunno, a Virago or Interceptor, decent though they may be....

-jc

[Philly550K1]

ha.  jinx on the interceptor reference.   howbout, uh, radian?