(first posted 7/8/2012) The expressions “game-changer” or “paradigm shift” are consistently overused. But the 1969 Honda CB 750 did both of those, and then some. Quite simply: it was the gateway to the whole modern era of motorcycles; everything can be categorized as either pre-CB750, or post-CB750. This is the four-shooter that assassinated the whole British motorcycle industry, exposing them for the fragile, leaky, living relics that they were. And although when it first appeared it was a true superbike, the CB750’s real genius was its civility, reliability, and affordability. Honda had re-invented the mainstream motorcycle: the CB750 was the Honda Cub 50 for the seventies. The superbike was now an affordable summer Sunday toy for Americans: you met the nicest people on a CB750. That surprised Honda as much as the 750 surprised us.
Once upon a time a mid-size twin was the biggest Japanese street bike you could buy. The Honda CB 450 had a very advanced 444cc DOHC engine, and Honda felt it was more than enough to compete with the big 650 cc British bikes, despite weighing some 50 lbs more than the contemporary 650 Triumph. Nevertheless, it was very well made and a technological masterpiece. Still, in 1966 Honda’s U.S. sales waned, and American Honda told their parent that they needed a bigger bike to sell. It’s been said that at Honda headquarters, nobody understood what the Americans wanted; like other Japanese manufacturers, Honda didn’t build anything over 650cc due to that country’s punitive insurance and tax rates on larger bikes.
Supposedly during a visit to Europe, Soichiro Honda saw a policeman riding a bike that seemed to him a bit small. When the officer dismounted, Honda saw that the man was in fact quite large, and so was his bike . And then the light came on: Bigger is better for certain markets.
The deal was sealed when a trusted source revealed details of the BSA Rocket Three: Honda had been targeting BSA in the U.S., and now the Rocket was set solidly in their crosshairs. The Rocket Three and almost identical Triumph Trident engines were essentially the ancient Triumph 500 pushrod twin with an additional cylinder.
Honda’s goal was to construct a 750cc engine that developed a maximum of 67 horsepower (one more than the 1200cc, 66-hp Harley 74 engine, although it was hardly the main competition). But Honda wanted to the bragging rights, and got them. “Nanahan” (750) became Honda’s code name for the project.
The 750 was announced in January 1969, which marked the beginning of Honda’s unsuccessful efforts to keep up with demand. From day one, demand was drastically out of balance with supply, and Honda scrambled for years trying to satisfy it. This is an early prototype.
It was a fast enough bike, but being the fastest is a very elusive target. Actually, Honda detuned the the 750’s engine after the first year to make it more civilized, as it quickly realized this was going to be a mainstream bike, not a hard-core all-out sport bike. Lovers of the original CB750 quickly missed the bite of the first year model (and its higher 8500 rpm power-peak), and Honda claimed only one hp was lost in the process (67 instead of 68), but it was all part of its growing mainstream acceptance.
In truth, simply being a Honda was what it did best. If you ever owned a bike from this period, you’d appreciate throwing a leg over this one. Having owned a 1976 model (and also several of its contemporaries), I can tell you that the CB750’s sophistication was rivaled only by that of its CB450 cousin, and it remained the industry standard until the arrival of…the next Honda,
and of course the Kawasaki Z1, which upped the ante considerably.
The CB 750 was created to be a well-rounded bike. Besides going fast, it also featured five speeds, disc brakes, electric start and smoothness that a 10-year-old whiskey would envy. The 750 was a true paradigm-shifter for those of us who were around at its introduction. The first one I saw in the flesh was parked alongside 450’s and cubs, outside a bar in Yokosuka — and I must admit that I had no idea what it was when I spotted it. 1969 was a year of many mind-expanding experiences, and the CB 750 was certainly one of them. Four cylinder bikes were something one saw on the racetrack or in magazines, but not on Main Street; Yokosuka or Amarillo.
In August 1969, two teams of Honda employees raced their new bike in the Suzuka 10-hour endurance race, where they finished first and second. For good measure (and to serve notice to the Europeans), Honda repeated the feat a month later at Bol d’or.
For that race, Honda had prepared two specially-kitted bikes that lacked air filters and used special cams and exhausts. Both bikes, now with 72 hp on tap, were ridden by 19-year-olds: Micel Rougerie, who won, and Daniel Urdich, who placed second. Winning the prestigious Bol d’or (Golden Bowl) on a French track gave Honda a potent promotional boost just as things were starting to cool down.
Honda’s enlistment of longtime pro rider Dick Mann marked another 1969 milestone. Hired to help put them on the map, Mann did the job, winning the 1970 Daytona. There were other Hondas in the race, but this was the works bike. One race, one bike, one win — a win for which Honda was so grateful, they promptly fired Mann and then pulled out of racing. Naturally, the orders poured in.
Incidentally, perhaps it was Honda’s snub that inspired Mann to win the next year’s race on a BSA Rocket Three. Unfortunately for BSA, it was too little too late; shortly after winning Daytona and some transatlantic match races, BSA went out of business.
Meanwhile, the Honda 750 kept competing in (and often winning) races, and not only against two-wheeled competitors. I recall seeing them at the drag strip around 1970-1971, when they still were pretty new, and was amazed at some of the cars they beat. Usually, the cars were snorting and pawing to go while the bike sat quietly, just before it stomped them.
This picture shows a total of five CB750 engines in two bikes. Soon after this picture was taken, the triple exploded. Its owner, TC Speed Parts founder TC Christianson, suffered a few broken bones but managed to emerge from the mess mostly intact.
The 750 engine has found a home in a variety of bikes, including this Moto Martin. If you’d like to read about additional applications for this bad boy, here’s a site specializing in SOHC Hondas.
I’m including this Trex bike for our readers in Oz as proof that gearheads won’t leave well enough alone. Its engine is a one-liter job.
Mike Hailwood is famous for winning the Isle of Man in 1977, at age 38. Phil Read had won it the year before. While Read had shown the good sense to win on a modified 750 Honda, Hailwood won his race on a borrowed Ducati.
This one comes under the heading “Kids, don’t try this at home.” As far as I can tell, this is Rick Hocking, who took this CB750 bike and modified it for the dirt track. Soon, it and other similarly modified bikes would join Kenny Roberts’ TZ750 on the outlawed list.
Perhaps the most enduring title earned by this Honda is UJM (Universal Japanese Motorcycle); after all, virtually every multi produced since has borrowed something from it. When I think of Honda technology, I first think of my CB450. When I think of Honda technology refined, I think of the CB750–and if I were to ride any modern bike, I imagine that much of its technology goes back to the CB that I owned.
I’ve owned both a Yamaha XS650 and a Honda CB750. If I wanted to go dirt-track riding or venture off-road, I’d convert the Yamaha since it’s somewhat lighter yet still has loads of torque. If I wanted something to ride to the grocery store, I’d likely choose my 350 Jawa.
But if I wanted to ride across the country, go to the drag strip or just show off ? I would want my Honda. In my opinion, it’s very possibly the best all-around bike ever made.
When they stopped producing these, it was definitely the end of an era. I made the mistake of buying a post-’78 CB750 and found out that getting parts for the ’80-’82 “Custom” was nearly impossible compared to the original SOHC bikes.
That’s because Honda has never been a great supporter of their old bikes. They’re in business to sell you a new one, and if they keep your old bike on the road then you’re probably not going to buy a new one. In all fairness, Yamaha, Suzuki and Kawasaki are just as bad.
99 percent of what’s available for the SOHC Hondas is aftermarket. And that aftermarket is still quite busy and profitable. Unfortunately, you bought a DOHC 750, which, while it stayed in production as the Nighthawk until about three years ago, has very little in common with your Custom.
Oh yeah, parts for the Customs, in any manufacturer, always disappear before the regular models. I got convinced a long time ago that the standard bike was what the engineers really wanted to build (with the resultant corporate enthusiasm). The Customs were what marketing demanded to catch that year’s market.
Enjoying learning about these bikes, thanks Lee.
This bike also features the first plain bearing, oil pressure fed crankshaft of any Honda engine. All previous Honda engines, be it bike, auto, or industrial, used roller bearing cranks. Another milestone.
I have some very intense memories of someone lending me their first-year CB750 in 1972. Winter was barely over in Iowa, but I got a ride in exchange for helping him haul it out of its winter storage in a basement! The adrenaline was already pumping as we pushed and pulled it up the stairs!! And then…well, having ridden only a 90 and a 305, it was insanity.
I can understand why Honda de-tuned it after that first model; its powerband became less peaky and more tractable. But that rush to 9000 + rpm was an indelible memory. As was how totally frozen I was afterwards. Hypothermia and hypermania at the same time.
How about that bodacious bike with the 6-cylinder propulsion unit?
Was it the Honda CBX?
Yes it was the CBX, 6 cylinders, ultra sexy! And Kawasaki had an inline 6, the water-cooled KZ1300
Two insane bikes, for totally different reasons. The Honda, unfortunately, put an excellent engine in a frame and fork that would have been better for a three cylinder 500. The bike was notorious for wiggling like mad thru high speed curves. Honda then tried to turn it into a high speed sports tourer, but equipped it with panniers that were glove boxes – at best. I couldn’t have fitted my underwear for a week’s trip in one pannier. It’s final downfall was Honda realizing that they could build a four cylinder 1000 that was fast and handled better. Still to see one with an aftermarket 6 into 1 exhaust . . . . Sex on wheels.
The KZ1300 (Z1300 in Europe) was motorcycling’s equivalent to a high speed locomotive. Heavy, brutish and fast. How fast. My favorite memory is the magazine test that handled the matter of top speed by saying, “The KZ1300 will tow virtually every motorcycle currently available to a higher top speed then they could attain under their own power.” Kawasaki’s error here was to not immediately equip the KZ1300 like a Gold Wing, thinking it sufficient to sell bolt-on panniers and fairing through their aftermarket catalog.
Then there was bloke in Bristol back in 1994 who had his Z1300 chopped down into a one-seat cafe racer. Gave a whole new definition to the concept of “monster”. I absolutely drooled over that bike.
I had a KZ1300. Like riding a meteor: mind-bending acceleration and mass, but quick directional changes weren’t on the agenda. And what a howl. Maybe a Buick GNX is a good analogy.
God, do I miss it–I was a fool to trade it on a ST1100. I should’ve just kept the KZ for whatever few bucks it was worth and taken it out to remind myself that the universe is full of surprises.
These things come up used surprisingly often in these parts, partly due to the short riding season but mostly due to the fact these bikes were astonishingly well engineered. I never had a 750 but I had a 550, which had most of the engineering features of the 750.
Little things impressed me about my 550; things like the finned oil pan and oil filter housing. These obviated the need for an external oil cooler, as Honda hated external oil lines. I could go on and on, but my 550 never failed to run, go and ride really well. What was really funny in those days was Harley Trogs would always laugh, “Like, yer Honda will never start, eh? (hick)” and then proceed to try to kick start their shovelheads for like an hour. I always wondered where that one came from!
Thanks to the current fashion for cafe racers, the market value on CB500/550’s has taken off. Three years ago, you couldn’t give them away. Now they’re selling for real money.
Lee, very nicely written article.
To the readers who didn’t live back then: If anything, Lee has been subtle about how the Honda 750 ripped through the British motorcycle industry. And the interesting part is that, to the performance oriented motorcycle rider, the CB750 was inferior to the Rocket III/Trident in handling, roadholding, general performance, and just about everything except straight line acceleration. However, most motorcycle riders aren’t actually performance oriented. As long as it’s fast enough to be first off from a stoplight, the usual American rider puts a lot more importance on things like electric start, oil tightness, an ability to operate unfettled between regularly scheduled service calls at the dealer, and quality control. All of which the Honda had the Brits beat hands down.
And this was further hurt that due to BSA dithering, the Rocket III/Trident only had about two months in the market place (with bikes trickling over, to boot) before the Honda showed up. My Triumph dealer in my home town was always grateful that he picked up the Kawasaki franchise (the year before the triples came out) once he saw the 750. That’s what saved his business.
Lee, your comments over the past few weeks have got me working on an article about the death of the British motorcycle industry. Give me a few weeks to get it put together.
Yes, the CB750’s biggest strength was in its ability to satisfy huge numbers of non-hard-core riders. In the end, it really wasn’t so much a true super-bike, except in its super-sized sales success. Of course, one could improve it easily enough.
Agree, and that is why I dislike hearing over and over that the CB750 was the world’s first modern superbike. It was not. It just had 4 mufflers and a disk brake and people who didn’t know anything about high performance motorcycles FLOCKED to it like sheep.
The 3 cylinder triumphs were faster and nimbler. The Nortons went around a race track better. The Harley sportster was quicker in a stop sign to stop sign drag race.
What the old single cam was, was DURABLE. It lasted and lasted and didn’t cause you problems. It was a fat pig of a bike with terrible handling and 4 “in your face” mufflers and it was not a superbike. The Kawasaki Z1-900 was the first modern superbike.
I am a die hard Honda fan by the way. I’ve only owned two brands of motorcycles. Honda and Harley.
@Syke: If you are listening, I would still like to read that article on the death of the british motorcycle industry.
@john: Would have commented on this back in Jan but for some reason the site changed and I quit getting comments on the old articles. I do think the Honda CB750 was the first modern superbike. Reasonable people may differ but the word “modern” was what put me in that frame of mind. I always think of the BSA/Triumph triples as the lastest step in a natural evolution. The Norton was in no way modern and commenters from Oz brought up the fragile gearbox. I recall the Norton and Honda finishing in a dead heat competition in Cycle or Cycle Guide’s comparo so old can work. My memory tells me the 883 sportster would not take the 750 at the stoplight. You needed special frames and 1200cc to do that in a Harley. Whether true or not I think it set the pattern that Kawasaki, Suzuki, sometimes Yamaha, and others followed. I do not remember if it or the Kaw 500 triple came out first but the design did not last. Superbike but not modern.
Whether I am right or not, the CB750 is a bike that was new (with apologies to some probable stolen tech from the CB450) and it put Honda on the map (again) in more than one type of track.
@ Syke: Glad you’re moving on that. I think there are probably more articles in you than that. I owned a batch of bikes and my knowledge is sort of limited to their era. Had to focus on learning a new trade (a civilian one) and that takes a lot of attention. OTOH, you have been working on bikes and the knowledge is not nearly so limited as mine.
I have one in the mill now for the Kawasaki two stroke triples. When you talk about pavement ruining power they would be the ones. Couldn’t pass a gas station though.
Glad you all liked the story.
To add some craziness to that Kwacker triple article, do some research on that crazy dude in England who builds 5 and 7 cylinder triples. Those bikes are nuts. And he’s still making them. Plus he’s done a DOHC V-8 by putting two Z-1 cylinder banks on a common crankshaft.
I just saw his V12 which comes from two KZ1300s. You have just installed a devious idea in my mind. There are a batch of homemade bikes online.
You’ve seen one that I haven’t. I should have expected it, however. This guy is brilliantly nuts.
I really liked the CB-750 when I was a teen, so much so that I insisted on getting a XL-75 (and adding an extra zero after the ‘5’) instead of a Trail 90 when I went bike shopping in 1978. The bike mags basically raved about the CB-750 and it’s clones from The Big Four for the entirety of the 1970s and I wanted that big motor bad! My problem is my short legs, I teeter on anything with a seat height over 29″, so almost all of the sportbikes and big tourers like the CB-750 are unsuited for me now, and were even more so back then.
I have the same 29″ problem. The answer is to buy an aftermarket seat that is thinner and more narrow. If that doesn’t do the trick, there are some shorter rear shocks that get your heels to the ground. I don’t think I would take it road racing after altering the suspension but you can make it serve it’s purpose.
Today there are cruisers that puts your butt in the weeds.
Loved the article as usual Lee these things were the shit back then though Triumph riders pooh poohed them they all forgot you cant run a Trident/Rocket3 hard for long as the centre piston siezes. Until the kwaka900 arrived the Honda 750 ruled the roost for straight line speed though our twisty roads can be challenging with the famous Honda shuffle when cornered hard though of course Hondas can out handle a Harley but so can anything those compressors are just for show ponies.
Bryce, you repeat the old fallacy of “centre piston siezes” as applied to those
early triples ( a myth also attached to Kawasaki triples )..
If this were true, how could BSA/Triumph triples have beaten the Honda for
speed over distance at such races as Daytona, Bol d’ Or 24 hours & the Isle
of Man TT ( both in production & F750 trim?
The British triple may have been a complicated British lash-up, but like the
best Brit twin, the Norton Commando, no rider who knew how to both ride
& keep his fickle machine – in top mechanical order had nothing to fear from a
Honda 750/4, performance-wise, away from a green light, at the top end,
or around corners…
The Honda was an anodyne appliance by comparison, yet woe betide you if
you missed a gear-change at max revs, & bent the valves… $$$!
Well it’s true that the CB750 was not the best at any one thing, but it was so good at many things. And it was easy to start and reliable after the first couple of model years. It had the flash, transverse four cylinder motor, four carbs and mufflers, front disc brake good paint and finish. The chassis was not as good. especially the cheap rear shocks and flimsy swing arm. Still it was pretty easy to upgrade, and four into one headers would cut weight, add power and increase ground clearance. Honda brought out the redesigned Super Sport models which adopted the collector type pipes. I had a Kawa two stroke triple, a Kawa W 650 twin and a Sportster and Big twin and I’d say one of the Honda Four’s attractions was it’s smoothness.
Still miss my old ’70 CB 450. Except for how my hands and feet would tingle for a while from the vibration after a long ride. That thing was so reliable. Only have owned 3 street bikes, first was a ’66 305 Scrambler that was a worn out pos for $60.00 and finally got so hard to shift it would blister my toe. Still have #3, an ’85 Yamaha 700 Maxim. It’s a good smooth running and handling bike, up to 75K miles now and has only needed starter brushes, rear brake shoes, caliper o-rings, carbs rebuilt due to rust in tank that was then relined and a speedo hub drive (besides batteries and tires, of course). Did have the seat recovered and took it apart and had it repainted from original red faded to salmon pink to black around 1998. Friend back in the day had a ’72 CB 500 with some exhaust, carb and suspension improvements. He said he had no problem beating 750’s and 550’s with it. I still remember the day he came roaring up to the VW dealership around 1976 skidding to a stop and laying the bike down by the back loading door of the parts department, white as a ghost and shaking like a leaf. About that time a really pissed off CHP patrolman pulled into the service drive. We quickly rolled his bike inside. He asked around about someone on a motorcycle and we just played stupid. Guess he wasn’t sure where he had turned after he got off the 210 freeway doing about 130 MPH! He looked around the lot, got back in his cruiser and took off. He was a good friend, passed way too young in his early 40’s due to health issues he was born with.
I had a 75. It was a great bike around town, a little rough on the highway. I only ever got 32 mpg no matter how I drove it. I guess it was the huge carbs. As a side note, people that drag raced 4 cylinder cars used these to upgrade their performance. I sold the bike after my first kid was born to a guy that wanted to be a motorcycle cop. He is still driving it. I bought it for $900 and sold it for $900 having a great time for15 years with it.
The CB750 showed that a performance motorcycle could also be civilised(Triumph Bonneville,Norton Commando,BSA Spitfire,Harley Davidson Sportster and Kawasaki 500 were all brutal raw motorcycles).
That flat track bike looks a beast,I’d never heard of a CB750 on a dirt track.The BSA & Triumph triples were tried but they soon went back to twins on the dirt.
Rayyyyyyyy…..neeeeeeeeer…. beeeeeeeeeer…………..
Actually don’t have a clue what bike was on the commercial, but it was one of my faves of all time…for bikes as well as beer!
That was a great commercial.
When these came out I was enamored of four cylinder Henderson motos , a joke I know but I lusted for one anyway and didn’t pay much attention to anything Japanese .
I’ve owned few and yes they’re truly ” UJM ” and though the single pot front disc brake doesn’t stop that much weight very well and the hidden hinge Honda put in the middle of the frame also wasn’t much fun when you discovered it at speed in the twisty bits .
Still and all , reliable , comfy and easy to ride & maintain make them winners then as now .
My Brother’s yellow 1976 CB400F languishes in my back yard , I’ve not had it running in over a decade as i don’t really like four cylinder Motos , I’m a twin kinda guy .
-Nate
I think Italy was building modern super bikes in the 1950’s. Honda has a Moto Mondial- (the inspiration for all honda motorcycles) in their museum back in Japan. I think it’s the first thing you see when you go in. Now that’s a superbike
I had one of the first ’69 CB-750’s in my town and one lasting impression was the reaction of people when they saw 4 pipes. Almost all bikes were singles or twins at the time, so the 4 cylinders were really impressive. It intimidated a lot of hot cars that backed down from a red light drag race. I traded a CB-450 on it and what a world of difference in smoothness, you could actually ride 100 miles without your hands and feet going numb from vibration. I had considered a buying Norton before settling on the Honda. I met a guy that had a Norton that wasn’t running and had been waiting for the part to get it going for 4 months. Having had a string of Honda that were reliable as a brick the CB 750 was an easy decision. I finally sold it to finance the building of my first flat track bike and racing kept me away from the street for a number of years. I have fond memories of the bike, it’s strengths far outweighed it’s weaknesses.
When I was growing up in the mid-late 70’s, my maternal grandfather and three of his sons ( my mom’s brothers ) all had CB750’s. Gramps had a gold one, while my uncles had a green, red, and purple one respectively. Grandpa had his kitted out with a Vetter fairing and a “Buco” seat.
The thing I remember most was the big “750 FOUR” badge on the side access cover.
I believe just a few cars and bikes could be as much desirable in Brazil during the 70s as the Honda “Four” family. Between 1976 and 1990 it was prohibited to import motor vehicles in Brazil, so, the price of those bikes skyrocketed. We traded a brand new 1982 Chevy Chevette Station Wagon for a “high mileage” but “good condition” 1974 Honda 750.
So the CB was the Miata of Motorcycles.
After riding on/then piloting a near new CB, and then, a few years later, a brand new Suzy 750, I totally gave up on leaky British Bikes (Triumph, BSA) and vibration prone, unreliable American, pharty exhaust sounding bikes (H/D).
i bought a 74 cb750 in ’79 from a buddy. i wanted a 750 bonneville,but couldn’t afford even a used one. the cb cost me about $600 as i recall. i know now i was better off this way. ironically,i bought a ’60 tiger,then a ’68 bsa lightening,and built a ’78 bonnie powered ’65 rigid bobber. i’ve only sold the tiger,the other brits are waiting rebuilds. the cb is being totally rebuilt first. it was always reliable,fast,and (what i loved most)it pissed off harley guys.
We knew our British bikes were antiques. Sure if fettled to the Nth degree they could keep up with a 750/4 but they rattled, vibrated and leaked and could be pigs to start. Years of minimal investment finally came home to roost.
The Honda 750 was so smooth, powerful and easy to live with, and all that for a first attempt too, that it just blew our pushrods into the weeds. Everyone was trading their Commandos to get one.
My first of several CB’s was a ’69 750 that my buddies found in Dover, Delaware at a used bike shop. They were tired of toting me around. That beast had an odd header set that spit fire and thunder. Rode it back to South Jersey and commuted in that area for couple years on it before moving on to another one–a ’72, I think. Having ridden Triumphs and Nortons up until that point made the weight increase a big change for me in the turns, but I made the adjustments. That first CB 750 also was a big change in what happened with a twist of the throttle. It left those Limey bikes in the dust–even the Norton.