Honda CB750

The Honda CB750 is a motorcycle built in several model series between 1969 and 2003.

History

Honda of Japan introduced the CB750 motorcycle to the US and European markets in 1969 after experiencing success with their smaller motorcycles. The bike was targeted directly at the US market after Honda officials (including Soichiro Honda), repeatedly met with US dealers and understood the opportunity for a larger bike.

Under development for one year, when finally introduced to the market, The CB750 offered two unprecedented features: its disc brake and its inline four cylinder engine -- neither of which were previously available on mainstream, affordable, production bikes. These two features, along with the bike's introductory price of $1495.00 (US), gave the CB750 considerable advantage over its competition, particularly its British rivals.

Cycle Magazine called the CB750 "the most sophisticated production bike ever" upon its introduction. Cycle World called the motorcycle a masterpiece, highlighting Honda's painstaking durability testing, the bike's 120mph top speed, the fade-free performance of the braking, the comfortable ride, and excellent instrumentation .

As the first modern four cylinder machine from a mainstream manufacturer, the term Superbike was coined to describe the CB750. The bike offered other important features, both great and small that added to its compelling value: electric starter, kill switch, dual mirrors, flashing turn signals, screw on oil filter, maintenance free valves and overall smoothness and freedom from vibration both underway and at a standstill. On the other hand, the bike was difficult to get on its centerstand and tended to throw chain oil on its muffler.

Unable to accurately gauge demand for the new bike, Honda limited its initial investment in the production dies for the CB750 by originally using a technique called permanent mold casting (often erroneously referred to as sandcasting) rather than diecasting for the engines -- unsure of the bike's reception. The bike remained in the Honda lineup for ten years, sales totaling over 400,000 copies in its life span

The CB750 is sometimes referred to as a Universal Japanese Motorcycle or UJM, although certainly the bike has earned notoriety of its own.

The Discovery Channel ranked the Honda CB750 among the top ten greatest motorbikes of all time, giving the CB750 third place.

Models - SOHC

The single overhead cam models were produced from 1969 through 1978.

• 1969 CB750K or CB750K0
• 1971 CB750K1
• 1972 CB750K2
• 1973 CB750K3 (US-only, K2 elsewhere)
• 1974 CB750K4 (US/Japan-only, K2 elsewhere)
• 1975 CB750K5 (US-only, K2/K4 elsewhere), CB750F
• 1976 CB750K6, CB750F1, CB750A
• 1977 CB750K7, CB750F2, CB750A1
• 1978 CB750K8 (US-only), CB750F3, CB750A2

DOHC

• 1979-1982 CB750K
• 1979 CB750L 10th Anniversary Edition
• 1979-1981 CB750F
• 1982 CB750SC Nighthawk
• 1991-2003 CB750 Nighthawk

Nighthawk 750

From 1991 through 2003, Honda produced a CB750 known as the Nighthawk 750. It is a more utilitarian machine, a useful and reliable model, notable for its low maintenance needs.

As sport-bikes and cruisers began to dominate the motorcycle marketplace in recent years, the Nighthawk was Honda's attempt to recapture the middle of the market with a "standard" or UJM (Universal Japanese Motorcycle) design.The bike never sold to its maker's lofty expectations.

2007 CB 750

In 2007, Honda Japan announced the sale of a new CB 750 very similar to the models sold in the 1970s. Announced was the CB 750 Special Edition (list price 798,000 yen) which is in the silver colors of the CB 750 AMA racer of the 1970s, and the CB 750 (list price 730,000 yen) in 3 color schemes reminiscent of CB 750s sold previously. As of August 2007, these bikes have only been announced for the Japan domestic market.

Specifications