1969 was a full year. Neil Armstrong landed with the Apollo 11 crew on the Moon, the supersonic Concorde flew for the first time and Richard Nixon visited Romania.
In such a year, Honda made a historic step: launch the CB 750. A small step for some, a big step for the world of moto.
The CB 750 flashed at 193 km / h, a speed more than compelling at that time. But that was not all that appealed. What was truly SF, more SF than Armstrong's landing on the moon, was the four-cylinder engine and the front brake on the disc. No one had ever allowed such an arrogance, until then, on a series motorcycle. Besides, it had an electric starter and a five-speed gearbox.
It was a kind of flying saucer in addition to the competition that came from Europe at that time.
The four in-line revolution
The four-cylinder engine was 736 cc and developed 67 horsepower at 8,000 rpm. The inspiration for his construction came from racing motorcycles in the 60's. The CB750 was big, heavy, with high horns and chassis not very impressive. However, it could be quite good for a motorcycle of the 70s.
The CB 750 has had a huge success. It was built for the US market, where all stocks were exhausted. That's because Honda came not only with innovations, but also with a reliability that has remained synonymous to this day. Moreover, pilot Dick Mann won the Daytona 200 race in 1970 with a modified CB750, which led to a real sales explosion.
Source of inspiration
Soon the four-cylinder engine was also taken over by the other Japanese manufacturers. The CB750 then received some updates, the most important being the CB 750 F2, launched in 1977 with six extra horsepower and increased maneuverability.
In 2007, the Japanese manufacturer launched an anniversary edition of the legendary motorcycle - the CB 750 special edition, available in three classic colors that made the first CB750 known. Unfortunately, the models were designed exclusively for the Japanese market.
The prestigious Motorcycle Magazine magazine said it was the motorcycle of the century. The CB750 is known as the first superbike, we can find it in the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame or the UK National Motor Museum.
However, we do not have to fight so much to remember her. We see the reincarnation of the CB750 in every four-cylinder motorcycle that passes daily to us.
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