Hahahaha 750 Honda, superbike. Never heard them call that. Blokes who race them spend over $30k upgrading them and are still beat by 750 triples with only $3k spent on them. Mate had a 750 four, and my RD with a few basic mods would blow it away.
Well they were considered in 1970 to be one of the first superbikes not something that rings true in 2023 but in 1970 it was another story.
The 750 Four debuts
In 1967, rumors began to circulate that Honda was building a 750. Many people thought it would be a twin, like the popular British motorcycles of the time, but when a prototype was exhibited at the Tokyo Motor Show in October 1968, the powerplant turned out to be an inline 4-cylinder. Observers thought the bike owed a lot to Honda’s 500cc GP race bike. Like the racer, the new four had its cylinders transverse to the frame. But where the racer had double overhead camshafts, the street four had a single overhead cam. Painted Candy Blue Green, the new model stirred up international interest and would-be customers jammed Honda dealers’ phone lines, only to be told they didn’t have any 750s and didn’t know when they would. An unknown journalist dubbed the new machine a
Superbike — the first recorded use of the term.
So if you have never heard them called superbikes I would imagine you were not riding in 1970
Whereas I had L plates on a 750/4 hahahahaha
So where were you in 1970?
1970 Honda CB750 K0
Engine: 736cc air-cooled SOHC inline 4-cylinder, 61mm x 63mm bore and stroke, 9:1 compression ratio, 67hp @ 8,000rpm (claimed)
Top speed: 123mph (period test)
Carburetion: Four 28mm Keihin
Transmission: 5-speed, chain final drive
Electrics: 12v, coil and breaker points ignition
Frame/wheelbase: Dual downtube steel cradle/57.3in (1,455.5mm)
Suspension: Telescopic forks front, twin shocks w/adjustable preload rear
Brakes: Single 10in (254mm) disc front, 7.1in (178mm) SLS drum rear
Tires: 3.25 x 19in front, 4 x 18in rear
Weight: 499lb (w/half tank fuel)
Seat height: 31.5in (800mm)
Fuel capacity/MPG: 4.8gal (18.1ltr)/35-40mpg