The Honda CB750 is an air-cooled, transverse, in-line-four-cylinder-engine motorcycle made by Honda over several generations for year models 1969–2008 with an upright, or standard, riding posture. It is often called the original Universal Japanese Motorcycle (UJM) and also is regarded as the first motorcycle to be called a "superbike". The CR750 is the associated works racer.
Though other manufacturers had marketed the transverse, overhead camshaft, inline four-cylinder engine configuration and the layout had been used in racing engines prior to World War II, Honda popularized the configuration with the CB750, and the layout subsequently became the dominant sport bike engine layout.
The CB750 is included in the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Classic Bikes; was named in the Discovery Channel's "Greatest Motorbikes Ever"; was in The Art of the Motorcycle exhibition, The Society of Automotive Engineers of Japan, Inc. rates the 1969 CB750 as one of the 240 Landmarks of Japanese Automotive Technology.
Although the CB750 nameplate has carried on throughout multiple generations, the original CB750 line from 1969 to 1983 was succeeded by the CBX750, which used the CB750 designation for several of its derivatives.
History
Honda of Japan introduced the CB750 motorcycle to the US and European markets in 1969 after experiencing success with its smaller motorcycles. In the late 1960s Honda motorcycles were, overall, the world's biggest sellers. There were the C100 Cub step-through—the best-selling motorcycle of all time—the C71, C72, C77 and CA77/8 Dreams; and the CB72/77 Super Hawks/Sports. A taste of what was ahead came with the introduction of the revolutionary CB450 DOHC twin-cylinder machine in 1966. Profits from these production bikes financed the successful racing machines of the 1960s, and lessons learned from racing were applied to the CB750. The CB750 was targeted directly at the US market after Honda officials, including founder Soichiro Honda, repeatedly met US dealers and understood the opportunity for a larger bike.
Early racing
In 1967 American Honda's service manager Bob Hansen flew to Japan and discussed with Soichiro Honda the possibility of using Grand Prix technology in bikes prepared for American motorcycle events. American racing's governing body, the AMA, had rules that allowed racing by production machines only, and restricted overhead-valve engines to 500 cc whilst allowing the side-valve Harley Davidsons to compete with 750 cc engines. Honda knew that what won on the race track today, sold in the show rooms tomorrow, and a large engine capacity road machine would have to be built to compete with the Harley Davidson and Triumph twin-cylinder machines.
Hansen told Soichiro Honda that he should build a 'King of Motorcycles', and the CB750 appeared at the Tokyo Show in November 1968. In the UK, it was publicly launched at the Brighton motorcycle show, held at the Metropole Hotel exhibition centre during April 1969, the pre-production versions appeared with a high and very wide handlebar intended for the US market. preceded the June 1970 Isle of Man TT races when two 'official' Honda CB750s were entered, again ridden by Irishman Tommy Robb partnered in the team by experienced English racer John Cooper. The machines were entered into the 750 cc Production Class, a category for road-based machines allowing a limited number of strictly-controlled modifications. They finished in eighth and ninth places. Cooper was interviewed in UK monthly magazine Motorcycle Mechanics, stating both riders were unhappy with their poor-handling Hondas, and that he would not ride in the next year's race "unless the bikes have been greatly improved".
In 1973, Japanese rider Morio Sumiya finished in sixth place in the Daytona 200-Mile race on a factory 750.
Production and reception
Under development for a year, the CB750 had a transverse straight-four engine with a single overhead camshaft (SOHC) and a front disc brake, neither of which had previously been available on an affordable mainstream production motorcycle. This spec, married with the introductory price of US$ Cycle World called it a masterpiece, highlighting Honda's painstaking durability testing, the bike's top speed, the fade-free braking, the comfortable ride, and the excellent instrumentation. and the term superbike was coined to describe it. After the initial run of 7,414 motorcycles Honda switched to die casting, with the initial run of bikes going on to be prized by collectors. The bike remained in the Honda line up for ten years, with a production total over 400,000.
Models
thumb|upright=1.4|Annual and cumulative production statistics, separated by SOHC (to 1978) and DOHC (1979 and later)
Note: All CB750 engines are air/oil-cooled, as opposed to liquid-cooled
SOHC
Year and model code:
- 1969 CB750 (6 June), CB750K or CB750K0 (date unknown)
- 1970 CB750K1 (21 September)
- 1972 CB750K2 (US 1 March)
- 1973 CB750K3 (US-only 1 February. K2 elsewhere)
- 1974 CB750K4 (US/Japan-only, K2 elsewhere)
- 1975 CB750K5 (US-only, K2/K4 elsewhere), CB750FO, CB750A (Canada-only) The 1975 CB750F had a more streamlined look, thanks in part to a 4-into-1 exhaust and cafe style seat with fiberglass rear. Other changes included the use of a rear disc brake and a lighter crankshaft and flywheel.
- 1976 CB750K6, CB750F1, CB750A
- 1977 CB750K7, CB750F2, CB750A1
- 1978 CB750K8 (US-only), CB750F3, CB750A2
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Model
!Production (rounded figures)
|-
|CB750K0
|53,400
|-
|CB750K1
|77,000
|-
|CB750K2
|63,500
|-
|CB750K3
|38,000
|-
|CB750K4
|60,000
|-
|CB750K5
|35,000
|-
|CB750K6
|42,000
|-
|CB750K7
|38,000
|-
|CB750K8
|39,000
|-
|CB750F
|15,000
|-
|CB750F1
|44,000
|-
|CB750F2
|25,000
|-
|CB750F3
|18,400
|-
|CB750A
|4,100
|-
|CB750A1
|2,300
|-
|CB750A2
|1,700
|}
DOHC
thumb|Honda CB750 Four
- 1979–1982 CB750K
- 1979 CB750K 10th Anniversary Edition (5,000 produced for US)
- 1979–1982 CB750F
- 1980–1983 CB750C "Custom"
- 1982–1983 CB750SC Nighthawk
- 1984–1986 CB750SC Nighthawk S (Horizon in Japan. Export version of the CBX750.)
- 1991–2003 Nighthawk 750
- 1992–2008 CB750 (sold as CB750F2 and CB Seven-Fifty in Europe)
- 2023–present CB750 Hornet (Derived from the 2023 Transalp)