Honda CB750/550 SOHC/4
I have been riding motorcycles since the late sixties. I have seen motorcycle design change as styles and technology dictate. Not all changes have been for the better, though. It is from this perspective that I choose to own and ride the venerable CB750/550 series of Honda's trusty single overhead cam four stroke models.
At various times in the past, I have owned the once ubiquitous Honda "Trail 90", a 1967 BSA Lightning, a Honda XR 250, and a Kawasaki KZ750. A back injury placed my motorcycle riding ability on hold for a few years, but recently a major mid-life crisis struck and I find that I'm the proud owner of two Honda SOHC/4 motorcycles. My first purchase was a 1978 CB550K. The CB550K is great for getting around town and exploring the byways that can be reached in an afternoon or maybe a day. My old bones require a little more comfort for anything longer than a few hours in the saddle, and to remedy this situation, I jumped on a 1977 CB750A that recently came up for sale.
The Honda CB 750A is a somewhat curious motorcycle in that it was designed with a two-speed automatic transmission (the Hondamatic). Sitting on the bike at idle in neutral, the shift lever is eased into low gear by a gentle upward motion. The bike wants to immediately creep away, just like an automobile when placed into drive. With no clutch lever to operate, a simple twist of the throttle brings the bike to life, providing smooth, but not overpowering acceleration. At 30-35 MPH, another upward motion of the left toe shifts the tranny into high gear. That's it! It seems kind of unusual, and it is, but one soon becomes accustomed to the ease of operation.
The CB750A was manufactured for three short years, 1976, 1977, and 1978. I suppose the buying public wasn't ready for such a concept in a bike that was originally marketed as a "super bike".
I do miss the lack of a tachometer, though. In its place, Honda chose to supply an instrument gauge with the usual "idiot lights", turn signal indicators, a fuel indicator, and a gear position indicator.
In mid-June, 2000 I took a roadtrip through Nebraska's Sandhill Country. Check out photos of this beautiful and desolate country here.
Links:
Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Club
Ronnie Cramer's Motorcycle Web Index
email: kherald@netscape.net