Comments on: Honda CB750 Cafe Racers

By: Pat Kaye

Pat Kaye — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 21:11:52 +0000

Doesn’t matter which factory manufactured the bike…the original cafe racers were bikes made better by their owners. The cafe racer scene was probably in the same places then that the kids of today gather at…the Rock Store, Alice’s, the Sunday Morning Ride, etc.
Growing up in the 60’s in the Bay Area, I can tell you that you never saw bikes with fairings, rearsets, clip-ons, etc until a handfull of enthusiasts decided their bikes could handle a little better, stop a little faster, accelerate a little harder, etc. While the cafe racer scene began in England, it was alive and well all over the world in small pockets of society.
Today’s riders owe what they can buy from the factory today to the pioneering cafe racer crowd of 40+ years ago. One guy made a statement that the bikes have to be European to be considered a cafe racer…what a crock! Didn’t matter which bike you rode…all that mattered is how hard you rode it!
I used to run away from a lot of Triumphs and Nortons with my cafe’d Yamaha R5 350 (rearsets, RD350 gearbox, clubman bars, 1/4 fairing, inverted S&W shocks, air-assist forms, etc). Sure they had top end on me as I topped at about 110 mph but I could get up to 90 faster than they could, and the fact that it was light and nimble, it took them a while to get by me. I also owned a bunch of cool bikes including a bad ass Suzuki “water buffalo”. All you old timers out there probably remember the Rickman Kawasaki and Hondas. I had a buddy who had a real cool Dunstall Norton. The Honda at the top of the page reminds me of a bike built back in the early 70’s by a guy name Jewel Hendrick’s down in SoCal. How ’bout those way cool Bultaco Metrallas?

By: Harvey

Harvey — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 18:17:33 +0000

Hi all, I got my first CB750 in 1971. It was a 1969 model year. I have love these bikes ever since. I have recently rebuilt one I got out of an old horse barn (no joking). It had been sitting for 15 years and was in horrible shape. Took me 10 years to redo it. Not professional but not to bad. I am still have carb problems but when I have time I’ll be that straightened out. Go to the following link to see the rebuild process.

http://s373.photobucket.com/albums/oo172/grandpaslinger/CB%20750/

By: James

James — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 08:59:37 +0000

what’s the difference between a 1975 honda 500 twin and a 500 four? Besides the carbs of course.
Thanks James

By: john in SD

john in SD — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 13:56:33 +0000

‘78 Honda 750 Super Sport is definately a SOHC motor. While the motor wasn’t new the styling was a cutting edge evolution at the time, the first year for the Comstar wheels among other improvements. I took a nearly brand new one out for a spin in early ‘79, went like stink as they say, like two of my ‘76 CB360’s crammed into one chassis. Just about the fastest thing on two wheels you could buy then. Twas a magnificent night, I was just 16 but had a few miles of experience already, even took it up a dirt road to a party on a mountain some friends were having. Only problem was this particular black beauty belonged to my juvenile probation officer, who was away on a fishing trip for the weekend.
When he got back he knew someone had taken out his shiny new bike, all that dust didn’t just blow off at 100 mph like I planned.
Oh well, was worth every day of the 3 mos. I spent locked up.
Couple years later I had my own, a CB750 Custom.
Surprised no talk about the 2 strokers, like the RD400’s, etc. While all the crotch rockets got bigger, faster, more generic, the little two strokers kept it small and real. What was the last year Yamaha made that?

By: John

John — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 08:30:19 +0000

Hey Garrett,
The “Old Bike Barn” web site has a lot of oem type parts and some after market stuff for CB750s. Check em out.