1970 Honda CB750 K0
Registration no. WOR 102H
Frame no. CB750-1027024
Engine no. CB750E-1026937
• Rare early version
• Restored prior to present ownership

'Seldom has a road-test model attracted such a wide interest and appreciative comments from bystanders. That it justified the praise goes without saying. No manufacturer has come nearer than Honda to producing an ideal roadster.' - Motor Cycle.

Fifty-plus years on, it is hard to imagine the impact the Honda CB750 had on the motorcycling world when it was unveiled to a stunned public at the Tokyo Show in October 1968. True, there had been plenty of four-cylinder motorcycles before, but these had been built in relatively small numbers and aimed at the wealthy few. Here for the first time was a mass-produced four within the financial reach of the average enthusiast, and one whose specification - overhead camshaft, disc front brake, five-speed gearbox, electric starter, etc - made the opposition look obsolete overnight.

Bike magazine summed up Honda's achievement thus: 'Like BSA/Triumph's parallel twin and Ducati's desmodromic single, the Honda inline four is one of those engines which created a standard out of an ideal. The list of Honda's technical achievements is impressive but the appearance of a production four-barrel roadster at a Mr Everyman price was probably their greatest coup.' A trend-setting design of immense significance and one of the truly great classic motorcycles, the CB750 is highly sought after by collectors.

The Honda CB750 made its United States debut at Las Vegas in January 1969 and was first shown to the UK public at the Brighton Show in April '69, having been sampled by the motorcycling press at Brands Hatch a few days previously. Deliveries were slow to arrive, but Motorcycle Sport was fortunate enough to ride a CB750 around the Isle of Man TT course during the summer, as reported in its August 1969 edition. By the time the first batches began to arrive in the UK over the winter of 1969/1970, a revised version had been introduced, known retrospectively as the 'K0'. The latter differed mainly by virtue of its die-cast crankcases, this casting method being better suited to mass production than the sand-casting process used for the earlier machines completed prior to September 1969.
This K0 had already been restored when it was purchased by the current vendor two years ago. It is hoped that further information will be available at time of sale.
Footnotes:
All lots are sold 'as is/where is' and Bidders must satisfy themselves as to the provenance, condition, age, completeness and originality prior to bidding.


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