You don't see many of these still on the road. Come to think of it, they were rare even when Honda was producing them!
http://dchealy.com/valk/750auto2.jpg
http://dchealy.com/valk/750auto1.jpg
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You don't see many of these still on the road. Come to think of it, they were rare even when Honda was producing them!
http://dchealy.com/valk/750auto2.jpg
http://dchealy.com/valk/750auto1.jpg
I have a guy I ride with that has an unmolested 750 that he shows at antique bike shows. I want to say he has a smaller cc one also.
I should have mentioned this is the very rare Hondamatic version, only made for 2 years as I recall. The emblem might not be easy to see especially if you're viewing on a phone.
ANY Honda 750 back in the day turns me on. Loved the CB750. Thought that was the coolest motorcycle ever!
A good example:
https://i.postimg.cc/0yx1GcyP/Capture.jpg
I also liked the CB360T. So aesthetically balanced back then.... I ALMOST got one
https://i.postimg.cc/GttY3sHg/Capture.jpg
They do make me feel nostalgic. Thanks for posting the pics.
I had a friend who owned a CB360 back in the 1970s. I rode it a few times. It was a nice bike but at highway speeds vibration was irritating. At the time I owned a KZ900 which was one of the nicest bikes of that era. Not to mention fast. So I wasn't very impressed with my friend's Honda.
Then a few decades later another friend bought a used CB750 from the early 1970s. I had a Valkyrie at the time which was an awesome bike. But I was surprised at how refined that old CB750 was. I immediately understood how it revolutionized the motorcycle world when it hit the market in 1969.
The green Hondamatic I saw the other day and posted here was quite unusual. It only had a two speed transmission, but also had an automotive style torque converter and no clutch. Honda also detuned the engine for better low end power. It lost 2 seconds in the quarter mile to the 5 speed. It was apparently nice to ride but slow and never sold well.
I had a Hondamatic for a summer. I traded a Suzuki 175 dirt bike for it. The lady that owned it wanted to get rid of it because it had a leaking cylinder gasket. I replaced the head and cylinder gaskets and put new rings in it and got it back on the road. It was the only street bike I had at the time but it was slow. Just judging by my 'seat of the pants" dyno the 550K I used to have was faster. I don't miss the Hondamatic in the least but sure wish I still had that 550K.
For those who might not be as familiar with these, here's a youtube video I stumbled across on them some time ago. Nice little overview including a quick parking lot ride on one. Great looking little bike. Those lines on the tank are very pleasing (at least to me).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-IB-4IeFFg