This is my 1975 Honda CB400F. Posted in celebration at having successfully passed an MOT and thus being back on the road after 5 years laid up. I took it out for a bimble on its new tax disk yesterday, parked up and took a few pictures.
It doesn't look like much, after all 40bhp in a frame with "period" handling and brakes is positively pedestrian by today's standards. So what's the attraction?
The answer lies in the engine. A 4 cylinder transverse engined Japanese bike is nothing unusual these days but this bike is one of the range that defined the formula. The Honda race bikes of the 1960s with their screamingly high revving six cylinder engines begat a range of 4 cylinder SOHC air cooled engines for road bikes which first came on the market in 1969 in the CB750. These engines were the catalyst for the meteoric rise of the Japanese manufacturers because unlike their European competition they didn't leak oil and you could rev the nads off them and do the magic ton without having to spend the next weekend on a rebuild. In its 400cc form this engine propels a learner sized bike around in a frantic hail of revs and gear changes without threatening the NSL too severely but with an awesome sound and a 100% grin factor.
I've owned this bike for about ten years now, it was my first bike. The sharp eyed among you will notice that it doesn't have the original Honda "Maze of pipes" exhaust, it had a Motad s/s fitted when I bought it, otherwise it's pretty much original. It's a little tatty in a few places, it really needs a new seat cover and I think I'll have to renew the fork seals before too long, but it's not in too bad condition for its age.
Back to a 2 bike family after 5 years I'm not sure what I'll do with it. Mostly short trips here in Oxford I think, with the occasional bit of Cotswold B road bashing. Anyway, definitely one of those "Good to be back" moments.
It doesn't look like much, after all 40bhp in a frame with "period" handling and brakes is positively pedestrian by today's standards. So what's the attraction?
The answer lies in the engine. A 4 cylinder transverse engined Japanese bike is nothing unusual these days but this bike is one of the range that defined the formula. The Honda race bikes of the 1960s with their screamingly high revving six cylinder engines begat a range of 4 cylinder SOHC air cooled engines for road bikes which first came on the market in 1969 in the CB750. These engines were the catalyst for the meteoric rise of the Japanese manufacturers because unlike their European competition they didn't leak oil and you could rev the nads off them and do the magic ton without having to spend the next weekend on a rebuild. In its 400cc form this engine propels a learner sized bike around in a frantic hail of revs and gear changes without threatening the NSL too severely but with an awesome sound and a 100% grin factor.
I've owned this bike for about ten years now, it was my first bike. The sharp eyed among you will notice that it doesn't have the original Honda "Maze of pipes" exhaust, it had a Motad s/s fitted when I bought it, otherwise it's pretty much original. It's a little tatty in a few places, it really needs a new seat cover and I think I'll have to renew the fork seals before too long, but it's not in too bad condition for its age.
Back to a 2 bike family after 5 years I'm not sure what I'll do with it. Mostly short trips here in Oxford I think, with the occasional bit of Cotswold B road bashing. Anyway, definitely one of those "Good to be back" moments.
My personal favourite is the Charlbury to Burford road, though the Bibury one's also a stormer. Minor roads too are worth a detour.
