Lot 100 - 1976 Honda CB750 Four

ABOUT THIS CAR

Firstly, a word about the Coronavirus.

Here at Berlinetta we put the health and wellbeing of our customers and clients above all else. We therefore continue to follow government advice and take precautions in line with public health guidance on COVID-19 on a daily basis. At present our online auction platform remains open for business as usual but even though buying and selling online is completely safe, inspecting and then collecting your new vehicle demands special care and attention to protect all involved. We have come up with ways of doing this which we believe are 100% safe and which we would be very happy to talk you through in detail, but the headlines are:

• The extensive photo galleries and super-detailed descriptions we have always provided negate the need to visit in almost all cases (and we have never had a dissatisfied customer!).
• If it remains safe to travel then inspections can however still be arranged on a one to one basis.
• Should further restrictions be applied by the government after you've made a purchase that render collection impossible, or if you would simply rather wait until the situation improves, we can arrange temporary storage and/or professional safe transport for your vehicle.
• It is therefore both possible and practical to buy a car through Berlinetta and complete the entire process without leaving your home, so don't feel that you can't jump on a bargain if you see one - we are here to help you every step of the way.
  
  

Thank you, take care and happy bidding.

“In 1969, throngs of motorcyclists clamored to see and ride Honda’s newest creation: the four-cylinder, single overhead cam Honda CB750 Four. It was unlike anything Honda had produced for the public, and frightfully similar to their race bikes, with the first mass-production in-line four-cylinder engine. It was the first Superbike, and more than 35 years later it makes for a great classic ride.” Motorcycleclassics.com July 2006.

C.B.7.5.0. – five characters that changed the face of ‘biking the world over. BCB750 (Before CB750, AKA 1969) riding a motorbike came with a set of challenges that most owners were prepared to put up with though frankly this was mostly because they didn’t have much choice. The market back then was dominated by the Brits – BSA, Norton and Triumph – and Honda ambushed them all, stealing a march on everyone including Kawasaki who were about to launch a similar machine but thought better of it, focusing instead on other areas of the market that Honda hadn’t just tied up more securely than Houdini’s dressing gown. Not only did the Honda blow the competition into the weeds with a four cylinder, dry sumped four stroke that knocked out nearly 70 bhp for genuine 125 mph performance but it was oil tight, started on command (at the flick of a switch no less) and stopped on a dime thanks to a front disc brake. For the first time traveling by motorcycle and actually arriving at your destination without some unscheduled roadside tinkering became expected rather than hoped for. The fact that clever design and Japanese production efficiencies gave the CB750 price parity with the competition meant that they weren’t really worthy of that title; there simply was no competition.

Remaining in production for the next ten years before gaining another camshaft which took it into the next millennium, it is the 1976 ‘K6’ and earlier versions with their more curvaceous lines that are now most sought after and they are being tipped for some serious value appreciation over the next few years; after all, for every subsequent inline transverse four cylinder superbike, it started here.

As a 1976 machine, this Honda CB750 Four can be seen as the very last of the truly classic model iterations. Finished in the only colour available that year, Candy Antares Red and as far as we can tell (not having a 1975 CB750 to compare it against to hand) it sports the slightly lighter green instrument faces of a ‘K6’. In really lovely condition throughout, the odometer shows just over 11,500 miles but unfortunately the bike has no documented history with it so it is not possible to confirm this is an accurate figure, much as the bikes condition suggests it could well be.

Imported from the USA last year it was successfully MOT tested, with unsurprisingly no advisories, in May and UK registered on 1^st June with just 150 miles covered since. The paintwork on the fuel and oil tanks along with the side cover has been refinished to a very high standard while that on the frame and other areas look to be original. This is born-out by the plethora of factory stickers still in place with just a little wear to those under the seat. Speaking of which, this looks like it has barely been sat on though again it is hard to be sure if it is new or the original in very well preserved condition. The chrome-work and alloy castings are generally very good indeed though a little bit of detailing could still pay dividends. Probably the easiest areas to criticise are the wheel rims which could do with a thorough clean and polish. All the badges are present, correct and in excellent condition while the grips and pegs are close to perfect.

With original four pipe exhaust systems now virtually unobtainable, or at best prohibitively priced given the current more than realistic value of the bikes themselves, a very nice after-market Delkevic ‘Sports’ four into one megaphone has just been fitted; much as we love the original set up, it’s worth remembering the sportier F series CB750s went for a four into one arrangement. Also on the ‘brand new’ list are a pair of Michelin tyres and a battery so you really are ‘good to go’ as they say.

As mentioned, the Honda’s history file is not huge though it does contain the essentials of the current V5C and MOT test certificate.

We’ll leave the final word to the good people of Motorcycleclassics.com: “More than 35 years after its debut, the original CB750 has been eclipsed in terms of performance, but it's still adored by riders around the globe for its accessibility, usability, reliability and the fact that despite all the other choices out there for motorcyclists today, the bike is still classically cool.”

•  Registration number: PFE 595P
• Frame Number: CB750 2547893
• Engine Number: CB750E 2527021