The Honda CB500/4

Why did Honda reduce the size of their bikes and engines, we are referring to the '69 launch of the iconic CB750/4, when the trend of the day was bigger, faster and generally the more nuts the better and make the 500cc version, the CB500/4? 

If you think that this comment is a bit simplistic we take your point as it probably is, we argue that you should look to the CBX brought out a short time later, it was launched in '78, and you can see where the Honda designers were looking towards with this, the most unreal inline six engine, 6 carbs to balance, like as if, we were just blown away, can this get any more surreal? Honda gave the guys at MCN one to test at the launch, I guess knowing full well what they had and we were treated to her on the front cover of MCN spinning her rear wheel changing up a gear at 100MPH! I know I cannot ever forget it, unbelievable. 

Back to the plot, so with all of this to come reduce it they did and they did it because feedback on the 750 was probably negative on the overall bulk and sheer mass of the thing, remember they were taking on the Triumph's of the day, they must have wondered if they had this one wrong? The CB750/4 was, and still is today a thing of beauty, but like the Victorians, who liked a bit of large, it had been on no diet, in fact, again like the old Victorians, it was showing off its size as a thing of beauty, which it was for both we feel, but to ride her, steady on, was a different matter. The CB 500/4 was a considerable 80 pounds lighter than the CB750/4 and that made a real difference back then as it does today.

Although the new CB500/4 was destined to be made only for a short time, information conflicts on this online however it was launched in 1971 and we currently own a 'P' reg, although we think a '75 exactly when it left the Honda factory is unknown and we have heard 1978 as the last date but we doubt it, certainly in the UK as the K6 came along in '74 then the CB550 F1 in '75 and F2 in '78 and of course a CB750 F1 in '77 which was certainly around the UK streets in '78. 

So we got this amazing bike, looking back together with the 400/4 was surely Honda at it's most inspired moment, she was manageable, no moped to be fair but she would easily knock around town without constant attention, on the open road she was always lacking a 6th gear for me but you could easily up the rev range and you were rewarded with a bucket full of enthusiasm she had stored away waiting for you all along. Her frame was a frame of the 70's so let's not get excited but she would fall into corners at low speed and stay fairly stiff in high end ones, no Italian but decent enough for the day.

Braking was a single disc, pathetic in todays terms but again it stopped you, albeit sometimes there was room for improvement shall we say.

The bike was a great bike of the day and even now will keep you happy enough on an open road, but that was not her trump card, that was her beauty and boy oh boy did she play that one right, she was a looker.

It todays world of same old same old vehicles this era was indeed special, every stroke of the designers pen appears to have had flair in it, look at the tank, the way it gracefully marries the seat to the yoke, the pipes, a four into four with tulip designs on the ends, these were made for a purpose, to look amazing and they did. The whole bike from any angle looks right, even from above, see the image below.