DGShannon_imp
Been there
Thread starter
Interesting that he closes with a comment about the CB750 that we hear regarding our CB1100 today, regarding soul.
1969 CB750
- Thread starter DGShannon_imp
- Start date
Interesting that he closes with a comment about the CB750 that we hear regarding our CB1100 today, regarding soul.
the Ferret
Road warrior
Very Cool Vid DG thanks for posting.
The CB 750 was such a revelation for those of us brought up on American, British and Italian iron ... and small Japanese bikes. Truthfully it was quite daunting. I remember my dad, my younger brother and I riding up to the local Honda shop to see this marvel which they had on a pedestal on display in the center of the shop. My dad on a Harley 45 CI, my little bro on a 68 CL 350 scrambler and me on a 69 CB 350. We looked and pointed, wondered and discussed. Our general decision was too much, too complicated. Wouldn't sell to Americans lol. We couldn't have been more wrong. (BTW we said the same things when we went and looked at the newly introduced Honda Goldwing lol)
Anyhow, now to me, the CB 750 looks how a motorcycle should look. The bike sits "right", the rider sits "right", the bars, seat and pegs are in the correct relationship for the perfect ergonomic triangle.
Things I noticed in the vid..RLETS..yep they are there, fork gaiters, chrome instrument cups, and surprisingly a black headlight bucket and chrome fork ears as I remember CB 750's from 69 to mid 70's having color matched to the tank and side covers headlight buckets and fork ears. The bike in the vid also has a black tail light bracket which I remember as being chrome.I also notice the incredible sound coming from the four pipes. Gosh it sounds good. Wish the CB 1100 sounded like that. Not sure whose feet to lay the blame at the DOT or Honda's.
At any rate without the CB 750, we might not have the CB 1100 and I am so grateful for both. Thanks Honda.
The CB 750 was such a revelation for those of us brought up on American, British and Italian iron ... and small Japanese bikes. Truthfully it was quite daunting. I remember my dad, my younger brother and I riding up to the local Honda shop to see this marvel which they had on a pedestal on display in the center of the shop. My dad on a Harley 45 CI, my little bro on a 68 CL 350 scrambler and me on a 69 CB 350. We looked and pointed, wondered and discussed. Our general decision was too much, too complicated. Wouldn't sell to Americans lol. We couldn't have been more wrong. (BTW we said the same things when we went and looked at the newly introduced Honda Goldwing lol)
Anyhow, now to me, the CB 750 looks how a motorcycle should look. The bike sits "right", the rider sits "right", the bars, seat and pegs are in the correct relationship for the perfect ergonomic triangle.
Things I noticed in the vid..RLETS..yep they are there, fork gaiters, chrome instrument cups, and surprisingly a black headlight bucket and chrome fork ears as I remember CB 750's from 69 to mid 70's having color matched to the tank and side covers headlight buckets and fork ears. The bike in the vid also has a black tail light bracket which I remember as being chrome.I also notice the incredible sound coming from the four pipes. Gosh it sounds good. Wish the CB 1100 sounded like that. Not sure whose feet to lay the blame at the DOT or Honda's.
At any rate without the CB 750, we might not have the CB 1100 and I am so grateful for both. Thanks Honda.
flynrider
Road warrior
Great video find, DG! I was just a kid when the CB750 first appeared, but I remember the impact it had. If you were riding a 750/4 you were instantly cool and drew a crowd wherever you stopped.
metallyguitarded_imp
Road warrior
Agreed. Great video! Thanks for posting. I find the lack of soul comment interesting. I wonder what it stems from. Is it the subtle distinction between the motorcycle and motorcycling? If you have a motorcycle that rumbles and shakes, possibly leaks oil and needs frequent if not constant maintenance, I can see how those sensory characteristics can be viewed as "soul." The rider, by necessity, has a very real connection to the bike that demands he or she take notice and whose hands must get dirty along the way. Undoubtedly, there is bond between man and machine that is forged through hands-on maintenance and repair that simply can't be achieved otherwise. Is the "lack of soul" the result of a motorcycle that runs too well, too efficiently, with the need for very little maintenance? Is it a motorcycle that shifts the focus from the machine itself to the experience of motorcycling in general?
I love my CB11 and feel that it has character and style. Maybe that character can be described as refined or polished or some other similar adjective, but there's something else there. Something deeper. I can't quite define it and maybe that itself is the best definition of soul. My CB is a beautiful machine. It allows me to enjoy the experience of motorcycling without demanding my focus be on the motorcycle itself.
I wonder how much nostalgia plays into these comments. I bet, someday, people will look back on the CB1100 and fondly remember when motorcycles had soul, unlike the machines of the day.
I love my CB11 and feel that it has character and style. Maybe that character can be described as refined or polished or some other similar adjective, but there's something else there. Something deeper. I can't quite define it and maybe that itself is the best definition of soul. My CB is a beautiful machine. It allows me to enjoy the experience of motorcycling without demanding my focus be on the motorcycle itself.
I wonder how much nostalgia plays into these comments. I bet, someday, people will look back on the CB1100 and fondly remember when motorcycles had soul, unlike the machines of the day.
emptysea
Road warrior
Sometimes, I think vintage bike enthusiasts use "soul" as a nicer way of saying "mechanical quirkiness", but maybe I'm biased.
LOVED the video...thanks for the post!
LOVED the video...thanks for the post!
the Ferret
Road warrior
What Italians call character, Japanese consider design flaws and Germans deny to their graves.. Larry Grodsky
emptysea
Road warrior
Great quote and I think it was rattling around in the back of my head when I made my last post.
metallyguitarded_imp
Road warrior
Ha! Had never heard that before! Well done.The ferret_imp said:
the Ferret
Road warrior
One man's boring, is another man's refined... Author unknown
Django
Road warrior
If you can't fix it, call it a feature. (just came to my mind)
ride4now_imp
Road warrior
Thanks for sharing this video. I was a few years out from getting into bikes in 69, but I remember the CB750 and Kawasaki's Z1 in 1973. I would have taken either one as my second bike but couldn't afford them when I went to trade in my '71 Yamaha CT1-175. My dad also thought that a smaller bike might be better and safer than this 'Superbike'. So we bought a used 1970 Kawasaki H1 500. No joke... neither one of us knew what we were buying... but I learned REAL QUICK!! I wish I still had that 500 and I always wished that I had owned a 750 or 900 Four back in the day. Which is why I was so excited when Honda came out with the CB1100. I've had two, the 13 and now the 14DLX. The 14 is not going anywhere... except to one of my kids when the time comes!!
shoeshine_imp
First service completed
That's a really good video. Great discussion on the soul. Also some pretty good quotes. I love you guys.
Elipten_imp
Road warrior
How many of us have both a CB1100 2013 and a CB 1100 2014 DLX?
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Powerdogg55
Running like a top
My neighbor and friend bought a new CB 750 when I was in high school. I rode my CB 350 over to check it out when he brought it home from the Honda shop. It was love at first sight! I dreamed daily about owning this bike but money was tight back then for a teenager with a part time job and I never had the pleasure of calling a CB 750 my own. I still think this is one of the finest and best looking bikes ever built until I saw the 2014 CB 1100 deluxe. Now that I have the 14 DLX my dreams & desires have been fulfilled. I'll never forget the excitement this bike generated back in the day and I will always enjoy and admire looking at this machine. Thanks DG for posting this.
ss2wheels_imp
Been there
Hey Pdogg, when I was 13 a neighbor about 18 came home with a brand new orange metallic CB750, I loved bikes so I asked for a ride, he took me just around our large apartment complex and I was hooked.I begged my mom for a mini bike,when I got that brand new 1971 Rupp Sprint I was the happiest kid on the planet,been through over 50 different bikes since then but like you when I saw and then bought my 14 DLX I had that wonderful feeling all over again.
DGShannon_imp
Been there
Thread starter
Oh yes, that was a much safer choice! Too funny. I remember a good buddy showing up at my house to show off his new H1. When he got ready to leave, he was going to show off with a burn out. Popped the clutch, and the bike shot backwards, with he and it ending up in a pile in the street. His, and my, first insight into the interesting ability for a 2 stroke to run in reverse!ride4now_imp said:
cooldrum_imp
Running like a top
RE: CB750
I marvel at the design of the cb1100 and I also marvel at the engineering of my 1974 cb750 and the impact it had on the industry. It is all stock and unrestored sunflake orange with 4 into 4 exhaust. What a sound it makes. Guth, I'm in SE Portland so we will cross paths someday. I've ridden it up the Historic Columbia river highway to Vista house. Such a grand view of the Gorge that makes your jaw drop. Cb1100 in the future? I'll just wait and see, in the meantime I'll enjoy riding a piece of history. Ride safe.
I marvel at the design of the cb1100 and I also marvel at the engineering of my 1974 cb750 and the impact it had on the industry. It is all stock and unrestored sunflake orange with 4 into 4 exhaust. What a sound it makes. Guth, I'm in SE Portland so we will cross paths someday. I've ridden it up the Historic Columbia river highway to Vista house. Such a grand view of the Gorge that makes your jaw drop. Cb1100 in the future? I'll just wait and see, in the meantime I'll enjoy riding a piece of history. Ride safe.
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