Would you go back to an old 750?

[tommymck]

I can't figure out if we agree or disagree (story of my life...) In any case, I was really just responding to the original statement that the K's are pigs..and that to me, they are just fine for anything that won't get me arrested.

 

[Nachodaddy]

Would I go back to an old 750? Sure. I know it won't be the same. I'm not the same. I never had a Honda 750, but I have great memories of the bikes I had and I never had one I would not want again, except the K1300GT. It looked great, but I have no good memories on that one and I hope someone else is making some. Of course I'd want to up-grade things like shocks and forks and put good tires on it and probably ride it with the same respect I'd have for anything that is fifty years old. I have a one-hundred year old Ford I drive frequently and the question I am asked most often is "How fast will it go?" Fast enough to get you killed. It has terrible brakes because it wasn't intended to go fast. But it is fun to drive as long as I respect it's limits. So you know the limits of the machine you are using and respect those limits and know your limits and you will have many years of fun.

 

[Classico_imp]

I bought my 1100 EX to get the spirit of the 750 four, without her aging body. Had a 500 four a few years ago, while she was gorgeous, had wooden brakes, iffy gearchange, hard clutch lever, horrible suspension and also demanded lots of tlc.

EX might not be the real Mcoy but, to me, gets everything sorted out while keeping the Four’s beaut lines and engine design

 

[Wisedrum]

Short answer is no.

Longer answer: The CB750 is the bike that got all started and why we are here with our CBs. I like them and like to look at them. A CB750 is a motorbike that was implated in my head since I first saw a golden flake one in the neighborhood as a youngster way a back in the 70s. A police officer bought it new and we admired this first inline 4 for the masses.

On the first of May this year I did something I seldom do, I went out on a daytrip with other riders, because they invited me to do so. I prefer riding alone in my on style. But nevertheless it was an enjoyable 250km riding around in Schleswig Holstein trip lasting most parts of the day.

Among us was an old CB750. When we did a rest, we talked about motorbike riding and of course our bikes. The CB was nice to know around. It has a good sound and amazing looks.

Would I own one? No, I prefer riding my CB1100. It is still enough CB-like to me to the better part. On our tour the CB750 was the first bike to made us stop, because it ran out of gasoline. Its fuel consumption with round about 7 - 8l/100km was very high, though we didn't ride hard or fast but cruising around und sticking to traffic rules in our group. That surprised me and will cost a lot of money, in Germany gasoline has gotten real expensive these days and will become even more expensive due to econimical and political developement in Europe and the world.

The rider of the CB, who lend it from a friend for the trip, said, that it reved too high even at the relative slow speeds we were riding. I know what he meant. I don't and will not like it.

But after all I still pay respect to this special bike that made me ride my CB1100.

 

[peterbaron]

Nice report and pic, Wisedrum.
I like it

 

[GoldOxide_imp]

Classic, Wisedrum.

7 to 8 L/100? That is too bad, but unsurprising for the vintage, or about any motorcycle of this caliber from the 70s and 80s.

 

[Cormanus]

Great picture, Wisedrum. It’s a good hypothesis you offer: assuming an improvement in performance, safety and economy, why would one ever go back? That’s not to say things always get better with the passage of time; but the evidence suggests engineering has improved so that modern bikes are safer, more economic, cheaper and easier to maintain, so why would one go back? But we should still acknowledge and honour the past. Without the CB750 it is unlikely the CB1100 and heaven knows how many other bikes would be available now.

 

[tommymck]

While I agree if the choice is between a CB1100 or a CB750, I don't agree if it is a question of AND a CB750. Both of Wisedrum's comments are accurate. It does rev higher, and the mileage is 10mpg less (I get low 40s on the 750, low 50s on the 1100). The higher mileage and higher revs at high speed aren't a factor for the type of riding that many do on their vintage bikes though.

 

[Wisedrum]

I like to explain two things a little bit more detailed about the CB750 and that what I wrote, because I gain the impression it was misunderstood.

First, the CB run out of gas. We had to stop, because the CB suddenly stuttered and felt behind, then its motor stopped. We rode back and tried to find the reserve position of the fuel tank's petcock. Nobody was used to the CB, it was lend as I mentioned before, so it was trial and error until we were successful and the last liters of fuel were flowing out of the CB's tank to start the Honda again and continue the ride to a next gasoline station.

Second, but I mentioned it earlier too, we didn't ride fast. No higher speeds, only between 50 and 110km/h. Nevertheless the CB consumed a lot of gasoline. I don't know why. Maybe because of it is an old motorbike out of the 70s, isn't maintained well enough or was customized with a chopperlike rear tire and a higher handle bar than a CB had coming out of the factory. And revs in the fith gear were too high in the opinion of the CB's rider when we rode around 100 to 110km/h. He didn't like it.

 

[Rocky_imp]

I'm arriving very late to this party, but I have never owned an old 750.
One of my friends owns one that is beautifully restored and runs like new. Last year he offered it to me for a spin. I normally won't ride another persons bike for fear of damaging it nor do I let others ride my bikes. He was quite insistent so I went out for a couple of miles and back.
It was the one and only time I've ever ridden one and I was quite impressed at how well it ran - but it will never replace the 1100

 

[Wisedrum]

truth is.. most people today don't know how to properly maintain a vintage bike. They buy a 'restored' one .. that usually (more often than not) isn't really right but is 'pretty'. then complain about how unreliable it is. I see this ALL THE TIME and I can not even count how many 'professionally restored bikes' i've had to go behind and fix for other people after the fact. that is a huge part of it as well. The past is looked at through with rose colored glasses a lot of the time.

that CB should have hit reserve 30-40 miles before it even thought of running out of fuel. I used to get 45-50 mpg on long rides on my old 750's when set up correctly. that's user error right there. ^ .

Some might be thinking im contradicting myself. Im not, i never said the CB750 was a bad bike, just not my preference for vintage bikes these days.

look up 'Allen Wood' and 'iron butt rider' . does them all the time on GT500s, GT750's. and RD350 LCs. I know Allen personally. He has been doing this for the past 20+ years ive known him. .02

The owner of this blue CB750 owns it for a very long time. He himself took part in the 1. May cruising around trip on his old Harley Electra Glide and gave some information to the CB when we talked.

He bought it as a slighty used one decades ago and rode it very often in former times. He then and there did customizing and maintaince and knows a lot about how to keep the CB alive over all the years. Now he prefers riding his Harley and not often can be seen on his Honda anymore, but still keeps it, because it is somehow a large part of his (motorbike) life and plays a special role in it.

One may asume that the CB is not well maintained and has a smaller front sprocket, which can cause its high fuel consumption, but I don't think so. It just the way this Honda runs and not my case. Would not ride a motorbike or car with such a high fuel consumption. Vintage nice and pretty and this or that way.

My vehicles have a real average fuel consumption between min 3,5l (Prius and Bullet) up to max.4,6l (CB1100)/100km the way I ride and drive. That's enough and still affordable for me, though gasoline prices will rise and rise without going back to much more userfriendly prices.

Fuel consumption in the first place together with relieabilty and maintaince costs directly followed by the fact, do I like the outlooks of a bike or car and the way it runs and can be ridden are the main factors for my decision to buy it or not.

The CB 750 only wins the outlook point, though don't know how feels to ride one and so on. It is not a motorbike for me.

 

[GoldOxide_imp]

truth is.. most people today don't know how to properly maintain a vintage bike. They buy a 'restored' one .. that usually (more often than not) isn't really right but is 'pretty'. then complain about how unreliable it is. I see this ALL THE TIME and I can not even count how many 'professionally restored bikes' i've had to go behind and fix for other people after the fact. that is a huge part of it as well. The past is looked at through with rose colored glasses a lot of the time.

that CB should have hit reserve 30-40 miles before it even thought of running out of fuel. I used to get 45-50 mpg on long rides on my old 750's when set up correctly. that's user error right there. ^ .

Some might be thinking im contradicting myself. Im not, i never said the CB750 was a bad bike, just not my preference for vintage bikes these days.

look up 'Allen Wood' and 'iron butt rider' . does them all the time on GT500s, GT750's. and RD350 LCs. I know Allen personally. He has been doing this for the past 20+ years ive known him. .02

The owner of this blue CB750 owns it for a very long time. He himself took part in the 1. May cruising around trip on his old Harley Electra Glide and gave some information to the CB when we talked.

He bought it as a slighty used one decades ago and rode it very often in former times. He then and there did customizing and maintaince and knows a lot about how to keep the CB alive over all the years. Now he prefers riding his Harley and not often can be seen on his Honda anymore, but still keeps it, because it is somehow a large part of his (motorbike) life and plays a special role in it.

One may asume that the CB is not well maintained and has a smaller front sprocket, which can cause its high fuel consumption, but I don't think so. It just the way this Honda runs and not my case. Would not ride a motorbike or car with such a high fuel consumption. Vintage nice and pretty and this or that way.

My vehicles have a real average fuel consumption between min 3,5l (Prius and Bullet) up to max.4,6l (CB1100)/100km the way I ride and drive. That's enough and still affordable for me, though gasoline prices will rise and rise without going back to much more userfriendly prices.

Fuel consumption in the first place together with relieabilty and maintaince costs directly followed by the fact, do I like the outlooks of a bike or car and the way it runs and can be ridden are the main factors for my decision to buy it or not.

The CB 750 only wins the outlook point, though don't know how feels to ride one and so on. It is not a motorbike for me.

I reckon the Bullet must be an emotional joy to jump on every time. I suspect even to look at is very satisfying.

 

[Wisedrum]

GoldOxide, indeed, both is true.

But so are the W800 and the CB1100. Differentl but not less satisfying. Maybe the Bullet is motorbike riding to its full reduction to one cylinder, small power and a very tame chassis in combination with the oldest looks. If you can be caught by all these ingredients it is very charming and give you the most.

I choosed the Bullet for the group trip, because one of the other riders took his SR500 out on that trip. I didn't regret it. It was a joy ride. And the Indian machine consumed less than half of the fuel the CB750 took for it. Strange!