The performance got even more bonkers when, after more than a decade of refinements, Honda released the CB750F Super Sport in 1981 with Dual Overhead Camshafts, a feature that first appeared on the bike in 1978.
First model - 1969 Honda CB750 Four (SOHC)
One of four 1969 Honda CB750 prototypes sold for a record US$148,100 in 2014
1969 Honda CB750
Four (SOHC) Engine
In 1969, the First Honda CB750 started to make its way into a market dominated by Ducati. A year earlier, Honda’s R&D department was building a machine that had a transverse, overhead camshaft, inline 4 Cylinder engine.
At that time, these specs were unheard of, with anyone “knowledgeable” in the motorcycling world stating that such a setup was not possible for a performance bike. Ducatti’s twin cylinder route with low centre mass was seen as the pinnacle of performance and handling.
These “experts” of the industry however failed to take into account the unlimited resources available to Honda. The company’s R&D facility alone was larger than Ducati's entire production house! In 1969 the motorcycling world was first introduced to the Honda CB750, it was a transverse, inline 4 cylinder indeed and it outperformed Ducatti in power and cornering.
This bike had an engine displacement that put it in Harley, Norton and Triumph territory with its maneuverability ranking above the smaller and agile Ducattis. The term “Super-Bike” was coined to describe this beast!
For those who are wondering what a transverse, inline 4 cylinder is, it’s an engine that consisted of 4 Cylinders in a row (similar to that of most cars at the time) with the camshaft/s directly above the cylinders controlling valves injecting a mixture of air and fuel using four carburetors (one per cylinder).
The transverse part means that the engine protruded from both sides of the bike, which gives is a lower centre mass. For the car lovers, this is like a mid-engined supercar. Honda were the first to mass produce such an engine for a bike.
In it's life, the Honda CB750 has sold more than 550,000 units around the world
MOTOR TALK
Source:mulpix.com