1978 Honda CB750F

When I first started doing serious traveling on a motorcycle it was with my friend Bud Bay. We worked together at a Ski Shop here in Southern California.  Yes , it really does snow in Southern California. He worked part time because he was actually a tool designer by trade but also an avid skier and he liked getting the discounts on ski stuff and free lift passes to local resorts. If his wife would have let him he would have been a full time ‘Ski Bum’. Besides sharing the love of skiing we also shared motorcycling.

At the time I was riding a Kawasaki H2 750 and he a 1977 Honda CB750F. Bud helped me modify my H2 to get it to handle (?) and I helped him…well I don’t know how I helped him..oh yeah I got AAA maps.

Our first long trip was up to Seattle Washington to visit a dirt bike riding  friend of ours who had just opened up a Husqvarna dealership. We rode pretty much all back roads, camped in places that weren’t campgrounds and found great out of the way restaurants, Betty’s Breakfast Nook in Quincy California!. We got rained on, we froze our asses off and had an interesting (?) run in with a couple of guys in a bar in Oregon…they didn’t like people from California. We also traded bikes a couple times and that was my first experience on a Honda 750 Super Sport.

First impression…what a boat! I was used to motorcycles that handled at a thought (my Brit Bike life…well remember this was a long time ago) and responded to the throttle faster than you could (my H2). But the second time we changed bikes was for a full day and  I got to be friends with the 750F. Bud had upgraded the suspension, did some carb work and it was actually a pretty fun bike to ride. Coming off a peaky high-strung two stroke to a gentleman’s Sport Tourer was  like going from dating Lady Gaga to dating Barbara Streisand. But, a couple of years later I found myself on a Honda 750.

This was the era of the ‘UJM’, Universal Japanese Motorcycle. If it wasn’t for the logo on the gas tank you couldn’t tell the difference between the Suzuki GS, the Kawasaki KZ or the Honda CB. Only Yamaha was fighting the trend with their Triples (but even they  finally succumbed).

The CB750F in SOHC form was built from 75-78. From ’75 to ’77 it was was pretty much just a tarted up good old CB750, but in  1978 came the changes. Chassis and suspension changes, horsepower went from 49 to 58, everything got better. My feeling is that Honda was prepping the bike for the new motor coming in 1979.

I found a really nice ’78 model on ebay that is pretty simple to get it completely road ready. New tires and a full going through. But, with only a little over 17K miles this should be easy stuff…you hope. The CB750F is a great motorcycle and will take you miles and miles. Tweak the suspension and it becomes even more fun.Throw your saddlebags on and around the country you go with no worries.

Click on the link below for more info and pictures

<a target=”_self” href=”http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?icep_ff3=2&pub=5574881880&toolid=10001&campid=5336495545&customid=1978+Honda+CB750F&icep_item=222123558735&ipn=psmain&icep_vectorid=229466&kwid=902099&mtid=824&kw=lg”>

1978 Honda CB750F</a><img style=”text-decoration:none;border:0;padding:0;margin:0;” src=”http://rover.ebay.com/roverimp/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?ff3=2&pub=5574881880&toolid=10001&campid=5336495545&customid=1978+Honda+CB750F&item=222123558735&mpt=[CACHEBUSTER]”>