• Honda's CB750 put an end to European dominance in motorcycling. While Europeans preferred small to midbore bikes, Norton, Triumph, BSA and others all offered similar-size sport bikes. What they didn't offer was the CB750's in-line four-cylinder engine, low maintenance and reliability in a motor that would not leak oil. The CB750s manufactured through 1982 remain classics and among the most popular motorcycles ever made.
  
  

Expanding on CB Heritage

• Honda had been manufacturing CBs long before the first CB750, beginning with small-bore twins and gradually enlarging the lineup to include mid-bores like the classic CB450 "Black Bomber" twin, the legendary inline-four CB400F Super Sport and the larger CB550 fours. In 1969, expanding the number and size of cylinders resulted in the first CB750.
  
  

Performance and Reliability

• Plenty of great medium/large sport bikes came out of Europe: the Ducati 750 Super Sport, BSA Goldstar, The Norton 750 Commando and the Triumph triples to name a few. And the CB750 could perform with, or outperform, all of them. While earlier CBs may have had their hands full with a Ducati Super Sport, the power output was matched. But the Honda was far more reliable. Easy to tune, unlike the Ducati's Desmodronic valves, the Honda's Single Overhead Valve motor didn't require a serious mechanic to do the tuning. And it was less expensive, giving consumers similar or better performance than the European marques in a package you could ride more than you worked on --- and it was cheaper.
  
  

1976 CB750F Specifics

• Like all previous CB750s, the 1976 CB750F had a four-cylinder, air-cooled, in-line four, four-stroke motor with its famous single overhead cam. With a displacement of 736 cubic centimeters and a 9:1 compression ratio, it developed 63 horsepower at 8,000 rpm, taking it to a top reading over 120 mph. It rolled on a four-inch-wide chain-driven rear tire with a diameter of 18 inches and a 3.25-inch-wide front tire with a slightly larger 19-inch diameter. The front was equipped with a single disc brake; the rear brake was an expanding drum.