Back in early 1980s, Honda was playing with the four-cylinder concept in packages that were aimed at sporting riders. The term “sport bike” hadn’t yet been coined, but motorcycles that fit that description were shaking up the riding world, with Suzuki’s stunning Katana 1100 and the Honda’s own Interceptor 750, bringing a whole new look and new performance to the arena.
Honda made good use of its transverse four-cylinder layout, starting with the 1979 CB750F, which brought new angles and new intent to the platform. The 750 was fitted with two overhead cams and banished the hulking softness of design that had run its course over the past 10 years. With the new 750, Honda could boast about its sporting prowess – and its engine output, a whole 75 hp (at the crank). The machine also brought a new look to the field.
Photo: Williams Vintage Cycle
That DOHC 750 was such a success that Honda kept the basic layout and enlarged the engine to 1000cc and six cylinders for the CBX and to 900cc in the familiar four-cylinder layout with the CB900F. The CBX was startling, and nobody could look at all those exhaust headers without being impressed, but the bike was heavy, and expensive; setting the valve clearances was a labor-intensive process. The CB900F, however, might have been the best of the lot, with more power than the 750 could make and less weight and mechanical fussiness of the CBX. The 1982 CB900F Super Sport offered for sale by Williams Vintage Cycle in Xenia, Ohio, is a good example, a bike that holds its value and won the hearts of many motorcyclists. If the 750 inline four was getting long in the tooth (despite its DOHC layout), and the CBX was just a little too much for many riders, the 900 fitted neatly in the fold, bringing more power to a reliable and well-like engine layout.
Photo: Williams Vintage Cycle
The 900 has 31,400 miles on it, so it’s got plenty of life left, and it’s a good-looking motorcycle that doesn’t test the stamina of a rider with clip-ons and high footpegs. Williams says it’s “very fast” and has a pleasing (though possibly quite loud) aural rip with a Vance and Hines exhaust. Williams knows the bike, too; the company maintained the bike about 10 years ago for a previous owner. The CB-F was kept in storage for a considerable length of time, and time did its work on the bike, so Williams has gone over it carefully, rebuilding the brakes, flushing the fuel tank, and bringing it up to snuff. The sprockets and chain have less than 1,000 miles on them. It’s a pretty bike, too, in Gloss Metallic Maroon with a black racing stripe down the middle.
Photo: Williams Vintage Cycle
Williams is asking $4,250 for the bike, which seems like a good deal. There are many more miles waiting to be covered by this Honda, and it should be a comfortable ride even on long-distance tours. Fit some soft bags to it and the sporting Honda becomes a sport-touring bike. And though its’s 40 years old, it doesn’t look dated, as long as you can appreciate dual rear chocks and an air-cooled engine.
Photo: Williams Vintage Cycle
Williams has a number of other vintage motorcycles for sale, so a peek at their website could be interesting. On a personal note, I owned a 1979 CB750F for a few years and rode it from British Columbia down to California one summer, with a passenger. The bike ran well and didn’t let us down, though it’s true that the seat did feel plank-like after a few hundred miles. Most riders might run it on shorter trips that wouldn’t wear them down, but when pressed, the Honda CB750F responded well, and it seems reasonable to expect the larger 900 model to work just a well.
For more details on this bike, check out Williams’ site here!
