Few motorcycles shifted the balance of power quite like Honda’s CB750 Four. Unveiled in 1968 and sold from 1969, it helped move motorcycling’s centre of gravity from Britain and Europe to Japan. Japanese manufacturers already dominated smaller-capacity markets. Now Honda challenged the established big bikes with a machine that changed what buyers expected.
Its 736cc overhead-cam four combined smooth performance with electric starting, a five-speed gearbox and a hydraulic front disc brake. Four gleaming exhausts announced its presence. The breakthrough was bringing that specification together in an affordable, mass-produced motorcycle with everyday usability.
Widely regarded as the machine that established the modern superbike, the CB750 set a benchmark its rivals could scarcely ignore. It didn’t single-handedly sink the British industry, whose problems ran deeper, but it accelerated the shift. Japan was now setting the pace at the prestigious end of the market, too.
