After World War 2, the motorcycle world was led by the European and American marques, at least in the 500cc+ class.
The Japanese were coming however, and had indeed made significant inroads into light and middle weight classes since 1948.
1968 will, for many, be remembered as the year when the Japanese motorcycle industry changed the rules. Having decided that the Japanese would never try and assault the top end of motorcycle making, European and American manufacturers were about to have the shock of their lives.
October of 1968 was a momentous year in motorcycle manufacture. Triumph had in the early part of the year, launched their new big bike - the 750 Trident. Despite this, the end of the year would be a body blow for Triumph, something that they just did not see coming.
In late 1968 Honda took the big bike world by storm, launching the CB750. Four exhausts, electric start and styling like nothing seen before, along with a super smooth new engine meant that Honda had not just caught up, it had completely overtaken the competition.
This was a Rolls-Royce of a machine. The design brief was to develop a new engine that was suitable for long journeys - in other words without the usual amount of vibration - and "the bigger the better".
Vibration was found to be a problem in engines over 500cc capacity in the common parallel twin configuration. V twins and boxer style engines were tested, and the result was the inline four configurations at 750cc.
This was one of the first bikes to lose "character", in that improved seals meant no more leaking oil! It was an instant success, indeed the first batch to be imported to the UK were all sold before arriving in Britain. Honda engineers had achieved what they had set out to do, a modern, reliable and good looking bike that revolutionized biking.
The CB750 was an instant hit, and paved the way for massive change within the motorcycling manufacturing industry. This was the dawn of the superbike.
The Japanese were coming however, and had indeed made significant inroads into light and middle weight classes since 1948.
1968 will, for many, be remembered as the year when the Japanese motorcycle industry changed the rules. Having decided that the Japanese would never try and assault the top end of motorcycle making, European and American manufacturers were about to have the shock of their lives.
October of 1968 was a momentous year in motorcycle manufacture. Triumph had in the early part of the year, launched their new big bike - the 750 Trident. Despite this, the end of the year would be a body blow for Triumph, something that they just did not see coming.
In late 1968 Honda took the big bike world by storm, launching the CB750. Four exhausts, electric start and styling like nothing seen before, along with a super smooth new engine meant that Honda had not just caught up, it had completely overtaken the competition.
This was a Rolls-Royce of a machine. The design brief was to develop a new engine that was suitable for long journeys - in other words without the usual amount of vibration - and "the bigger the better".
Vibration was found to be a problem in engines over 500cc capacity in the common parallel twin configuration. V twins and boxer style engines were tested, and the result was the inline four configurations at 750cc.
This was one of the first bikes to lose "character", in that improved seals meant no more leaking oil! It was an instant success, indeed the first batch to be imported to the UK were all sold before arriving in Britain. Honda engineers had achieved what they had set out to do, a modern, reliable and good looking bike that revolutionized biking.
The CB750 was an instant hit, and paved the way for massive change within the motorcycling manufacturing industry. This was the dawn of the superbike.
About the Author:
Bikes are Zac's first love. He enjoys nothing as much as riding, cleaning and maintaining his collection of bikes, and knows how vital it is to store them correctly. He uses genuine Harley Davidson motorcycle covers. For more information and fantastic deals on bike covers, visit www.harleydavidsonmotorcyclecovers.net.
No comments:
Post a Comment