Honda Pays Tribute To CB750 With A Custom CB1000R

The term ‘superbike’ was coined after the Honda CB750. That should give you an inkling of how special this bike is. The year was 1968 when the Honda CB750 first appeared at the Tokyo Motorcycle Show and was launched in the UK the following year. It was widely hailed as the most advanced bike of its time, having a transversely mounted air-cooled four-cylinder motor with a single overhead cam which could get it to 190kmph! Other features included a front disc brake, electric starter, and flashing turn indicators. The bike tasted success at the track as well and is widely regarded as one of the best motorcycles to come out of Honda. This feat also won the bike many awards, got it inducted in the AMA Motorcycle Hall Of Fame, and was also described as Discovery Channel’s ‘Greatest Motorcycles Ever Made’.

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It has been 50 years since the first CB750 and celebrations are afoot. The first ones to celebrate are Honda Italy, who in collaboration with Roma Motodays have built a one-off Honda CB1000R as a tribute to the CB750. Named the ‘Tribute’, it gets an Iridescent Blue and Gold paint job similar to the one found on the CB750. The Honda Wings logo on the fuel tank has been replaced with the Honda nameplate similar to the vintage-era Hondas, and a vintage Honda Wings logo sits on the fuel tank. Another interesting update is the unique SC-Project exhaust system that mimics the twin-stacked exhaust layout of the first CB750’s. The mudguard-mounted number plate holder is replaced by a conventional tail-mounted unit and the alloy wheels have been replaced by spoked wheels to complete the classic look.

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Sadly, this special CB1000R is a one-off and will be raffled off in the upcoming Roma Motoday show in Italy. The bike will be on display at the show from March 7 to 10. While this is a custom bike built by Honda Italy, we expect global Honda to come up with a special edition on the same lines in the coming months.