The Honda CB750 is the four-cylinder 750cc motorcycle Honda launched in 1969, widely called the first modern superbike. It made 67 PS (about 66 hp) from a 736cc inline four, had the first hydraulic front disc brake on a production motorcycle, and sold in the US for $1,495. Today the name lives on as the CB750 Hornet.
This guide covers why Honda built the CB750, what made it special, how it raced and changed over the years, and how the 2026 Hornet compares. Every date and figure comes from Honda’s own history pages or the sources listed at the end.
Why Honda built a 750
Honda’s heritage page tells the story. In 1965 Honda launched the CB450, a twin built at the request of American Honda, but US buyers believed “bigger was better” and saw little point in a 450. Then Honda’s engineers learned that Triumph was developing a three-cylinder 750, and that settled the size of Honda’s new flagship. It was the biggest step yet for the company I wrote about in my Soichiro Honda biography.
Honda set out the outline in October 1967. The target was 750cc and 67 PS, one horsepower more than the 1300cc Harley-Davidson of the day. Real design work began in February 1968 with a team of about 20 people.
The 1968 reveal and the 1969 launch
Honda showed the CB750 Four prototype at the Tokyo Motor Show in October 1968. Honda’s heritage page dates the US release to January 1969, when the bike was presented at Honda’s first US dealer meeting in Las Vegas. Honda’s CB history says exports to the US and Canada began in April 1969, 14 months after design started, and the bike went on sale in Japan in August 1969.
The price did most of the talking. Honda’s heritage page says the CB750 was presented to about 2,000 dealers at $1,495, at a time when big bikes sold for between $2,800 and $4,000.
Our calculation: using Honda’s own figures, the CB750 cost 47% less than the cheapest big bike on sale, a gap of $1,305. That is the main reason it changed the market so fast.
What made the CB750 special
Honda’s 75-year history lists the main features of the 1969 bike:
- A 736cc air-cooled, single overhead cam inline four-cylinder engine.
- 67 PS at 8,000 rpm.
- A top speed of 200 km/h (about 124 mph) and 0 to 400 metres in 12.4 seconds.
- A hydraulic disc brake on the front wheel, the first on a production model at the time.
- Four exhaust pipes, one for each cylinder.
It also had an electric starter, turn signals and dual mirrors. Put together, that meant a big bike that started at the push of a button, stopped well and did not leak or break the way many big bikes of the time did.
Demand, and the sandcast bikes
Honda had planned to build around 1,500 CB750s a year. According to Honda, demand was so strong that this became the monthly figure, and output was later raised to 3,000 a month.
To get started quickly, Honda made the first crankcases with sand moulds rather than die-casting, which is slower but needs less tooling. Wikipedia puts the number of these early “sandcast” bikes at about 7,414. They are now among the most collectable CB750s, and buyers check engine and frame numbers carefully to confirm one is genuine.
Racing wins
Honda used racing to prove the new bike. Its own records list three key results:
- August 1969: a CB750 won the Suzuka 10 Hours in Japan, ridden by Morio Sumiya and Tetsuya Hishiki.
- September 1969: a CB750 won the 24 Hours of Bordeaux, France’s biggest endurance race.
- March 1970: Dick Mann won the Daytona 200 in Florida on a factory CB750 racer.
In Japan the bike became known as the “Nanahan”, Japanese shorthand for 750 (nana-han, literally seven and a half). The word is still used there for 750cc motorcycles.
How the CB750 changed over the years
Wikipedia says Honda built more than 400,000 CB750s in its first ten years. The name then covered several quite different bikes:
| Years | Model | What changed |
|---|---|---|
| 1969 to 1978 | CB750 Four (K series) | The original SOHC inline four, updated year by year |
| 1975 to 1978 | CB750F Super Sport | Sportier styling and a four-into-one exhaust |
| 1976 to 1978 | CB750A Hondamatic | A two-speed gearbox with a torque converter |
| 1979 to 1983 | CB750 DOHC models | A new double overhead cam engine, plus Custom and Nighthawk versions |
| 1991 to 2003 | Nighthawk 750 | A simple, air-cooled standard sold in the US |
| 1992 to 2008 | CB750 (RC42) | A retro standard sold in Japan and Europe |
| 2023 to today | CB750 Hornet | A new 755cc liquid-cooled parallel twin |
Dates are from the Wikipedia CB750 article and can differ by a year from market to market.
The CB750 today: the Hornet
Yes, Honda makes a 2026 CB750. It is the CB750 Hornet, a naked middleweight that shares only the name with the 1969 bike. Instead of an air-cooled inline four it uses a 755cc liquid-cooled parallel twin.
Honda’s US site lists the 2026 CB750 Hornet E-Clutch at a base MSRP of $7,999 plus a $600 destination charge, for $8,599 before tax and registration. Honda lists these features:
- A six-speed gearbox with Honda E-Clutch, so you can pull away and change gear without using the clutch lever if you want to.
- A 31.3-inch seat height.
- A 41mm Showa SFF-BP fork.
- Five ride modes and a 5-inch colour TFT display with Honda RoadSync phone connection.
Honda also notes that Cycle World named the Hornet its Best Middleweight Streetbike for 2025.
Classic CB750 or Hornet: which suits a new rider?
For most new riders, the Hornet is the easier choice. It is new, has a warranty, ABS, ride modes and the E-Clutch, and its power comes in smoothly. A 1969 to 1978 CB750 is heavy by modern standards, has older brakes and suspension, and depends on how well it has been kept.
If you love the old bike, buy one with a full inspection by someone who knows the model, and check the brakes, tyres, wiring and carburettors before riding. If you are just starting out, a smaller bike first may be wiser. My guide to how fast a 125cc motorcycle can go is a good place to see what a small bike can do, and the Honda Super Cub history shows where Honda’s road bikes began.
Frequently asked questions
How fast does a Honda CB750 go?
Honda gives the 1969 CB750 Four a top speed of 200 km/h, about 124 mph. A surviving bike today may be slower, depending on its condition.
Is Honda making a 2026 CB750?
Yes. Honda sells the 2026 CB750 Hornet E-Clutch, a 755cc parallel twin, at a US base MSRP of $7,999 plus a $600 destination charge.
Why is the CB750 called the first superbike?
It combined a four-cylinder engine, a front disc brake, electric start and a top speed of about 200 km/h at a price far below its rivals. Wikipedia notes it is regarded as the first motorcycle to be called a “superbike”.
What is a sandcast CB750?
One of the earliest 1969 bikes, whose crankcases were made in sand moulds before Honda switched to die-casting. Wikipedia counts about 7,414 of them, and collectors pay a premium for genuine examples.
What does Nanahan mean?
Nanahan (nana-han, seven and a half) is Japanese shorthand for 750. It became the nickname for the CB750 in Japan.
Sources
- Honda Global heritage: the CB750 Four, for the 1967 target, the $1,495 price, the $2,800 to $4,000 rival prices and production numbers.
- Honda Global: CB history, 1969, for the Tokyo Motor Show reveal, US export date and race wins.
- Honda Global: 75 years history, chapter 3, for the engine, power, top speed and disc brake.
- Honda Powersports: CB750 Hornet, for 2026 price and features, checked 29 October 2026.
- Wikipedia: Honda CB750, for the sandcast count, total production and model years.
Featured photo: Honda CB750 (1969) at the Capesthorne Hall Classic Car Show, by SG2012, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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