CMM MARKETPLACE
Wanna cheap CB750?
FFifty shades of grey nicely sums up the current Honda CB750 market, says Scottie.
or a model that celebrates its half century this year you’d be forgiven for thinking finding yourself an example of the world’s first true production superbike might be a thankless task – well I’m happy to report that there’s no shortage of seven fifty Hondas on the open market.
This boils down to a couple of reasons why this is the case. Firstly, the single overhead cam CB750 kept its place in the Honda range for a decade and the DNA of the original CB750-K0 got various updates over its lifespan, which means there’s a CB750 to suit most pockets. The deepest pockets are required for those early K0 models, but it’s a case of buyer beware when hunting for one of these rare icons, as Paul Jayson from The Motorcycle Broker explains on page 53. Not too many bikes have survived without either some sympathetic freshening up, or a full-on nut and bolt restoration. The highest prices are often obtained by those bikes that had an easy life, and remain bog standard. In recent years there’s been a shift towards people appreciating the unrestored classic – after all it’s only original once! Restored bikes bring their own can of worms and prices for any remaining NOS parts are expensive, so it can make sense to use pattern parts that mimic the styling and finish of original parts. For your personal consumption they make total sense, they are readily available from specialist traders and often at reasonable prices. Selling on a restored bike is when this approach might backfire – like a poorly fitted set of points. I found several K0 models on sale, which surprised me, and adding to my puzzled looks were the prices – they are all over the place! Good-looking restored bikes with splatterings of look-a-like consumables like saddles, exhausts etc. can be had for not too much over £10,000. Prices climb up towards £30,000 for fully documented restorations with no end of NOS Honda parts and hours of tender loving care applied. To the untrained eye you’d be hard pushed to tell which is which. The single overhead cam engine has always been a favourite with custom builders and more recently the café racer scene has helped to keep prices of scruffy old CB750S at an over-inflated worth. Expect to budget £2000 for a complete but tatty late model. The CB750 sold in big numbers, not just here but all around the world. Global economics help to keep too many bikes from overseas washing up on our shores, but the biggest market for sourcing grey imports is the US, and 50 years on from the launch of the K0 there’s no signs of the supply running out. Honda fiddled with the models year in and year out, with another number added to the K series prefix – if you don’t know your K0 from your K7 you would do well to mug up and teach yourself, with no shortage of information online or available from owners groups online, it doesn’t take too long to become an anorak. The good news is road-ready bikes are plentiful and they can often work out cheaper than rebuilding a basket case. The best value CB750 SOHC models from what I can see are the F1 and F2 models. They are easy to spot with their long sleek tank and tailpiece. The F1 had spoked wheels and a silver finish on the engine, the F2 looks even smarter with the black motor and Comstar wheels, so Seventies! Despite trying to look more modern, both models still had a kick-start fitted, not that they really needed it, as the electric start rarely gives any aggro. The grey import bikes show no sign of slowing up, which means prices should stay steady. Sure, the odd exceptional machine will push the glass ceiling on prices, but on the whole the CB750 market is pretty stable. There’s no reason why these bikes won’t keep attracting new owners for another 50 years! If you haven’t tried one yet, then why not give one a go and see just what you have been missing?