AN OWNER SPEAKS

I found the Japauto article in RC173 very interesting. I bought my first CB750K2 new in 1972 and in 1973 entered the Circuit des Pyrenees endurance event. I was aware of Japauto and, when one came to the market late in 2015, I had to buy it. Whilst I bow to Alan Cathcart’s knowledge and connections, there are a couple of points I disagree with.

I believe that Japauto had JPX construct enough parts to build 250 bikes. Some of the parts were sold to CB750 owners to build themselves. The 73 bikes that went to Spain were indeed sold as Japauto because the Spanish government would not allow Honda to sell in their country. The French home market bikes did indeed carry a VIN plate ‘Honda CB750 modifée Japauto’ but this was not necessarily recorded as such on the ‘carte gris’. There were approximately 35 bikes in road trim sold on the French market.

My bike was built from a CB750 supplied to Japauto from Japan in June 1972, and was therefore a K2. The original K2 engine was removed (for development?). The bike was sold as a Japauto 1000VX and newly registered as such on 14th June 1974. It was never registered as a CB750 ‘modifée’. I have no doubt that a few others were also registered from new in France as Japauto.

A great article but in my opinion not entirely correct. Bob Hennessy

Nice letter. However, in researching the article the very active Japauto Club de France run by Patrick Masse confirmed to me that the bikes were all registered as modified Hondas, as part of checking the data in my article (it’s Patrick’s 950SS Endurance replica that I’m pictured riding at Magny-Cours in the racer test photos I attached to my story). Please see the entries for 1975 and 1976/78 in the Evolution page of the club website: http://1000vx-club. pagesperso-orange.fr/evolution. html May I suggest that Bob contacts Patrick at 1000vx-club@wanadoo. fr to clear up these queries he has raised. As a Japauto owner, he should certainly join the club! Alan Cathcart