1976 Honda CB400F
1976 Honda CB400F
While most midsize machines of the 1970s made do with just two cylinders, the Honda CB400F Super Sport stuffed a quartet of pistons into its jewel-like engine, one of the most compact and prettiest designs Honda has ever produced. With crisp, beautifully sculpted body parts, the 400F's overall styling was set off by a dramatically sweeping 4-into-1 exhaust system, the first such configuration seen on a production motorcycle. Introduced in 1975, this factory-built café racer—the first from Japan—outshined Honda's previous midrange offerings, and today remains a sporty, highly collectible machine.
At the time, Cycle magazine was especially enamored, noting, "The Honda CB400F is a marvel: It handles remarkably well, stops with authority, snaps through the gears precisely—and motors along smartly. The bike feels all of a piece, as if a hundred separate design systems fell into perfect synchronization. Yet the attraction of the 400 transcends its obvious competence. Even a card-carrying Anglophile would agree that the CB400F has real character. If you can't respond to the CB400F's electrifying mechanical presence, you should immediately switch your sport to checkers." High praise indeed for a motorcycle that has since become a true Japanese classic.
This second-year CB400F is a well-kept example of how a mildly modded bike might look back in the day, with an aftermarket exhaust that turns up the volume to satisfying levels, and pod air-filters for freer breathing. The fork's triple-clamps and the front brake caliper have been polished for a little additional bling. Function-wise, more modern handlebar switchgear replaces the balky originals.
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1976 Honda CB400F
While most midsize machines of the 1970s made do with just two cylinders, the Honda CB400F Super Sport stuffed a quartet of pistons into its jewel-like engine, one of the most compact and prettiest designs Honda has ever produced. With crisp, beautifully sculpted body parts, the 400F's overall styling was set off by a dramatically sweeping 4-into-1 exhaust system, the first such configuration seen on a production motorcycle. Introduced in 1975, this factory-built café racer—the first from Japan—outshined Honda's previous midrange offerings, and today remains a sporty, highly collectible machine.
At the time, Cycle magazine was especially enamored, noting, "The Honda CB400F is a marvel: It handles remarkably well, stops with authority, snaps through the gears precisely—and motors along smartly. The bike feels all of a piece, as if a hundred separate design systems fell into perfect synchronization. Yet the attraction of the 400 transcends its obvious competence. Even a card-carrying Anglophile would agree that the CB400F has real character. If you can't respond to the CB400F's electrifying mechanical presence, you should immediately switch your sport to checkers." High praise indeed for a motorcycle that has since become a true Japanese classic.
This second-year CB400F is a well-kept example of how a mildly modded bike might look back in the day, with an aftermarket exhaust that turns up the volume to satisfying levels, and pod air-filters for freer breathing. The fork's triple-clamps and the front brake caliper have been polished for a little additional bling. Function-wise, more modern handlebar switchgear replaces the balky originals.
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