What bike is this?

[Macktheknife]

1967 Honda Superhawk 305, I think
Here is a minter...

[merv]

1967 Honda Superhawk 305
Here is a minter...

Yeah well that is the CB77 and you'll see what I'm saying, tank and sidecover look right, engine, carb and frame don't nor does right side chain drive - Spank's pic is left side drive with upright engine like the CB450 with vacuum carbs.

[Macktheknife]

Yeah well that is the CB77 and you'll see what I'm saying, tank and sidecover look right, engine, carb and frame don't nor does right side chain drive - Spank's pic is left side drive with upright engine like the CB450 with vacuum carbs.

Ahh, bugger. I forgot about that bit.

[Ixion]

Well, that is indeed a mystery .

Let us review what we know or may deduce.

Firstly, that is indeed a CV carb. So, if it is Jappa (reasonable assumption) that rules out two strokes, since AFAIK the only two stroke ever with CV carbs was the GT750. Which it definately ain't.

The motor looks four stroke, too. It's got a wire spoked rear wheel. It appears to be a twin (or else the carb is on a very odd angle.). It's not a big motor (unless the photo is distorted or something). The carb bowl to crankcase distance is nowhere near enough for the CB450, or Yamaha 650, both of which were tall engines. It's definately not the Kawasaki W1. And the chain is "medium" bike size. Not a bike bike chain.

The chrome tank and those slanty little knee pads say "early jappa". Suzuki, Yamaha and Honda all had tanks like that. But, in that era , only Honda made small four strokes (indeed, any fourstrokes except the Yamaha 650 and W1)

Hondas for the most part dropped the chrome tank look in 1969-70 , when the CB750 came out. But I think a few models continued it a bit longer.

It must be after 1965, because the CB450 was the first Honda ever with CV carbs.

It's defiantely not any of the Dreams, because they all had pressed steel frames, and this has a tube frame. It's not a CB72/77 because the chain is on the wrong side. It's not any CB450 I've ever seen, motor's not tall enough, carbs are not right, engine isn't right.

So , we deduce a medium (125 to 250cc maybe) sized Honda twin, late 60s or early 70s. With a chrome tank. But, damned if I can find one.

Best guess I can come up with is a variant of the CD/CB/CL 160 series. There were a shit laod of different versions of that model , for different markets. Or maybe the later 175 model. Was there ever a special market CB250 CB350 with a chrome tank?

Or else I've gone conpletely the wrong path

[Krusti]

I love the sign.........Please do not touch. A Salesperson will be happy to assist you.

[Cr1MiNaL]

I've been searching and haven't managed to find anything.

MAN I LOVE HER>>>>>

[Bonez]

How about an early one of these guys- http://www.honda350k.com/CB350.html
Ok the tank rubber is a different shape but may have been replaced and fitted incorrectly. There are a few similarities like the CV carb type and the horizonal finning on the head and clutch cable layout.

Oh and the side cover retainer looks the same.

Remember the bike has been foreshorten by the angle the photograph was taken at.

[merv]

The carb bowl to crankcase distance is nowhere near enough for the CB450.

It's not any CB450 I've ever seen, motor's not tall enough, carbs are not right, engine isn't right.

So , we deduce a medium (125 to 250cc maybe) sized Honda twin, late 60s or early 70s. With a chrome tank. But, damned if I can find one.

I don't agree, if you look at the pics in the links I've posted you can see it does look like the right carb to to rest of motor spacing for the 450 and that casing shroud where the chain runs to the front sprocket is so CB450.

The tank however, kneepads and all, is so CB77 as you will also see in the pics posted so WTF, back to my earlier comment - a CB450 prototype maybe, but then its been well used and allowed to rust.

[merv]

How about an early one of these guys- http://www.honda350k.com/CB350.html

Yeah could be an early version with CB77 tank coz its got the CV carbs.

350s were as per this link http://www.motorera.com/honda/h0350/...0/sport350.htm and as per Bonez pic and weren't sold with the old chrome tank with pads the shape of those on the CB77 (305).

[Bonez]

Yeah could be an early version with CB77 tank coz its got the CV carbs.

350s were as per this link http://www.motorera.com/honda/h0350/...0/sport350.htm and as per Bonez pic and weren't sold with the old chrome tank with pads the shape of those on the CB77 (305).

Bigger tank may have been fitted for longer range maybe.

Those old 350s were in many ways better than the CB360s they were replaced with.
Closer pic of the lhs here- http://www.honda350k.com/cbk1_8.jpg and
http://www.honda350k.com/cbk1_6.jpg

[merv]

OK the sidecover looks a better match too, I was thinking that was CB77 because of the match to the tank, but then it had to have a different fastening because CB77 had the black knob.

So Spank, I think me and Bonez are going to agree it is a CB350 with a CB77 tank and I'll give away any idea that it was a CB450.

[Ixion]

I don't agree, if you look at the pics in the links I've posted you can see it does look like the right carb to to rest of motor spacing for the 450 and that casing shroud where the chain runs to the front sprocket is so CB450.

The tank however, kneepads and all, is so CB77 as you will also see in the pics posted so WTF, back to my earlier comment - a CB450 prototype maybe, but then its been well used and allowed to rust.

The carb is not right. The CB450 (early ones anyway) were a piston type CV (like an SU) . If you look at this close up of a CB450 engine you can see the big dashpot cover at the top of the carb . The mystery bike has "normal" diaphragm type carbs with the flat covers. And the other carb details are different.

The engine looks CB350. And so do the side covers. But that tank is definately chrome, you can see the reflection in it. And I don't know of any CB350 CB250 version that had a chrome tank.

Could be a CB350 with an older tank. but once we start assuming that it's a bitsa, then anything is possible.

[SpankMe]

A few more from the set, but they don't help any. I'll keep searching.

*edit: high res versions uploaded

[Ixion]

Nope. Not a CB350. If you look at the picture of the CB350, and the mystery picture, the CB350 has a retaining screw for the sprocket cover just behind where the clutch cable enters. And the top rear of the sprocket cover terminates just under the lowest point of the side cover. The mystery bike has no screw (but you can clearly see where it would be if it was there, you can see all the top of the sprocket cover from the clutch cable entry point rearward). And the sprocket cover stops well short of the side cover (ie it doesn't extend enough rearward) .

[Bonez]

OK the sidecover looks a better match too, I was thinking that was CB77 because of the match to the tank, but then it had to have a different fastening because CB77 had the black knob.

So Spank, I think me and Bonez are going to agree it is a CB350 with a CB77 tank and I'll give away any idea that it was a CB450.

Yip deffinately a 350. As pointed out the tank is chromed and appears to have a rubber/plastic seam cover between the side and centre section.

Ixion you have to take into account the closeness/angle the photo has been taken. It cuts out a fare bit.