Honda CB450 Police Special
Honda CB450 Police Special | |
Manufacturer | |
---|---|
Production | 1966 |
Class | Standard |
Engine | Four stroke, parallel twin cylinder, DOHC, 2 valves per cylinder |
Compression ratio | 9.0:1 |
Ignition | Coil with auto-advance, twin contact breaker |
Transmission | 4 Speed |
Frame | Tubular semi-duplex cradle with single front down-tube |
Suspension | Front: Telescopic forks with two-way damping. Rear: Swing arm, shock absorbers with adjustable preload |
Brakes | Front: Drum Rear: Drum |
Front Tire | 3.25-18 |
Rear Tire | 3.50-18 |
Wheelbase | 1,300 mm / 53 in |
Weight | 187 kg / 412 lbs (dry), 204.0 kg / 449.7 lbs (wet) |
Recommended Oil | Honda GN4 10W-40 |
Fuel Capacity | 14 Liters / 3.7 US gal |
Manuals | Service Manual |
Engine[edit | edit source]
The engine was a Air cooled cooled Four stroke, parallel twin cylinder, DOHC, 2 valves per cylinder. The engine featured a 9.0:1 compression ratio.
Chassis[edit | edit source]
It came with a 3.25-18 front tire and a 3.50-18 rear tire. Stopping was achieved via Drum in the front and a Drum in the rear. The front suspension was a Telescopic forks with two-way damping. while the rear was equipped with a Swing arm, shock absorbers with adjustable preload. The CB450 Police Special was fitted with a 14 Liters / 3.7 US gal fuel tank. The bike weighed just 187 kg / 412 lbs. The wheelbase was 1,300 mm / 53 in long.
Photos[edit | edit source]
Overview[edit | edit source]
Honda CB450 Police Special
If you saw one of these rare motorcycles on the road in the
1960s, you were either very lucky or very unlucky. It all depended upon whether
that set of red lights was flashing in your rear-view mirror or someone else's.
Honda imported a mere 25 CB450 Police Specials to the United States in 1966 in an effort to crack into the law-enforcement market. So if you came into contact with one, you could certainly count it as one of the more unique bike sightings of your life.
Based on Honda's "Black Bomber" CB450, introduced in 1965, the Police Special was entirely normal in its engine and running gear. But it incorporated some nifty anti-crime devices.
The large speedometer, for instance, was calibrated in 1-mile-per-hour increments. And with a flip of a switch, Mr. Policeman could lock the speedo reading to preserve the evidence of your illegality.
Then he'd switch on the lights and pull a lever on the left handlebar that worked the unusual siren-activation system. The lever brought a rotating steel drum into contact with the rear wheel, much like those old electrical generators on bicycles. The only difference was that this drum drove a flexible steel cable that snaked forward to spin the siren.
The Police Special also came with a solo seat backed by a small metal box for carrying an officer's ticket book.
Honda's Police Special took on Harley-Davidson for a place in America's law-enforcement community and lost badly. Even though Honda billed it as "a big bike with a big ride," the 450 couldn't make a dent in a market that had been dominated for decades by American V-twins. So the initial U.S. shipment of 25 was also the last.
Make Model | Honda CB 450 Police |
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Year | 1966 |
Engine Type | Four stroke, parallel twin cylinder, DOHC, 2 valves per cylinder |
Displacement | 445 cc / 27.1 cu-in |
Bore X Stroke | 70 x 57.8 mm |
Cooling System | Air cooled |
Compression | 9.0:1 |
Induction | 2x 32mm Keihin carburetors |
Ignition | Coil with auto-advance, twin contact breaker |
Starting | Kick |
Max Power | 45 hp / 32.8 kW @ 9000 rpm |
Max Torque | 37.4 Nm / 27.6 lb-ft @ 7000 rpm |
Transmission | 4 Speed |
Final Drive | Chain |
Frame | Tubular semi-duplex cradle with single front down-tube |
Front Suspension | Telescopic forks with two-way damping. |
Rear Suspension | Swing arm, shock absorbers with adjustable preload |
Front Brakes | Drum |
Rear Brakes | Drum |
Front Tire | 3.25-18 |
Rear Tire | 3.50-18 |
Wheelbase | 1,300 mm / 53 in |
Dry Weight | 187 kg / 412 lbs |
Wet Weight | 204.0 kg / 449.7 lbs |
Fuel Capacity | 14 Liters / 3.7 US gal |