Honda CB750FZ
Honda CB750FZ | |
Manufacturer | |
---|---|
Also called | CB 750 FZ |
Production | 1979 |
Class | Standard |
Engine | Four stroke, transverse four cylinder, DOHC, 4 valve per cylinder |
Compression ratio | 9.0:1 |
Top Speed | 198.3 km/h |
Ignition | CDI |
Transmission | 5 Speed |
Suspension | Front: Adjustable telehydraulic fork. Rear: Swinging arm fork with adjustable shocks absorbers. |
Brakes | Front: 2x 276mm discs Rear: Single 297mm disc |
Front Tire | 3.50 H19 |
Rear Tire | 4.50 H17 |
Wheelbase | 1520 mm / 59.8 in |
Seat Height | 790 mm / 31.1 in |
Weight | 230 kg / 507 lbs (dry), 251 kg / 553.3 lbs (wet) |
Recommended Oil | Honda GN4 10W-40 |
Fuel Capacity | 20 Liters / 5.2 US gal |
Manuals | Service Manual |
It could reach a top speed of 198.3 km/h.
Engine[edit | edit source]
The engine featured a 9.0:1 compression ratio.
Chassis[edit | edit source]
It came with a 3.50 H19 front tire and a 4.50 H17 rear tire. Stopping was achieved via 2x 276mm discs in the front and a Single 297mm disc in the rear. The front suspension was a Adjustable telehydraulic fork. while the rear was equipped with a Swinging arm fork with adjustable shocks absorbers.. The CB750FZ was fitted with a 20 Liters / 5.2 US gal fuel tank. The bike weighed just 230 kg / 507 lbs. The wheelbase was 1520 mm / 59.8 in long.
Photos[edit | edit source]
Overview[edit | edit source]
Honda CB 750FZ
Road Test MOTORCYCLIST 1979
Ever since
the Japanese motorcycle firms rose from their 50 and 90cc machines to build
genuine motorcycles, it has been axiomatic that Oriental street bikes, despite
whatever other pinnacles they reached, always lagged behind the Europeans in
that one virtue most important to purists: Handling. Their handling habits
ranged from downright horrifying on a few models to the more common
characteristic, a slight vagueness in steering accompanied by not enough ground
clearance. "Too much power," proclaimed some observers. "Bamboo frames," said
others. "Too many cylinders and too much weight," added other voices. "The basic
problem," many agreed, "is that the Japanese company executives and engineers
don't ride motorcycles. They have no passion for them so they don't understand
how they're supposed to handle. And they don't care. They'll GS750, and
especially their GS1000, destroyed the Japanese-bikes-don't-handle maxim forever
and they did it with four cylinders, a truckload of power and a weight that
solidly crested the quarter-ton mark. Purists could suddenly enjoy Ducati-like
cornering prowess with typical Japanese power, comfort, price and dealer
support. The cynics had to find something else to gripe about.
As if to prove the GS1000 was no fluke, in 1979 Honda launched
their new DOHC CB750F, which if anything handled better than the big Suzuki.
Unfortunately, the Honda's handling began to erode as miles were rolled up on
the machine. By the time we'd put 2000 miles on our '79 test bike, we noted a
slight loosening of the swingarm pivot and a substantial drop in rear suspension
performance. The bike still handled quite well, but we were disappointed by such
signs of corner-cutting in a manever build a really good handling motorcycle
because they just don't need to."
That sort of thinking about motorcycles from Japan began to
look a little tarnished when Honda's 400 and 550 fours arrived. Then Suzuki's
chine which was otherwise so spectacular. Those drawbacks didn't seem to matter
much though: Honda had sold out of CB750Fs by July.
Because the 1979s were all gone, the 1980 CB750F was
introduced early, and we are delighted to see that Honda has made improvements
in both areas where the 1979 model came up short. By providing needle bearings
at the swingarm pivot, Honda has virtually eliminated any wear and subsequent
swingarm looseness. Even more impressive are the new Fully Adjustable FVQ shocks
which feature separate adjustments for compression and rebound damping in
addition to the usual choice of five spring preload settings. Changes in other
areas further improve handling. The frame has added gusseting in the swingarm
area and a larger swingarm pivot bolt (increased in diameter from 14 to 16mm)
adds brawn. The fork tubes' offset in the triple clamps is now increased a shade
to reduce front wheel trail by 5mm to make it 110mm.
The most interesting of these changes is the new Fully
Adjustable FVQ (Full Variable Quality) shocks which are the most adjustable
shocks ever offered on a street bike. An adjuster wheel at the top of each shock
allows the rider to pick one of three settings for rebound damping. The
adjusting wheel is operated by the same spanner used to adjust spring preload.
At the bottom of each shock, a small lever nestled in the mounting clevis may be
flicked to either of two settings to vary compression damping. During serious
pitch-it-off-into-corners riding sessions we usually used the middle rebound
setting, the stiffer compression adjustment and the spring preload set on the
second or third step up. For the best ride in terms of comfort, backing all the
adjustments down to their softest settings seemed to be the ticket.
When this 1980 model was introduced, we wondered aloud why
Honda didn't opt to include air forks. After riding it, we admit that we didn't
really miss them. Front-end dive wasn't a problem and overall handling was
universally rated as good as or better than anything ever offered for street
use. No matter if the corners are bumpy or smooth, fast or slow, the F can rush
through them with no trace of wiggle or wallow, and only an occasional scrape of
the pegs on the pavement. The bike is as precise and steady as a brain surgeon's
scalpel and changing lines in mid-corner is easy.
We had an opportunity to ride the 1979 and 1980 models side by
side and noticed that the new bike was a little steadier than last year's which
was quite steady to begin with. Bumps
seemed softer and smaller on the '80 model too. No one commented on any change
in steering feel with the slight change in front wheel trail, but steering was
inordinately accurate. The new CB750F's handling is a special treat for the
expert street rider, and a novice may find he has abilities he never knew he
possessed. Anyone who still believes that Japanese bikes or four-cylinder
machines can't handle is in for a tremendous surprise.
Our 1980 F had racked up over 1800 miles by the time we returned it and there
was no sign of the shocks fading away or any looseness in the chassis. The CB750
was as tight and wiggle-free as when we got it.
Another common problem on last year's Hondas was an annoying brake surge
which developed after the brakes had been used hard a few times. Honda says this
was caused by a quality-control problem which has been corrected through a
different brake disc surfacing process. Our test machine's brakes didn't surge
and performed excellently. A novice may be overwhelmed by the F's powerful
triple discs, but the expert will appreciate the bike's strong, predictable,
fade-free stopping.
The DOHC four-valve-per-cylinder engine returns with no significant changes.
The four 30mm constant-velocity carbs provide typically abrupt response when the
throttle is first opened and we noted a slight surging when the air was cold and
dense. This engine surging is not uncommon in new models because of their
government-mandated fuel mixtures. Aside from these minor criticisms and
complaints about lash in the lower gears, we were very pleased with the F's
power delivery. It has enough low and mid-range power to pull away from traffic
quickly without a downshift. However to take advantage of all its enormous
power, the rider must spin the motor right up to the 9500-rpm redline. Power is
definitely concentrated in the upper half of the powerband.
When we tested the 1979 model seven months ago, we noted quite a bit of chain
noise. Honda responded to this complaint by fitting a smaller chain with bigger
sprockets. The 630 chain (%-inch pitch) was replaced by an O-ring type No. 530
chain (%-inch pitch). Noise was the primary reason for this change and chain
noise has been substantially reduced, although not eliminated. The 1979 CB750F
which won this year's 24 Hours of Nelson Ledges did so with the stock 630 D.I.D.
chain which was 2000 miles old at the start of the race and went the distance
without any external lubrication and only one adjustment. We wonder if the
530 is as durable. Since the 530 has relatively larger sprockets (18 and 46
teeth for a ratio of 2.56:1) than the 630 did (15 and 38 teeth for a ratio of
2.53:1) it doesn't have to turn as tightly and therefore may prove as tough as
the larger chain. The bigger sprockets certainly make it quieter and the tiny
change in gearing isn't noticeable when you ride the old and new models
together. Since it's lighter, the 530 chain theoretically saps less power (which
is why drag racers usually replace 630 chain with 530).
The chain and gearing switch is the only drivetrain change, so performance is
about the same as the '79. The bike still turns a lot of rpm (about 4600) at 60
mph in fifth and it still rips off lightning-quick quarter-miles (12.46 seconds
at 106.9 mph as compared to 12.33 seconds at 108.8 mph for the '79 model). The
1980 bike averaged 37.8 mpg.
One problem we had on this bike that didn't occur on last year's machine was
a slight shifting malady. This bike frequently missed upshifts from first to
second gear. Sometimes it took two shifting movements before it would upshift.
Sporting bikes are often about as plush as a sawhorse, but the 1980 750F is
fairly comfortable. The ride has been improved a hair and the overall comfort is
quite acceptable for two- or three-hour trips. All-day drones on the Interstate
may prompt disparaging remarks about the saddle, but neither it nor the bike
were built to specialize in open-road touring. Passengers quickly complained
about a hard seat, awkWard footpeg placement and a mild vibration in the rear
pegs.
The "reverse" black ComStar wheels have apparently proven more popular than
Honda's original configuration, so that's what carries the 1980 F. The wheels
are all aluminum alloy and mount Dunlop tires, which are tubeless for extra
blow-out protection and weight reduction. The bike's paint schemes are
essentially the same as last year with either black or silver as the basic
colors and new striping colors. The turn signals are now black.
A depressing change is the 85-mph speedo, something we'll be seeing a lot of
in 1980 thanks to some government bureaucracy's notion of safety.
We were very impressed with the 1979 CB750F, but we're dazzled by the 1980
version which has no nagging little flaws left in its make-up. We're even more
impressed because the price has gone up just $53less than what you'd pay for a
good pair of shocks. Although touring riders may shy away from the Super Sport,
it's an exciting choice for sporting riders who have the competence, inclination
and experience to use and appreciate its power and handling.
One of our staffers rates the new F as "the best street bike there is," and
the rest of us rate it as tied with or second to the Suzuki GS1000. The Suzuki
is a little more versatile because of its extra torque and comfort. However,
it's also more expensive. There's one more thing you should know: Honda is
expected to have a 1000cc version of the F out this spring. We can hardly wait.
M
Source MOTORCYCLIST 1979.
Make Model | Honda CB 750FK |
---|---|
Year | 1979 |
Engine Type | Four stroke, transverse four cylinder, DOHC, 4 valve per cylinder |
Displacement | 748 cc / 45.6 cub in. |
Bore X Stroke | 62 x 62 mm |
Electric | |
Compression | 9.0:1 |
Induction | 4x 32mm keihin carburetors |
Ignition | CDI |
Max Power | 57 kW / 77 hp @ 9000 rpm |
Max Torque | 77,4 Nm / 57.0 lb-ft @ 8000 rpm |
Transmission | 5 Speed |
Final Drive | Chain |
Front Suspension | Adjustable telehydraulic fork. |
Rear Suspension | Swinging arm fork with adjustable shocks absorbers. |
Front Brakes | 2x 276mm discs |
Rear Brakes | Single 297mm disc |
Front Tire | 3.50 H19 |
Rear Tire | 4.50 H17 |
Trail | 115 mm / 4.5 in |
Wheelbase | 1520 mm / 59.8 in |
Seat Height | 790 mm / 31.1 in |
Ground Clearance | 140 mm / 5.5 in |
Dry Weight | 230 kg / 507 lbs |
Wet Weight | 251 kg / 553.3 lbs |
Fuel Capacity | 20 Liters / 5.2 US gal |
Consumption Average | 37.8 mpg |
Standing ¼ Mile | 12.4 sec / 172 km/h |
Top Speed | 198.3 km/h |