There are few motorcycles that changed the course of motorcycling history quite like the Honda CB750. When it arrived in 1969, it wasn’t just another new model, it was a cultural detonation.
And now, one of these early examples, a 1970 Honda CB750 K0 (registration TTU 761H), is coming under the hammer with Spicers Auctioneers on 25 October 2025.
This particular machine — frame number CB750 103375, engine number CB750E 1032640 — comes with a fascinating provenance and an impressively original condition.
Built on 16 April 1970 and dispatched to the USA, it spent years across the Atlantic before coming to British shores in 2016. The odometer now reads just 10,228 miles, most of those clocked decades ago, as it’s been largely kept as a display piece. With its original silencers, carburettors, and finish intact, it’s a time capsule from the dawn of the superbike era.
The Birth of a Legend
To appreciate what this CB750 represents, it’s worth remembering just how radical it was. By the mid-1960s, Honda had already conquered the world of small-capacity bikes, but Soichiro Honda wanted more. He wanted a machine that could take on the biggest names from Britain and Europe — and beat them at their own game.
Under development for a year, the CB750 emerged as a marvel of engineering and ambition. Its transverse inline-four engine, single overhead camshaft, and front disc brake were revolutionary features for a mass-produced motorcycle. Riders were accustomed to parallel twins and drum brakes. Suddenly, here was a bike that looked, sounded, and performed like nothing else on the road.
At its launch in the United States in January 1969, it caused a sensation. The press dubbed it the “superbike,” a term that would become shorthand for an entire generation of high-performance machines.
When it arrived in the UK a few months later, in April 1969, the first examples — known as sand-cast models — were snapped up. These early crankcases were hand-cast in sand moulds before Honda switched to die-casting in late 1969 to keep up with demand.
The die-cast K0 models, such as the one heading to auction, retained all the features that made the CB750 so special: electric start, kill switch, flashing indicators, dual mirrors, and a remarkable level of refinement. It was smooth, reliable, and astonishingly quick. With 68 horsepower on tap and a top speed north of 120mph, it made the British triples and twins of the day seem positively prehistoric.
A Transatlantic Traveller
This particular 1970 CB750 lived much of its life in the United States, where by 1991 it belonged to Terry Johnson of Indiana. Back then, it had covered just 1,200 miles — a nearly new bike preserved long before most people realised its significance. When it was imported into the UK by David Hartley in 2016, the odometer showed 10,055 miles, meaning it had barely turned a wheel in over four decades.
Today, at 10,228 miles, it’s still virtually unused. The paintwork, brightwork, and mechanical components remain faithful to factory specification. In a world where many early CB750s have been restored, modified, or simply ridden to death, originality like this commands a premium.
A Rare Opportunity
Spicers have set an estimate of £7,500–£8,500, with a starting bid of £3,750. That’s tempting money for such a historically significant motorcycle. The CB750 is a cornerstone of any serious collection, bridging the gap between the classic and the modern era.
It’s hard to overstate its influence: the CB750 didn’t just redefine Honda’s reputation, it redefined motorcycling itself. It made superbike performance accessible, dependable, and usable. Fifty-five years later, its silhouette still looks right, and that four-pipe exhaust note still stirs the soul.
For those who remember when the CB750 first rolled into showrooms, this 1970 example is a direct line back to that moment when the world changed – when four cylinders, a disc brake and a Honda badge suddenly meant everything.
Auction: 25 October 2025, 12pm at Spicers Auctioneers, Waterways Salerooms, Goole
Estimate: £7,500 to £8,500
