SOHC.co.uk Forums > CB350/400

Just out of curiosity?

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Mikep328:
"Get a yellow one and see what all the fuss was/is about."

I have '76 Red but I must admit that I could see myself adding a Yellow AND a Blue!!  But I don't have any REAL use for three of the same motorcycles... ;)

"You could always go for a 6 into 6 to be really cool"

Funny - a few years ago we were at the Isle of Man for the races and there was a guy with cafe-ed 6cyl red Benelli.  Gorgeous bike. Every time he rode up to any of the various viewing areas, people quit watching the racers fly by and went over to look at/listen to that Benelli.  I really wanted a Honda CBX back in the day but they were too expensive for me.  Now I could actually buy one but they have become too heavy! Not sure how they gained weight over the years... ;)

Otis:

--- Quote from: Mikep328 on February 20, 2026, 11:57:54 AM ---
Not sure how they gained weight over the years... ;)

--- End quote ---

That made me laugh because I thought the self same thing. In 1982 when I was at South Bank Poly my mate and I used to nip up to Mocheck motors in Clapham in our lunch hour and "test ride" the CBXC (mono shock). I had a 1981 CB750FB and my mate had a GX1000. We used to thrash the thing all over London and had a lot of fun. Both being in our twenties the weight of those bikes was nothing. Moving on 40 years the weight has become a significant factor and I know this. It's not that the bikes got heavier; we just got older and less strong. Since returning after 40 years my 350 felt like I remembered my 750 was but last September I bought a Ducati ST2 and it frightens me every time I take it off the stand. I just know that if it went over I could not hold it these days.

The more I have read the comments and reflected on the memories it is not so much the number of pipes that I find aesthetically challenging with 4 into 1 but simply the balanced look of the bike. Let's face it, even the car manufacturers are putting twin fake exhausts on electric cars to give them that balanced and sporty look.

florence:
I love my 4-1, it really barks.  Really enjoying riding to work on Fridays, 40 mile round trip on country B roads.

Otis:
What's not to like :)

Athame57:
That Waterfall 4-1 exhaust, the first as standard on a Japanese four (?)may have been part of it's appeal, it is the mark of the 400/4. More curves than a leopard!  ;D Caused by the old fashioned oil filter that was still external and needed lots of bending of the pipes to clear. Oil filters thereafter started being tucked away inside engines and the waterfall effect never spread elsewhere ( unless I'm to be corrected ) I think the high cost of production had the model killed off after only a few years in favour of much cheaper twins that got rid of many of the classic features of a 400/4.
Where did you go for the 50th anniversary? I went to the Ace café, the picture here is the only one I can find post computer crash, but I met Laverda Dave there too.

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