Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1526211
I n 1975, Honda's CB400F Supersport was just about the coolest thing this side of Starsky and Hutch and their Ford Gran Torino. The nifty little four-cylinder bike stood out like a bright red (or blue or canary yellow) sore thumb in Honda's mid-'70s lineup. With its dazzling four-into-one exhaust, clubman bars, and a simple yet stylish fuel tank, the CB400F didn't look like it was born in Japan. It didn't even really look like it was European. This was a unique ma - chine, so pretty to look at that it didn't matter that its four silver- dollar-sized pistons whimpered out only 37 horsepower! It was a motorcycle magazine editor's favorite. Translation: a showroom dud that would even - tually garner status as moder- ately collectible. Which is much more than can be said for its predecessor, the Honda CB350 Four. While the moto-journalists of the time showered the 1975 CB400F with praise fit for a princess, the 1974 Honda CB350 Four was seen as the ugliest of the ugly stepsisters! "Hey, 350 Four, What Are You?" blared the Cycle News headline in August 1974. The 350 had been in Honda's lineup for three years, having joined its bigger broth - ers (750cc and 500cc) in 1972. The road test editor was clearly puzzled by this motorcycle, which he described as having "the heart of a Ferrari in the body of a Buick." The "jewel-like engine" was mostly sleepy, though it would wake up and roar in the 6500- 10,500 rpm range, which was still not enough to mollify the writer. "All the lovely Sturm and Drang (a short period of 18th- century German romanticism, possibly the such reference to be found in the history of moto journalism) notwithstanding, it's probably slower than Honda's 360 twin," he wrote, adding that at some point during the test, the meek little four was humiliatingly blown into the weeds by a 175cc enduro bike! The lambasting that began with the powerplant contin - ued with the description of the handling. The bike was delivered with 1600 miles on the clock, enough to wear out the stock rear suspenders. "A new low," wrote CN, "in boingy Japanese shock behavior." It was a "pogo stick with handlebars." In the twisties, the Honda's corner - ing performance was given a sound lashing in the story, with "wobbly" being the least derisive term used by the writer. As with most motorcycles of that era, moderate lean angles resulted CNIIARCHIVES P132 BY KENT TAYLOR The Honda CB350 Four didn't pan out, but it paved the way for a real beauty, the CB400 Four. 1974 HONDA CB350 FOUR GREAT IDEA, BUT... AT LEAST IT PAVED THE WAY TO GREATNESS.