Honda CB450

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The Honda CB450 was Honda’s first “big” standard motorcycle, built from 1965 to 1974. It had a 444 cc, DOHC parallel-twin engine and produced about 43 horsepower, enough to push the bike to around 110 mph. It marked a turning point for Honda, showing strong engineering but not achieving the scale of sales Honda hoped for against the big British bikes in North America.

Key features and design
- Engine: 444 cc, 180° DOHC twin with two 32 mm carburetors
- Power and performance: roughly 43 hp at 8,500 rpm; about 27.6 ft-lb of torque
- Top speed: about 110 mph
- Transmission: initially 4-speed, later updated to a 5-speed
- Chassis and brakes: tubular frame with a front down-tube; drum brakes (front 8 in with twin leading shoes)
- Notable engineering: electric starter, horizontally split crankcase, reliable electricals, and torsion-bar valve springs instead of traditional coil springs
- Styling: chrome-sided fuel tank and family styling shared with other Honda models of the era

Models and evolution
- K0: the original four-speed version
- K1 (from 1968): five-speed transmission, redesigned fuel tank, rubber gaiters on the front forks, and twin instruments mounted above the headlamp
- Some markets later offered changes such as a front disc brake on certain bikes

Names and market context
- Early nicknames included the Black Bomber and the Dragon; in Canada the K1 was marketed as the Hellcat
- The CB450 aimed to compete with Triumph, Norton, and Harley-Davidson in the United States but didn’t meet Honda’s hoped-for sales targets
- Its development helped push Honda toward the CB750, which became a landmark in the sport-tbike era

Racing and legacy
- The CB450’s early showings included a notable appearance at the 1965 Brighton Speed Trials
- Mike Hailwood rode it in 1966 but was barred from 500 cc production-class competition due to classification rules
- In 1968, Soichiro Honda shifted away from Grand Prix racing, and American Honda’s Bob Hansen influenced the move from a twin to the four-cylinder CB750, helping launch Honda’s next era

Specs snapshot
- Engine: 444 cc, DOHC parallel twin
- Bore × stroke: 70 mm × 57.8 mm
- Compression: 8.5:1
- Fuel capacity: 15.9 L
- Dry weight: about 187 kg
- MPG: around 65 mpg (imp)

In short, the CB450 was a pioneering, technically advanced bike for its time that showcased Honda’s engineering while opening the path to the four-cylinder CB750 that would redefine motorcycle performance.