SEVENTIES SUPERBIKES
It’s a slightly confusing feeling, following a Suzuki GT750B through traffic while riding a Honda CB750F2 of similar Seventies vintage. Ahead of me the big Suzuki gurgles and smokes through its four silencers, its liquid-cooled two-stroke powerplant and distinctly dated styling making the big triple stand out a mile. When we stop at traffic lights, other motorcyclists look the GT up and down, one giving its rider a thumbs-up sign of encouragement for venturing out on such a venerable old beast.
By contrast, nobody gives the F2 a second glance. In contrast to the Suzi, the CB750F2 I’m riding could be a modern retro-bike for all the attention it gets – and it’s not hard to see why. The four-pot Honda’s styling is pleasant enough, but anonymous. Its sohc four-stroke motor gets on with the job quietly and efficiently, and the bike’s bulk is pretty well contained by the competent twin-shock chassis. The F2 feels rather heavy and buzzy by modern standards, but it fits effortlessly into the modern world.
Yet the two black 750s are reliving a rivalry that dates from as long ago as 1977, when both were fresh from the showrooms. Back when this country was celebrating the Queen’s Silver Jubilee – in the year that the Space Shuttle made its maiden voyage, Concorde began scheduled transatlantic flights, Star Wars broke box office records and Elvis went to meet his maker – these two machines were battling to attract motorcyclists looking for a
