The Forgotten Motorcycle that made Honda
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- Опубликовано: 1 окт 2024
- The early Honda Dreams were the first foray for the manufacturer into overhead cam engines. They would pave the way for Honda's production street bikes going forward, even influencing the design for the CB750. This is the story of those forgotten motorcycles
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In 1969, I bought an old Honda 305 Super Hawk from a farm lady. Her son had joined the army and had parked the bike because it would no longer start. I bought it with the intention of rebuilding it, but discovered all it needed was a new set of points and it started right up.
I paid her 200 bucks for it.
That 305 was almost indestructible. I lived in Phoenix at the time and that bike was my only transportation for years. Either on the residential streets or the freeway running through phoenix, that bike took me everywhere without an ounce of problems.
I've owned a lot of motorcycles in my 70 years, but that old 305 is my favorite of all of them. I ended up going into the army and put it in our barn. I drained the oil and gas tank and parked it. My kid brother, not knowing I had drained the oil, completely cratered the engine when he decided to take it joyriding. At the time of my return, I decided a life sentence for murder wasn't worth it.
Aw man, that sucks!
Listen to the song Private Andrew Malone.
I paid $125 for a 305 that I basically learned to ride on. Followed with a 69 350 that made me forget the 305.
@@texasbassranger yes those bikes
We're to be known very durable & reliable
Dad had one left it out side with cover on it season after season several years.then
Changed battery with new one put fresh gas kick it over & fired right up.!!!
After watching this I’m starting to feel like history. In the late 1960s at about the age of 8 years old, I learned to ride motorcycles on a 1965 and 1966 Suzuki two stroke my parents bought and took my sister and I trail riding on. In 1973. I bought my own first motorcycle. A Suzuki TC 100 Enduro with high and low range. When I turn 16, I used that bike to get my motorcycle license in the late 1970s. About 1881 I bought a 1979 CB 750. I installed a Vetter faring and two hard Vetter saddle bags. My girlfriend and I rode that CB750 from Vancouver BC to Southeastern Saskatchewan in the summertime in 100°F temperatures. I remember checking the oil before leaving camp one morning after a previous 12 hour day of riding and found no oil on the dipstick, even when I leaned the bike over. Being out in the Prairies, it was either risk keep riding it or walk, a long ways. So we rode for quite some time and stopped at the first gas station we came across to buy oil. I remember borrowing a bucket and draining the oil. Less than half a litre of oil came out of that engine. I was amazed that that motor was still running after the previous days 12 hours in 100° heat at 70 miles an hour. I road that bike nearly every day for several more years with no problems before trading it in on a CB900F and then went onto owning probably a dozen other motorcycles over next 30 years. The majority of which were Hondas. If you don’t count the time that I missed a shift between 2nd and 3rd gear at 10 000. rpm and bent a bunch of valves on my CB900F (no rev limiter in those days), I never had an engine problem with my Hondas. No engine problems with my Suzuki GSXR 1100 and my, I think it was a 2001 GSXR 750 either. Amazing quality out of both those manufacturers.
My late father owned a `66 CB450 Black Bomber (@13:24) from the early 70`s until his death in 2007. I hadn`t seen it in over 15yrs. The current owner found me on fb. (old registration under seat) I purchased it on July 4th. Literally 2 days ago! It`s got issues but it`s finally mine!😍🤩 Honestly never thought i`d ever see that bike again. Been going out into the garage every few hours just to make sure i`m not dreaming. 😉
I dunno whether to tell you you're nuts or go on about how jealous I am of your story. To find that bike and restore it must be the most wonderful experience just the same. I sincerely hope you realise your dream with your Dad's bike. Live the dream!
Congrats
Wow! Nice that the owner looked you up to see if you wanted it.
Yes, I feel lucky. If i passed on it ,he was going to bring it to Vegas in January 2025 for the Mecum motorcycle auction.
That was the first double overhead cam not the superhawk I had one it was sohc
I've been a Harley-Davidson driver for 50 years but let me tell you I disagree with you I think the dream is a beautiful bike and they were ahead of their time
Agreed they're also wrong about the super hawk being double overhead cam
I would have NEVER thought it didn't sell well because of it's looks. I saws my first one ikn 64 at the age of seven, It was and still is a beautiful machine.
The Dream motorcycle was Honda's dream and the wet dream of so many who couldn't afford or couldn't handle a Harley. I was born a little late for the Dream bike, but had its little grandchild, a 1974 CD175 twin cylinder, single carb with very conservative power and styling. It served me well through the final years of engineering school and early years of my career. It was replaced by a pre-owned Kawasaki Z2 750, the Japanese domestic version of the US Z1 903 cc Honda killer. Followed by a bunch of bikes culminating with a Yamaha 1984 FJ 1100, before I retired from motorcycles. I still remember my riding days as the good old days.
BTW, the Dream engines had Single Overhead Cams, not Double Overhead Cams. If I remember correctly, it was the 1965 CB450 that had Double Overhead Cams, it grew to 500cc in the 70s. The next model with DOHC was the 1979 CB750.
I first rode a Honda Dream back in 1975.
It was a great bike, smooth, and powerful. My beautiful older female neighbor wanted me to take her for a ride around Cincinnati.
The longer we rode, the more she pressed her chest in my back, and the more I realized how much I loved riding motorcycles. Lol.
That's what dreams are made of!
She's probably walking on those babies now. 😅🤣😂
My first Honda in 1976. CL100S. Fun bike until I bought a Z1900 Kawasaki
I think I knew her.
@Joe-qv6jh Her boyfriend and my girlfriend would've had something to say about such activities.
I'm a Cherokee American and a one-woman kind of guy. It's kept my life pretty simple over the 52 years I've been dating or married. But, I appreciate your insights my bike riding friend.
My wife likes riding with me on my Shadow Aero. She even liked riding her Suzuki GZ 250 around our horse farm, but I drew the line when she wanted to ride on the street. As you well know, cars have zero respect for folks on bikes. I've lost too many friends to people in cars who've literally murdered them over the years.
It's the one thing I try to get across to new riders, don't ever trust cars, they will kill you.
The 305 etc. Dreams were made for those who use a bike for their primary transportation, rain or shine. Ugly? Functional!
This is one of the best motorcycle channels ever on RUclips. I love your work, man!
Completely agree
+1
He has tunnel vision when it comes to true history
Yep.
I’m not a motorcycle guy and love watching the videos!
I like the looks of the dream. As a kid I had a C50 to ride to school. A friend had one too. The rest of the school had 2 stroke Kreidlers Zundapp ,Yamaha FS1 and some the new Honda MB-50 or MT-50. But I loved my C50. It had no first gear, no kickstarter but it always ran in summer or winter, ran 70 km/h and used very few fuel. I used it to go skiing in winter (We rode from the Netherlands to Luxemburg in freezing weather. Ski's strapped left and right and bags with campinggear. It was cold (-20 degrees) but our Hondas carried us without any problems.
My first motorcycle was also a Honda (CB550K3) and 40 years later I drive a Honda GL1800 as main transport.
There's a Honda dream and Mb50 in the front window of our small town cycle shop. I wanted a super hawk but got a cb350 later.
Cool story [literally] about riding a little Honda part way across Europe to go skiing. Skis strapped on the sides and camping gear in bags -- in the winter at -20. These little Asian bikes seem to have a soul and become actual friends. Reminded me of my Yamaha 80 step-through trail bike. Same thing, impossible journeys in bad weather -- but we were young and tough and didn't know any better! And these are our most dear memories.
the CA/CB77 is gorgeous, idc what Bart says
The Superhawk (and Hawk) were not double overhead cam. Single cam. The CB450 was the first DOHC marketed by Honda.
True! The CB77 had 2 carburetors vs one on the dream, but the engines were SOHC on both. The DOHC with a 180 degree crank, was first applied to the 450, a 43 HP high revving twin.
Yes! I traded in my Honda 305 Dream which took me coast to coast after graduating from College, Spring of 68, for a new 450 Scrambler (dual exhausts on the side) when, after I rebuilt the former's engine, it still had audible piston slap. I rode that 405 from Palo Alto to Pensacola, leaving March 5th in the rain, running into snow, actually, a blizzard as I crossed into Nevada. I retreated several miles, then took a highway south to Phoenix, driving 70 MPH thru the snow lest I lose my way in the desert, as it was the only sign I was on a road. Long story short, it was rain or snow all the way, till I arrived for "Officer and a Gentleman" aviator training...and BTW, during those four months before we gained our commission, we were forbidden to do four things, one being riding a motorcycle, as they were going to spend half a million dollars training us, and didn't want to lose the taxpayer's investment from us having an accident doing something dangerous. And yes, I don't recommend driving a bike coast to coast in the winter!!
I was getting ready to point this out
Yes, 11:15 SOHC, not DOHC...
Yep,,,,,I couldn't believe I heard that right,,,lol,,,,definitely single overhead cam,,,,I have rebuild many.
The Hawk (250cc CB-72) as well as the Super Hawk (305cc CB-77) were single overhead cam (SOHC) not double overhead cam (DOHC). The first consumer DOHC engine, that I remember, was the CB-450. Good video.
CL-72 and CL-305, Scramblers, I had both in high school, and rebuilt them back in 1978.
You are correct. 450 was the first
Honda changed the crankshaft firing to 180 degree on the CLs and CBs when they were introduced.
@@johno8817l
Honda 305 CC had less than 1/2 the CCs of a British 650 CC, but more HP than all but the hottest dual carb.s 650s...
I NEVER thought the Dream was an ugly motorcycle.
@@screddot7074 not the dream, the 1663 comet !😂
I bought and rode A 305 Dream 305 in 1968 - loved the and still think it was a beautiful motorcycle!
I went from a 305 Superhawk in the mid 60's to a 305 scrambler in the late 60's to a 900 Kawasaki Z1 when I got out of the Navy in 73. At 74 I'm still cruising on my Road King.
I had a couple of them. Handled terrible but reliable.
I owned a couple of Superhawk's . when tuned right I could get a maximum top speed of 88 mph. Laying down over the gas tank .
At the time I was 200 lb. Not bad for the little fellow.
If the 305 had been a 405 it would have an excellent ride.
Hey, you got it all wrong on the double overhead cam the first double overhead cam Honda was the Honda 450. I know I had a couple of super hawks and took them all apart. Put them all back together and race them out with cams porting and board them to 350. Sent the cam off to LA to to make a racing cam.
Put a racing Barnett clutch in with super strong springs.
Also, Xed the gears which made the step-by-step even steps From 1st to 4th like a race bike. I took the horsepower from about 29 to 40. I was 15 years old in 1965 when I did all of this.
I was breaking chains and beating motorcycles much bigger than mine. This was my first motorcycle and I loved it.
The Takeaway here is it is a single overhead cam. Everything else in your video is right on.
Thank you for publishing this it was very nostalgic for me
I now own six motorcycles 650 Suzuki‘s a Honda Goldwing 1800 cc a 1200 GS BMW and Husqvarna Svartpilen 401
Motorcycling brings sparks to my life, and I recommend it to everyone.
If I could find a restored Honda 305 for a reasonable price I would buy it in a heartbeat
I had that bike
SOHC! You can tell by simply looking at it. I’m surprised he made that mistake. Must’ve been a typo.
Is your 650 Suzuki as GS model? I had an 1982 GS650, bought with 27,000 kms, wrung her neck for 60,000 kms and it held up. Awesome bike, one of my faves. Now on an 04 GL1800 and loving it.
Yes I wondered what he was talking about as well but thought he may know something that I did not.
The 450 was the first STREET honda double overhead cam engine. but the first 4 valve DOHC engines were 125s and 250 4s for GP racing they even built a 125 5 cyl 4v DOHC that was the highest revving 4 stroke engine ever built. I think that motor did 24000 or more rpms. of coarse the pistons were the size of a model plane engine so the crank mass and the physics was lower. MVAgusta learned how to make their engines from hondas lead
I loved the look of the Scramblers back in the 60's.
My dream bike as a young teenager was a Harley Sportster. Then the financial reality hit and I set my sights on a Honda 305 Hawk. I never wound up owning either. Instead in 1974 I bought my first new bike, a Honda 750.
I love Harleys, but the mid 1970s Honda 750 four is probably my favorite motorcycle ever. They're beautiful bikes.
@@Friscorockhead I love all bikes, just some more than others. Yes, the 750 was pretty cool back then.. At the same time I purchased my 750, one of my friends took delivery on a new HD Super Glide. As I said, I always loved the Sportster but after riding with my friend on the Super Glide, I wanted one so bad I could taste it. I had other bikes before and after the 750 but I never forgot about the Super Glide. One summer day in 2013 I visited the local HD Dealer, saw a blue one and fell head over heels over it. I still have it and love it. It's picture is on my thumbnail. It isn't the fastest, best handling or the smoothest bike I have ever been on. For me, it's like riding something that's alive. All flaws have become welcome features. The bike talks to me and I have learned to listen. I can ride it all day and return home better off than I was when I left. All this sounds strange, doesn't it? This is why I say it's like riding something that's alive.
@@williamwintemberg you're speaking my language, bud. I currently have two Harleys and two Hondas. I've mostly owned Hondas in my life. I couldn't agree more with "I love all bikes". My Harleys give me a feeling that no other bike can. I also appreciate smooth, high reving power too. Life is too short to limit oneself to one brand. I just got off my Honda XR 650L...it was a great evening cruise through my wooded trails.
@@Friscorockhead It sounds like we do have much in common. In the past to this day I have owned more Hondas than other brands. Today, I don't own a Honda, for no reason as they build good machines. Between my wife and I, we own 4 bikes. Two Kawasakis one Suzuki and one HD. That said, I have never been on a machine like the Harley. My wife has ridden the Harley a couple of times and chilled out never to return. I'm good with that because that gives me more time on it. I never have to fight her over who is going to ride the Harley. LMAO!
@@williamwintemberg I can relate. My girl rides, but she doesn't like riding Harleys. The vibration from the big V-twin intimidates her. That vibration is what I love about Harleys. I have nothing against the big Harley baggers, but I love the Super Glides, Low Riders, and Sportsters
Back in the mid-60s in suburban Midwest, a kid went from a Honda 50 "Step Through", to a 160cc and then, finally, something 300 or a bit bigger. Probably a Honda. Then you sold your bike and went to college or got a full-time job and a car.
Exactly what I did, starting in ‘63 !!!
Yeah, me too. Learned on Mom's step thru 50 and learned the clutch on Dad's Super 90 and the love affair continues today.
I never had my own motorcycle, but I remember when the Honda 50 arrived. A friend had one and I rode it a few times.
I started with a 3 horsepower scooter, a friend of mine had a Riverside he always outran me, then my dad took a wrecked Honda 160 and put it in a Cushman, I could lay it on that Riverside. I still own it today.
I love those vintage showroom bikes - beautifully preserved.
Weird.
Completely agree. Preserving motorcycle history is important, and there's so much beauty in these classics.
The Superhawk was the motorcycle that Pirsig rode across the United States with his son in "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance."
If Honda could hear us, let us announce it loud and proud. “Revive the dream!”
Exactly
How would you react if you discovered the rest of the world has been getting the bikes you always wanted, but US regs have cut you off from them?
@@69Harveyb1 I'd expect you to react like any other temperd rational human being, but less so if you're a US citizen.
@@69Harveyb1 so I know the name lives on but does the bike, really? The name lives on 125 singles roaming the far east but not the what the dream was. The cub is a faithful return to the past with vast improvements. The dream or black bomber could return with those vast improvements and stand beside royal enfield as a superior contender in small displacement retros capable of American road readiness.
Same with me, from India - "Revive the DREAM"..... A beauty with a beautiful exhaust note.
Was? The Honda Dream is still a huge seller!
Actually, the video got my heart thumping. That "orange metal-flake" 1973 CB750 was the same as the one I bought brand new in 1973 and rode out of the showroom! I was 21 years old, that was my first brand new bike!! What inspired me to buy it? A week before, I was working B trick at my job, ~20 miles from home. I was riding a Triumph Bonneville 750 (the newer ones were 750). On the way home I went over an expansion joint, swelled from the hot weather, in the center of "Stanley's Hill", a big right and left sweeping curves to a down hill. 11pm on a warm summer night, no traffic, throttle rolled on and loving it!! Then, Lucas, the "Prince of Darkness" bit me on the ass!! Strong engine, no moon, total darkness, big sweeper, ~100mph!! There is no time at all to think! Roll the throttle back, continue the "line" using the last mental picture in your head! (do not stab the breaks!) Feel the bike, drag your right toe as far out as you can while keeping perfect control. Fell the berm and stay just left of it while easing on the front brake, almost stopped roll off the road. Search for paper product to check shorts. Buy new 1973 CB750 the next day!! True story, July of 1973. Thanks for reading if you got this far! Peace --gary
Gary, you’re a born writer. You got me on the bike, and…I don’t have one, never rode one except as a passenger. At 83, I … Dream.
In 64 my brother bought a black Dream 300. I was about five and he let me pick it out. He modified it with glass packs and a plastic faring (maybe just a bug shield). He rode it in -25 degree winter days and 95 degree summer days. I don't ever remember it not starting. I remember one day, my mom asked him to go pickup my 77 year old grandmother. She expect him to take his car, but ten minutes later she rode up on the back of the Honda. It goes down family folklore.
I had a 750. My mechanic said he hit 125 on it riding double. I decided to check it out. On the open highway, chest on the gas tank, feet on the back fender, laying down as flat as I could get I let her rip. Well, at 110 I must have run over a gnat and the front wheel wobbled ever so slightly. I immediately sat myself up and coasted down to the the speed limit. After that I realized that I was not as brave as I thought I was. But my 750 ate Triumphs for breakfast.
Great story, well told.
Thanks for this one.. My dad was a Honda fan early on. He owned at least one Dream model in the 60s as well as a CB350 in 1970. I can still remember riding with him on those bikes. Another great aspect of Honda was their development of smaller sized bikes. Thanks to them I got my start riding aboard a ‘69 Z50 Mini Trail and then a ‘73 XR75 before moving on to full-sized bikes.
As someone who always did all of his own wrenching, I believe what attracted my dad to Honda motorcycles in particular was the quality of those bikes and the engineering behind them. The quality of their products certainly made a fan of me as well. Now an old man myself, I have owned a variety of motorcycles and cars over my adult life - most of those being Hondas.
I restore old bikes. Hondas are better designed and better built. No question.
I worked for two Honda motorcycle shops from 1969 to 1973 and one thing I learned was how Honda started small and worked up to bigger and better bikes. A lot of parts on the 750 came from the smaller machines! This saved money in production and in parts inventory which was passed on to the customers. Reading old motorcycle magazines reviews of Hondas the one thing that stood out was the appreciation of a bike having lights and brakes that worked, even at night! Then as more and more Hondas appeared on the roads their reputation for reliability grew until it was taken for granted that a Honda will always work and last.
Triumphs and BSA had Lucas electrics which were terrible.
You could go for a day ride and not get back.
I rode my '68 350CL all over the PNW with never a worry.....except for gas😅
@@Craig52-zq1bt I worked in a shop that sold Honda, BSA, Triumph, Yamaha, and Italian scooters. Hondas always had the best electrics, the British and Italian bikes were the absolute worse! Lucas: Caution riding at night could be hazardous to your safety"!
Even today honda small motors are the best. Quite and starts first pull. Great on gas.
@@smiley3012 I worked part time at a DIY store for five years before it closed. Contractors always preferred Honda motors for air compressors and generators because they were very reliable and quiet. Being quiet meant the contractor could start work earlier where noise ordinances were in effect. Honda was also the preferred motor in lawn mowers because they always started and were very reliable. I had a riding mower with the 20HP Briggs and Stanton engine but my neighbor had the same mower with the Honda engine. His mower was very quiet!
@@smiley3012 I started with a 1971 Honda 750. Now I'm old and I drive a Honda CRV. I love those small Honda 4 cylinders. They don't break.
In the 60's we called them the "Wet Dream" , the 305 scrambler was the bike that appealed to my generation , IMO .
I remember in 1965 when I was 15 when my friend next door bought a Honda Benly 150 twin. I was amazed at this engine that ran like a jeweled watch with no clatter or clanking, no oil leaks, and would rev to the moon. Plus it even had an electric starter! British motorcycles seemed very crude in comparison but they had the cool factor.
In 1969 my neighbor's dad, bought him a Honda 305 Super Hawk. It was black and silver with chrome accents. He used to let me ride with him, to high school and back home. It was so well balanced, he could ride it on the back wheel (wheelie) for as long as he wanted to without ever putting his feet down. His dad was a Dr. so my friend had no money problems. Around a years later, he stepped up to the 450 Honda. And later he jumped to the 750 Honda. Each size increase, was as dependable and well balanced as the first. And he could continue riding each size, on the back wheel as long as he wanted to. In the 5 years we were neighbors and school mates. I never seen him have any problems with the Honda's. I started with a small Suzuki in my freshman year. And moved on to a Kawasaki, and lastly to a 650 BSA Lightning. Before I switched to cars. The 305 Honda Silver Hawk, still stands out in my memories.
Boy! When the Honda 450 hit the streets, we teens were in LOVE! I can remember all but salivating all over the first one I came across! When the 750 came to town, we were almost stunned with awe! I got to ride the Trail 90, the Sport 90, thee 150, the 160, and the gorgeous 350 Scrambler. I never did get to ride the 450 or the 750 (which is probably why I'm still alive). Great times and great bikes!
The Honda 305 family of motorcycles set the standard for sure.
My old man was a merchant seamen. He went to Japan often in the late 1950's early 60's
I remember he brought back a 250 dream for a friend. He would do donuts out in front of the house... Good times!!
I have a 1966 Honda dream and it is absolutely fantastic. Thank you for bringing light to this wonderful bike. My friends often tell me they’ve never heard of this bike before.
I have a 69 305cc
My dad brought me a 1965 dream 305 and I still have it today!
Wow that is nice
I have two of them, but neither runs. Could probably get one running if I used the other for parts.
A twin with a single carb. My 305 had that configuration.
Getting parts nowadays must be virtually impossible.
Learned to ride on that puppy. 👍
I had a 1971 Honda CB750 with a 4 into 1 header and a 17-tooth front sprocket. I was riding a Kawasaki 900 once while my brother rode my Honda. We raced from a dead stop and he beat me on my own bike. It was the best bike I ever owned. You couldn't break that old Honda.
No replacement for Deplacement. In a true test. You would have to also change the sprocket on the larger bike. I have had
A similar experience, it was awesome to outrun my an Acquaintance. With his super charged 5.0 mustang, with my stock 5.0 mustang. I didn't have more power. Then I out ran my car with his car. I took off in second, from Idle. What made it Extra great, was that he was a major jurk that Thought I was beneath him. It didn't change his opinion. Lol
Why would you care Kevin , especially if he was a jerk !
Was the 17-tooth front sprocket more teeth than stock? Or less?
@@jazzandbluesculturalherita2547Less teeth, creating lower gears for faster takeoff from dead stop, but lower top end speed.
@@nathanpeacock9978 17 teeth is pretty high for front sprocket, but I haven't had a big road bike in quite a while, so I can't remember how many teeth my Sportster had in front. I know that for sport touring, we would ADD a tooth or 2, depending, to the front sprocket, so we could get the best mileage, lowest revs, and longest range for our riding. To get the maximum speed, we'd drop down a gear. Sure wish I could get back on a Sportster!
In '65 I thought the Dreams were the bike to have. Ugly???
Super hawk was not double overhead cam.
I had a 1966 305 Dream from 1970 thru 1974. Excellent machine. 80mpg US. Rode it across the North American continent
You overlooked the Fabulous 305 Scrambler
I lived in Ariz in the 60's
Everyone had one
They were fast reliable and much cheaper than other makes
iI have owned/rebuilt and sold 12 of them over the years
Great memories
I got out of the Army in June of 1968 and rode my Scrambler from Ft. Knox to San Francisco....over the Divide etc. (Smoked a bit up there) Doing 300-500 miles a day made a certain part of me pretty sore, that's for sure. -Veteran '66-68
My first bike was an S90 my second bike was a cb350 my third bike was a CB750 my 4th bike was a 1979 Honda Goldwing 1000 LTD
My first bike was the 67 90…after my fox mini bike. Then my 175 and 450…then my st1300
@@JKART-do5jc I currently ride a road glide I think about getting an s90 just about every day
I learned how to ride on a 1966 CA95 Dream 150! I was about 8 year old when my Dad put me on it (both of us not wearing helmets, lol) between him and the handlebars, teaching me clutch/throttle control. That was 50 years ago and have not stopped riding since! Miss you Dad..............
Yours is the first mention of a 150 cc model I have come across. I had one but was starting to think I might have been mistaken on the capacity.
We new them as a Benley in NZ.
@@dougkaterankin2450 Honda even made a 90cc model. They all looked the same just different engine sizes. I had a buddy of mine who had a 90cc!
I think the old Hondas are smart looking. I like them and would 100% ride. But History tells the tale.
Grew up riding trail bikes from age 12. In our neighborhood many of our dads rode them, as well as some who also rode street bikes. There was a big todo one afternoon when one of the dads had traded his 305 Dream and brought home a spanking new CB750. We of the 2-stroke 125cc set could only imagine what this mighty 750 could do. It looked like the fastest thing ever set on wheels. Mr. C would get up early before work and ride 75 miles or so - clear into the next state - to eat breakfast, and from there back south to work. It became a morning ritual for us 12 & 13 year olds on summer vacation to meet up at the buttcrack of dawn to watch him start it and warm it up, hand him his helmet and his shades, and whoop and holler as he took off for the highway, our own local hero.
Haha! Great story. When the 750 came out it was a fantastic development. In about 1972 I saw a 750 parked in town and I looked at the odometer and it had over 56000 miles on it! I was stunned. I was a farm kid riding SL 100 and 175 bikes and no motor ever made it over 10000 miles.
In 1965 I bought a brand new Honda 160!! Great bike!!!
Not forgotten by me; my first Japanese bike was a 305 Dream. It died in the Desert, in the Australian Outback, when the air cleaner became accidentally detached, and the bulldust caused the throttle to jam fully open ! It took off across the saltbush, threw me and self-destructed at maximum revs. I certainly have never forgotten that !
@ashleysmith3106 Goodness gracious, how could you possibly forget such a catastrophic thing like that?
I've been thrown off a few bikes when I was younger, but never had anything like that happen.
Australia seems to have some crazy events occurring there.
I do wish I had been able to visit there when my knees were still good enough to surf. There were surf spots there that I had marked out on a world map on my wall that I had taken with me while I was in the military.
Unfortunately, I never made it to your incredible country. More's the pity.
Be well, my friend. Cheers!
My first bike was a Trail 90, my second bike was a used 1967 305 Super Hawk. It was a fun bike, but if I had been smarter I would have saved a litlle more and bought a new CB350 instead. Oh well.
Sorry man but you are WRONG!! the dream is a beautiful bike, I love Vespas and all two wheels mostly😜but the dream is a nice looking bit of kit
Had a white Dream late 60s early 70s . Tht thing took me everywhere,, everywhere.
The CB 450 Blackbomber was and is the sexiest bike - EVER! That fuel tank......................................!
I had a 250 Dream in met blue - never let me down in over 40k miles - it was made better than most watches then, and when my dad saw it in bits, he shook his heard and said - 'that's the UK mortocycle industry gone down the pan'................
I had a 305 super hawk in the late 60s. I had the cam reground by Weber and with stiffer valve springs it would bury the 12000 rpm tach. 60 mph in 1 st gear and 105 mph top speed. Yes it would put away Triumph 650s and Sportsters!
the super hawk was not a twin cam
Yes, he made that mistaken mention more than once and I hope he picks up on that and corrects it. I was an early '60s Honda mechanic and it was rare to have one apart for any reason. My CB77 however developed a shifting fork problem so I got my "feet wet" doing repairs on my own bike. Things I noted were the camshaft mounted in ball bearings, the oil pump could be removed from the bottom of the sump, and that nice little centrifugal oil filter, driven by a small chain from the crankshaft. These were fantastic engines.
Ah you're correct, I was confusing the CB450 and the Superhawk
My first bike was one that almost no one has ever heard of, and it wasn't mentioned here.
In 1970, my Dad bought me a red Honda 125 Bentley. It was styled exactly the same as the larger Dream models. It had only 4 gears: 1 down and 3 up. After we did an engine overhaul and broke it in, it ran well and faithfully until I sold it and moved up to a black Honda 300 Dream. I could do 85 mph with the Bentley and about 100 mph with the Dream.
Both were great bikes. Had some great rides.
I had the 150 Benley.
Exactly the bike in the promo photo for this vid. You are right, the model and name seems to have flown under the radar. Not sure why.
I was on Okinawa, in the Army, in 1967, and bought a well-used 125 Benly (I think they meant Bently, but misspelled it). After repainting, tuck and roll seat, new tires and exhausts, it was a nice bike to tool around on. Got good gas mileage and was dead reliable. Only complaint, with all the unpaved roads, was the 3" of suspension travel. Even with the points in the lower engine case, because it was a pushrod engine, unlike it's overhead cam 305 big brother, I forded an 18" deep river with it. Hated to sell it when I left, but didn't have the rank, or money, to ship it back home. I know where a 150 model is sitting in a garage right now, but the guy won't sell it.
@@TCGore The name Benly is correctly spelled. It come from a Japanese word "benri" which means convenient or useful. But it was fashionable to make it sound like an English word.
@@midnightrambler6227 Thanks, live and learn .
@@kenkesler3087 had a 125 Bentley it was badass
Grew up in the 60's. Brother had a 1965 160 Honda Scrambler. Learned to ride on that bike. Bulletproof and good performance for a small engine. Honda changed how we thought about motorcycling. Great video. Thanks.
Had one in the early 80s, and it was a pretty decent bike.
We had a 160 Scrambler.
The one I learned clutch on.
Performance wise, the 160's (especially the CB's) were no joke whatsoever.
I had two of the 305s. And I owned several after that. I can tell you they never made a better bike. Until the later years. Then it was just a starting problem. What beautiful memories of those older bikes.
I saw these come on the road in South Australia in the early 60's. They looked great then, and they look great now!
You don't want to get caught in the rain while riding a Dream. Unless you want a wet dream.
My first motorcycle wreck was on my dad's Honda dream, a guy turned left in front of me, broke my arm and totaled the bike. The insurance bought my dad a new one and he got hit on that one. We never got got to test Honda's legendary durability😁
I bought a red 305 Dream my senior year at Rutgers, 67-68, add a full fairing (!) and a streamline luggage compartment for my luggage rack. Recieved a Shell Credit card as a graduation present, and, together with $25 cash, and my hamster Roscoe strapped on top in the back, drove coast to coast. Back then, a Motel 6 was...$6 a nite!
Six dollars a night.... Remember that.... Wow!
I actually like the way those bikes look. The first model i think looks awesome, not powerful enough to ride anywhere besides around town, but it looks great. The later models don't look anywhere near as good, but i still like them and would get one if i could afford it.
Ain't no such thing as a DOHC Super Hawk or Hawk. Honda's first DOHC twin was the CB450.
I bought a brand new CB 750 Honda the year they cane out (late 1960s) for $1450.00. I rode it all up and down the Eastern Coast, Key West to NYC. Never any problems, a really great bike.
20 years later in 1981 I bought my first new Honda. 1981 Honda CB750 custom, they were running $ 3000.00 at the time. Put 45k on that bike in the first 2 years. Sold it right before I got married.
My first motorcycle was the 160 Dream. Loved the slanted forward engine and smooth ride. Would love to have that bike back today.
The Hondas looked so much better than British bikes. On the level of the details, and overall.
My 1st Honda was a 1967 S90. (hand clutch / double seat / tank in front) It came with a 'ring' sprocket that stored on the side of the smaller street sprocket. The larger sprocket fit over the top of the street sprocket, held in place with bolts, washers and nuts through the smaller sprocket's teeth. You added a length of drive chain with 2 master links. With it 'geared down', using the the trail sprocket, the bike could actually run its front wheel up a tree. That bike was awesome on trails and I/we ( 2 up w/ my 95 pound wife) rode it extensively during vacations on trails and logging roads in northern CA. It DID get a new piston, rings and a valve job every year. But it was SO simple to work on that was no big deal!
I think The Dream was a great looking bike. Reminds me of an American car from the fifties.
Bought a 150 Honda Dream in the mid 60's to ride while the Harley was being repaired. Soon sold the Harley and bought a 305 Super Hawk that was stolen. After a short stent on a BSA, I bought a CB 450 which was my second favorite bike. It was a 900 Kawasaki that really stole my heart.
My Dad had a 305.
My first motorcycle ride was on the back of our mailman's son's 150 Dream. That was in the early 1960's. In 1966, our neighbor's parrot escaped one day and my dad made a bet. He said that I could have a Trail 90 if that bird ever got captured. Haha, we chummed it in and my dad had to verify that it was back in the cage. He got me in the car right away and we went to the Honda shop where he bought the red Trail 90. I wore that thing out until it smoked. The Honda shop bored it out and installed a CB 450 piston and made it 110cc. After that, I got a CL160, then an SL350, CB750, Gold Wing 1000, Gold Wing 1100 Interstate, and then 4 Honda CBX 6 cylinder bikes. I don't ride anymore but still have 3 CBX's, the Old Wing 1100 that I turned into a cafe racer, a Trail 110, and my high school 1970 electric start SL350 in my brother's garage 400 miles away. Come to think of it, the GW1000 sits in our vacation home in Pismo Beach, next to Dick Smothers 1966 Dodge 27 foot Motorhome. Thanks for jogging my memory. Sux getting old. I sure had some good times on Hondas!
@@kimmer6 The SL350 sure was a nice looking bike. How in the world did you get Dicky's motorhome?
@@markdavis9148 Dicky had a race car that he towed behind the motorhome. We heard that he was at Sears Point near Sonoma and the driver had the weekend off. So, he had a private party with a ''guest'' who was reported to be an ''exotic dancer''.
As the story went, they went to get more booze and she was sitting on the toilet when he backed into some concrete filled steel posts. It ripped the ass end of the motorhome, threw the 4 cylinder Kohler gen set askew, crushed the propane tank compartment. The lady's head hit the medicine cabinet mirror behind her and a large triangular shard of glass cut her back.
In an effort to keep the incident quiet, the motorhome was sold without fanfare in the San Fernando Valley. My dad went down with a 1966 Chevelle and a pair of US $1000 bills with Grover Cleaveland on the back and a trade was made. The motorhome ran, so us 3 kids jumped in and Pop started driving it home. He soon pulled onto a side street and pulled out scrapers, a pocket knife and other things from his tool box and started peeling vinyl flower stickers about 8'' diameter down the sides of the bus. ''Flower Power!'' Pop's exact words....''Get those goddamn flowers off this thing before we move another inch.''
I don't know how accurate the exotic dancer story was. We heard that he got divorced after the incident. The big shard of glass was wrapped in newspaper and remains inside the forward dining seat storage area all these years later. In there was the window sticker...$18,500 base price, $21,500 as delivered. I was 14 years old and I replaced the medicine cabinet myself and learned how to form and shape fiberglass to repair the damage. I ground the repaired area to shape using 16 grit abrasive on a 9'' angle grinder. It was hot and I wore a WWII gas mask and bathing suit, was completely white with fiberglass dust by the time I finished sanding it that day.
Holy smokes....the needles of fiberglass got into my skin, into my bed, into mom's laundry, into our sheets and bedding and everybody itched for a week. Learn by doing. It was miserable. My dad sprayed the damaged area with matching paint and it turned out pretty good. We used to drive it from the Los Angeles area to Pismo Beach to ride the sand dunes for days. That bus has a ton of memories in it. The bus is in Pismo Beach and the red SL 350 is in my brother's garage the dark in Tujunga next to Gramma's '64 Chevy station wagon with 34,000 original miles on it. Enough projects to start before I croak....
@@markdavis9148 He probably bought it from Dick. Famous people sell things, too.
Where do You see a double overhead cam on a Hawk/Superhawk? Sure You meant the CB450. 🙂
I own a 305 Super Hawk. I can see where this engine size made an impact. One that 305 I had no problems keeping up with Brit 650s . Sadly I stored it at my best friends when I went over seas. His house burnt down.
My first ride on a motorcycle was on a friend's Honda Dream when they first went on the market. It was a sweet bike to ride. Maybe 20 years ago, a different friend told me he bought a Honda Dream in pieces, in crates, and he was restoring it. Got it for free. I had a Honda 90T in 1967. I drove it from Reno to San Francisco, drafting behind semi's.
I had a CB350, 2 CB750's, and a '79 CBX1000, the six cylinder. I loved all of them!
Is Janus still in business?
The most beautiful bikes ever.
ホンダは私の青春そのものでした。YAMAHAもSUZUKIもトーハツもKAWASAKIも全て所有していました。
バイクは私の人格形成の立役者でした。トライアンフもローヤルエンフィールﾄﾞも乗りました。
バイクよありがとう７５歳の青春の追憶に乾杯。
Honda's an absolute powerhouse. The fact they went from the dream to the flat 6 Goldwing in about 30 years is insane.
You definitely can't argue with their success in the two-wheeled world, especially with the Super Cub being the world's best selling vehicle of all time. But Honda's success in the four-wheeled world is just as impressive - In a span of just one year they went from producing their first four-wheeled vehicle in the tiny T360 pickup in 1963 to winning their first Formula 1 race in 1964. Honda's engineering might was just incredible.
I restored frame up a Honda CL-160, CL-305, CL-350, 2 CB 350's and a 450....Fun bikes
Nice video, well done. in the early-sixties I was stationed in Japan, two buddies and I bought Honda motorcycles: A Dream 305, a CB77 Hawk, and my CL72 250 Scrambler. We beat the hell out of them riding in Japan, then shipped them back to the USA when we were discharged. In Japan, we modified the CB with a Wiseco 350 big bore kit, swapped the 305 block and pistons into my 250 and did it all in our barracks room without getting caught! (a miracle!!). Back in the US, the 350 was traded in on a CB450, while I then rode a BSA 650 Lightening. When I rode my buddy's 450, I was instantly jealous. It was a far better bike than my BSA in every way except for looks. Now after a life time of riding various makes and models, at age 82 I'm now on a CanAm Spyder. It doesn't hold a candle to those bikes of old, but it is the most practical alternative for these old legs. Oh lord how I miss those grand old days! Thanks for the trip down memory lane.
Honda should start making retro bikes in 2024 US.
Honda released the CB1100 for the Japanese market (as well as Australia) back in 2010 where it was a huge success. After much urging, they finally released the bike here in North America in 2013 where it never sold well. Despite it being a great motorcycle and truly retro (it featured a bespoke twin downtube steel frame with dual rear shocks and Honda's first new air-cooled engine in 20 years), people over here dismissed it based on the price and the feeling that that it didn't have enough horsepower given the displacement.
@@VirtualGuth And they cancel it just like that in 2021. If I turned 17-18 then, I would've loved it!
@@eshaanreza832 The bike primarily appealed to older guys like me - those of us who either owned or simply admired the early CBs bake in the 70's. Very, very few young guys here in the States were interested in retro bikes during the time that the CB1100 was around. The same thing happened to Kawasaki when they released the W650 years ago. It only stuck around for two years. Later on they brought out the W800 and I believe that they are still selling it today. But they've had better luck with their Z900RS, which is basically a modern bike (water-cooled, monoshock, etc.) that has some vintage styling touches. That bike offers performance (power, handling) more in line with today's bikes. Even Triumph bailed on their air-cooled vintage bikes years ago, resorting to water-cooled designs so that the power of those models were more in line with modern bikes. The world keeps on evolving. Fortunately the older Hondas (as well as the Yamahas, Kawasakis, and Suzukis) were really well built machines and thus there are still plenty of them around for today's riders that want a vintage ride.
Honda owes the now defunct NSU company big time . NSU were the true originators of the modern twin .
Great video. But...that part about, Honda wanting to finally give riders what they really wanted, yea....not so much today lol. But man, the CB line...what great bikes, I didn't know Honda myself until the 80s, but I sure knew CBs as I was around from my brother in law who always had a CB riding it around and when I finally got on the street myself, I got to know the beautiful CBR sportbikes line in the 90s. I miss those 90s CBRs...
In many cases what appeals to us likely has to do with our age and what influenced us early on. While my dad owned few different Dream models in the 60s, it was his '70 CB350 that made the biggest impression on me. I remember when one of my dad's friends showed up at our house with his brand new CB750 - the first one I had ever seen. That thing looked like such a beast to me compared to the CB350, lol. I can also still remember the first CB400 Four I ever encountered (along with my dad). I loved the looks of that gorgeous four into one exhaust. While the CBRs were obviously great bikes and incredibly impressive in their own right, I never connected with them due to so much of the bike being covered up by plastic. Naturally I loved the looks of the Hawk GT.
@@VirtualGuth yea I'd love to find a 350 CB, but any that are in great condition command a nice price
@@robbieracer3294 Agreed.
In 1971 at the industrial complex where I worked there was this older gentleman who owned one of those red 305 dream bikes. He rode it to work year round, winter and summer. It was amazing! At that time I had just purchased a used CL175 and the year after a brand new CB350.
Back in the early 70's my next door neighbor bought a used Honda 150 Dream that wasn't running. I helped him rebuild the motor. This was great fun for a 13-year old. We were both surprised that both pistons on this motor went up and down in tandem instead of alternating. That bike was super smooth and rode like a, well like a dream. It wasn't powerful but it was adequately powered and great fun.
The piston thing threw me ffor a loop when I got into my 150s engine. Up and down AT THE SAME TIME??? SHRIEK!
It was entirely rebuilt and in all probability still running like a champ.
I was a mechanic at Honda Ventura in 1968-9 (then got drafted) The models that really made Honda popular were the Trail 90, and the CL72/77 Scramblers. I set up these bikes for sale and 95% of the Hondas we sold there these models. During 1968-9I set up more New Scramblers, that got stripped(no fenders) with 4" tires and down pipes than complete bikes. We were the Central Coast hub for Off Road Hondas. I set up the first CB750 we got in and it was sold before I was done.
The Dreams weren't even sold after about 1964-5
We also sold Yamahas and Triumphs and Hodaka's. The big evolution of Dirt Bikes really started with the 1969 Yamaha 125 AT1 Enduro and when I got back from the Air Force in 1973 12 year old kids were jumping off jumps that I could only slide down while riding the brakes on my Built Hodaka. By 1974 Motocross Bikes ruled the Off Road scene and had 12" of Suspension Travel
Thanks! From the time I was about 8 years old (and that was QUITE a while ago!) Honda's 305 Dream in blue with a red saddle has been my touchstone bike. I've owned Bridgestone, Triumph, Kawasaki, and, yes, even other Hondas, But as yet, I have never owned a 305 Dream. Hmmm...there's still time. Is there still money? 😉
That quote about offering all the features at 16:00 explains so much about why Harley-Davidson and BMW have their struggles, decade after decade.
I have had a number of motorcycles of different brands in my life ranging from 175 cc to 1200 cc, but it is the Honda 450 that I wish I had kept.
Honda, the most capable vehicle company on 🌎
And the Dream models were among the first medium size bikes sold around here, the Great Lakes area.
Along with their great capabilities, the Japanese didn't have to pay for extensive military after WWII.
I'm fairly certain that after the war, the U.S. went to some lengths to help Japan get back on its feet, especially with U.S. made machine tools. Perhaps Honda benefitted from that eventually.
@@whalesong999The US did help around in Europe too. The Marshall aid program was important in bringing the former battlefields up to modern standards.
I just wanna say this is very well done I actually learned a lot. I've owned vintage Hondas and they were great machines. Keep the rubber side down!
I once restored a very down at heel C76, a 305 from 1959 or 60. The last of the dry sump Hondas, so the narrator is wrong about that. They went to dry sump with the C77. It has been grossly abused and was not running when I got it, so I stripped it completely, engine and frame, and made it all as new. Suspension was not the best but the engine and transmission were streets ahead of the British and American products of the time. The bike was pleasant to ride, had sufficient power, decent brakes for the time (1964), was completely oil tight and never let me down. Electric start and blinkers were unusual then too. I ran it for a few years, but as I always had a soft spot for two strokes I traded it in on a brand new 1967 YDS3 Yamaha....
I had a 65 305 Dream back then, it was a cool looking bike, rode horribly but looked cool. Then I got a 450CB. Now that was a good ride. I’ve had more bikes than I can remember since then, Harleys, Triumphs, etc.. now I ride an Indian.
1st motorcycle I ever rode was an S-90 back in 1966. Then went from a CB160 to a CB450. I luckily survived a Kaw Mach 1, 3cyl 2-stroke before getting a CL 350 Scrambler, and a VT250 Magna aka Venox. Still have my '71 GL1100 and the CL350 but main ride is the VT1300C Interstate. I call it my 'Geezer Chopper', being built as a bagger off the Fury chopper frame...
11:16 That is not a DOHC head
305 cc (18.6 cu in) OHC straight-twin, 2 × 26 mm Keihin carburetors
kick and electric start
The CB450 was the first DOHC twin Honda marketed
I love the 305 dream. I want another one
I have a Honda CL350 (1970) in my garage. Bought it for $500 12 years ago, and with very little work, she's running and getting me giggling, even after tens of thousands of miles in both Europe and America under my belt. Fantastically fun little thumper.
I’ve been patiently waiting for this one.
My first bike was a 1965 CB77 Super Hawk, and I loved it. It was easy to work on and was reliable. I particularly liked the centrifugal oil filtration cup. Spin the inner vanes to fling and get any debris to pack itself into the cup. I also had a CL77. This was in about 1974/75. One day I went into the local Honda dealer to buy two O-rings (probably for less than a dollar total) to fix a slight leak around the oil passages up the two outboard studs through the cylinder block, and a salesman says hey try out the new 750. I took it for a quick ride (it was yellow) and then explained that I didn't have more money than allocated to those o-rings. 😮
Get your facts right. The C70 and CB77 (hawk 305cc) were single overhead cam bikes and 180 degree cranks. The 450cc was a dohc. 😮
"we cant make engine thats not leaking oil sir"
"Soichiro Honda make it in a cave! With a bunch of Scraps!"
Completely blindsided by the "but they were ugly", I had been spending the whole video admiring them lmao
Me too, the red one is gorgeous
@@robbieracer3294 the only downside for me is that they don't satistfy my fetish for round halogen lights lol
Ugly might be a bit harsh, but I can relate. As the content producer pointed out, many of those 60's era British bikes were just gorgeous. I can still remember that when my dad got rid of his last Dream model for a 1970 CB350 Super Sport, even as a little kid I was thinking "now THAT is a great looking bike". I still love the looks of those early CBs. Perhaps the designs of the older Dream models are more of an acquired taste sort of thing. Regardless, above all they are definitely an important part of Honda's history and worthy of admiration.
If Honda desire to reproduce this model again.. I'll be in the first group to place order right away ‼️.. I LOVE HONDA💕.. THE PRIDE & PROUD OF JAPANESE MOTORCYCLE INDUSTRY 💕
My brother left for the Army in 1967, right out of high school. I was two years younger. I had a Honda CL90, but one day I went to the garage to see if the CB305 Super Hawk would start up. Oh yeah, it did! For the next two weeks, I rode it like I had a death wish, figuring I was teenage indestructible. After a close call or two, I put the Super Hawk (with that cool forward kick starter) back in the garage. The CL90 had enough power for me to open the throttle and stay alive.
My brother returned from the Army and got a CB450 and later many more bikes.
I bought a new 305 dream in 1962. I should have bought a Cushman. It was not a dream, but a sick joke! Not the worst Honda I owned, but damned close!
The first Honda's I remember as a boy was the 750 four..... "four" was on the triangular piece of metal mid-bike & I remember
hearing one screaming loud as a friend of my parents owned one in like 1969-70. A big air cooled bike. This one's older but
it's still amazing to see it. peace
Excellent commentary.......Thank you.