c.1973 Honda CB350F
Frame no. CB350F 1083632
Engine no. CB350F 1081918

Honda followed its sensational CB750 of 1968 with a range of smaller fours, the first of which - the CB500 - appeared in 1971. The half-litre newcomer was just as well specified as its larger brother, boasting an overhead-cam engine, five-speed gearbox, electric starter and disc front brake. A 347cc version appeared the following year catering for riders who valued the refinement of a four yet wanted the lower running and insurance costs of a 350. Apart from a reduced cylinder bore and detail changes to tyre sizes, gearing, silencers and rear brake, the CB350F was almost identical to the 500. At the time, the CB350F was the smallest capacity multi-cylinder motorcycle ever to enter volume production. Produced into 1974, the model was sold in Europe but never officially imported into the UK where the CB350 twin was the factory's preferred offering. The twin was lighter and cheaper to produce, but for many customers lacked the smoothness of its four-cylinder stable mate. Soon after production ceased, the CB350F was replaced by the immensely successful and far more common CB400F. Currently displaying a total of 29,130 kilometres (approximately 18,100 miles) on the odometer, this example of a Honda four only rarely seen in the UK carries safety decals in French, suggesting that it was delivered new to France. Offered with (copy) Netherlands registration papers, the machine is presented in beautiful condition, original and un-restored.