By the mid-1970s, with trends starting to sweep past Honda, the company had an original idea. The CB350F that had come out in 1972 was highly refined, but its peaky powerband limited the appeal. And, frankly, the conventional styling didn’t advance the cause. What was needed, Honda decided, was an increase in displacement and a whole different look. Some riders were creating custom café racers, so why not adopt those elements for the Honda CB400F Super Sport?

In the process, the four gleaming exhaust pipes took an S-bend while sweeping into a single collector, smartly answering a question no one had asked and producing an unprecedented wailing sound in the process. Looking less like a mailbox and wearing a coat of bright red, the tank contributed its own boldness. Onlookers always had a strong emotional response, and it was usually positive. Altogether, the CB400F represented a radical yet agreeable step, and more than 100,000 examples were sold between 1975 and 1977.

Now with a 51mm x 50mm bore and stroke, the smooth air-cooled SOHC four-cylinder engine of the 1975 Honda CB400F displaced 408cc. With compression raised to 9.4:1, output reached 37hp. A new six-speed gearbox also helped the bike feel punchier. A dramatic change to the riding position moved back the foot pegs and controls, lowered and shortened the handlebar, and put the rider’s belly over the shapely tank. It wasn’t comfortable for long, and there wasn’t much room for a rear passenger, but zipping around town was more fun than ever. The CB400F also introduced the combined ignition and steering lock, a security feature that became universal.