One of the most collectible Hondas of the 1960s, the Honda CL77 was the Japanese company’s response to European “scramblers.” In 1963, Honda had introduced the CL72 Scrambler, a 250cc bike that stood high and wore a skidplate and upswept side pipes. The CL77 was then offered from 1965 to 1967, and the 1967 Honda CL77 Scrambler 305 was priced at $707.

A stout tubular frame cradled the air-cooled SOHC 305cc parallel-twin, which mated to a four-speed transmission. Familiar from the CB77 Super Hawk street bike, the twin had a bore and stroke of 60mm x 54mm, a 9.5:1 compression ratio, and a horizontally split crankcase that eliminated leaks. The output was 28 hp at 9,000 rpm, a surprisingly high engine speed for a production motorcycle of that era, although Honda’s small-displacement racing bikes revved much higher.

The Scrambler made do without the Super Hawk’s electric start. It rode on deeply ribbed 19-inch wheels and semi-knobby tires, had a slender aspect because of the small tank, and weighed about 320 pounds dry. Suspension was by a telescoping front fork with rubber gaiters, and there was a rear swingarm with twin shocks.

With a 52.4-inch wheelbase and 79.1-inch overall length, the Honda CL77 Scrambler’s compactness enhanced maneuverability and made for neutral handling. A twin-leading-shoe front drum brake provided assertive stopping power. The rider gripped the tall, braced handlebar, looked at the neutral indicator before selecting first gear, and enjoyed sonorous blasts from the upswept side pipes. After just three years on the market, the CL77 Scrambler was replaced by the larger-displacement CL350 in 1968.