Description
National Motorcycle Museum | Solihull, West Midlands
Viewing: Tues 25th March from 1pm
Auction: Wed 26th March from 9am
1966 Honda CB450
UK supplied early Black Bomber
Estimate
£5, 500 - £6, 500
Registration No: KNU 484D
Frame No: 1009169
MOT: Exempt
Must be one of the first UK registered bikes
Large document folder of receipts and photos
Supplied with 2 green log books and a V5C
The Honda Motor Company was founded by Soichiro Honda in 1937, initially producing piston rings for Toyota. They made their first motorcycle in 1949 and within 10 years had become the biggest motorcycle manufacturer in the world and have gone on to produce over 400 million two-wheelers as well as millions of other powered products. The CB450, commonly known as the 'Black Bomber', was first shown in UK at the Brighton Speed Trials of September 1965, with its engine not yet run-in it achieved a standing-start kilometre time of 30. 1 seconds and a terminal speed of 100 mph. The bike had excellent engineering for the time, including an electric starter, horizontally split crankcases and radical Torsion Bar valve springing instead of conventional coil springs. In December 1965, the UK magazine Motor Cycle reported that UK sales were planned from February 1966 with price tag of £360, about the same as a British 650cc pushrod parallel-twin. Honda entered a bike to be ridden by Mike Hailwood in the 1966 500 mile production race at Brands Hatch, but he was only allowed to do some demonstration laps as the bike was barred from competing in the 500cc category because the organisers deemed it "could not be classified as a production machine as it had two overhead camshafts"!
This Black Bomber was first registered on the 15th of February 1966 so must be one of the first examples sold in the UK. Supplied by Bill Lomas Motorcycles in Clay Cross, an ex world champion and TT winner, it was restored in the early 2000s keeping as much originality as possible. The bike comes together with a large folder including a photographic record of it being re-assembled, over 50 receipts, the original and a continuation green log book, some old MOTs, its 1970s petrol rationing book and even the original supplying dealers label. Owned and ridden by an enthusiast for the last few years, it ran whilst being photographed and comes supplied with current V5C.
