Opinion on "Superbikes"

[EMS]

These guys call the 1983 CB1100F "Honda's first Superbike". What's your opinion about it?
Where does the 1979 (actually 1978) CBX fit in? Is it a Touring bike??

I always considered the 1973 Kawasaki Z1 the first Superbike. By that token, even the CB900F would clearly qualify as a Superbike and if these guys never heard of a CBX or throw them in the same category as the 1975 Goldwing, they must know the 900F and that it came before the CB1100F. The "Liter-bike" argument wouldn't count, as the CBX had over 1000cc. So had the CB1100R with 1062cc, which was based on the CB900F and came out in 1981 -just not in the U.S.

Really, if you would beam yourself back to 1969 and consider the times, the CB750Four was definitely a "Superbike", compared to anyhting else around.


http://www.ebay.com/itm/Honda-CB-1983-h ... otorcycles

[rpleines]

An excellent question which may prove impossible to answer even using Google. IMHO some interesting thoughts on the term "superbikes" can be found here:

http://motopreserve.com/2011/09/28/the- ... -relative/

Again, IMHO, unless the 1983 CB1100F was Honda's first production bike to compete in the AMA Superbike series [I don't think it was ] calling it Honda's first superbike is a stretch.

[harvey]

I guess your age and your understanding of the term "superbike" might influence what you put into that category! I am sure some would include the Brough Superior in any discussion of superbikes and some of us have only seen them in museums. Of course Glen Curtiss might have some thoughts about it as he held several land speed records on bikes he designed and built.

As a teenager discovering bikes and riding in the mid 1960's I certainly thought the CB750 was the most superbike of its time. But then Suzuki and Kawasaki had some super two strokes for a few years. Then they all went to the 4 cylinder bikes and the power wars continued in earnest.

[Z Grand]

I always thought the Honda CB750 Four started the dominance of Japanese performance bikes of the '70's and '80's. And it deserves to be one of the most significant bikes ever made. But to me, the first "superbike" was the '78 Suzuki GS1000C. It was lighter than any available 750 of the day, handled and stopped better than anything available, and would trounce any stock bike in the "Box Stock" racing classes of the late '70's. It didn't take long for Honda, Kawasaki, and Yamaha to have competitive machinery, but the GS1000 was the first to be so far superior to its contemporaries.

[CBXTRA6]

<<Really, if you would beam yourself back to 1969 and consider the times, the CB750Four was definitely a "Superbike", compared to anyhting else around.>>

I agree 100% ! and in my book it was the first one all around.

[solarmoose]

When did the term "superbike" come into being? I don't recall reading/hearing that term in the early 70's.
Not hard to think of ground-breaking machines in any decade but that is not the same as the "superbike" era. I've read
BMW claim that the BMW R90S (1973-1976) was the beginning of the superbike era since the first United States AMA Superbike
Championship was won in 1976 by British rider Reg Pridmore on a R90S.

[gak1047]

I would tend to agree with Harvey. I think a lot depends on your age and what you define as a "Superbike". I would have to say the first time I was awestruck by the performance of a motorcycle, was when I was 12 tears old, watching two Kawasaki H2's completely destroy the competition at the local drag races. In my mind the first true "Superbike" would be the 1972 Kawasaki H2 750!

[Syscrush]