Honda Cb And Cl 175
HONDA CB AND CL 175
CYCLE WORLD IMPRESSION
Meet The “Light Twins,” Smoother And Better Than Ever
WE HAVE ALWAYS been fond of Honda’s "light Twin," the roadster that started off life as a 125-cc Benly, and evolved into a slightly larger 175. Honda’s 175s have a compact classic look that one associates with racing machinery. The 125 Benly was actually made to look like a racer, so much so that more than a few riders campaigned the bike in bush-league road races.
The trouble with classically dimensioned pseudo racers is that they often do not fill the bill for the street rider. That is why the English 500 Twins became 650 and 750 Twins, and that’s why the 125 Honda Twin eventually was superseded by the 175 in the American market. You could build the bigger variation for about the same price, but it would produce more power. When you don’t have to race under a class limit, that spells value.
Honda’s line of 175s has been completely redesigned, all the way down to the basic engine, which powers both the C'B and CL versions. In case you hadn't guessed, the CL, as well as the C’B, is primarily a street bike (if you don't think so, read the test of the SL in this issue).
The principle new feature of the 175 engine is its five-speed gearbox, which, because it allows closer spacing of gear ratios, aids Honda in its quest to produce more horsepower. To this end, Honda has taken the high rpm route, as it did with the similar-looking 350 series Twins. The C’B and the CL develop 20 blip at 10,000 rpm, with the useful power band commencing at about 4000 rpm. To get a mass-production engine that would turn reliably at this speed month after month for its throttlehappy owner, Honda put more heft into both lower end and cambox gear, increasing bearing size and the like. The result is a strong looking unit, slightly heavier than the old 175, but capable of being wrung to its 10,500-rpm redline all day. The oversquare (51 by 40mm) sohc Twin is smooth running at all speeds, with very little vibration. This electric motor quality has always been a virtue of Honda’s 175-ec vertical Twin engines, but is even more evident in the latest version, in which the noise level is at a pleasant new low. Part of this silence is achieved by positioning white Teflon buttons in the finning, as well as the cast-in struts which add strength while interrupting noise.
As usual, the ease of serviceability of the 175 borders on the incredible. Most of the screws and bolts in the engine are accessible to power tools. Once out of its frame and on the work stand, the engine may be stripped bare to the crankshaft and transmission in 5 to 10 minutes.
Both CB and CL share a common frame with a 50.0-in. wheelbase. It is the usual stamped backbone, single downtube affair that splits into a double cradle under the engine cases—a marvel of economy and strength. The telescopic forks are designed for road use on both the CB and CL, and give that characteristically firm, controlled Honda roadster feel.
The only two things these machines don’t have in common is the exhaust system and overall gearings. For looks, and for efficiency, we prefer the downswept pipes and megaphone-style silencers of the CB. The upswept silencer gives the CL “dirt bike’’ styling, and is less subject to damage if the rider should venture off the road, but otherwise is of little value. If a rider plans to spend much time off the road, he would be well advised to buy the SLÍ75 Motosport, which is properly designed for the job. For around-town puttering, the CL’s gearing (9.15:1 in 5th) is more flexible than the CB’s (8.79:1 in 5th), which is designed for calm highway running at high speed, and therefore proves recalcitrant in blasting away from the stoplight with any great verve. The internal ratios are the same on both machines, and the tallish CB gearing is ideal for play-racing on a winding back road; third gear, for example, tops out at about 60 mph, and banging into fourth puts you right on the torque peak for a spurt of passing power. Fifth loafs along nicely at any legal freeway speed.
Both machines handle well, and negotiate choppy surfaces in stable fashion. The left-hand onc-down-four-up foot shift has the positive quickness of a good counterpart in the sporty car world, and the feeling is quite classic as you snick down through the cogs, slowed quickly by a responsive pair of brakes, and then bend it over for the turn, eliciting that sweet four-stroke drone as you dial in a smooth, responsive throttle.
.The CB and CL are definitely fun lightweight road machines-just the thing for a beginning rider, or even for the more seasoned road man who likes to have a small machine waiting for him in the corner of the garage, on which he can steal away and capture the feeling of what it is to ride a light Twin over a prettily curving piece of pavement.
Both bikes are finished well, the seating is comfortable, and the full complement of electrics, including turn signals and electric starter, work faultlessly. We have absolutely no complaints about these inexpensive-to-buy inexpensive-to-run I 75s. löl
