The CB77, or Superhawk, is sportbike genesis for Honda. The 305cc parallel twin powering the CB77 could freely rev to nine grand and easily send riders over the ton (100 MPH) set by the British big twins. It was the Honda’s reliability, however, that established and cemented the Japanese manufacturer’s reputation in the Western world. The frame was crafted out of tubular steel rather than pressed, with the motor doubling duty as a stressed member, thereby shedding precious pounds and making the CB77 incredibly flickable. The Honda Superhawk is also the ride of preference for Robert Pirsig during his philosophical journey documented in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.
Characteristics
The CB77 had, at only 305cc, a relatively big engine in comparison to most other Japanese bikes of the period, although it had performance to rival much larger motorcycles from other countries. It quickly built a reputation for reliability, and was equipped with luxuries such as an electric starter.The CB77 was built on the experience Honda had gained in Grand Prix racing, and differed greatly from previous models.It had a steel-tube frame instead of the pressed frames of earlier Hondas,and a telescopic front fork. The parallel twin engine, the biggest then available in a Honda, was an integral element of the bike's structure, providing stiffness in a frame that had no downtube, and was capable of 9,000 rpm. It could propel the bike at over 100 mph; as fast as British parallel twins with higher displacements, and with great reliability. Cycle World tested its average two-way top speed at 168.3 km/h (104.6 mph), and its acceleration from 0 to 1⁄4 mi (0.00 to 0.40 km) in 16.8 seconds at 83 mph (134 km/h). Author Aaron Frank called it, "the first modern Japanese motorcycle... that established the motorcycle that we still operate under now, more than forty years later."