A lot of riders started out on Honda motorcycles. No matter how many Harley-Davidsons, BMWs, Ducatis, Moto Guzzis, Triumphs, Indians, or you-name-it they’ve had since or ride now, for so many riders, their very first motorcycle was a Honda—often a used Honda. That was the case for me, and to this day, I have eight Hondas in my garage and still ride ’em all. Several of my old Honda models are included in the inch-thick Classic Honda Motorcycles—Identification Guide to the Collectible Models 1958-90 by Bill Silver. The book gave me an opportunity to do some fact-checking, and his facts check out!
The beauty and functionality of Silver’s Classic Honda Motorcycles is how it combines black-and-white images of classic bikes with insights about individual models and variants within the series. Those insights often spring from his direct experiences as an owner or rider. For example, his observations on the first-generation Honda V-4 models sold in the United States reflect that understanding:
V-4 Hondas are all inherently smooth, but the little 500s were like a Swiss watch at all engine speeds. Having owned and ridden both the 1983 750 Interceptor and the 500 versions, the 500 wins hands down for overall riding pleasure, although the midrange torque of the 750 brought great joy to the throttle hand every time you gave it a twist.
Having owned a VF1100S (V65) Sabre, a VF700C (V40) Magna, and a VF500C (V30) Magna, I can attest to the accuracy of Silver’s assessment. The same can be said of his insights on the CB350F built from 1972 to 1974:
Much was written about this new baby four, but the bottom line was that the 350F’s lack of power overshadowed the bike’s finer qualities. Those cute CB350F four separate mufflers are getting nigh impossible to find nowadays and usually run more than $1,000 a set, if you find them. Thus, to restore a CB350F has to be for love and not money.
Again, speaking as a past owner of a 1972 Honda CB350F and current owner of a 1974 edition, I can say it is all true. However, in recent years, an exact OEM-spec 4-into-4 replacement exhaust system is periodically available from David Silver Spares (no relation to Bill Silver), though the price remains high.
Author Silver doesn’t attempt to predict the technical difficulty of overall restoration, the costs involved, or the availability of replacement parts and potential resale values of finished project bikes for would-be DIY restorers. Instead, he sheds helpful light on certain aspects of those concerns. For those topics, Classic Honda Motorcycles has an Appendix chock full of vintage Honda resources, including parts, service, clubs, and more.
The comprehensive Appendix also has a remarkably detailed table of specifications for classic Honda factory road racing bikes in various Grand Prix displacement classes, a quick-reference listing of the significant Honda models from 1958-1990 by model name/designation, engine displacement, years sold, years produced, and detailed specifications for classic models. Classic Honda Motorcycles also details other not-widely available information about collectible Honda road racing bikes.
Perhaps the most helpful information in the book for the prospective vintage Honda motorcycle collector/restorer is in Chapter 1, “Essential Knowledge.” Silver covers cryptic product codes and model designations, parts availability, parts quality, production year determination, and critical issues to know about when buying a vintage bike, such as how to evaluate a bike for sale.
Classic Honda Motorcycles Identification Guide to the Collectible Models 1958-90 is a superb reference book for motorcycle restorers, collectors, parts and service shops that work on vintage bikes, DIY vintage Honda owners, and history-minded motorcyclists in general. Silver’s book provides a fantastic amount of hard-to-find and even harder-to-remember information about vintage off-road, road-going, and rare racing motorcycles from Honda.
Classic Honda Motorcycles Fast Facts
- Full title: Classic Honda Motorcycles – Identification Guide to the Collectible Models 1958-90
- Author: Bill Silver
- Published: Edition 1.2: 2017 paperback, 220 6” x 9” pages, b/w images.
- Publisher: Octane Press, Edition 1.2. Originally published in 2012.
- ISBN: 9781937747060
Classic Honda Motorcycles – Identification Guide to the Collectible Models 1958-90 Price: $25 MSRP
