A straight-twin engine, also known as an inline-twin, vertical-twin, or parallel-twin, is a two-cylinder piston engine whose cylinders are arranged in a line along a common crankshaft.
The CB Series is an extensive line of Honda motorcycles. Most CB models are road-going motorcycles for commuting and cruising. The smaller CB models are also popular for vintage motorcycle racing. All CB series motorcycles have inline engines. The related Honda CBR series are sport bikes.
The Honda CB750 is an air-cooled, transverse, in-line four-cylinder engine motorcycle made by Honda over several generations for year models 1969–2003 as well as 2007 with an upright or standard riding posture. It is often called the original Universal Japanese Motorcycle (UJM).
The designation CB400 has applied to ten Honda motorcycle families:
The Honda CB400F is a motorcycle produced by Honda from 1975 to 1977. It first appeared at the 1974 Cologne motorcycle show, Intermot, and was dropped from the Honda range in 1978. It had an air-cooled, transverse-mounted 408 cc (24.9 cu in) inline four-cylinder engine with two valves per cylinder operated by a single chain-driven overhead camshaft. Fuelling was provided by four 20 mm Keihin carburettors. The CB400F is commonly known as the Honda 400 Four.
The Honda CB500 Four is a standard 498 cc (30.4 cu in), air-cooled, 8-valve, SOHC, transverse inline-four motorcycle made by Honda from 1971 to 1978. It was introduced at the London Racing and Sporting Motorcycle Show in February 1972, and sold in the US market until 1973, replaced by the CB550 in the 1974 model year, while continuing in the European market until 1978. The CB500 Four is styled like the CB750, but smaller and lighter, with a claimed of 50 bhp (37 kW) output and a top speed of 115 mph (185 km/h).
Honda introduced several 200cc motorcycles with similar engines but different body variations in the 1980s. The model introduced in South Africa and Pakistan was known as the CD200 RoadMaster. It had a twin cylinder 10-degree cylinder angle with a 360-degree crank shaft angle engine which meant the pistons moved together and reached top dead centre (TDC) and bottom dead centre (BDC) at the same time. It was a detuned version of the Honda CD185 twin. The engine had the same bore as the CD185 but low compression pistons (8.8:1) with a bore and stroke of 53.0 mm × 44.0 mm, compared to 9.0:1 Compression and 53.0 mm × 41.0 mm for the CD185. The result was less power, a higher fuel economy and a lower top speed. The alternator system was also different from the CD185. Apart from this the models were quite similar, using the same frames, suspension, wheels, tyres, and brakes.
The Honda CB175 is a standard motorcycle made by Honda from 1969 to 1973. It had a 174 cc (10.6 cu in) four-stroke, straight-twin engine with a single overhead camshaft, two valves per cylinder, dual slide-valve carburetors, and dual exhausts. It was also equipped with a five-speed gearbox, 12-volt electrics, kick and electric start, front and rear drum brakes, turn signals, speedometer with trip meter, and tachometer, and was rated at 20 bhp (15 kW). An update in 1972, brought a more rounded gas tank and changes to the air box covers, along with some other minor trim changes. The CB175 was discontinued for 1974 and replaced by the CB200, a similar bike already in production. Although not technologically remarkable, Honda's small twins of the 1960s and 1970s were among their best sellers. Dual sport scrambler CL175, SL175 enduro style and touring CD175/CA175 versions were also produced.
The Kawasaki triples were a range of 250 to 750 cc motorcycles made by Kawasaki from 1968 to 1980. The engines were air-cooled, three-cylinder, piston-controlled inlet port two-strokes with two exhaust pipes exiting on the right side of the bike, and one on the left. It was the first production street motorcycle with capacitor discharge ignition (CDI). Right from the first triple model, the 1968 Mach III H1 500 cc, it was a sales success that gained a reputation for almost unmatched acceleration as well as an air of danger for inexperienced riders trying to cope with the bike's increased power to weight ratio over any previously available stock motorcycles.
The Big RuckusPS250 is a 250cc, CVT transmission-equipped two-seater scooter, manufactured by Honda; marketed in Japan for model years 2004-2007 and in North America for model years 2005-2006 — and noted for its minimal bodywork and expressed light-weight steel tubular frame, akin to the Honda Zoomer.
The Honda CB550 is a 544 cc (33.2 cu in) standard motorcycle made by Honda from 1974 to 1978. It has a four-cylinder SOHC air-cooled wet sump engine. The first version, the CB550K, was a development of the earlier CB500, and like its predecessor, had four exhaust pipes, four silencers and wire-spoked wheels.
The Honda CM125 is a parallel twin cylinder air-cooled OHC four-stroke cruiser motorcycle made by Honda from 1978 to 2002. It had a top speed of 65 mph (105 km/h). The CM125C engine combines the single carburettor of the squat Honda CD125 Benly motor with the tall cylinder head and five-speed, gearbox of the sportier Honda 125 Super Dream.
The Honda CB350 is a 325.6-cubic-centimetre (19.87 cu in) OHC parallel twin cylinder, four-stroke motorcycle produced by Honda for model years 1968 through 1973. With its reliable engine and dual Keihin carburetors, it became one of Honda's best-selling models. More than 250,000 were sold in five years, with 67,180 sold in 1972 alone. The CB350 evolved during its production run with cosmetic changes and improvements to the suspension and brakes.
The Honda NX650 Dominator is a dual-sport motorcycle. It was manufactured by Honda from 1988 to 2003.
The Honda CB250N and CB400N Super Dream are motorcycles manufactured by the Honda Motor Company from 1978 to 1986. The successor to the short lived Dream model, it had a series of revisions including a six-speed transmission and what Honda termed as European styling which resembled the CB750F and CB900F. It was a popular model for Honda with 70,000 bikes sold in the UK alone.
The Honda CM250 is a 234 cc (14.3 cu in) parallel twin cylinder air-cooled OHC four-stroke cruiser motorcycle produced by the Honda corporation from 1981–1983 with a top speed of 85 mph and delivering 70mpg. The 234cc North American market variant was coded as the CM250C and was the precursor to the current Honda CMX250C, also known as the Honda Rebel 250. The European market variant was identified as the CM250TB.
The Honda Dream CB250 was a standard motorcycle made by Honda in 1968 and 1969 and sold only in Japan. It had a 249 cc (15.2 cu in) air-cooled, parallel twin, SOHC, four-stroke with a claimed 30 horsepower (22 kW) at 10,500 rpm. It was Honda's first 250 cc capacity motorcycle with vertical cylinders and a 5-speed transmission.
One of the short-lived lines of Honda motorcycles is the CJ Series, which was an offshoot of the short-lived CB360. The CJ series motorbikes have inline engines, of a nominal 360cc capacity.
The Comstar wheel, sometimes referred to as Com-stars or stylised as ComStar, was a composite motorcycle wheel that Honda fitted to many of its motorcycles from 1977 to the mid 1980s. Its design allowed it the option of being fitted with tubeless tyres and its use on the Honda CX500 was the first time tubeless tyres had been designed for a production motorcycle.
