HONDA CB450 Black Bomber (1965-1968) Specs, Performance & Photos

The Honda CB450 was a standard motorcycle part of the CB series in Honda's range manufactured from 1965 to 1974 and powered by a 444cc DOHC straight-twin engine that developed 45 hp.

The CB450 was Honda's first big motorcycle, while the early models were also known as the Black Bomber. The bike did not succeed in its goal of competing directly against the larger Triumphs, Nortons, and Harley-Davidsons in the North American market at the time.

As a result, the Japanese motorcycle manufacturer took another shot, which led to the development of the four-cylinder Honda CB750 model, which marked a turning point for Honda and the beginning of the superbike era of motorcycles.

The CB450 model shared Honda's family styling that was also found on the S90 and CD175 models and featured a distinctive chrome-sided fuel tank. The early models were known as the Black Bomber or Dragon, but in the Canadian market, the K1 model was marketed as the Hellcat.

In the performance department, the Honda 1965 CB450 Black Bomber took its muscles from a 444cc four-stroke parallel-twin air-cooled engine fed by two Keihin carburetors and delivered an output power of 45 hp with maximum strength at 9,000 rpm and 37 Nm (28 lb-ft) of torque available at 7,000 rpm.