HONDA CB450 Super Sport (1969-1970) Specs, Performance & Photos

In 1970, the Japanese motorcycle manufacturer released the Honda CB450 Super Sport, a standard motorcycle in Honda's range that first saw the light of day in 1965. The bike was brought to life by a 444cc DOHC engine and was Honda's first big motorcycle.

When it became clear that the CB450 didn't pack the size and power to compete with larger-displacement motorcycles like Triumph, Norton, and Harley-Davidson, the Japanese maker shifted its focus and started the development of the CB750 in 1967.

The 1970 CB450 model benefitted from the update brought upon the 1967 model that included some visual and technical revisions, such as a redesigned fuel tank, rubber-gaitered front fork instead of the sliding metal shrouds previously used, a five-speed manual transmission, twin speedometer and rev-counter instruments mounted above the headlight.

The model was fitted with standard features, such as wire-spoked wheels, a one-piece dual seat, a round headlight with a chromed ring, a wide handlebar, an analog instrument cluster, a chromed dual exhaust system with mufflers mounted on each side, and a blacked-out steel frame.

As for performance, the 1970 Honda CB450 Super Sport took its muscles from a 444cc four-stroke parallel-twin air-cooled engine that delivered an output power of 45 hp with a peak at 9,000 rpm and 38 Nm (28 lb-ft) of torque available at 7,000 rpm.