HONDA CB72 (1960-1961) Specs, Performance & Photos

The Honda CB72 was a motorcycle built by the Japanese motorcycle manufacturer from 1960 to the end of 1967. The CB72 motorcycle was the third model in the CB series and the first bike that featured a tubular frame instead of the metal shell frame used until then.

Made for production racing, the Honda CB72 was one of the first models that marked the increasingly popular and important branch of motorcycle sport at the time, and even today, the bike is one of the most desirable of the Japanese classics.

The bike featured a tubular steel frame, on which was mounted the suspension that included a telescopic fork on the front end of the frame and a dual shock absorber system on the rear end, while the braking power was handled by a drum unit on the front wheel and another drum unit on the rear wheel.

A for power, the 1961 Honda CB72 had its soul brought to life by a 247cc four-stroke twin-cylinder air-cooled engine that delivered an output power of 24 hp with maximum strength at 8,000 rpm and 20 Nm (15 lb-ft) of torque available at 5,700 rpm.

All the power generated by the engine was converted into speed by a four-speed manual transmission that spun the rear wheel to a claimed top speed of 135 kph (84 mph).

Also, the bike came with standard features such as laced wheels, a dual seat, a steel frame, a chromed exhaust system, an analog instrument cluster, and a center stand.