1975 Honda CB750
Vintage motorcycles and for this instance particularly old Honda's, seem to hold their own collection of stories and memories between families all over America and the world over. Whether that experience may have been a father teaching his son to rebuild a set of inline four carburetors in their garage on the weekends or maybe even the first bike that you remember your Uncle ever taking you for rides on or beyond that maybe it may have been the bike that got you into motorcycles altogether. Well no matter what the story, their lineage and their story is also yours. This sentiment certainly holds true for one such vintage inline four enthusiast Brenen Hiler of Indianapolis, Indiana who recently had the chance to acquire the 1975 Honda CB750 that was the bike that started it all for him. Passed through his family a few generations that CB stayed barn fresh and just a can of carb cleaner away from a solid ride for 3 decades until it was finally time for Brenen to be reunited with it. We sat down with him in his home shop in Indy and discussed his love for all motorcycles and how it progressed over the years all beginning with one very particular blue honda CB750.
So when you first acquired this was everything on it that we see here today, like even the aftermarket old stock windshield?
Yep, everything that is on it currently is just how I got it and how the bike has been for years.
Did you have to do anything to it once you got it and if so what?
Yeah I got it all cleaned up real good, then pulled the carbs and clean them out and rebuilt them. Then I polished them up and fired it right up,... it has ran great ever since.
Kind of hard to kill these old Honda's huh? haha
Definitely, just love an inline four, completely bulletproof motors.
So give us a little bit of a back story on this bike, what can you tell us about it?
Well it's been in my family since 1993, my Uncle bought it for him and my aunt to ride and they took it all over Michigan which is where they are from (hence the Michigan plates on it currently) and they put a lot of miles on this for years. Then they eventually worked their way up to the V twin Yamaha cruiser for a little more long distance touring for the both of them and they decided to try and keep it in the family so they sold it to my other uncle who has been keeping it in a barn for many years until I finally bought it when he passed away. When he passed my Aunt sold everything and I mean everything, sold the entire farm, every single piece of equipment, like everything! Anything they owned she sold or sent to auction.
Wow, so that was basically your moment to be able to step in and save it and keep it from going to auction while keeping it in your family?
Yup, exactly. Honestly I had wanted to buy it for years but it wasn't until he passed away that I had the chance to own it.
So I had talked to you previously about this bike having a bit of a special meaning to you because this was actually your 1st motorcycle you ever rode on, is that true?
So the thing was, my Uncle used to take me on rides on this bike all over when I was just a little kid and that is literally what got me hooked on motorcycles.
So this bike not just the model, but this actual bike before us is the one that was your complete entry into motorcycles? Wow, that's pretty cool! Not many people can say that they have the chance to do that.
Yes 100% this is the 1st one. My other Uncle who later acquired it rides too but he never put many miles on it. My aunt and Uncle who owned it before him would just always be out on it all the time. I would always see them out riding around on it and it was even the bike that my aunt 1st learned to ride on herself. I would see her blasting up-and-down cruising up the streets and I thought "man this is just so cool I wanna do that!" I believe I was about 8 or 9 years old at the time which was when I finally got to ride on it on the back.
So you later on down-the-line ended up acquiring a Suzuki GS inline four and turned it into a chopper. So what is it that you like about this bike especially with it being a vintage Japanese inline 4?
I just love a good inline 4 honestly, it just runs perfect, got power for days, it rides great, it cruises yet you can go fast or you can go slow, there's just no issues and it also doesn't fuckin leak a buncha oil. haha
So this is a 1975 CB right?
Yup just a basic stock 1975 CB750 not like a K model or anything special. Just stock as a rock. When I was fixing this up I pretty much just wanted this to be just as I remembered it as a kid. So keeping everything stock was really important.
So did you ever get the chance to sneak out and ride this as a teenager or anything just by yourself later on?
Nope not until the day that I bought it.
That's pretty awesome, definitely had to be an incredible feeling taking that 1st ride on it. What a moment of retribution that must have been.
Ohh it was, it was. I actually never had ridden it until then by myself so it was pretty awesome.
Well with regards to that why don't we go take a spin on this thing because I believe you know some good roads close to here right?
Yeah I've got a good place we can roll around not far from here.
(We then took off on 2 bikes, me on the XS650 scrambler that is bored out to 750cc's and Brenen on the 1975 CB750. It was a fun exercise seeing the difference in power band both 750cc bikes had. The vertical twin pistons of the Yamaha were faster off the line but in 5th gear the inline four CB750 still had way more throttle to go while I was basically tapped out. Both ran incredibly smooth and sounded fantastic together roaring through the country.)
Ok, well first thing I gotta say right off the bat, those stock pipes actually sound really good!
Yeah right! That's why I wanted to keep those stock mufflers it had on it because that is the sound I remembered so well as a kid growing up. Like whenever I would hear my Uncle coming in the distance that was the sound that I would remember. It just has such a distinct sound, I mean it just sounds like a CB750, hahaha, you can't beat it!
So the other inline four bike you have which is now a chopper is actually what model then it's also a 750cc is that correct?
That's correct, it's a Suzuki GS750 from 1977
So being that this is now your 2nd 750 vintage inline four, how do you feel that the Suzuki 750 compares to the Honda 750?
Well they're both good but sorta in two different categories really. Like because of the Suzuki being a DOHC (dual overhead Cam) and the Honda and SOHC (single overhead Cam) the Suzuki definitely rolls out alot faster but the Suzuki also weighs quite a bit less since it's a chopper. So there's not as much on the frame weighing it down. The Honda though it's just awesome no matter what because it's a vintage stock bike. You just feel like the old Honda commercials when you are riding it where you meet the nicest people on a Honda! You feel like a nice person while you are out riding it!! hahaha! You're like, look at me I'm so nice, I could be so nice to people right now. hahaha
That's pretty hilarious hahaha
I mean every time I get on that bike though that ad sticks in my mind for some reason, "you meet the nicest people on a Honda."
So would you say you feel like you get different looks from people riding the GS750 chopper versus the stock Honda CB750?
Oh my God, 100 times different. Well the Suzuki is a lot more ratty and its cool but man it's loud and people are always like that guy's crazy for even riding that thing. Haha
Then they see you the next day on the Honda and they're probably like "well there is a very nice sensible young man" hahaha. "I was all wrong about that guy."
The Honda I feel I gets more looks from older guys that are like "Hey I remember when those came off the line" you know that sort of look.
Well that is is also the kind of response you get when you have the original paint on a bike too. Is this paint all original to your knowledge?
Yup as far as I know, it's a stock as stock can be. Never been restored, all original.
Well that's something I think that ties a lot more memories to a bike sometimes. By retaining the original paint job it's just a bit more nostalgic than someone painting it some wild colors that no one can really identify with.
Honestly that is me, haha I just love the nostalgia of it being completely stock especially because I don't have anything else that's just stock aside from maybe a dirt bike.
You know let's talk about some of your other bikes, what is your dirt bike?
It's a Yamaha YZ450 and it is mean, it's just awesome.
Well you really have built up quite a good range of bikes here, we haven't talked about it much but you have modern V twin touring harley's and you also have a performance dyna Harley, you now have your stock vintage inline four, a solid dirt bike and your Suzuki chopper. So basically, Honda Yamaha, Suzuki and Harley all-in-one garage. You can't go wrong! You can basically cover all terrains so that's pretty cool because I've known you for years and watched you build this great stable over time. When we 1st met it was just the Suzuki chopper in a sportster right?
Yeah, that's right, which I've had a few bikes in there in between but this is the solid stable I've kind of gotten pretty pleased with. I can cover pretty much all ground.
I've tried to do that myself as well for years and I feel like I've gotten close but I've never quite reached the point where each bike is the bike that I want it to be and also running, which that's the hard part keeping them all running at once. Haha. Truthfully the Yamaha XS650 scrambler that we took out today is something that I've wanted to build for such a long time, which is something with serious enduro/adventure capabilities where you can go straight off the highway and right on to the trails with no problem.
That's the only thing I feel like I'm missing really in my stable is something that's really enduro. I feel like it really just takes a lot of time to figure out what you even really want in a stable of bikes because it's like each one of them does something a little different or has a different feel to it that you relate to in a different way.
I totally agree perfect example is that nostalgic feel that you get when riding this CB750, it's much the same as I have riding my 72FLH shovelhead. All of my uncles up in Michigan as well either had shovels or Panheads and the feel and the sound it all gives me the same sense. I couldn't afford a shovel right away of course, so what was my 1st bike a Honda CB inline four of course. A CB900 and then after that a CB750 chopper and then an XS650 chopper and then a sportster chopper and so on and so on till I finally got my shovel which is kind of similar to the way a lot of people I feel like progress through motorcycles. They start with one brand and move on to diversifying their moto portfolio with a little mix of everything.
Definitely it's like they all just have a different feel to them and they're all good in their own way
Totally agree well I can't thank you enough for letting me spend some time shooting this awesome bike and I'm glad that you get to enjoy this thing for years to come and keep it in your family!
Photos and words by Mike Vandegriff
So when you first acquired this was everything on it that we see here today, like even the aftermarket old stock windshield?
Yep, everything that is on it currently is just how I got it and how the bike has been for years.
Did you have to do anything to it once you got it and if so what?
Yeah I got it all cleaned up real good, then pulled the carbs and clean them out and rebuilt them. Then I polished them up and fired it right up,... it has ran great ever since.
Kind of hard to kill these old Honda's huh? haha
Definitely, just love an inline four, completely bulletproof motors.
So give us a little bit of a back story on this bike, what can you tell us about it?
Well it's been in my family since 1993, my Uncle bought it for him and my aunt to ride and they took it all over Michigan which is where they are from (hence the Michigan plates on it currently) and they put a lot of miles on this for years. Then they eventually worked their way up to the V twin Yamaha cruiser for a little more long distance touring for the both of them and they decided to try and keep it in the family so they sold it to my other uncle who has been keeping it in a barn for many years until I finally bought it when he passed away. When he passed my Aunt sold everything and I mean everything, sold the entire farm, every single piece of equipment, like everything! Anything they owned she sold or sent to auction.
Wow, so that was basically your moment to be able to step in and save it and keep it from going to auction while keeping it in your family?
Yup, exactly. Honestly I had wanted to buy it for years but it wasn't until he passed away that I had the chance to own it.
So I had talked to you previously about this bike having a bit of a special meaning to you because this was actually your 1st motorcycle you ever rode on, is that true?
So the thing was, my Uncle used to take me on rides on this bike all over when I was just a little kid and that is literally what got me hooked on motorcycles.
So this bike not just the model, but this actual bike before us is the one that was your complete entry into motorcycles? Wow, that's pretty cool! Not many people can say that they have the chance to do that.
Yes 100% this is the 1st one. My other Uncle who later acquired it rides too but he never put many miles on it. My aunt and Uncle who owned it before him would just always be out on it all the time. I would always see them out riding around on it and it was even the bike that my aunt 1st learned to ride on herself. I would see her blasting up-and-down cruising up the streets and I thought "man this is just so cool I wanna do that!" I believe I was about 8 or 9 years old at the time which was when I finally got to ride on it on the back.
So you later on down-the-line ended up acquiring a Suzuki GS inline four and turned it into a chopper. So what is it that you like about this bike especially with it being a vintage Japanese inline 4?
I just love a good inline 4 honestly, it just runs perfect, got power for days, it rides great, it cruises yet you can go fast or you can go slow, there's just no issues and it also doesn't fuckin leak a buncha oil. haha
So this is a 1975 CB right?
Yup just a basic stock 1975 CB750 not like a K model or anything special. Just stock as a rock. When I was fixing this up I pretty much just wanted this to be just as I remembered it as a kid. So keeping everything stock was really important.
So did you ever get the chance to sneak out and ride this as a teenager or anything just by yourself later on?
Nope not until the day that I bought it.
That's pretty awesome, definitely had to be an incredible feeling taking that 1st ride on it. What a moment of retribution that must have been.
Ohh it was, it was. I actually never had ridden it until then by myself so it was pretty awesome.
Well with regards to that why don't we go take a spin on this thing because I believe you know some good roads close to here right?
Yeah I've got a good place we can roll around not far from here.
(We then took off on 2 bikes, me on the XS650 scrambler that is bored out to 750cc's and Brenen on the 1975 CB750. It was a fun exercise seeing the difference in power band both 750cc bikes had. The vertical twin pistons of the Yamaha were faster off the line but in 5th gear the inline four CB750 still had way more throttle to go while I was basically tapped out. Both ran incredibly smooth and sounded fantastic together roaring through the country.)
Ok, well first thing I gotta say right off the bat, those stock pipes actually sound really good!
Yeah right! That's why I wanted to keep those stock mufflers it had on it because that is the sound I remembered so well as a kid growing up. Like whenever I would hear my Uncle coming in the distance that was the sound that I would remember. It just has such a distinct sound, I mean it just sounds like a CB750, hahaha, you can't beat it!
So the other inline four bike you have which is now a chopper is actually what model then it's also a 750cc is that correct?
That's correct, it's a Suzuki GS750 from 1977
So being that this is now your 2nd 750 vintage inline four, how do you feel that the Suzuki 750 compares to the Honda 750?
Well they're both good but sorta in two different categories really. Like because of the Suzuki being a DOHC (dual overhead Cam) and the Honda and SOHC (single overhead Cam) the Suzuki definitely rolls out alot faster but the Suzuki also weighs quite a bit less since it's a chopper. So there's not as much on the frame weighing it down. The Honda though it's just awesome no matter what because it's a vintage stock bike. You just feel like the old Honda commercials when you are riding it where you meet the nicest people on a Honda! You feel like a nice person while you are out riding it!! hahaha! You're like, look at me I'm so nice, I could be so nice to people right now. hahaha
That's pretty hilarious hahaha
I mean every time I get on that bike though that ad sticks in my mind for some reason, "you meet the nicest people on a Honda."
So would you say you feel like you get different looks from people riding the GS750 chopper versus the stock Honda CB750?
Oh my God, 100 times different. Well the Suzuki is a lot more ratty and its cool but man it's loud and people are always like that guy's crazy for even riding that thing. Haha
Then they see you the next day on the Honda and they're probably like "well there is a very nice sensible young man" hahaha. "I was all wrong about that guy."
The Honda I feel I gets more looks from older guys that are like "Hey I remember when those came off the line" you know that sort of look.
Well that is is also the kind of response you get when you have the original paint on a bike too. Is this paint all original to your knowledge?
Yup as far as I know, it's a stock as stock can be. Never been restored, all original.
Well that's something I think that ties a lot more memories to a bike sometimes. By retaining the original paint job it's just a bit more nostalgic than someone painting it some wild colors that no one can really identify with.
Honestly that is me, haha I just love the nostalgia of it being completely stock especially because I don't have anything else that's just stock aside from maybe a dirt bike.
You know let's talk about some of your other bikes, what is your dirt bike?
It's a Yamaha YZ450 and it is mean, it's just awesome.
Well you really have built up quite a good range of bikes here, we haven't talked about it much but you have modern V twin touring harley's and you also have a performance dyna Harley, you now have your stock vintage inline four, a solid dirt bike and your Suzuki chopper. So basically, Honda Yamaha, Suzuki and Harley all-in-one garage. You can't go wrong! You can basically cover all terrains so that's pretty cool because I've known you for years and watched you build this great stable over time. When we 1st met it was just the Suzuki chopper in a sportster right?
Yeah, that's right, which I've had a few bikes in there in between but this is the solid stable I've kind of gotten pretty pleased with. I can cover pretty much all ground.
I've tried to do that myself as well for years and I feel like I've gotten close but I've never quite reached the point where each bike is the bike that I want it to be and also running, which that's the hard part keeping them all running at once. Haha. Truthfully the Yamaha XS650 scrambler that we took out today is something that I've wanted to build for such a long time, which is something with serious enduro/adventure capabilities where you can go straight off the highway and right on to the trails with no problem.
That's the only thing I feel like I'm missing really in my stable is something that's really enduro. I feel like it really just takes a lot of time to figure out what you even really want in a stable of bikes because it's like each one of them does something a little different or has a different feel to it that you relate to in a different way.
I totally agree perfect example is that nostalgic feel that you get when riding this CB750, it's much the same as I have riding my 72FLH shovelhead. All of my uncles up in Michigan as well either had shovels or Panheads and the feel and the sound it all gives me the same sense. I couldn't afford a shovel right away of course, so what was my 1st bike a Honda CB inline four of course. A CB900 and then after that a CB750 chopper and then an XS650 chopper and then a sportster chopper and so on and so on till I finally got my shovel which is kind of similar to the way a lot of people I feel like progress through motorcycles. They start with one brand and move on to diversifying their moto portfolio with a little mix of everything.
Definitely it's like they all just have a different feel to them and they're all good in their own way
Totally agree well I can't thank you enough for letting me spend some time shooting this awesome bike and I'm glad that you get to enjoy this thing for years to come and keep it in your family!
Photos and words by Mike Vandegriff