HONDA The Power of Dreams

In June 1959, American Honda Motor Co., Honda’s first subsidiary outside Japan, was established in Los Angeles.

  In the American market dominated by large-displacement motorcycles, Honda’s 305cc and 125cc class models were not popular at all. American Honda Motor demanded a sports model that was powerful and excelled at high-speed riding.

On the other hand in Japan, road sports models powered by 2-stroke engines from other manufacturers were rapidly gaining popularity.

Against this backdrop, the 250cc Dream CB72 Super Sport was developed by focusing on high-revving technology and handling stability performance cultivated in the Mount Asama Volcano Race and the Isle of Man T.T. Races.

The output of the 4-stroke 2-cylinder OHC engine of the base machine, the Dream C72, was increased to 24PS/9,000rpm. The backbone frame with a newly designed pipe configuration enabled nimbleness and a sporty styling.

The CB72 was exhibited at the 7th All Japan Motor Show (later renamed the Tokyo Motor Show) held in October 1960 and gained popularity. Mass production began in November of the same year, leading to its release.

For the U.S. market, the CB72 was powered by a high-revving 180° crankshaft engine with less vibration, while the Japanese model’s engine had a 360° crankshaft that was easier to handle and more powerful in the low-to-mid speed range.

The CB72 was highly popular as a high-performance supersport model and was was loved by many sports bike enthusiasts for everything from sports riding to long-distance touring.

In the U.S., the HAWK moniker was adopted for the first time. The official model name was the CB72 HAWK 250, from 1961 to 1966.