Honda of Japan introduced the CB750 motorcycle to the US and European markets in 1969 after experiencing success with its smaller motorcycles.  In the late 1960s Honda motorcycles were, overall, the world's biggest sellers.  A taste of what was ahead came with the introduction of the revolutionary CB450 DOHC twin-cylinder machine in 1966.  Profits from these production bikes financed the successful racing machines of the 1960s, and lessons learned from racing were applied to the CB750.  The CB750 was targeted directly at the US market after Honda officials, including founder Soichiro Honda, repeatedly met US dealers and understood the opportunity for a larger bike.  

 

In 1967 American Honda's service manager Bob Hansen flew to Japan and discussed with Soichiro Honda the possibility of using Grand Prix technology in bikes prepared for American motorcycle events.  American racing's governing body, the AMA, had rules that allowed racing by production machines only, and restricted overhead-valve engines to 500 cc whilst allowing the side-valve Harley Davidsons to compete with 750 cc engines.  Honda knew that what won on the race track today, sold in the show rooms tomorrow, and a large engine capacity road machine would have to be built to compete with the Harley Davidson and Triumph twin-cylinder machines.

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Soichiro obviously agreed with Hansen, as the CB750 appeared at the Tokyo Show in November 1968 and was publicly launched in UK at the Brighton, England motorcycle show held at the Metropole Hotel exhibition centre during April 1969, with an earlier press-launch at Honda's London headquarters, the pre-production versions appeared with a high and very wide handlebar intended for the US market.

 

The AMA Competition Committee recognized the need for more variation of racing motorcycle and changed the rules from 1970, by standardizing a full 750 cc displacement for all engines regardless of valve location or number of cylinders, enabling Triumph and BSA to field their 750cc triples instead of the 500cc Triumph Daytona twins.  The Honda factory responded by producing four works-racer CR750s, a racing version of the production CB750, ridden by UK-based Ralph Bryans, Tommy Robb and Bill Smith under the supervision of Mr Nakamura, and a fourth machine under Hansen ridden by Dick Mann. The three Japanese-prepared machines all failed during the race with Mann just holding on to win by a few seconds with a failing engine.

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Hansen's historic victory at the March 1970 Daytona 200 with Dick Mann riding a tall-geared CR750 to victory preceded the June 1970 Isle of Man TT races when two 'official' Honda CB750s were entered, again ridden by Irishman Tommy Robb partnered in the team by experienced English racer John Cooper. The machines were entered into the 750cc Production Class, a category for road-based machines allowing a limited number of strictly-controlled modifications. They finished in eighth and ninth places.  Cooper was interviewed in UK monthly magazine Motorcycle Mechanics, stating both riders were unhappy with their poor-handling Hondas, and that he would not ride in the next year's race "unless the bikes have been greatly improved".

In 1973, Japanese rider Morio Sumiya finished in sixth place in the Daytona 200-Mile race on a factory 750.

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Under development for a year, the CB750 had a transverse, straight-four engine with a single overhead camshaft (SOHC) and a front disc brake, neither of which was previously available on a mainstream, affordable, production motorcycle. Having a four-cylinder engine and disc brake, along with the introductory price of US $1,495 (US$10,423 in current money), gave the CB750 a considerable sporting performance advantage over its competition, particularly its British rivals.

 

Cycle magazine called the CB750, "the most sophisticated production bike ever", on the bike's introduction. Cycle World called it a masterpiece, highlighting Honda's painstaking durability testing, the bike's 120 mph (190 km/h) top speed, the fade-free braking, the comfortable ride, and excellent instrumentation.

 

The CB750 was the first modern four-cylinder machine from a mainstream manufacturer, and the term superbike was coined to describe it.  Adding to the bike's value were its electric starter, kill switch, dual mirrors, flashing turn signals, easily maintained valves, and overall smoothness and low vibration both under way and at a standstill. Much-later models from 1991 included maintenance-free hydraulic valves.  Unable to accurately gauge demand for the new bike, Honda limited its initial investment in the production dies for the CB750 by using a technique called permanent mold casting (often erroneously referred to as sandcasting) rather than diecasting for the engines – unsure of the bike's reception. The bike remained in the Honda line up for ten years, with a production total over 400,000.

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Production