Before the Honda CB350F appeared in 1972, no mass-produced motorcycle had ever been equipped with so small a multi-cylinder, four-stroke engine. Priced as an entry-level bike at $1,100, it closely resembled the CB750 and the CB500, available since 1969 and 1971, respectively. The 1973 Honda CB350F offered a transversely mounted, air-cooled, inline four-cylinder, an upright seating position with slightly drawn-back handlebar, and a front-disc brake. The smooth-running SOHC 347cc engine was undersquare with bore and stroke of 47mm x 50 mm and operated with a 9.3:1 compression ratio. Fueled by four 20mm Keihin carburetors, it produced 34 hp at 10,000 rpm and held 60 mph at 6,000 rpm. One test registered the top speed at 98 mph.

Four bold, gleaming pipes were made of thin-gauge steel, which tended to rust around the mufflers (restorers have found replacements hard to find). The sound from them is described as “mellow and melodic”. The CB350, a parallel twin, produced more torque and was easier to ride around town, but the CB350F was a connoisseur’s bike, an engineering marvel. Electric start was standard, although the switch was awkwardly located under the left side of the tank. “Buttery smooth” described the five-speed transmission. While the quarter-mile took 15 seconds at just 81 mph, the highest compliment came from the reviewers of Cycle magazine, who compared riding the Honda CB350F to driving a Porsche. Others, like the Corvette, may have more power, he wrote, but not the overall balance, “that overall Porsche smoothness and control.” About 70,000 examples were built during the CB350F’s three-year production run.