Lot Ended
Description
From a deceased estate; rare Police spec Honda with various special
features; 'new old stock' condition with zero road miles; imported from Japan
with all duties paid
Launched
in 1984, Honda’s CBX750P was a factory-built variant of the civilian CBX750F
produced exclusively for use by the Police – hence the ‘P’ suffix. Unlike the
chain-drive CBX750F sport bike, the CBX750P was engineered specifically for
low-maintenance, long-duration fleet use with a shaft final drive, a built-in
slipper clutch and hydraulic valve lifters.
Delivered directly from the
factory with dual sirens, red/blue flashing pursuit lights and a PA system, it
also had engine crash guards, built-in hard panniers, a single-occupancy solo
seat and an 18” front wheel for improved high-speed stability compared to the
16” front wheel found on civilian CBX750 variants.
Special Police
instrumentation included a ‘Meter Stop’ feature on the handlebars: when an
officer matched a speeder's pace, pressing the pursuit switch froze the
speedometer needle at the target vehicle's exact speed to act as legal evidence.
Curiously, it had no fuel gauge which could have caused a few red faces in hot
pursuit situations…
The CBX750P became standard fleet equipment in
countries such as Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Turkey, Gibraltar and parts of
South America. While the civilian CBX750F was phased out in 1988, Honda
continued to produce the Police version until 1994. They even temporarily
reactivated the assembly line in 1997 to fulfil a final batch order for the
Irish Garda.
Exact production figures are hard to pin down but it is
generally accepted that it was probably no more than around 10,000 compared to
perhaps 50,000 of the civilian versions.
This particular CBX 750P was
made in Japan for the Japanese market in c.1987. In ‘new old stock’ condition,
it has never been ridden on the public highway and shows only 11 miles on the
odometer, mainly clocked up as the bike has been pushed in and out of storage by
hand. We are told that the engine has been started from time to time to keep
everything free and that the bike is in good running order.
On offer
here from a deceased estate, we are told that the late-owner imported this bike
from Japan with all duties paid (as confirmed by the NOVA reference in the
history file) but it has never been UK registered.
The new owner should
be able to get it registered using the requisite DVLA form V55/5 in conjunction
with a dating certificate obtainable from an authority such as the Vintage
Japanese Motorcyle Club and the NOVA reference supplied, plus an MOT certificate
which will need to be obtained via the frame number and payment of a £55
fee.
As you can see in the photos, this rare Honda Police bike is in
totally original and generally very good condition apart from some staining to
the paint on the fuel tank and some damage to the rear left pannier
lid.
An ideal addition to any Japanese bike collection, this Honda
will attract lots of attention on the show circuit and doubtless has the
potential to earn a decent living as a TV or film prop.
Consigned by
James Dennison – 07970 309907 – [email protected]