Honda Cl 175
HONDA CL 175
CYCLE WORLD ROAD TEST
It does a lot of things - nicely
HONDA’S NEW CL 175 could well be the all-purpose bike, the equivalent to the VW of the automotive realm. This little Twin fits the VW pattern because it is downright cute—as the small, friendly bug is cute. The 175 is low in cost (not the lowest), is powered by a small displacement engine (not the smallest), and, like its Germanic four-wheeled counterpart, is a masterpiece of design and engineering.
Purposes follow the pattern, too. The 175 is eminently suitable for dull day-to-day transport from home to job, school to home, and the like. And, the Honda becomes instant entertainment on the trail, come Saturday and Sunday—just as the mundane VW can provide plenty of excitement in a Sabbath slalom race.
The Honda CL 175 replaces the CL 160 in the Honda Motor Co. lineup. The 160 has been phased out; the 175 is an all-new machine which uses very few of the earlier bike’s components. In the changeover process, Honda stylists have evolved a machine which carries the characteristic eager forward rake of the marque; to even the casual observer, there is no doubt that this motorcycle is a Honda, just as there’s no mistaking that it’s an all-new, very up-to-date machine.
The CL 175 is small. This feature—which endears the machine to wives and sweethearts—also finds favor among beginning riders and experienced motorcyclists. Though the 175 appears small, it feels big—like a true motorcycle. There’s no aura of tiddler here.
The CL 175 isn’t fitted with Honda’s super/efficient electric starter. This component was missed by a few riders, though the folding crank did the job. However, absence of electrics is all to the good in a machine designed to take some mild thrashing away from paved roads.
Once lighted off, the CL 175’s Twin generates sufficient power to please the enthusiast, yet is docile enough to be given into the hands of the beginning rider. Power develops readily as rpm build to the vibration-free redline. Two 20-mm Keihin carburetors supply the fuel/air charge through a pair of rather long induction pipes. As with the CB and CL 450 (CW, May ’68), the 175’s carburetion system is without irregularities; no buck-and-snort behavior plagues the rider. Top end, top gear performance is well above 65 mph, even with the machine carrying double. The rider never becomes uncomfortably aware that the engine is turning at high rpm. Few 250s of a few years ago were capable of either this two-up performance, or this freedom from the shakes.
The 175’s power is delivered to the rear wheel through a five-speed gearbox that can only be described as slick. Gear changes, up or down, are accomplished with no fuss, no protest, and absolutely minimal effort. Ratios supplied with the 175, surprisingly, can accommodate light dirt duty, as well as performance on pavement. More rugged trail work would necessitate a few additional teeth on the drive sprocket.
If the 175 goes, it also stops. A twin leading shoe brake is fitted forward, and a single shoe unit is at the rear. These brakes are singularly efficient, at all times progressive, and not given to sudden grabs or disastrous lockups. Repeated all-on application results in loud squeals of protest from the tires, yet little adjustment travel is gained, front or rear, and no fade from heat buildup becomes apparent.
The frame is consistent with Honda practice. The engine is the forward structural member, with the cylinder head bolted directly to two top tubes. These top tubes extend from the steering head rearward to become the rear suspension upper supports. A large diameter single tube extends rearward and downward to pass between the double tubes. This large tube arcs sharply downward above the swinging arm pivot to terminate behind the gearbox, just below the swing arm pivot. A boxed structure around the lower portion of this single tube serves as the »swinging arm pivot and gearbox attachment point. This frame construction provides sufficient torsional rigidity for precise handling on paved roadway, and durability and strength for off-road activity.
A conventional hydraulically damped telescopic fork forward, and a swinging arm with coil springs and telescopic shock absorbers at the rear comprise the Honda’s suspension system. The shock absorbers are of the De Carbon variety, which first were fitted to CB and CL 450s among Japanese motorcycles, but now are found on other makes as well. The De Carbon unit carries within it a nitrogen filled elastic compartment to prevent cavitation and aeration of damping oil as the piston moves up and down inside the shock absorber tube.
Fittings and finish on the 175 are worthy of a much more expensive motorcycle. In the CL package are such niceties as rubber mounted handlebars, rubber mounted instrumentation, spring loaded fold-away passenger footpegs, plastic coated control levers, and very adequately shielded upswept exhaust pipes at the left. Honda directional signal lamps are standard equipment. The headlamp is large, the taillamp bright. Subtle engineering features include a rubber grommet to hold the distributor-to-coil lead away from the heat of the cylinder head, a small gaiter over the end of the inner brake cable, separation of handlebar control cables by a plastic clip, heavy duty insulation on high voltage leads, and neoprene shields over the end balls of control levers. And, Honda includes in this small packet an adequately loud horn, a bash plate to protect the engine’s lower end vitals, control cable adjusters, and a rubber cush drive in the rear wheel. As to finish, metalic pearl gray paint on the fuel tank is a businesslike but subdued accent to the black of the frame, and the silver of flawless engine castings and chromium plating. Paint, castings and plate all exhibit the high standard of manufacturing quality control that is the indelible stamp of Honda.
The aforementioned instrumentation is worthy of note. Contained on a single dial face are speedometer, warning lamp and (almost) tachometer functions. The speedometer, with large white numerals on a dull black background, is easy to read, day or night. The warning lamps are green for neutral, red for low generator output warning, and yellow as a reminder that turn signal flashers are in operation. The semi-tachometer function is made up of five white arcs that span portions of the speedometer range. Each arc indicates a top speed in one of the 175’s five speeds.
One fault in design, ánd in appearance, is that the center stand kickdown lever projects far to the left side of the machine (whereas the side stand tucks up neatly, well out of the way). The center stand lever projects to a distance that could lead to sudden, inadvertent maneuvers were it to catch a vine or root in a trailing situation. This stand is identical to that fitted to the CB 175, the roadster version of the little Twin. Thus the component is designed to clear the low slung exhaust pipe of the all-road model and is out of place on a street/scrambler motorcycle.
The uses to which the 175 can be put are many. And any owner of this machine will put it to many uses. Handling and comfort are such that the owner won’t hesitate to attempt a road trip of some magnitude, nor will he stay away from the cow trails. The CL 175 is just right for a slow gambol through the fall dusk, or a fast spring lark to the lake.
Like the VW, the CL 175 isn’t the slowest, or the fastest, or the biggest, but, like the VW, the CL 175 will do a lot of things for a lot of people—very nicely. ■
HONDA
CL 175
$645
