The Honda CB900C is a

cruiser A cruiser is a type of warship. Modern cruisers are generally the largest ships in a fleet after aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships, and can usually perform several roles. The term "cruiser", which has been in use for several hu ...

motorcycle A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruising ...

produced by

Honda is a Japanese public multinational conglomerate manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles, and power equipment, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, reaching a product ...

from 1980 to 1982 primarily for the American market. Rider Magazine, March 1980 It was succeeded by the CB1000C in 1983.

Design

The CB900c had a front and rear air assisted suspension,

shaft drive A drive shaft, driveshaft, driving shaft, tailshaft (Australian English), propeller shaft (prop shaft), or Cardan shaft (after Girolamo Cardano) is a component for transmitting mechanical power and torque and rotation, usually used to connect ...

, and a dual-range sub-transmission. The CB900C was derived from the DOHC CB750K, and is closely related to the CB900F and the 1983-only CB1100F, both derivatives of the CB750 line. The

air The atmosphere of Earth is the layer of gases, known collectively as air, retained by Earth's gravity that surrounds the planet and forms its planetary atmosphere. The atmosphere of Earth protects life on Earth by creating pressure allowing for ...

/ oil cooled

DOHC An overhead camshaft (OHC) engine is a piston engine where the camshaft is located in the cylinder head above the combustion chamber. This contrasts with earlier overhead valve engines (OHV), where the camshaft is located below the combustion c ...

engine has 4 32 mm Keihin CV

carburetor A carburetor (also spelled carburettor) is a device used by an internal combustion engine to control and mix air and fuel entering the engine. The primary method of adding fuel to the intake air is through the venturi tube in the main meteri ...

s and

electronic ignition An ignition system generates a spark or heats an electrode to a high temperature to ignite a fuel-air mixture in spark ignition internal combustion engines, oil-fired and gas-fired boilers, Rocket engine#Ignition, rocket engines, etc. The widest ...

. The front suspension relies on

air pressure Atmospheric pressure, also known as barometric pressure (after the barometer), is the pressure within the atmosphere of Earth. The Standard atmosphere (unit), standard atmosphere (symbol: atm) is a unit of pressure defined as , which is equival ...

for preload while the rear uses air as the main springing medium. The bike has two front

disc brake A disc brake is a type of brake that uses the calipers to squeeze pairs of pads against a disc or a "rotor" to create friction. This action slows the rotation of a shaft, such as a vehicle axle, either to reduce its rotational speed or to hol ...

s and a single rear disc. The CB900C is something of a "parts bin" bike, as it shares components with two contemporary Honda bikes, the CB750 and CB900F. The GL and CX series of

touring motorcycle A touring motorcycle is a type of motorcycle designed for touring. Although almost any motorcycle can be used for this purpose, manufacturers have developed specific models designed to address the particular needs of these riders. Touring motorc ...

s of the time are the source of the final drive and rear suspension assemblies of the CB900C. The frame was derived from the European CB900F, extended 2 inches to accommodate the sub-transmission components. The sub-transmission involves a

jack shaft A jackshaft, also called a ''countershaft'', is a common mechanical design component used to transfer or synchronize rotational force in a machine. A jackshaft is often just a short stub with supporting bearings on the ends and two pulleys, gear ...

that allows the rider to select a "high" or "low" range for the five gears, effectively giving an overdrive 6th

speed In everyday use and in kinematics, the speed (commonly referred to as ''v'') of an object is the magnitude of the change of its position over time or the magnitude of the change of its position per unit of time; it is thus a scalar quanti ...

for cruising. Full Honda

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, ( fairings, lower leg fairings,

saddlebags Saddlebags are bags that are attached to saddles. Horse riding In horse riding, saddlebags sit in various positions, on the back, side, or front of the saddle. Most attach to the saddle by straps and ties. They can be made from various material ...

and trunk) were available to help make the CB900C a

Reception

The ''Rider'' and ''

Cycle World ''Cycle World'' is a motorcycling magazine in the United States. It was founded in 1962 by Joe Parkhurst, who was inducted to the Motorcycle Hall of Fame as "the person responsible for bringing a new era of objective journalism" to the US. ''Cyc ...

'' reviews of 1980 were less than enthusiastic, complaining of "a lack of purity in the custom styling". The excessive weight and the soft suspension had a detrimental effect on handling and on cornering ability. Despite the lacklustre reviews, the CB900 Custom has gained a small cult following due to its 10 speeds, styling, comfort, reliability, and ample power output.

1983 CB1000C (Custom)

In 1983, Honda replaced the CB900C with the CB1000C. The CB1000C used the dual-range transmission previously available on the CB900C. The version included the TRAC anti-dive system also used on the 1983 CB1100F.

References

{{Reflist, 30em, refs= {{Citation , title= Honda CB900; A science fiction motorcycle: Air suspension, two transmissions, shaft drive, and more , volume=19 , issue=3 , date=March 1980 , pages=27–34 CB900C Motorcycles introduced in 1980 Cruiser motorcycles