The Honda CB400T is a range of motorcycles built 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 ...

. In the United Kingdom it was known as the Dream, whereas in the United States it was known as the Hawk. A Honda CB250T version was also available for UK licensing reasons.

Background

The model was the successor to the ageing

twin cylinder Twins are two offspring produced by the same pregnancy.MedicineNet > Definition of TwinLast Editorial Review: 19 June 2000 Twins can be either ''monozygotic'' ('identical'), meaning that they develop from one zygote, which splits and forms two em ...

CB360 and the highly regarded, but expensive for the 400 cc class,

four-cylinder The engine configuration describes the fundamental operating principles by which internal combustion engines are categorized. Piston engines are often categorized by their cylinder layout, valves and camshafts. Wankel engines are often categorize ...

CB400F. The CB400T has two fewer cylinders than its CB400F predecessor and although the press was initially skeptical of it, reviews stated that it was a worthwhile successor and more than capable of competing with contemporary rivals. Its

overhead camshaft 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 ...

air-cooled Air-cooled engines rely on the circulation of air directly over heat dissipation fins or hot areas of the engine to cool them in order to keep the engine within operating temperatures. In all combustion engines, a great percentage of the heat ge ...

parallel-twin A straight-twin engine, also known as an inline-twin, vertical-twin, or parallel-twin, is a two-cylinder Reciprocating engine, piston engine whose cylinders are arranged in a line along a common crankshaft. Straight-twin engines are primarily u ...

had been completely redesigned, with a chain drive that operated three

valves A valve is a device or natural object that regulates, directs or controls the flow of a fluid (gases, liquids, fluidized solids, or slurries) by opening, closing, or partially obstructing various passageways. Valves are technically fittings ...

per cylinder, two for intake and one for exhaust. It differs from rival manufacturers 400 cc twin-cylinder models because it has a 360° crank layout similar to many traditional British parallel twins instead of the more common 180° crank layout. Counter-rotating balance-shafts help to reduce unwanted vibrations caused by the 360° crank layout. Honda fitted these models with

capacitor discharge ignition Capacitor discharge ignition (CDI) or thyristor ignition is a type of automotive electronic ignition system which is widely used in outboard motors, motorcycles, lawn mowers, chainsaws, small engines, turbine-powered aircraft, and some cars. It w ...

instead of the points system found on its predecessors, that required frequent maintenance. It uses a five-speed

transmission Transmission may refer to: Medicine, science and technology * Power transmission ** Electric power transmission ** Propulsion transmission, technology allowing controlled application of power *** Automatic transmission *** Manual transmission *** ...

with a chain final drive. Fuelling is provided by twin Keihin

carburettors 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 meterin ...

. A steel diamond cradle type frame uses the engine as a

stressed member A motorcycle frame is a motorcycle's core structure. It supports the engine, provides a location for the steering and rear suspension, and supports the rider and any passenger or luggage. Also attached to the frame are the fuel tank and battery. A ...

to reduce mass and increase ground clearance.

British market

The CB400T Dream was introduced in 1977. It has alloy and steel compound

Comstar wheels The Comstar wheel, sometimes referred to as Com-stars or stylised as ComStar, was a composite motorcycle wheel that Honda fitted to many of its motorcycles from 1977 to the mid 1980s. Its design allowed it the option of being fitted with tubeles ...

. Fuelling is provided by 32 mm Keihin carburettors. Braking is provided by a single hydraulic front disc and an expanding rear

drum The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel-Sachs classification system, it is a membranophone. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a she ...

. The Dream was also available in a CB250T version to comply with the UK learner regulations at the time. Period reviews stated the bike was a mid-range tourer with rider comfort being considered one of its best attributes. The Dream was only on sale for a six-month period before it was succeeded by the Euro-styled CB250N and CB400N Super Dream in 1978.

American market

In the United States, the CB400T was known as the "Hawk" (stylised as "HaWk"). They were advertised under the slogan "Fly the Hawk – motorcycling will never be the same". The CB400T was marketed alongside the mechanically similar, more cruiser-inspired

Honda CM400 The Honda CM400 is a street bike produced by the Honda, Honda Motor Company from 1979 to 1982, part of a series of motorcycles with the prefix 'CM' using various engine capacities. It was a precursor to the Honda Rebel series of motorcycles. It ...

. It was launched in 1978 in three different variants, the CB400TI Hawk I, CB400TII Hawk II and CB400A Hawk Hondamatic.

CB400TI Hawk I

: The “budget” model of the Hawk line up. It has front and rear drum brakes and spoked wheels with chrome rims. It is

kick start Kick start is a method of starting an internal combustion engine (usually that of a motorcycle) by pushing a ratcheting lever with one's foot. Kick start mechanisms were almost universally a part of motorcycle engines before the mid-1970s, and w ...

only and the only instrument is a

speedometer A speedometer or speed meter is a gauge that measures and displays the instantaneous speed of a vehicle. Now universally fitted to motor vehicles, they started to be available as options in the early 20th century, and as standard equipment f ...

. It also has a slightly different and larger capacity fuel tank than the other two models. Due to the removal of certain components the Hawk I is actually 10 kg lighter than the more premium Hawk II.

CB400TII Hawk II

:The "sport" model in the line up and more similar to the UK spec Dream. It has a single front disc brake with aluminum wheels. The instruments include a

tachometer A tachometer (revolution-counter, tach, rev-counter, RPM gauge) is an instrument measuring the rotation speed of a shaft or disk, as in a motor or other machine. The device usually displays the revolutions per minute (RPM) on a calibrated anal ...

as well as a speedometer. Electric start supplements the kick start.

CB400A Hawk Hondamatic

:The CB400A has a two-speed

semi-automatic transmission A semi-automatic transmission is a "theoretical" multiple-speed transmission where part of its operation is automated (typically the actuation of the clutch), but the driver's input would be required to launch the vehicle from a standstill and to ...

. It has a

torque converter A torque converter is a type of fluid coupling that transfers rotating power from a prime mover, like an internal combustion engine, to a rotating driven load. In a vehicle with an automatic transmission, the torque converter connects the power ...

and two forward gears (high and low) that have to be manually selected by the rider. There is a gear position indicator in lieu of a tachometer in the instrument binnacle. A

parking brake In road vehicles, the parking brake, also known as a handbrake or emergency brake (e-brake), is a mechanism used to keep the vehicle securely motionless when parked. Parking brakes often consist of a cable connected to two wheel brakes, which is ...

replaced the clutch lever. This model has 28 mm Keihin carburettors which lower the peak power in exchange for low-down response.

CB400T Hawk

:In 1980, Honda only offered one model, designated as the Hawk, now simply designated CB400T. The CM400E took over the role of the cheaper Hawk I. It is similar to the European CB400NA. It has the same European styling and six-speed manual gearbox, although the pegs, footrest and gear lever are in the same position as the earlier Hawk variants. The bike became electric start only. Smaller, 30 mm, Keihin CV carburettors with accelerator pumps were fitted to comply with US emissions controls. The 1981 model is similar to the European CB400NB and has a dual piston front brake caliper, plastic front fender and a different tank shape.

Legacy

Although the Dream was only on sale in the UK for six months, its successor, the Super Dream, was on sale for eight years. The engine and chassis underpinned various other models until the early 1990s, culminating with the CB450DX (1989-1992). The Hawk and CM range continued as the CB450 Hawk, later CB450SC Nighthawk and CM450 models.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Honda Cb400t CB400T Motorcycles introduced in 1977 Standard motorcycles Motorcycles powered by straight-twin engines