After the CB750 ohc engines had already received cheering enthusiast status, the Honda CB 900 F Bol d'Or DOHC four-cylinder were normal old things. And they didn't cost anything. In the meantime, those Honda CB 900 F Bol d'Ors are not only calendar years classic, but also in their entire technology and appearance. And that's why they want them now. But find a nice one.
Still very Honda
Despite its dated nature, such an 900 cc Honda CB 900 F Bol is still a fast machine. Not comparable with a modern bicycle. But in practice, even more than fast enough.
Such an 900 cc DOHC block initially produced 91, later 95 pk. And in a country where you can drive 130 km / h on some sections of the highway, there is a top of thick 200 km / h. A Honda CB 900 F pilot does not have to be ashamed of the acceleration either. The four-cylinder engine has a nice power curve and a nice torque curve, so it is also easy to tour with. A good model can always be improved. With the 900 the improvement was best visible in the cut. The early Great Bols were sturdy drinkers. 1 on 10 and 1 on 13 Were values that were only thought about a bit later in Japan. With the C and D versions, a tight 1 can be used on 17.
Just drives well
On the handling of the Honda CB 900 F Bol d'Or is just right. And steering is not really hampered by the rather serious weight of the machine. That 'Bol d'Or' means 'Golden Scale', by the way, and that is the thing that won the winners of the 24 Hour from Le Mans. The Bol d'Or machines were therefore always intended to be sporty. However, the suspension is comfortable and the seating position only slightly bent forward. On long journeys, that seating position is also great for a possible passenger. From the end of 1980 there is also the F2. It is equipped with a streamline that also offers pretty good protection. The comfort is even greater because the engine block has been mounted in rubbers from that time on.
From A to D
The Honda CB 900 F starts at the end of 1978 with the 'A' type. The final version is the 'D', and it has black dampers. There are quite a few Bol d'Ors imported outside of the official paths. So pay attention to differences between the year of construction and the first name. From 1981 onwards, there were the 'B' types that were recognizable by their 'reversed' Comstar spokes. From that moment on, they stood with the 'hollow' side out. With the first generation of Comstar wheels, the rivets can also come loose. And that's something you don't want!
The Honda CB 900 F of the 'C' series have the 'boomerang' rims, and matte black engine blocks. Where the 'A' models had such problems, their successors got better and better. We hear from the club that oil leakage at the head gasket can often also be solved with silicone gasket instead of the approach stated in the workshop manual.
That is typically such a practical fact. And for that a club membership is very handy. The characteristic rattle of the camshaft chain indicates a (coming) replacement of the camshaft chain tensioner. That is a fairly expensive operation. Faltering the starter motor can often be solved by cleaning that part. Also note for damage traces on the dynamo cover. A somewhat pressed lid can run into the rotor - unnoticed. The consequences of that are also more expensive than you like.
A real classic
But in the meantime the Honda CB 900 F Bol d'Or has become a classic. And that his smaller 750 cc brother is just a little nicer? Oh well, if that's your point, don't you just score and 750? And that the early Bols were not really in the paint? Yes, that was the wrong economy of the Japanese.
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With the small correction that the first Bol d'ors did not have the type designation FA but FZ.