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Posted: Sun Dec 25, 2011 4:01 pm Post subject: CB77 Superhawk
Hi I was wondering if you could help me out. I have a 60's CB77 Superhawk. I don't have the title for it but I do have the VIN number. Is there any way to tell what year it is from by the VIN number. Here it is if you know how to decode it: CB77-1050582.
Thank You and Happy Holidays
Joined: Oct 02, 2006 Posts: 2051 Location: New Britian, CT
Posted: Mon Dec 26, 2011 9:21 am Post subject:
I am curious too, as Honda to this day considers such things as production numbers,etc. a trade secret. But it maybe in a copy of Bill Silver's book. May guess was that bike was for a '65 or '66 considering how high the number is.
Joined: Feb 15, 2007 Posts: 1357 Location: LaPorte, Indiana, USA
Posted: Mon Dec 26, 2011 10:24 am Post subject:
MR.CHocko wrote:
I am curious too, as Honda to this day considers such things as production numbers,etc. a trade secret. But it maybe in a copy of Bill Silver's book. May guess was that bike was for a '65 or '66 considering how high the number is.
You're right - I've repeatedly asked Honda in writing for info like that, as a legitimate journalist - but never with success.
All info regarding numbers built, serial numbers, etc. are considered proprietary info by Honda, even on 50-year+ old models.
Go figure........... _________________ Bill Lane - CB200-CM200-CB450-C70M-CL350
"When your only tool is a hammer,
everything starts to look like a nail."
Joined: Oct 30, 2009 Posts: 613 Location: Parker, CO
Posted: Mon Dec 26, 2011 11:32 am Post subject:
OK guys, looks like further explanation is required. I sent that answer from my phone quickly and figured it would be questioned and rightfully so. As we're all aware of, bikes were titled in year of sale during that era.
So it is possible that a titled 67 could have a lower number than a titled 66. The Bill Silvers books, which I have all of, only states that the 7 digits after the CB77- began in '65 going through '67. Now honda's own literature states production was stopped in '68. Most likely in Jan or Feb as the CB350 was available by end of Feb. I've only seen one titled '68 which has a CB77-108xxxx vin the highest I've ever seen.
The following info was given to me by a former VJMC field rep and Judge who I've became good friends with. He has a collection of 113 cb and cl 305's (could be under 100 now as he's been thinning out his stable) When I bought a basket case CB77, I thought it was a '65 with a vin of CB77-1022143, and wiring harness also from '65. So I had my friend take a look at it, I was told that the wiring harness commonly was used in the same year and also likely into the next year, and the bike would be considered a '66 in any competitive events because the first three digits were 102. Vins 100 thru 101 were considered '65's. 1020xxx thru 1045xxx were '66's. The rest were '67's except the oddball 108 I mention earlier. I've since seen a bike with exactly 30 digits lower than mine and matching numbers titled a '66 (had to have a '65 wiring harness too). I really believe it all comes down to the volume of sales and floor time the dealers had back in the day. As Choko stated there's no known cut-off # by year as Honda implemented changes as soon as they were deemed an improvement without regard to year model. I'd recommend huntman9000 remove the tank and have a look at the wiring date (could show '66 or '67). However I'm confindent the bike was actually sold in '67 (actually pretty squarely in the middle of the year hence my quick response).
Also keep in mind when researching VIN's only look for a legitimate title which has the highest number you've seen for that year. Bikes that sat on the showroom floor will overlap numbers into the previous year and are meaningless. I really wasn't trying to lay out a line of BS.
Here's some examples of sales I've found online today.
1967 Honda CB77
Superhawk Asking Price $2,650
Frame: CB77-1045546 SOLD $2,650
Motor: CB77E-1045572 Date July, 2006
Joined: Feb 15, 2007 Posts: 1357 Location: LaPorte, Indiana, USA
Posted: Mon Dec 26, 2011 11:56 am Post subject:
Not sure about Bill Silvers, never ran into them.
I do know that the first bike I ever bought was a '63 CB77, purchased and titled as a '63 in April of that year.
Too long ago to remember serial numbers or anything, except that (like most Hondas) the frame and engine numbers did not match.
But I do remember it's cost was around $550, a lot of money to me back then......... _________________ Bill Lane - CB200-CM200-CB450-C70M-CL350
"When your only tool is a hammer,
everything starts to look like a nail."
Joined: Oct 30, 2009 Posts: 613 Location: Parker, CO
Posted: Mon Dec 26, 2011 12:15 pm Post subject:
Bill Silvers does quote production numbers in his material but states that it is unconfirmed and from variations publications. In those figures he shows the '67 VIN ending at 1056432.
Bill your 63 would have had 6 digits in between CB77-310001 and 319222.
(from his Restoration Reference Guide)
Joined: Oct 02, 2006 Posts: 2051 Location: New Britian, CT
Posted: Mon Dec 26, 2011 2:49 pm Post subject:
That is an original serial number that would be on a bike for the later years of a Super Hawk. Part of the problem with dateing these bikes, is that around '65 or '66 the Super Hawks would have chrome lowers on the forks, but often times dealers would take the earlier model bikes that were selling and replace them with the chrome lowers of the later bikes. So it does get very difficult trying to date these things.
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