Japanese media outlet Autoby fired up the rumor mill when it released a rendering of a potential Honda GB750 on January 5, 2023. Following Team Red’s CB750 Hornet and XL Transalp debut, murmurs out of Europe pointed to the all-new Unicam, 755cc parallel twin powering a retro roadster as well. Drawing on the firm’s vaunted CB/GB lineup, digital artist Shinji Miyakubo recaptured Honda’s historic cosmetics and charm.
One design exercise wasn’t enough for the publication it seems, as Miyakubo returns for a double dose of nostalgia with the CL750 concept. Based on Big Red’s CL scrambler family, the digital design adopts the same round headlamp, circular display, and fork gaiters that transformed the front end of the GB750 Concept. A bench seat similar to the unit used in the GB rendering also helps satisfy the vintage CL silhouette.
Though many classic CLs championed gas tanks with knee cutouts, Miyakubo favors a rounded fuel cell to differentiate the scrambler from the roadster. Similar to the recently revealed 2023 Honda CL500, a high-mounted exhaust system snakes under the liquid-cooled twin before terminating alongside the rear mudguard. The artist reshapes the CL750 Concept’s side panel accordingly, resulting in a stepped triangular form.
In addition to the CL500’s influence, Miyakubo lifts the swingarm and dual-shock rear suspension from the Rebel-based scrambler. Now, parts compatibility between the CMX/CL and CB/XL platforms may not warrant such a setup, but the copy/paste job helps Honda fans fully envision the prospective model.
As with Autoby’s GB750 Concept, evidence supporting the modern-day CL750 is veil-thin. We would need to see patents, trademarks, or spy shots before confirming that Honda is even considering a middleweight scrambler entry. However, we can’t deny that Miyakubo’s work gets us excited about the potential of Big Red’s new 755cc powerplant.
