1960 Honda 247cc CS71 Dream Sports
Frame no. C71-60-72983
Engine no. C71E-072983

Having started motorcycle production with a simple single-cylinder two-stroke, Honda soon switched to the four-stroke engine and in 1957 introduced its first twin-cylinder model of that type: the 247cc C70. With its slightly inclined cylinders, single overhead camshaft, gear primary drive and integral gearbox, it set the pattern for generations of twin-cylinder Hondas to come. This state-of-the-art engine went into a pressed-steel chassis, the frame, front fork and swinging arm being fabricated of this material, while there were full-width aluminium alloy hubs at both ends. The maximum power output of 18bhp was produced at 7,400rpm and the motor could be revved to 8,000, an unprecedented figure for a production motorcycle engine in the mid-1950s. In 1958 the design was updated with an electric starter, becoming the C71. The following year a sports version was introduced, the CS71, which came with a more powerful (20bhp) engine and upswept exhausts fitted with perforated heat shields. This beautifully restored CS71 Dream currently displays a total of only five miles on the odometer, which presumably is the distance covered since the rebuild. The machine has been on display in the CMS offices for the last ten years and is presented in generally excellent condition.