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Honda CB450 Police Special

Make Model	Honda CB 450 Police
Year	1966
Engine	Four stroke, parallel twin cylinder, DOHC, 2 valves per cylinder
Capacity	445 cc / 27.1 cu-in
Bore x Stroke	70 x 57.8 mm
Cooling System	Air cooled
Compression Ratio	9.0:1
Induction	2x 32mm Keihin carburetors
Ignition	Coil with auto-advance, twin contact breaker
Starting	Kick
Max Power	45 hp / 32.8 kW @ 9000 rpm
Max Torque	37.4 Nm / 27.6 lb-ft @ 7000 rpm
Transmission	4 Speed
Final Drive	Chain
Frame	Tubular semi-duplex cradle with single front down-tube
Front Suspension	Telescopic forks with two-way damping.
Rear Suspension	Swing arm, shock absorbers with adjustable preload
Front Brakes	Drum
Rear Brakes	Drum
Front Tyre	3.25-18
Rear Tyre	3.50-18
Wheelbase	1,300 mm / 53 in
Dry Weight	187 kg / 412 lbs
Wet Weight	204.0 kg / 449.7 lbs
Fuel Capacity	14 Litres / 3.7 US gal

If you saw one of these rare motorcycles on the road in the 1960s, you were either very lucky or very unlucky. It all depended upon whether that set of red lights was flashing in your rear-view mirror or someone else's.

Honda imported a mere 25 CB450 Police Specials to the United States in 1966 in an effort to crack into the law-enforcement market. So if you came into contact with one, you could certainly count it as one of the more unique bike sightings of your life.

Based on Honda's "Black Bomber" CB450, introduced in 1965, the Police Special was entirely normal in its engine and running gear. But it incorporated some nifty anti-crime devices.

The large speedometer, for instance, was calibrated in 1-mile-per-hour increments. And with a flip of a switch, Mr. Policeman could lock the speedo reading to preserve the evidence of your illegality.

Then he'd switch on the lights and pull a lever on the left handlebar that worked the unusual siren-activation system. The lever brought a rotating steel drum into contact with the rear wheel, much like those old electrical generators on bicycles. The only difference was that this drum drove a flexible steel cable that snaked forward to spin the siren.

The Police Special also came with a solo seat backed by a small metal box for carrying an officer's ticket book.

Honda's Police Special took on Harley-Davidson for a place in America's law-enforcement community…and lost badly. Even though Honda billed it as "a big bike with a big ride," the 450 couldn't make a dent in a market that had been dominated for decades by American V-twins. So the initial U.S. shipment of 25 was also the last.