Films: This 1973 Honda CB175 Requires Complete Composure
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Made To Drive | S07 E20

This 1973 Honda CB175 Requires Complete Composure

Despite its wooden seat and modest performance, it’s perfect for Sarah Lahalih
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SteveLittlefield
SteveLittlefield
6 years ago

I have to add one more thought about Sarah and her CB175. As a young rider, I traveled many miles on small bikes like hers. I rode a Triumph Cub, dreaming of Bonnevilles and a CB 350 twin dreaming of CB750s. Small bikes were just the pathway to big bikes, which granted full membership in the motorcycle community.

So, even though my small bikes introduced me to the thrill of riding, it was never without the desire for something more. Many decades & miles later, I would love to take a long ride on an old Triumph 250 Trophy or a CB350 twin. This time, the ride would be for the pure joy of operating a small bike without wanting more.

SteveLittlefield
SteveLittlefield
6 years ago

In a riding culture where everyone is on big, high performance bikes, the idea of riding a CB175 is intriguing. This young woman clearly follows her own star, which is very cool. Ride safe, girl.

It’s been many years since I rode small bikes, but they were always great fun. I’ve owned Triumph cubs and a CB350. Both were loads of fun and I would love to ride them again. Not sure I agree with the virtues of riding an uncomfortable bike. It seems easier to keep your mind on the road when your ass doesn’t hurt.

Felix Trzetrzelewska
Felix Trzetrzelewska
6 years ago

Long may you ride. Great video, and a great smile. And for those who (1) failed neuroscience and (2) also don’t see the artistic connection between dancing, movement, boxing, and motorcycling, see also:

“Great fighters always have a higher sense of theory in their heads.”
-Miles Davis

Erik Preiss
Erik Preiss
7 years ago

Boxing and motorcycling? Seems to be a little constructed. Anyway … I love nice bike stories. The car thing ist getting dull sometimes.

Robert in LA
Robert in LA
7 years ago

I had a Honda CB450K1 of this approximate vintage, which I also lightened slightly and modified with handle bars of this type. And there was something about putting the rider’s weight forward with these suspensions, on the smaller Honda vertical twins of that era, which increased the turn-in the of the bike significantly. This was fun on winding mountain roads, but required increased alertness on the part of the rider. And the riding position was fatiguing, but lowering your weight and reducing frontal area exposed to the wind, did help with stability in a sweeping turn. So I would have to agree. The change in rider position is makes the bike more agile, less practical, and demands more of the rider. It was also more fun.

Flash
Flash
7 years ago

Great story Sarah, fantastic to see a woman enjoying the bike and the ring.
Your deeds speak louder than your words.
Bike looks great.
Life is an adventure and you are doing a fine job.

To those who have something negative to say, please apply the old rule of manners, if don’t have something nice say – Shut up.
How anyone could fault with this story, is totally missing the beauty of it.

Ray Jay
Ray Jay
7 years ago

I am better than everyone here

Andrew Salt
Andrew Salt
7 years ago
Reply to  Ray Jay

Are you in prison?

Chris Ribbe
Chris Ribbe
7 years ago

again stunning photography – birds-eye view in particular. Very authentic the enthusiastic bike owner.

Thank you for the visual treat.

Lovely motor, just the sound note could benefit from a little tweak.
More cool Cafè Racers please.

Frank Anigbo
7 years ago

I’ve never wanted a motorcycle as badly as I want one now!

As for how good or bad a bike that is, I’ve owned poorly performing cars (Volvo 1800 comes to mind) that melts my heart whenever I see one. The way a thing makes you feel is about all that matters.

Great film. Great rider.

Alexandre Goncalves
Alexandre Goncalves
7 years ago

NIce chance of scenery 🙂

As to the correlation between boxing and riding – if she feels it, who are we to judge?

Go girl!

Alexandre Goncalves
Alexandre Goncalves
7 years ago

I meant “change”

Where’s that “Edit” function petrolicious

Andrew Salt
Andrew Salt
7 years ago

People should tread lightly when making criticisms about someones chosen transport, how it makes them feel or what parallels they draw with other aspects of their lives. It is for them to decide. It matters not whether its a girl who could punch you until you are good looking, or a hairy-arsed bald-headed 20 stone body-building effeminate man who could suck your tongue out, people have feelings you know.

Patrick Peters
Patrick Peters
7 years ago

Sarah Lahalih is one lovely gal with lots of stamina. Very cool. Nice story to. Thank you!

Ps…. the analogy between boxing and motorcycling doesn’t work for YOU gs, you ride a harley with your wife right? no offence, butt that’s not the same as riding track days ore competition.

JB21
JB21
7 years ago

As usual, a fantastic story, I really enjoyed that, so thanks.

One thing though…the bike itself. I know it takes all kinds, and the ones I build isn’t for everyone either, but I get kind of baffled, especially ridden by someone who teaches riding and also rides on a race track, there are so many things just so functionally wrong with this bike. I don’t care much about comfort part of it, but I care about how it goes, turns, rides, and stops, and how the body interact with the machine. This bike makes me cringe just by looking at it.

Scott Morse
Scott Morse
7 years ago

A little harsh guitar slinger. Lots of activities allow one to “enter the zone” or
as Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (google him) puts it, experience “Flow”. I think that’s what Sarah was referring to. Riding,archery, racing, skiing maybe even playing a musical instrument (guitar?), many things that require intense focus and ignoring one’s ego can do it. Sarah, follow your passions. Haters gonna hate-so what. Petrolicious, thanks for another beautiful and “tasteful” pice of video

Guitar Slinger
Guitar Slinger
7 years ago

The CB175 ? Seriously it is one of the safest , most predictable , comfortable , practical and benign motorcycles available classic or otherwise .

The analogy between boxing and motorcycling ? At its best more than a bit forced and contrived . At its worst absolutely ludicrous . The most obvious difference being with Boxing you ARE going to get hurt regardless of your skills and abilities .. whereas on a bike you MAY get hurt despite your riding skills

As for the rest of the rhetoric and claims made by Ms Lahalih in this video .. suffice it to say to anyone with a reasonable .. never mind an extensive amount of riding experience under their butts that alone makes this one of the least credible and in my opinion worst offerings ever put forth by Petrolicious [ amongst a very long line of gems I might add ]

JAlfa
JAlfa
7 years ago
Reply to  Guitar Slinger

Since we know her name and actually see her riding the thing, I am going to go with her obvious experience on the CB instead of your wannabe research from your parents basement GS. Keep up the useless work though, we appreciate it…

RedGrey
RedGrey
7 years ago
Reply to  Guitar Slinger

Taxes, death, your usual drivel…

De Dion
De Dion
7 years ago
Reply to  Guitar Slinger

All experiences are subjective. Some may see what you don’t

Lms
Lms
7 years ago
Reply to  Guitar Slinger

And once again, GS shows his absolute disdain for class; or as the site suggests, acting in a tasteful manner.

Your suggestion that she isn’t an experienced rider is at best asinine. Further, you’re assertion that someone who actively participates in 2 activities could not possible derive a correlation between said activities, shows at your core, you’re not one of us. You’re not someone who does it for yourself – you do it for others noticing you doing it. Which absolutely includes your continuous tasteless comments on this site.

Lms
Lms
7 years ago
Reply to  Guitar Slinger

It is interesting to note that GS never seems to be able to establish his “thesis”, whatever it may be, without concurrently admonishing someone else’s.

Dan Picasso
Dan Picasso
7 years ago
Reply to  Guitar Slinger

Petrolicious: Drive Tastefully

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