SUPER Six appeal!

It began in the early 1970s as a charm offensive by an ailing Italian manufacturer, but turned into a battle of prestige between two Japanese motorcycling superpowers.

The inline six-cylinder engine layout was a groundbreaking design that enraptured the public, yet ultimately faded out into a historical blip – one that wouldn’t be repeated until the 21st century, and then only cautiously. But all that only increases the stunning six appeal of Benelli’s Sei, Honda’s CBX1000 and Kawasaki’s Z1300. Let’s ride them…

Good vibrations – or not!

Great legends are born from technical ingenuity and extreme achievement, and remembered as the stories that accompany them. As if the mighty Benelli 750 Sei didn’t pack enough of a visual punch at its launch, the factory’s sensational claim – ‘You can balance a coin upright on the tank at idle’ – showcased the air-cooled inline six’s super-smooth running qualities and perfect primary and secondary balance (and for more on buying this beauty, please turn to page 68). Whether anyone actually tested the claim doesn’t really matter as the story has survived half a century anyway. And besides, the claim – at least according to factory insiders – that you could happily dawdle along on the 750 Sei at 15mph in fifth and then accelerate to the (slightly optimistic) top speed of 125mph without changing down, made just as much of an impression on the astonished audience.

Go back in time half a century, and imagine the sensation and excitement generated by the debut of the Benelli six-cylinder. The Sei was launched in 1972, just three years after Honda’s CB750 four-cylinder set the motorcycle world on fire, and at the same time as the equally sensational 903cc inline four Kawasaki Z1; so while the motorcycle world was still