1969
Honda CB750 Four
Colours used
in this example.
Teal blue and pale gold set the main colour direction. Softer background tones keep the motorcycle in focus.
Suggested pencil shades, not exact factory paint matches. Test colours on your paper before building richer layers.
Keep the narrow edging lighter than the body.
Keep the saddle centre lighter than its edges.
Reserve white strips for reflections.
Use light horizontal strokes across water.
Use less pressure on distant foliage.
Look a little closer.
Explore the details from different angles.
1969 CB 750 Four
A red 1969 example showing the broad tank and four-exhaust layout.
Photo: SG2012 · Source · CC BY 2.0K 0 tank and engine
Close view of a blue K 0. The photograph does not establish its exact production year.
Photo: User:Pipacs74 · Source · CC BY-SA 3.0CB 750 K 0, side profile
Early K 0 example at the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu.
Photo: www.mgaylard.co.uk and thanks for looking · Source · CC BY 2.0CB 750 K 0 engine detail
A separate closer photograph of the Beaulieu K 0 engine and side cover.
Photo: www.mgaylard.co.uk and thanks for looking · Source · CC BY 2.01970 K 0 comparison
A 1970 K 0 at Beaulieu. A closely related production example rather than proof of every 1969 detail.
Photo: Przemysław Jahr / Wikimedia Commons · Source · Public domainOriginal factory colours
Candy Blue-Green and Candy Red are documented early CB750 colours. The tank and side covers carry the chosen finish.
- Candy Blue-GreenBodywork, alternative finish
- Candy RedBodywork, alternative finish
Screen swatches are a colouring guide rather than exact paint matches.
Early literature also advertises Gold and Green. Publication dates and production availability are not sufficiently resolved here to present these as universal 1969 options.
In the photographs
The 1969 example is red. The K0 photographs show blue to turquoise paint with pale tank stripes; several show a motorcycle labelled 1970. These broadly match the early red and blue-green colour families without proving each machine retains original paint.
- Red
- Blue-green
- Blue
Visual colour guide only. These are not additional factory paint options.
In the coloured example
The turquoise example follows the Candy Blue-Green colour family. Its pencil texture and simplified pale tank stripe are an interpretation rather than a paint match.
Make the details count.
Build teal from the tank edges towards a light central highlight.
Draw long white and blue-grey reflections along each exhaust.
Use horizontal lake strokes to contrast with the curved tank shading.
Follow your curiosity.
Model history and further reading.