Sensing that Honda was about to take over the motorcycle industry, Christian Vilaseca expanded his family’s GM automobile dealership by founding Japauto in 1966. Thanks to the success of the CB750, Japauto quickly became Europe’s largest motorcycle dealership. So when he decided to campaign in the 1970 Bol d’Or, he wanted to race with a bike bearing his companies name and not Honda’s. He took a CB750, bumped up displacement to 946cc, added a second front brake disc, then wrapped the front in a full fairing. It took him a couple of tries, but Japauto won the famous endurance race in 1972. The following year, Vilaseca incorporated a distinctive wedge fairing from Motorcycle Sport Design, and the team won its second consecutive Bol d’Or. They’d continue racing in following years, but Japauto introduced a street bike based on the racer called the 950 SS.
This is a bike I had never heard of before, and I found great information here on Moto-Collection. They note that the 950 SS kit was comprised of four pistons and cylinder sleeves, a block, second front disc brake, iodine headlight, and of course, the fairing. They also state that “in 1971, fitting the 950 SS kit added over 30 percent to the cost of a new 750 Honda.” Basic specs were 100 horsepower, 441 pounds, and a top speed of 137 miles per hour.
The listing for this example (VIN: 2039504) is in French, but a Google translation states that it’s been repainted and it has all the correct Japauto accessories: the cylinder block, Bretille pistons, 4-in-1 exhaust, oil cooler kit, steering damper, double disc brakes, Japauto quarter turn throttle, Akront wheels, John Tickle rearsets, and all the Japauto-specific badging. It’s also got a Bimota swingarm and a second set of tank/seat bodywork that’s been signed by Debrock, Ruiz, and Tchernine – the Japauto-sponsored racers who won the Bol d’Or in 1972 and 1973.
Find this Japauto for sale in somewhere in Europe (isn’t that helpful?) for approximately $27,250 here on Classic Driver.