Honda CB750 Sandcast

Showan Calendar Dating

Steve Swan

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Hi All,

A couple days ago, i wrote about Japanese Showan Calendar dating as pertains to the ink stamps we see on various Honda parts.

It seems i forgot what i once knew (what Chris R shared with me a few years back) and I mistakenly wrote how to interpret the dated ink stampings on these parts, i.e., "The Swansonian Interpretation of Honda Ink Date Stamping Minus All Swan Brain Cells Not Turned On."

Here is what Chris shared -

"My understanding, gleaned from the UK ’s VJMC “marque specialist” some years back was that Hirohito became Emperor in 1925 that being the calendar start year. Therefore to date a part, faced with a Showan date, add 25 to get the Western year. My observations from various sandcast and K0’s are that sandcasts have a “44” year designation, whilst K0’s have either a “44” or “45” designation corresponding of course to ’69 and ’70."

Hope the clarifies what i mis-stated and sorry for any confusion possibly caused.