Long story short. I like to tinker with bikes. But never did one right--with repainting frame, body, getting everything perfect etc. I've got them running, prettied them up, or rebuilt the motors but have never done the full monte. I always wanted to but it had to be on something worthwile after I'm done like a CB750 K model (the earlier the better because after 73 the Kawasaki 900s were king), 73 Kawasaki Z1 or the later 900 KZ's, 350cc or larger street two stroke, Hawk GT, or something along those lines.
Found an ad for a CB750 near me about 10 pm. Got ahold of the guy who said it was just posted & at 8:00 am the next day began my 80 minute drive to see it. I waded through a barn of various farm equip, cycles, & misc. & saw it in it's pigeon *** glory. I was initially let down because it was not in as good of shape as I had hoped but wound up getting it because I told myself I drove all this way & had not really ever seen one available before. In the back of the truck it went.
I have only briefly looked it over but I think I could restore it. Looking for opinions from you guru's (Simpson I enjpyed your thread as a spectator & will definitley reread to learn this time!)
The good
I have the title signed over to me
pretty complete
turns over
tank not great inside but I have cleaned out worse
a bird in hand...
did I mention the title?
early style with tank & sidecover graphics I like & color matched fork ears & headlight bucket
The bad
exhaust has cracks & holes but not unuseable, at least at first
washer welded to kickstand
ignition switch MIA & some non factory wiring present
both side covers cracked
two speedos, no tach--one glass cracked
throttle tube broken
seat tore
missing bottom of airbox
head gasket leaked
minor road rash on clutch lever side engine cover
So what do you guys think---give it to me straight if I should keep looking.
My plan of attack would be to inspect the frame, get title transferred, then have it powder coated & start putting parts on one at a time as availability & budget allows. It will take me years I suppose. This will not be a NOS job like Simpson's (nicest I have seen), but just a nice old 750. I'll repaint the frame & body, but the rest will have to pretty much be the nicest parts I have already or can find. No replating.
I picked it up for $250 not including gas to go get it.
One quick question so I can sleep tonight...If I repaint, is there any serial number digit or range that indicates the factory color? If not I'd prefer blue.
it it was me i would have a 2nd bike too, just in case, 2 bike in most cases makes a nice one, then you have spare parts or can sell extra stuff to put a little money in your pocket when you are all done.
Well, mine was about the same shape when I picked it up. It was little cleaner (dont be fooled by first pictures) because it was an ebay purchase and the seller spit polished it @#$!#@. Some places it was media blasted to look better in the pics. Goods news is, parts are plentiful and there are LOTS of people still riding these old suckers. I've put about 2k on it since late May and it just keeps getting better. Mistermike and myself are happy to help if you have questions.
One quick question so I can sleep tonight...If I repaint, is there any serial number digit or range that indicates the factory color? If not I'd prefer blue.
There are no color code numbers with which to mix paint for Hondas made before 1982
There are no color code numbers with which to mix paint for Hondas made before 1982
True - I will tell ya that if you look hard enough , you can find cans of paint from that era in old Honda shops - The dealership I worked for had a car of paint for my 1964 S90 . I was able to take that can of paint to my local DuPont store and get it matched up with the correct color -
Looks like youve got a good starting point, enjoy the process and keep taking pics !
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I will be keeping it stock, like to find another bike as mentioned but seems they are all snapped up or $$$.
UJM, Thanks I may take you up on it but will keep looking for another bike for awhile first.
I have some other projects to finish first (Kawasaki KE 175 & 125) then I should be able to jump in (as long as I stay employed).
On the paint color I was just wondering if I could choose a different color without someone saying "dude, yours cant be red, because all VIN 11xxx-11xx were originally gold."
There are no color code numbers with which to mix paint for Hondas made before 1982
The depth of Mike's knowledge still astounds me... Sometimes, I think about questioning bearing clearances just for the response. I don't out of respect, but it's still quite amazing. Like a machine.
A good friend of mine had a CB750 and I used to borrow it on occasion. (weed runs..) I had a CBR Hurricane at the time, but it tended to attract undue attention while transporting illegal substances. The CB was one of the best motorcycles I have ever borrowed. Strong and pulled hard, handled well and just behaved like you expected it to.
Soichiro Honda had a beautiful idea with that one.
It looks to be a 72, which was the last year of the early style fork design and front brake caliper bracket. The cam was softer and the carbs leaned out. Pipes went from a true reverse cone megaphone with an insert, to staged inner chambers that were much more restrictive. Anyway, for $ 250, Christmas came early for you ! It looks to be a really nice platform for a build. Do yourself a favour and get the lower airbox, and until then I trust you have an airfilter on it. Don't go individual carb filters, they are inferior in every way. Until you have the lower, just make up an end plate out of anything handy, aluminum, circuit board, old number plate, anything easy to work and stiff enough. Use that to clamp the filter in place. Look for a K& N. Also, if you ever want to build the engine, I mean big bore kit etc, watch out for the lower air box piece.
Then you can clamp a stock style air filter in place.
I screwed up my message a bit. The caution about the lower airbox only pertains to building a big bore engine, that surely will also be cammed. Stock lower airboxes of later years had less inlet area. There is an easy fix. Use a Dremel and carve out the baffling plate, and open up the floor of the airbox to where the filter starts. You can more or less double the inlet area this way. One of my best friends stumbled across this with his cammed 836, the short story being non enough airbox inlet area was a problem, but the problem was found and the fix was easy.
It looks to be a 72, which was the last year of the early style fork design and front brake caliper bracket. The cam was softer and the carbs leaned out. Pipes went from a true reverse cone megaphone with an insert, to staged inner chambers that were much more restrictive.
Yes it is registered as a 72 & was made 9/71. It does have HM 341 exhaust as apposed to HM300--which K1s were supposed to have. I believe it is such a late K1 that it came with these 341s stock--I have heard of another 9/71 build coming with 341s also. I have also heard what you mentioned of they leaned the carbs out when switching to 341s---so if I ever get in there the jets may back up my theory.
This is so back burner it is clean off the stove. I am doing a CT70 that was supposed to be "easy" & find it taking longer and costing more, way more, than I wanted to get the results I am getting. The CT was alot closer than this in my opinion so combine that with the fact my entire CT build costs less than a new set of pipes for this & I wonder if I will ever be able to afford it & if I should not just look for a clean original or already restored bike---if I even want one of these that bad in the first place. Problem is the K0-K1's are just not in surplus to say the least.
I was wondering if it was something like that as it had the appearance of a 71 colour but with 72 pipes. If the bike has the later pipes it will also have the detuned cam. There were late 71s sold as 72s but the choker exhaust and broomhandle cam. It will still have valve springs good for a 71 cam though, and I think all 72s had the same valve springs as 71s and the springs did not change until the 73s. Back then, it was legal to take an unsold non current by one year, and sell it as a current year bike, at least it was in Canada. Which is why my 72 Commando really wasn't, it was a 71 with drum brake as compared to disc brake and the higher output Combat engine of the real 72s. I'm going to make a point of a least firing up my 73 next season - even if just to hear the early pipes I have on it sing out loud again. By the way, loud becomes louder if you put a cam in it. And I mean noticeably louder. Take your time with it and have fun all along the way. I still think that 71 was the ultimate year, as in earlier 71s with the right pipes and cam. It was the first year of solid linkage carb mechanism, made good power, and had filtering screens below the head for the cam tower oil supply circuits. I like the later style of instrument mounting though, plate mounted instruments with a simplified top triple clamp. Do it up as a 71 is what I say !!!!
Check out the forum over at Welcome to SOHC4.NET, the Home of the SOHC/4 Owners Club | SOHC/4 Owners Club for an unbelievable amount of resources for restoring, chopping, and cafeing (is that a word?) the most popular bike in history, the CB750 SOHC. I've got 2 CB750Fs & a CB550k SOHC, and that forum has been a great resource!
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Excellent SOHC site !
I've been devouring info from it for the past hour or so.
Lots of good info, although I'm just a wee bit dubious of a 14,000 SOHC 750 engine with welded patterns on the piston tops. I wonder if it was an electric tach double reading due to improper set up.
Excellent SOHC site !
I've been devouring info from it for the past hour or so.
Lots of good info, although I'm just a wee bit dubious of a 14,000 SOHC 750 engine with welded patterns on the piston tops. I wonder if it was an electric tach double reading due to improper set up.
They have such depth of technical knowledge once you look around, it makes this one seem fluff. No offense WT. Look around and you will find, historical summary's, specs, tech manuals, old magazine articles pdf, great pictures, great threads and dedicated old timers who really know these bikes. In all fairness, it's an older and matured site (started in early 1990s) due to vintage group.
Quite right and point taken.
To say nothing of admitting I was madly printing off the many official Honda TSBs found there, and stitching them into the 71 factory manual one of my best friends gave me years ago. Another good SOHC site is Axl's SatanicMechanic. Just go to Axls Homepage and then get to the english version of the SatanicMechanic area. Don't be thrown off by the other content, music included.
If you're concerned about paint, check out www.vintagehondapaint.com. $149 or so gets you a kit to repaint your entire bike. I used them when I restored my 75 CB750. Great product. Check em out. SOHC4.net will have the colors for the bike by year. Just give that to Don (who runs the vintage paint site) and he'll get the good stuff out to you.
__________________ "Reason is not automatic. Those who deny it cannot be conquered by it" ~ Ayn Rand
I enjpyed your thread as a spectator & will definitley reread to learn this time!)
'02 Honda 919 - She's the only one for me!
(as long as I stay employed)
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