Topic: Vote for Bike Of The Month - March 2012

[Really?]

It's Votin' Time!

Nomination Thread - http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=101839.0 

Now it is time for your pics and stories.  Spread them out.  It makes this half of the month more interesting.



Johnie


Immortal


Doctor_D


brycegp

[Stev-o]

Four awesome bikes, nice job guys.

[immortal]

Hey guys, Thanks for nominating me although I certainly don't expect to win Bike of the month, I'm just happy to be nominated.
 
So here's the story behind this project. Growing up in London I loved bikes and got my first taste of freedom on my 16th birthday in 1984. The bike was my dream bike, a Yamaha RD50MX I cannot tell you how much I loved that little bike and before you know it, it was the fastest 50cc, I mean  65cc around, it had Boysen reads, a Melossi kit, Micron pipe, new sprockets....69 mph..with the wind on my back...great memories.
 
Fast forward to about 5 years ago I was living here in California, came here to start a new life when I was 21 years old.
Four years ago would make me 44 now. Without going too deeply into it, my health started failing and I ended up having a breakdown, never imagined that could happen to someone like me but that put me in the emergency room. Unable to work and medicated up to the eyeballs I went doctor to doctor trying to get help to recover as I was in really bad shape. Eventually I ended up with the right doctor who worked with me to help me using natural supplements etc to get me in the direction.
 
On a doctors visit in July 2011 my new doctor told me he was really concerned about my health after running more lab tests and he asked me. What is it you do for fun and are passionate about? I replied nothing really.  Well what do you like he asked and I said I have always loved motorcycles and I like tinkering, fixing things etc. To cut a long story short he came up with the idea of me buying an old bike and fixing it up. He felt that putting my heart and focus into this project and building this bike, polishing, cleaning working on every single piece one piece at a time could very well help my health and recovery starting with finding a passion for life again. Rebuilding this broken down bike would be like rebuilding myself he said.  I love bikes and with my wife's support we agreed and just needed to find an old bike.
 
In August 2011 I found this 1976 CB750F on Craigs List for $650 being sold by a local charity.
I emailed them and asked if the motor was seized and were they open to offers?

They did not respond then about a month later I get an email saying it is being junked tomorrow come and get it for $300. I responded can you go any lower and he responded OK $200.00 come get it! Thats it I went down to Uhaul got a trailer to go get the bike.

For anyone that is interested, after getting the bike home I wanted to find out more of the history of this bike.
I tracked down the previous owner to the LA area and gave him a call, he picked up the phone and said that's right I did own a 1976 CB750F many moons ago blah blah. He didn't seem to happy about being bothered but after using a bit of my Cockney charm he came around and told me about the bike and his memories of it.
 
He said today he is 48 years old but he bought the bike when he was 22 years old going to college and working 3 jobs. He saved his money for it and bought it from his buddy who was into drag racing, hence the rear sets, 811 kit, double chain, pods and a 4 into one pipe. 
 
The bike was his sole form of transportation and he loved it! The only problem being were the neighbors would complain about being woken up in the early hours to the sound of him taking off to work. Because of this he would coast the bike down the hill he lived at the top of. One morning he was screwing around coasting slalom down the hill in the early hours and got to close to the curb and smashed the Stator cover against the curb breaking it and causing the oil to pour out. He pushed the bike back up the hill and that was that. That was 1984 the same year as the tags still on the bike.
 
The owner told me the stator cover was very expensive and so he put it on hold until the summer. The summer came and went and the years slowly started to roll by. Eventually getting married and raising kids, still with the intention of getting the bike running.
 
20101comes by and he is 48 years old and his wife makes him finally realize the bike will never be fixed so he lists it on LA Craigs list for $650. He gets a call from a prospective buyer asking if the bike is seized? The buyer says if it is not seized he will pay $500. cash for it. The seller agrees but when the buyer shows up they cannot get any movement out of the kick start so the buyer says its seized and no good to him and does not buy the bike.
 
At that point the owners wife then convinces him to give it to charity and get the tax right off which he reluctantly does.   
 There I am on Craigs list and I come across this bike for sale by the charity, asking price $650.
After negotiating her for $200 I drive up there and cross my fingers, pop her into neutral, put my foot on the kick start and I feel those lovely pistons in motion as the kick start comes down.
 
Music to my ears. So I guess the bike was meant to be mine, I have no idea why they thought it was seized, it must of been in gear for them. My wife and I dragged her onto a trailer to begin my health/motorcycle project. 
 
It is really nice to know the history of a bike, especially when you put a piece of yourself into the project.  As I said earlier I got my first bike at 16 years old the first day I was legal to ride on the road in London, that was 1984 and I remember it like it was yesterday. Ironically the same year and spring this CB750 was parked on the side of that house left there to wait for me to come along for 26 later!
 
It has only been a matter of days now since this bike is officially finished. There were bugs to work out which I finally did do. My health is not 100% yet but has improved far more while doing this project than in the four years prior. It was like the hours and hours of time enthusiastically spent working on each piece was really like rebuilding myself out in that garage. I learned its really important to be passionate about something in life. This is my first ever build and I did it for purely selfish reasons. There was no thought for anything to fit into style or anything only what I wanted such as GPS because I often get lost, what the hell? I made plenty of mistakes and learned a lot about myself and these old bikes in the process.  Sorry to be so long winded it is just a seemingly strange story that means a lot to my wife and I.

Thanks to this forum for pulling me along through this project, sometimes when you help others you are contributing more than you will ever realize!  Below are some before and after pics!

[immortal]

Here is what she looks like finished...In fact after I post this I'm going out for my first "all the bugs hopefully out" officially finished ride. I will try post a Youtube video of her running. Sorry about the photo quality!

[brycegp]

Damn, Immortal!  That bike is H.O.T...HOT!

[MikeKato]

immortal: Nice looking bike and a great story! I think the only way your story could be improved is if you would take your test ride past the PO's old address in the wee hours of the morning; after all that's where the chain of events were set in motion that led you to your bike. As the neighbors lights are flipped on consider it a salutation to the recovery of both you and your bike.

Seriously though,don't let the PO see what you've done with the bike or you'll start a messy marital spat. Or you could show him and let him finally be right for once.

GL!

[FuZZie]

immortal: Nice looking bike and a great story! I think the only way your story could be improved is if you would take your test ride past the PO's old address in the wee hours of the morning; after all that's where the chain of events were set in motion that led you to your bike. As the neighbors lights are flipped on consider it a salutation to the recovery of both you and your bike.

Seriously though,don't let the PO see what you've done with the bike or you'll start a messy marital spat. Or you could show him and let him finally be right for once.

GL!

I'd have to disagree, I think the only way his story could be improved is if that doctor is willing to write us all a motorcycle prescription!   

[Johnie]

Thanks again for the nomination of my K4 stocker in the presence of such quality cafes this month.

Here is my story: Saw the bike in northern WI back in June 2009 on CL for $3,000. Did not think much about it at that price. Plus, I already had the KO & K1 in the stable and who needs another CB750, right? Certainly not me per my wife.

For the next month I would notice it still on CL and the price had come down to $2,000. The ad said it would start but needed some work. It had the ugly KQ seat on it plus some high rise bars and a tall sissy bar. I figured I would just give a call to see if it was still available.

Turns out the bike was owned by a 30 something girl who inherited it from her Dad. He passed away a year earlier from cancer and he wanted her to give it to her 5 year old son. She knew the bike could not just sit around that many years waiting for her son to be able to drive it. So I decided to stop and look at it.

She said she had an offer of $1,500 from a guy who was going to cafe it. She did not want it to be chopped up since her Dad was into the stockers. So I brought my photo albums of the KO & K1 that I put together on my project bikes so she could see what I do to these bikes. Told her what restoring these bikes cost as far as chrome, mechanical, etc. She let me do a compression test on it and then take it for a ride. I could tell the carbs needed some attention and the steering bearings were so bad it was scary to drive.

After the ride we started to talk price. Told her I could not do the $1,500 because of what I had to put into the bike. I gave her an offer of $800 and the promise I would send her pics of the progress monthly. She agreed and was actually pretty happy to see her Dad's bike come alive again. I brought the bike home in July 2009 and cleaned the carbs and did the usual. First order of business was to remove that KQ seat and install an OEM seat. The bike looked so much better after that was done. Rode it around until fall and got the bugs worked out of it. Then in November 2009 moved it into the patio for the winter work. I did not have to do much to the motor except the basics. It has about 22,000 miles on it and runs great. I did rebuild the forks and polished the legs. Also polished all the aluminum engine covers as oxidation was making the cases look bad. Had a friend do all the chrome over for me.

Keep in mind the sunflake orange tank and side covers are original with OEM paint. The covers look really good. The tank has some fading on top, but the decals and exterior have no dents and it looks really great for an OEM tank. So I decided to keep it original and will not be painting it. That tank really does give the bike some character.

As far as the front goes I rebuilt the master and caliper and installed All Balls tampered. New tires, sprockets, X-ring chain, front and rear wheel bearings. Bike had been dumped so it took a while to find some decent fork ears and a replacement stator cover. I was also lucky enought to find a K4 parts bike in Milwaukee for $100 which helped too. Rebuilt the gauges and put the beast back together finishing it up in May 2010...just in time to get it out of the heated patio before the establishment got pissed.

So that is my story and thanks again for the nomination and kind words guys. Best of luck to all BOTM nominees. The honor is all mine to be in this group with you.

Please click the pic to enlarge it. I just can not get the big size here.

[GK]

Cast my vote, all great but one true standout.

[70CB750]

Took me fifteen minutes to make my mind 

[immortal]

Brycegp, love your bike! I was thinking prior to seeing your bike you could build a bike around one of those gas tanks and I think you nailed it with the headlight, seat pan and wheels etc. Absolutely brilliant build!....in fact I'm going to save your pics and show them to my doctor...lol

[brycegp]

dont count me out!  story and pics will be up soon!!  I been slammed at work...

immortal - thanks for the compliments.  it's sad there can be only one this month...its a nail biter!!

[brycegp]

So what's my story...?  Hmmm...   Well...I needed a hobby!  I had just bought a '72 CB500 cafe style...and I loved it.  After a few months, I started scoping out the internet for bikes I liked and found the CB750 to be the best option for me to start with.

So I bought this...and if you've read my build thread you know that it wasn't supposed to be a huge project.  I thought I was buying a completed bike but figured I could make some light changes just to break myself into doing some mods.



But as I started removing parts that I didn't like...I started realizing I didn't like A LOT of the bike.  And one by one, parts started falling off the bike till I had torn the whole damn thing down to a pile of parts I did want.  But it was far from enough parts to make a completed bike.



So I started imagining all the aspects of a bike I would really love.  I wanted minimal.  I wanted classic.  I wanted raw. And I wanted it low...

There are a few aspects of the bike that I am proud of...feel that I really solved a challenge when it presented itself...or came up with a nifty mod to make it cooler in some way.

1.  I wanted it lower. But I didn't like the way guys drop the fork tubes into the triple tree.  And in the back, I certainly didn't want to use blocks.  So I found 1978 Cb550f forks that have identical caliper mounts and are 2" shorter than stock cb750F forks.  And then I found a thread describing a relatively easy way to mount up a DOHC CB750 Swing arm that is 2" longer...dropping the bike roughly 2" in the back.  And the tubular swing arm from the DOHC, IMHO, is a better aesthetic match to the frame than the squared off stock swing arm.  Problem solved...a lower, longer bike...which I really wanted.



2. I wanted minimal switches and gauges.  I wanted the triple tree empty.  I scoured the internet for a headlight just the right proportions to both go with the lines of the bike AND house all my electrical and gauge.  CEV headlight off some european moped was the answer.  While it did come with a speedo hole...I had to drill out the rest to fit the headlight switch, kill switch and idiot lights.  The one thing I think is super cool is where I put the start button...installed into the triple tree center nut.  Its so stealthy there...no one has been able to find where to start it yet...till I point it out.  Then there are the mini turn sigs that are installed in the rear as caps to the frame rails and finish the back nicely.







3.  Remove that ugly ass oil tank.  Well...I know there are lots of after market or custom oil tanks out there...but I really didn't like any of them.  Those round or octagonal barrels under the seat just didn't flow with the lines of the bike.  Till one day I was rummaging around at The Garage Company and found some old piece off a 1964 Ducati...and my oil tank dreams began to take shape.  Its painted black on the bike...and the pics don't do it justice...but it just works so well with the rest of the bike that I'm really proud of it.




4.  The gas tank and tail section combo.  Now you may not know it...but I went thru 3 tank and tail sections before I settled on this set up.  The others were off the shelf FEEBAY purchases...that just didn't really pop.  I was almost ready to buy a Benjie tank and tail till...I saw the Black Bomber tank.  Those aggressive lines...the hump back shape...the chrome panels and knee grips.  Man it just really got me thinking.  Well...it took me over a year to piece together a mint condition Bomber tank.  The knee grips  are impossible to find.  And I bought the left and right side...6 months apart from each other.

And then I was determined to find a tail section that followed the same lines.  After months of searching...and no luck...this tail section was a junkyard find...and began life as a 1950's Johnson outboard motor.  It had the same raised striped down the middle...so I cut it up, had a fab guy weld it together...and presto!  The tail section is truly my favorite part of the bike.



5. Wheels, Tires and Brakes:  So I wanted Coke 2" White Walls...maybe it was the gangsta coming out in me.    But I needed 18" hoops front and back due to sizing limitations of Coker Tires.  So I found a set of Harley hoops both 18x2.5, had them re-angled, new Buchanan spokes and laced them up to the stock hubs.  Personally, I think the white walls set this bike apart...but I COMPLETELY agree they aren't typically good set on a cafe style bike.  But in this case, I feel like I pulled it off.

The dual disc brakes with cross drilled rotors give its a more sporty look, I think.




6. 4 into 2 exhaust:  I love the look of these pipes.  'Nuff said...



7. Polish Aluminum velocity stacks:



So those are the highlights and in my opinion the best parts of the bike. I hope you guys like it...but in all honesty...I was just making a bike that I loved.  There were countless times where I wanted to sell it off or throw it in a river....or just burn it.  But after finally seeing it thru, I am extremely proud of finishing it.  And boy does it draw attention...








Credits:
La Ca Fe´ Motorcycles: Gas Tank, Oil Tank, Tail Section fabrication
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000884782328

Upholstery: Markel Auto Upholstery

Paint: Beverly La Brea Auto Body

Wiring Harness:  My brother, Jason AND PABST BLUE RIBBON...without which this bike might not have ever come to life.

[Retro Rocket]

Excellent write up and pics Bryce....

[brycegp]

took it for another short 25 miles rode today....wet down to Venice for the start of the 3rd Sunday Ride but didnt have it in me to do the whole ride....still working out the kinks and all that, I guess.

But I gotta say that I really love the ride.  for that style of bike and a firm suspension...it's very comfortable!

[Really?]

Gotta love it when the BOTM comes together like this.

[greenjeans]

Yes - It is nice to see BOTM with this many great stories and bikes.  Well done gentlemen.   My vote is cast.

[gnarlycharlie4u]

urgh... this is gonna be a tough call.


I think I'll let everyone say their peace before I vote.

[gnarlycharlie4u]

So I have to say brycegp ALMOST got my vote. Especially with that DOHC swingarm on there.

But then I watched this vid:
Dave's 1975 cb750 dyno run

and doctor_d totally stole it.

[brycegp]

here is the only pic I have of me on the bike...taken this past weekend on the local 3rd Sunday Ride.

[Really?]

Hey, you look like to fit the bike well.  Too bad that pic does not get any bigger.

[Terry in Australia]

There are things on each of those Cafe Racers I like, and things I don't like so much, but I look at John's bike and I love how it's survived for so long in it's original form, and I have to give it my vote. Cheers, Terry.

[Bill/BentON Racing]

Well.a humpback 450 tank,that's creative,the seat,the whitewalls,I'd say you pulled it off quite well.Therefore,you get me vote.And that old original tank with NOS plastic badges and trimback in z batcave might be on another CB750 soon! Imitation the sincerest form of flattery! Bill
Just love it. Way different!

[Really?]

Hey, you look like to fit the bike well.  Too bad that pic does not get any bigger.

Nice!  The pic gets bigger now.

[K5owner]

All the bikes are awesome.

The one that got my vote may not be the most polished or highest horsepower, but the story behind it struck a nerve that brings out the human factor in all of us.