Author Topic: Bought a K0 750 and got a 400f for free (Read 15706 times)

camelman · « **Reply #50 on:** May 25, 2012, 04:46:22 PM »

Terry, my engine VIN looks like it was done by hand, so I think I have replacement cases. I'm up in the 9600 range for my frame and my engine VIN is within 15 of it (I'm not by my bike right now). I get the feeling the engine was replaced before they ran out of spare sandcast cases! Guess what has two thumbs and feels pretty pleased with his purchase... THIS GUY!! ;-)

Camelman

Old Scrambler · « **Reply #51 on:** May 25, 2012, 05:15:48 PM »

Notice the LEFT horn mount.........now tell us how many mm is the height of the seam on the mufflers........5mm = lotus-root; 7mm = later units.

I ran the chain through my sandcast cases in June of 1970......HONDA air-freighted die-cast replacements 9-weeks later and the dealer stamped them with my old number.

Terry in Australia · « **Reply #52 on:** May 25, 2012, 05:45:31 PM »

Ha ha, that's a visual joke mate, but still kinda funny! Now your numbers are well within the diecast range, probably built around late 1969. It's doubtful that you've got sandcast replacement cases, but the easiest way to find out is to count the number of screws holding your clutch cover on. If it's 10, it's a diecast. if it's 9, it's a sandcast. I'm betting it's 10.

camelman · « **Reply #53 on:** May 25, 2012, 07:25:25 PM »

Quote from: Terry in Australia on May 25, 2012, 05:45:31 PM

Ha ha, that's a visual joke mate, but still kinda funny! Now your numbers are well within the diecast range, probably built around late 1969. It's doubtful that you've got sandcast replacement cases, but the easiest way to find out is to count the number of screws holding your clutch cover on. If it's 10, it's a diecast. if it's 9, it's a sandcast. I'm betting it's 10.

You're right, there are 10. Glad that is solved. I noticed something strange on many of the screws though. There is a small "x" punched onto the screw heads. Does anyone know what the "x" means? Not all of the screws have it, but most of them do.

Thanks,
Camelman

camelman · « **Reply #54 on:** May 25, 2012, 07:26:56 PM »

... and I don't mean the one in the middle. look at the top of the screw head.

Roach Carver · « **Reply #55 on:** May 25, 2012, 07:29:08 PM »

I dont but pay special attention to the bolts with 8's. There should be some on the swingarm at the axle. On the fork pinch bolts and multiple other places I cant remember.

754 · « **Reply #56 on:** May 25, 2012, 07:36:26 PM »

IF they are sancast you can see it.. it is possible to put a 10 hole cover on and dummy the screw-head in..

Terry in Australia · « **Reply #57 on:** May 26, 2012, 02:29:27 AM »

Don't get him excited again Frank, the chances of someone somehow installing a 10 bolt clutch cover on sandcast cases is about as likely as you getting a job as a swimsuit model!

camelman · « **Reply #58 on:** May 26, 2012, 07:35:51 AM »

Terry, thanks, my eyes are burning!

I found out what the "x" means. It is a mark stating that the screw conforms to JIS (Japanese Industrial Standard). The JIS philips screw head is different than the cross head screw we are familiar with. You can read more about it here: http://www.webbikeworld.com/motorcycle-tools/jis-screwdrivers/

Camelman

754 · « **Reply #59 on:** May 26, 2012, 07:57:45 AM »

Well I do have a KO motor here with a non K0 head.. so I thought I need one more KO topend (that makes 2) I need. BUT looking at the head the centre front bolt is not there and the hole has sealant in it, indicating to me that it likely still has the KO cylinder on it.
The reason I am teying to find out is.. a dealer installed sandcast case on a very early KO, would probably make it more valuable, and quite rare....
so just look at the damn case and see if that tenth screw is into the case, or cutoff and glued in..

Terry in Australia · « **Reply #60 on:** May 26, 2012, 02:27:07 PM »

Quote from: 754 on May 26, 2012, 07:57:45 AM

Well I do have a KO motor here with a K0 head.. so I thought I need one more KO topend (that makes 2) I need. BUT looking at the head the centre front bolt is not there and the hole has sealant in it, indicating to me that it likely still has the KO cylinder on it.
The reason I am teying to find out is.. a dealer installed sandcast case on a very early KO, would probably make it more valuable, and quite rare....
so just look at the damn case and see if that trenth screw is into the case or cutoff and glued in..

If it's got a centre front bolt hole Frank, it's not a K0 head............

754 · « **Reply #61 on:** May 26, 2012, 02:34:11 PM »

i meant K3 head.. my late KO head has the hole, at least 18,000 did.. have you passed on early heads thinking they were not KO ?
going back to fix that post..

Terry in Australia · « **Reply #62 on:** May 26, 2012, 02:40:33 PM »

Quote from: 754 on May 26, 2012, 02:34:11 PM

i meant K3 head.. my late KO head has the hole, at least 18,000 did.. have you passed on early heads thinking they were not KO ?
going back to fix that post..

No, but I think I've done worse, I sold a perfect recessed ignition switch and 2 plug keys for 50 bucks, and repainted a wrinkle tank in K4 colors and sold it with my K4........... I did keep the K0 swingarm and "shorty" chainguard off "Goldie", my K2 custom when I sold it last year though, so I'm learning...........

754 · « **Reply #63 on:** May 26, 2012, 03:26:19 PM »

There was girl on here had a tank for 50 or 75 bux, told here to look underneath.. she did and posted the pic on here.. it was wrinkled.. but had emblem mounts filled . I could not buy it then, she put it on ebay.. Then i told her to get the seller (selling for her) to allow international shipping, but they didnt change it.. went for like 150 or 175 ish !! hope someone on here grabbed it
Got 2 K-8s last year, one has a 16k KO motor in it the other a 20K ko in it . One has the right head but broken fins between the exh, the other a K3 head.. no case damage on either..

camelman · « **Reply #64 on:** May 29, 2012, 10:46:41 PM »

I figured out the shifting issue with my 750 K0 today. The splines were sheared off so that each time the trans shifted it also spun, which resulted in the indexing with each shift. Anyway, the shaft is totally buggered. What are my options for fixing it?

Now, on to other questions:
1) The seat is shot, but there is still some decent red foam in the middle of the pan. I'm thinking of having the foam built up along with a new cover (the original cover is beyond gone). I'd only do it to keep some of the original foam in there for posterity, but I'd definitely disclose that fact whenever I sell it. What do you guys think?
2) I need a unicorn upper triple tree since mine is broken. Is there a reliable repair, or do I need to buy one? If so, then does anyone have any leads? There are two on eBay right now. One for $280 and one for $500. Both seem a little steep to me!
3) The front fender is double cut, but very weathered with small rust spots lifting chrome in places. Should I just leave it be, or get the original rechromed? I hear there is debate on how to correctly rechrome these old parts, so any advice is appreciated.

More questions to come later, but that should do for now.

Camelman

Greggo · « **Reply #65 on:** May 30, 2012, 12:09:51 AM »

Hey Camelman, I picked up that 550 today. Thanks for hooking me up with those guys!

The debate on new chrome seems to be that the parts come back looking too nice. They don't match the original look of the bikes, which didn't have such perfect chrome. I seem to remember Markb asking his chromer to go easy on it, but the parts still came back with a thicker coating than stock. Unless you're having everything, or at least the big stuff rechromed, just clean up the fender as much as you can with the usual methods.

Keep searching for a triple tree...don't pay $300. Just my opinion. Put up a wanted ad on the forum here, and the Sandcast Only forum, maybe. $75-$150 wouldn't be out of line..

I think the more original you can keep the seat, by keeping some of the red foam where you can see it under the pan will retain the most value. Some new foam, and a quality cover will do wonders for the look, and comfort of the bike. But, I guess it depends on how far you're going with the refresh.

There. I think I answered your questions backwards, but oh well.

Terry in Australia · « **Reply #66 on:** May 30, 2012, 01:02:09 AM »

I'm too lazy to answer anything in order, so I'm just gonna ramble on for a bit. Top triple tree prices are bullshiit at the moment, they used the same top triple from 1969 to 1973, so there should be thousands of those buggers floating around, they're not rare.

Don't be fussed about "perfect chrome" issues, your bike is lovely, but it's not a sandcast, so I personally don't think it's that important that you worry about straying slightly from factory original, as it would be if your bike was a low numbers sandcast. The OEM chrome was rubbish, and modern chrome is just so good, why would you worry about it?

You can buy the repro red foam pad and seat cover from Yamiya which are such good copies no-one would ever know, except that a perfect K0 seat would look suspiciously like a repro, 43 years after the fact.......

The splined gear selector shaft is a piece of cake to replace, just remove the outer tranny cover and it'll probably come out with it, it's a 10 minute job to replace, at worst. Have a good one, Cheers, Terry.

xsmooth69x · « **Reply #67 on:** May 30, 2012, 03:16:15 AM »

i looked at ur unicorn triple tree. the $500 doesn't included the much needed spacer which everyone seems to lose then over tighten the triple tree arm thing snaps.

the $280 does include these but that is still way expensive

xsmooth69x · « **Reply #68 on:** May 30, 2012, 03:31:43 AM »

sorry doubt post

Tews19 · « **Reply #69 on:** May 30, 2012, 06:29:10 AM »

PM sent

camelman · « **Reply #70 on:** May 30, 2012, 08:10:47 AM »

Tews, did you send me a PM? If so, then I didn't receive it.

Thanks for the feedback guys. I'll look into that Yamiya seat. I remember it being expensive, but I want to do this right.

Greggo, did they have everything for that bike?

Greggo · « **Reply #71 on:** May 30, 2012, 05:15:32 PM »

Quote from: camelman on May 30, 2012, 08:10:47 AM

Greggo, did they have everything for that bike?

They had just about everything. The front had a dual disc set up, but the front forks are bent to hell. Two of the stock pipes are bent up from the same crash, but the others are nice. I'm parting it out.

camelman · « **Reply #72 on:** September 23, 2012, 09:37:59 PM »

I've finally started working on my 750K0. So far I have discovered that the electrical system is mostly intact, although there are some rather beat up wires here and there. I haven't been able to verify the brake light due to a missing bulb, the starter solenoid clicks but won't power the starter, and neither the turn signals nor horn work. I also can't move the headlight switch from whatever it is set at when I tighten down the screws that hold the switch assembly on the handlebars. I have a feeling all issues are related to corrosion in the connectors and the headlight switch just needs some love.

Anyway, I do have a few things that are puzzling me. First off, I can't turn the handlebars full lock in either direction without the triple trees contacting the tank. There is barely any contact, but I doubt that's correct. Second, it appears I'm missing something on the left side electronics. Can you gurus take a look at the attached pic and tell me what I'm missing? There are some spare wires in the upper right portion of the triangle. Three to be exact and one of them is black and switches on with the ignition.

FYI, I got the 400F running. Just working on getting new head bearings in it and repainting the tank and side panels. Maybe a top end rebuild and clean/polish the engine.

Thanks,
Camelman

camelman · « **Reply #73 on:** September 23, 2012, 09:48:08 PM »

FYI, that's still mostly dirt. The bike's been neglected, but in a sealed container, for a few months due to travel and work. It will get cleaned up eventually. Regardless of what you've heard... pimpin' ain't easy!

HondaMan · « **Reply #74 on:** September 23, 2012, 10:37:35 PM »

Quote from: camelman on September 23, 2012, 09:37:59 PM

I've finally started working on my 750K0. So far I have discovered that the electrical system is mostly intact, although there are some rather beat up wires here and there. I haven't been able to verify the brake light due to a missing bulb, the starter solenoid clicks but won't power the starter, and neither the turn signals nor horn work. I also can't move the headlight switch from whatever it is set at when I tighten down the screws that hold the switch assembly on the handlebars. I have a feeling all issues are related to corrosion in the connectors and the headlight switch just needs some love.

Anyway, I do have a few things that are puzzling me. First off, I can't turn the handlebars full lock in either direction without the triple trees contacting the tank. There is barely any contact, but I doubt that's correct. Second, it appears I'm missing something on the left side electronics. Can you gurus take a look at the attached pic and tell me what I'm missing? There are some spare wires in the upper right portion of the triangle. Three to be exact and one of them is black and switches on with the ignition.

FYI, I got the 400F running. Just working on getting new head bearings in it and repainting the tank and side panels. Maybe a top end rebuild and clean/polish the engine.

Thanks,
Camelman

That Green wire is a normal spare, found on all 750s.
It appears the turn signal flasher may be missing: are the wire colors Grey and Black right there? Those are the ones for the flasher.

Let me know if you don't score some of the triple-tree gap spacer "D" washers.

News:

Author Topic: Bought a K0 750 and got a 400f for free (Read 15706 times)