Topic: steering stop > someone screwed with mine how should it be?,

[Garage_guy_chris]

I have kind of an odd problem with my 74 CB750 K4.  While messing around with the front end and swapping parts its apparent someone has modified the steering stops one end had a little 5/16" or so cube of steel welded to it. making the stops un-even with the stock triple trees. I cut off this little addition but things look a little off,  the bare fork tubes are almost touching the tank i recon with the headlight mounts it will touch  .  so i think they may have ground the stop narrower?

My question can be answered three ways
- how long is your steering stop from forward facing tip to tip?
- when you use the stem lock how much wiggle room is there?
- how close do your fork tubes get to your gas tank? (for those running a stock tank)

[MCRider]

By steerng stop it sunds like you're referring to the part of the frame. Steering stops are usually referred to the lugs on the triple tree. Don't really have a name for the part f the frame that the stop contacts.
Ques:
1. Don't know
2. not much. You should move the hbar tip maybe an inch or 2.
3. The tubes WITH the fork ears should miss the tank by at least 1/4 to 3/8. IF you don't have fork ears and the tubes are getting closer than 1/2 in, I suspect the PO bent the fork stop lugs and welded that bit onto the frame to restore it.

Coincidentally, BrandenK4 and I BOTH have issues with fork stops. Click my build link in my sig and see the last page or 2 for explanation and pictures. My lug was bent in an accident. My fork ear hit my tank and dented it. Branden and I both fixed ours by driling the lug and threading a bolt into it. The head of the bolt then restored the clearance  provided by an unbent fork stop lug.

[lucky]

On the CB750 the steering stop are welded to the front of the frame head stock .
One at the top and one at the bottom.

If the front forks are not original the triple trees may not line up with those steering stops.


We need a photo please.

[MCRider]

On the CB750 the steering stop are welded to the front of the frame head stock .
One at the top and one at the bottom.

If the front forks are not original the triple trees may not line up with those steering stops.


We need a photo please.

Man, how about a picture of yours. I've never heard or seen what you describe.

Every one I've seen, there is a 1/3 moon lug welded to the front of the lower end of the head stock. The lower triple tree has a lug on each side which comes into contact with the semi-circular rinig when the forks are swung stop to stop.

All this is at the bottom of the headstock and lower triple tree. Nothing higher.

Is it an issue they changed at K5 or something later? I mean I own one, I know what it looks like.

[MCRider]

I looked at my 75 CB750F and it has the semicircle welded top and bottom of the headstock. However only the lower tree has the stop lugs molded in which contact the semicirlce on the frame, hence the fork stop.

The top semicircle does nothing. Must have been for another application.

When did they move the ignition/fork lock up above? I'll be that's what the top one is for: the fork lock.  The lower one actualy stops the movement of the fork.

[KC_Northstar]

When I first got my Cb750K the front fork would touch the tank when turned to the left stop.  It was OK if turned right.
There should be about a quarter inch clearance between the forks and tank.  Turned out the semicircle part welded
to the frame had a dimple in it on the left stop.  My guess is that after years of putting the bike on the side stand
and letting the bars snap over to the left, had pounded a dimple into the stop.  I had to put a spot weld on that
dimpled area to build it back up. Sounds like someone did the same thing to yours by welding a cube of steel to it.
You might want to put the headlight ears and tank on and then see how much adjustment you need to get it
close to a quarter inch clearance.  It mite require some welding and grinding on that semicircle part on the frame.

KC

[lucky]

Photos of fork stops. 1978 CB750 frame.

[Garage_guy_chris]

Thanks for the photos lucky. oddly my 74 is completely different with only 1 stop at the top


It all started off with this custom set of triple clamps mounted to the bike. they are nice but i dont know what the guy building them was trying to accomplish with the steering stops.

after taking a fresh look at them today I think Im going to make up a new frame stop completely, possibly adjustable for clip on / bar adjustability  and clearance and straighten out the lug on the lower tree







You can see the problem when i went to put on the stock trees, I cut it off but now like i was saying before the bare legs come too close to the tank so im thinking the frame stop has been narrowed or ground on.






Finally to top it all off the lug on the lower tree is also bent

[MCRider]

Photos of fork stops. 1978 CB750 frame.

The earlier frames don't have 2.

[MCRider]

Could be anything, but on that origianl lower triple, its more likely the lugs have been bent back.

The bare tubes should have LOTS of clearance as the bike original had tube covers and they were much larger diameter than the bare tubes and they had cllearance.

AS to adjustability, if you make it all stock, then drill and thread the stop lugs as in the picture, you ca screw the stopper screw in and out, using a jam nut.



Clearance of bare tube with an aftermarket fork ear (not as big as OEM):


KC: You may have a dimple in that flange, and cured it by welding. But I would bet money it was more likely (from personal experience and other threads on the forum) that the lug on the lower tree bent backwards, from repeated banging to the stop, or a hard fall.

[Nic]

Those stops are prone to bend and even sheer off. The basket case I'm doing up had both sheered off. I welded square lugs with more mass onto the lower tree. I positioned them with vice grips making sure the steering lock could clear the stops when on full lock both directions.There is no room for error. Hopeful this time the stops don't move.