Topic: New bike pic and the normal Newbie 750K questions....

[ShiftyAl]

Hello all.

Though I started out riding on the tank of 750k with my Dad as a small kid, I just purchased my first. I bought a nice Candy Gold and largely original rust free 1972 CB750 for a price that would likely enrage a few. 

While I've had my share of Italian and British street bikes and a few Japanese dirt bikes, this is my first 4-cylinder purchase. Of course as the standard story goes, my bike has been sitting in the garage for a few years and needs sorting. I searched the forum archives for answers to my questions, but clarification is still needed.

1) The carbs were gummed up as expected so a rebuild seemed appropriate. I bought kits and chose to tear them down, but per the manual I chose to *not* soak the carb bodies in carb soak. Now that I've got them back together I'm encountering issues of the pilot jets clogging and msifiring. Should I have soaked the carb bodies anyway? (by the way....I DID clean the fuel tank, replace the fuel lines and install filters to be certain the fuel is not the issue)

2) The front brake caliper was locked up and the brake master was leaking, so I purchased a kit to rebuild the master. After cleaning thoroughly and carefully installing the new piston and seals, it STILL leaks out where the lever is attached! I'm worried about the direction the seals were placed on the piston. I'm fairly certain the order was correct (using the clymer manual), but I should've paid closer attention as I removed the old set up. Anybody have close up photos of the rebuild or advice on seal direction/order? I recall using a synthetic grease on my old Moto Guzzi master rebuild...should that have been done with this one as well?

Other than these blaring issues, the bike has been well taken care of and seems to need almost nothing but riding. I look forward to doing so after I get these things sorted out.

Thanks ahead of time for any help you guys can offer.

Alan

also....I've included a pic of my bike as I found it. Today it looks MUCH better after a little bath and some minor polishing!

[ShiftyAl]

Also.....I have another somewhat stupid question about the rubber lines on the carbs. It's obvious which lines are the fuel lines that link the carbs, but what are the two lines that come out between the two middle carbs? (the ones that turn upwards near the throttle spring) What do they attach to and what do they do? Are they supposed to be vaccuum lines of some type?

Thanks, Alan

[Jonesy]

It is helpful to soak the carb bodies so you know you've gotten all the crud out of the low speed circuit.

Did you soak the rubber brake parts in brake fluid for about 20 minutes before you put the MC back together?

The two rubber lines that come out of the 2 middle carbs are the float bowl vents.

Nice looking bike!

[ShiftyAl]

Does that mean that it's actually ok to soak the carb bodies contrary to what the manual says??

Where should the float vent tubes be routed to? Right now they are just kinda hanging out.

No I did NOT soak the rubber parts in brake fluid. Could this have caused them to leak once assembled?

Also....anyone want to trade some nice spoke wheels for my aluminum wheels?? 

Alan

[jaknight]

Hello ShiftyAl.........---------->

     Welcome aboard the Big Scoot!! Kick back and enjoy the ride.........

     Nice looking ride you have there.

     For now, the only advice I offer is to add some SeaFoam to your gas tank as per the instructions on the can.  The stuff is terrific; it will stop rust from forming in your gas tank and keep everything spiffy.  For a full tank of gas it takes about 4 ounces......... check the can instructions...

     ~ ~ ~ jaknight ~ ~ ~

     P.S. Honda says not to soak the carbs because they are covering their as* due to some cleaners destroying rubber parts, O rings, etc., etc.,...... Honda's just trying to play it safe.  Ironically, I have been told that Yamaha's carb cleaner (the one in two sets of cans; not the spray can stuff) is very good and very safe............

[Dave K]

Well, I got lazy on one bike about the carb. issue. As I spent about 3 weeks polishing everything up I had filled the fuel lines and float bowls with Gum Out carb cleaner. By the time I had the bike polished, I drained the fuel lines and float bowls and refilled it with gas. She fired right up and I have been driving her ever since. No problems at all.

[6adan]

  Are you sure it is a 72 the side covers look like 60 or 70? Dannie

[ProTeal55]

Welcome to the site...

[6adan]

  I ment 69 or 70. Your bike looks like mine when I got it new in 1970.Welcom also alot of good info. here. Dannie

[ShiftyAl]

yes...it has me puzzled regarding the year. I wonder if someone tried to make it look older with adding the sidecovers and front forks??

Do these VIN codes mean anything to you guys?

CB750-1103369
CB750E-1106B50
OR ".................850"??

Thanks, Alan

[SteveD CB500F]

You can check here:

http://sohc4.us/node/16

[ShiftyAl]

I interpret this to mean I have a 1970-71 then. I thought the title said 72 though......

How can I get more specific with this?

Anyone?

Also....I'm assuming the aluminum wheels were a later upgrade. What year did they start offering mags?

A

[cbjunkie]

yeah - lot's of times  the title will indicate the bike as a later (by one-year) model...my understanding of this is that depending on when the bike rolls off the production line and is released to the public actually sets the titled date. someone will correct this if i'm wrong...thanks...

you've got frankenbike, basically...

get rid of the aluminum wheels - sell the sidecovers for big bucks (or keep them for fun!) and hang out here a lot...

read up on Hondaman's thoughts (found in FAQs) especially about the early models - sounds like you have a K1 - that's what I've got as well, these are called the "performance" years - faster and not overly refined for the U.S. market (yet)

[ShiftyAl]

I know this question is totally loaded, but I'm curious to know how good of a deal I got on it. "How much is it roughly worth to the guys in-the-know?"

I could find no rust on the bike....it has less than 20k on it and doesn't appear to have been restored. Someone has added an old-school electronic ignition box (as old-school as electronic gets) and changed the wheels, but other than that it seems to just be a clean bike that hasn't been totally ripped apart yet. It runs....though tuning is obviously needed, but it seems to pull like a freight train when it kicks in and I can find no other problems..

A value range perhaps??

thanks, Alan

[cbjunkie]

as far as i can tell, you haven't actually told us what you paid...

[ShiftyAl]

 ....I wasn't looking to base its value on what I paid for the masses and let that influence its worth....

I was curious to know what the guys who know what they are talking about pay for them.....(ie. you all) 

Here's a pic where you can see the electronic ignition box mounted right behind the right peg. (I'll post better pics later)

Alan

[cbjunkie]

cagy, aren't ya? 

it all depends...you've got a bike that looks pretty good, but has clearly been buggered up by someone who is cosmetically confused.

that said, it does have some nice features - the pipes alone, new, sell for over 1000 bucks.

the wheels look, well, that would be my opinion...

the sidecovers were fit for some reason or another, but NOT to make the bike "look old" - if they were going for the "old" look they blew that #$%* up with the wheels...

someone that careless with the cosmetics...hmmm...what did he do to the engine...

it all depends, dude.
junkie out...

[ShiftyAl]

Not so much cagey as I am a stock broker and I get paid to value things on a MUCH more complicated scale. .....hence my reluctance to base its value on what I paid for it. Don't let me get started on market value vs. stated value or purchase price. We all know that values can change with the seasons, tides, gas prices and simple consumer demand so don't get me wrong or think I'm out to profit. I plan on keeping this baby, but it's even more satisfying when you know you got a good deal......right??

oh yeah...the photo...

[cbjunkie]

hmm...what's that box underneathe the right side cover?

[ShiftyAl]

remember that I said it had an old electronic ignition installed?? 

[dusterdude]

remember that I said it had an old electronic ignition installed?? 

junkie`s a bit slow on things like that.

[cbjunkie]

tch. i have one just like that, actually...

i keep my cigars in it.

[dusterdude]

cigar smoker...cool.

[Klark Kent]

The bikes were titled when sold.  so all the '72 on the title means is that your bike sat in a showroom or a container somewhere until then.  There should be a date of manufacture on the bike and it will likely be from a year that corresponds to the colored fork ears and the side covers. 

To answer  your question about how much guys on this forum pay for bikes like this: as little as they have to.  So a stock broker who doesn't know what he has isn't something anyone here would want to screw up for someone else.  But since you are persistent maybe someone will attempt an appraisal based on that one pic.  The one thing that is for sure is that you will make a lot more money parting it out, but for the time involved in that I would expect the money you make to be less than what you could have made stock broking for that many hours.  So my best investment advice is to spend the time you would parting out fixing it up. (and getting rid of those wheels) you will have something worth more, and that you worked on, and that no one else in the parkinglot has.  most people here consider having one of these bikes and maintaining it priceless, so what you are asking them is "here is a picture of my child, how much would you guys pay for a child like this? how much did you pay for your children?"

We will help you fix it, but will be hard pressed to help you squeeze the most cash out of a fellow enthusiast.

or maybe others feel differently.  best of luck whatever you decide to do.
-KK

[HondaMan]

I know this question is totally loaded, but I'm curious to know how good of a deal I got on it. "How much is it roughly worth to the guys in-the-know?"

I could find no rust on the bike....it has less than 20k on it and doesn't appear to have been restored. Someone has added an old-school electronic ignition box (as old-school as electronic gets) and changed the wheels, but other than that it seems to just be a clean bike that hasn't been totally ripped apart yet. It runs....though tuning is obviously needed, but it seems to pull like a freight train when it kicks in and I can find no other problems..

A value range perhaps??

thanks, Alan

My ears perked up: what kind of "old school" electronics box is that? I built some for the K0-K1 bikes, long ago...and sold/gave them to guys on gold CB750s. Where do you live? I built the first 2 by hand, then gave the design to someone who built some more that we sold (college money, you know). Mine got stolen off the back of my bike at a motel one night. 

The side covers look like K0 covers, with those vents on the front of them. Does the oil tank underneath also have a squarish appearance, fitting inside the cover closely, or is it rounded, with quite a bit of clear open space between the tank and the inside of the cover? The upper fork covers with the reflectors look like the K1 and later. The aluminum wheels are not Honda CB750K, that I know of... 

The paint scheme looks strongly like K1, but paint is hard to judge, easy to redo. Twenty-something,000 miles is a steal for a K0/K1, regardless of price under $2k.

One thing you haven't mentioned: the exhausts. Are they glass packs, exiting in a small-diameter vertical bar (K0 and earliest K1), glass packs exiting in the 3/4" diameter hole plug (later K1) or chambered mufflers, where looking inside shows a solid-looking plate with one hole in it (K2 and later)? That will tell about the genre, if all pipes are original.