Topic: Wow...how many....

[techy5025]

....of these old airboxes can be left intact.  I wonder if
State Farm wiill insure just my airboxes! 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1,1&item=190004770557&ih=009&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT

Jim

[6pkrunner]

The old adage "Whatever the market will bear."

Like the blind guy selling pencils on the corner for $1 million each. Passerby says "You're not going to sell many at that price." Blind guy replies, "Only got to sell one."

Someone wants an airbox to finish their bike, they'll pay it. Then that will set the new benchmark for prices and so on, and so on......

[Tim.]

Check out his other current auctions... WOW!  I haven't looked at his completed items - I'm too jealous already.

[toycollector10]

I was watching that one, just watching though, the NZ dollar is at around .60 cents US so I don't have a hope in hell. Check what ducktail seats are selling for, mind-blowing really....

[cbjunkie]

criminey - what a story...i wonder wonder wonder what HE paid???

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Honda-CB-CB750-4-1970-HONDA-CB750-ORIGINAL-NOS-WOW-NOT-SANDCAST_W0QQitemZ190005921647QQihZ009QQcategoryZ80647QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[techy5025]

The badges on the side covers are the wrong color...should be gold inserts, but
other then that a perfect example of a K0.  I agree with him.  They will only
appreciate more and are better then a CD in the bank....but two is plenty for
me so you guys will have to get this one to keep it in the "family". 

Jim

[TARKUS512]

That's too rich for my blood. My whole bike only cost me $150 bucks US and that was in instalment payments to my bosses friend.

[GroovieGhoulie]

THIS is why I am preparing to buy my K0.  They are NOT going to ever get cheaper.

Also, why not just buy one of the replica covers from DSS and paint it?  MUCH cheaper, right look and better plastic to boot.

ETA:  My budget is around 10K.  Is that reasonable for a K0 with ALL of the proper and sought after K0 parts?

[toycollector10]

Going by the ebay sales, and I'm in there every day looking, $4500-$5500 will get you a good one with say 30,000 miles but it might need a bit of freshening up work.

$5500-$7000 will get you a beautiful K0 with low miles.

If you have to get the bike crated and shipped that will be expensive of course.

You only have to decide what color you want now     

[GroovieGhoulie]

You only have to decide what color you want now     

Candy Blue Green 

[ElCheapo]

Sad part is.... The whole thing can be manufactured. You would need get a plastic extrution mold process, the paint, and the brackets. I'll bet I could fake one that even the masters would have a hard time detecting.

We plan on doing this with the side covers for most of the 750 years.

[techy5025]

I suspect that what price you will pay depends on what you what to define
a K0 as.  If you want one in almost original shape with all the hard to get parts
intact you will pay top dollar.  If you will settle for repro or substitute parts for the side
covers, the airbox, the chain guard, the master cylinder, front fender, brake
caliper, ducktail seat, etc.....all parts unique to the K0, you can get one cheaper and
as El Cheapo said will look great to all but the diehard restorers.

The fact is that the price people are willing to pay depends on the shape and the
degree of originality of the bike.  Also, what you intend to do with the bike.

Jim

[GroovieGhoulie]

I desire all the K0-unique parts.

I am willing to settle for repro parts as long as they are IDENTICAL to the originals.  airboxes and sidecovers are already made, and there is even the place in Japan that sells smooth oil filter covers, wrinkle tanks, ducktail seats (on a metal pan I hope) and other K0 stuff.  Problem is, most repros aren't identical to the originals.

However, I am REALLY serious about wanting the recessed ignition and black kill switch.  I've seen LOTS of SWEET K0s that were restored and they have red kill switches and the wrong ignition.  The ignition alone is more than 700 bucks if you can find them because no one wants to repro them.  Same with the right-side controls.

I would prefer, and pay a premium for, a totally original bike, but I would take one that had some wrong parts as long as they were parts that could easily be replaced with correct ones.  Problem is, when they ARE missing parts, it's the hard-to-get ones like the ignition and kill-switch.

[techy5025]

I was lucky...the only hard to get parts missing on the sandcast were the
side covers.  Well, the air box was junk also.   

Maybe the plan should be to just buy a junker if the switches are intact.

When I showed up to inspect the bike, the owner was amused at the parts of
the bike I was excited about....including the original key.  The fact that all the
chrome parts were rusted didn't faze me. 

Jim

[74cb750]

Ok.
Seems to me the airbox is identical to the ones I have in the garage
(1974,75,78) except this one is painted and the metal hangers are
rustier (have more rust than mine).
michel

[techy5025]

The air box on the K0 was only used one year and is totally unique to
all the other 750's.

Jim

[elisent]

Early sandcast air boxes are unique ,having only 2 wing nuts instead of 3 on later sandcast and KOs. $10,000.00 should be a museum quality KO( Non sandcast). I have a 4300 mile original KO down to the tires. The problem with this bike and my original paint sandcast is they will only be original once. I have Indians that are restored worth more money but I'm more scared to ride the Hondas. I can always repaint the Indians. I can't replace original un numbered pipes or original paint. Eli

www.geocities.com/indian440

[6pkrunner]

Early sandcast air boxes are unique ,having only 2 wing nuts instead of 3 on later sandcast and KOs. $10,000.00 should be a museum quality KO( Non sandcast). I have a 4300 mile original KO down to the tires. The problem with this bike and my original paint sandcast is they will only be original once. I have Indians that are restored worth more money but I'm more scared to ride the Hondas. I can always repaint the Indians. I can't replace original un numbered pipes or original paint. Eli

www.geocities.com/indian440

-exactly. And that allows one to decide which reason they have a collectible item. Is it an investment, or a piece of nostalgia that you want to enjoy. Driving an original K0 can do nothing but lessen its value, as it will show the wear. And as you so clearly stated something is original only once. You can restore it a hundred times, but in today's collector fields the survivors are getting better money than the restored versions and the more wear on an original, the lesser it compares to another with less miles. So what is your flavor of ownership?

[techy5025]

My flavor is to restore it and then ride it....and I compromise on the restore
especially if I feel it improves the safety of the bike.  I guess if I were out
to win contests I would feel differently.  OTOH...I don't think stainless spokes
improve safety, but they are sure easier to care for. 

As I've said before, I don't want a museum piece and I have already put 400
miles on the sandcast since I redid it.  I do have all the original parts, but you
can never "undo" a paint job. 

Jim

[cbjunkie]

i don't own any collectibles, but for my own 3 cents i'd say it takes both types to make this a worthwhile pasttime.

the pure collector promotes and seals the past, the riding collector, enjoying the moment, promotes and democratizes the past.

both bring it into the present in equally valid and important ways.