It has been an extremely depressing summer not having a running bike and not really having the time and cash to pull together my 550 project.
However, I have scrapped together some cash and have been looking for an SOHC and I have found 3.
The first is a '77 750K. Apparently parked in a garage since 1988 (shades of my old 550). It has 30k miles on it. The poster of the ad is fronting for someone else, but in an e-mail he says his buddy has the title. I had pics sent to me and they are actually pretty amazing, its set up as a full dresser, Windjammer3, driving lights, bates bags, wrap around light bar on the bags, floor boards, air horn. I am amazed the generator could keep up with the draw. It's hard to tell from the pictures, but I think it has 4-2 mufflers. The WJIII retains the stock turn signals, so it would be pretty easy to strip it all away and get back to original. The seat is in bad shape and needs covering, but amazingly it's the stock seat, not a king/queen. Price: so cheap I don't want to say, but less than $750.
The second is a 750F2. The ad says barn find 1974, but the picture is clearly a 3 disk, Comstar F24 is under teh 7 on a number pad, so my guess is that it is a 1977. The odometer in the picture says under 3k miles, but it is clearly in rougher shape. It does however appear to be complete (even the original muffler, but there is visible rust where it attaches to the collector) except for tank badges and the metal trim on the warning light panel. No title. Price $570, but realistically with no title and lots of work to be rideable, figure $400-$450.
Finally, an '82 CB650. The seller claims it runs well. Reverse Comstars with twin disk front. Windjammer III and matching bags. Non-original tank and seat. Seat is in good shape. Tires reportedly recent. Has a title, but not from a different 650 frame. Sounds like a buy and ride. Price $900 and he's willing to negotiate.
So, my dilemma: I really like the F2's. It's the 750 model I would most like to own. But the 750K has its title, and is very complete and would be no more work, and possibly less, to get on the road.
But the 650 looks like buy and ride. Plus when I first started my 550 project, the reverse Comstars were the wheels I planned to use. heck, I have a titled 550 frame, so I could ride the 650 for the rest of the Summer and Fall, and then over the Winter build the cafe tourer I was planning by combining the two bikes together.
So what say you SOHC4 brothers, 77 750K, 77 750F, '82 650? And sadly, despite the low prices, the answer is not all or that + that. Like the Highlander says, there can be only one.
