Topic: CB750 K4 Build - The Cafe Tracer

[Retro Rocket]

Basswood is quite soft so dents easily, I'm familiar with it as a wood used in guitar making....

That's what I've used it for, but I always put a hard finish on it.  The stuff I used on my rear tail piece was more dense and a little heavier than what I've used before.

Cool, as long as you are aware, it marks very easily...

[budman]

OK, so it's not much, but it's the first chunk of wiring.  Much more to do.



More parts arriving.

Oil pressure gauge...


Speedo, which I think I'm going to have to make a bracket for...


Kick starter shaft cover...


Brake rod...

[Stev-o]

The little things add up, they look great, Bud.

I like the shaft cover and need one, was that a one-up? Source??

[budman]

The little things add up, they look great, Bud.

I like the shaft cover and need one, was that a one-up? Source??

Joker Machine.  I bought it off EBay.  $30 shipped.  They come in black or clear anodized.

[Stev-o]

The little things add up, they look great, Bud.

I like the shaft cover and need one, was that a one-up? Source??

Joker Machine.  I bought it off EBay.  $30 shipped.  They come in black or clear anodized.

Thanks, hope you dont mind it I copy you?! 

[budman]

Thanks, hope you dont mind it I copy you?!

Whatever it takes to get the Park Racer on the road!

[budman]

This is my first venture into the realm of lithium ion motorcycle batteries.  I can't believe how small and light this battery is.  I made a cardboard mockup about two years ago using the dimensions on the Antigravity website so I could make a battery tray.  Today the real battery finally arrived.  Fits like a glove.  The battery is actually a little shorter than the mockup.

[budman]

I must be doing something right.  The tail light and the brake light work with the key switched on, like they're supposed to.  I'm wiring everything brand new from scratch.  Nothing is stock.

Tail light...

Brake light...

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

Nice Joker Machine bits.  This bike is looking good.

[budman]

I've been working on the wiring. I've got just about everything working...headlight, tail light, horn...I got the solenoid engaging, but don't have the starter connected yet.  I want to do some other things before I try a test crank.

I haven't installed any switches yet.  Just touching wires together to test things.  I've been working my way up to the handlebars.  Now that I'm there I finally ordered the hand controls and switches.  The switches came in yesterday and there's a problem with the Spiegler handlebars I bought last year.  They have a textured coating on them that makes the OD bigger than it's supposed to be and the switches won't clamp on to the bars without a big gap on one end.  I suspected I was going to run into a problem when I installed the bars into the risers by the way they were fitting.  I don't want to run into any problems when I install the hand controls.  I ordered some Biltwell Trackers today.  Hope they work out.

[budman]

The Biltwell handlebars arrived so I am now able to start fitting the controls and finish up the wiring.

I made a new V-shaped speedometer mounting bracket out of stainless steel so I could mount the headlight switch in the same location.  Took me a while to figure out the best place to mount it.  I don't think it will look to conspicuous when I get it all buttoned up.  I also made the C-shaped bracket that wraps around the bars out of stainless and the brass spacer that keeps it all wedged in place.

I bought a Motion Pro speedo cable for a CB 360.  Its three inches shorter than a 750 cable.  Looks like it's going to work great.

The controls also arrived, but I'm sending the master cylinder back.  The package was opened and it looks like it was installed at some point and knocked around a bit.  It has a few scuffs and scrapes.  It's supposed to be new.  The clutch control is fine.

I found a three button switch housing with two buttons on the front and one on the back.  I'll probably use the two front buttons for start and horn, and the back button for the engine kill switch.  I won't have any buttons or switches on the clutch side.

[Stev-o]

Nice job on the speedo mount, Bud.  Looks clean.    I think you will like those bars, should be a comfortable riding position. 

[budman]

Nice job on the speedo mount, Bud.  Looks clean.    I think you will like those bars, should be a comfortable riding position.

Thanks, Steve.  These bars have a little bit more pull back on them and are about two inches narrower.  They feel pretty good and the controls FIT!

[palepainter]

Exciting to see all those shiny parts coming together so nicely.  Love the brake stays.  Really nice work man!!!  Motivating!!

[palepainter]

I noticed the PM contour on the right.  What are you running for clutch.  I have an extra PM brake lying around, but was unsure I could find a matching clutch lever mechanism.

[budman]

I noticed the PM contour on the right.  What are you running for clutch.  I have an extra PM brake lying around, but was unsure I could find a matching clutch lever mechanism.

It's a Barnett replacement clutch, basically a stock CB750 clutch, but I'm going to use a Harley style cable with the PM clutch lever.  I made a threaded adapter that will slip into the clutch cover and fit the Harley cable.  I'm going to JB Weld and pin the adapter to the cover so it won't move.  There's a photo of the adapter in this thread a few pages back.

[budman]

Exciting to see all those shiny parts coming together so nicely.  Love the brake stays.  Really nice work man!!!  Motivating!!

Lol!  Thanks.  Just a motorcycle guy with a vision.   I'm more of a Harley guy, but I like all kinds of antique and vintage motorcycles.  This is my first Honda.  Having a blast with it so far.  I was also a paint and body guy in a former life.  I guess you never loose that.

[palepainter]

I made this little threaded adapter so I can run a Harley style clutch cable.  Probably going to JB Weld it where it slides into the clutch cover.

Gotcha.  Thanks for that heads up.

[754]

Make the spacer out of  9/16 or so hex stock, then you got adjustment.
If you can find a coupler nut to fit the thread on the south end of the cable, it will be a 15-20 minute job.

[palepainter]

Interesting idea using wood, Bud.  Looks very well done.

Thanks Stev-o.  I built custom bass guitars for 10 years.  I wanted throw a little bit of that into the mix.

Hey Budman.  It appears you and I have lived parallel lives.    I have been building guitar for about 3 decades.  I have done work for Jackson/Charvel custom shop for years.  You can see some of my guitar and paint work at www.learnguitars.com.   I suspect we would get in deep #$%* if we lived closer. 

[budman]

Make the spacer out of  9/16 or so hex stock, then you got adjustment.
If you can find a coupler nut to fit the thread on the south end of the cable, it will be a 15-20 minute job.

The Harley cable has an adjustment coupler built into the cable near the midpoint.

I got lucky when I made the threaded adapter.  I found some spacers in my junk stash.  Not sure where they came from.  They already had a hole drilled through the center that was the perfect size for tapping the threads need to accept the Harley cable. I found one that was the perfect length.  All I had to do was turn down the OD in my lathe.

[budman]

Interesting idea using wood, Bud.  Looks very well done.

Thanks Stev-o.  I built custom bass guitars for 10 years.  I wanted throw a little bit of that into the mix.

Hey Budman.  It appears you and I have lived parallel lives.    I have been building guitar for about 3 decades.  I have done work for Jackson/Charvel custom shop for years.  You can see some of my guitar and paint work at www.learnguitars.com.   I suspect we would get in deep #$%* if we lived closer. 

Perhaps!  For some reason the photos aren't showing up, but I did see some of your paint work on the Jackons on your other website.  Outstanding!  My airbrush work was limited to burst jobs. . I left my website up for posterity.  You can see some of my work at www.lecomptebass.com

[Medyo Bastos]

i have run the stock adapter for a harley clutch cable in the past.

[754]

The Harley cables witj the loop end up top, should last forever..

[budman]

i have run the stock adapter for a harley clutch cable in the past.

Not sure what the stock adapter looks like. My bike was in pieces when I got it.  The parts diagram doesn't show anything.  The drawing is actually wrong.  It doesn't even show the inlet where the cable goes through the cover.  I just knew I wanted to run a Harley cable and I'm determined to make it work.