You all have such clean nice examples of these SOHC machines. Nice work! I have never owned or ridden any other SOHC other than the 750s, but I do remember there was a 350/400, a 500/550, a 650? and I think there was even one with an automatic tranny too.
Friday I obtained a 71 750 non running parts bike so at least some of thse parts will live again too. One thing I have noticed is between the 71 K1, the 76 K6 and the 78 K8 the K1 and K6 are all mostly identical. The last year of this series K8 several changes were made.
The wheelbase is longer, the carbs and linkages were totally reworked, the oil tank is totally different, even the swing arm was a bit longer and a few mm wider too. Even the main tank is a bit different. Gear ratios using 620 chain looks like they tried to compete with the Z1's of the time. I am sure I will note several more changes as I make progress on this rebirth.
Very odd Honda would make so many changes on a model that totally changed in the 79 year. I have a 79 CB750K. Totally different machine. DOHC. Cosworth head and a tuned exaust. Bike is much faster, frame seems more rigid but lacks the class of the SOHC.
Spent the day cleaning the carbs and restoring the linkages. Can't decide on what exaust to install. Currently have four into twos installed and have some fair condition stock ones but the small rusted holes worry me some. The exaust that was installed at the time of the impact has one header pipe with a fairly deep dent so guess that really couldn't be repaired.
I have some four into ones but I dislike pipes like that. Dunno.
Seat is gonna be tough. I have three pans and I have piles of some top grain leather. Too bad I will have to dye a piece black. Should just find some nagahide crap. Last leather seat I built worked good but I sometimes had to put some mink oil on it and it always felt oily to me. Anyone here ever had leather seat and used something better to protect?
Wheels. I checked both for truness and they both passed. Spokes sure look great. Have some Comstar mags and was almost tempted..lol
Tires. Haven't passed this road yet. That will be next weeks woes.
Paint. All my bikes have always been black. I did a red one once and it always seemed I was heading to a fire. Not ever using clearcoat again either. Maybe I did it wrong before. Kate has the original paint that is looking pretty bad right now. All the clearcoat is flaking off so the factory has the same problems I always had. But Kate is a 78.
If you paint one of these machines and don't redo the pinstriping it always looks bad. Don't know what it is but these tanks just look like something is missing. Might be just me.
Any suggestions or ideas..Thanks! Bob in Colorado
