Author Topic: 1974 CB750K - Restoration (Read 26355 times)

onetruepunk87 · « **on:** December 12, 2015, 04:05:55 PM »

I've gone and done it again. I went and checked out this bike back in October and made an offer but the seller couldn't find his title so he was going to apply for a replacement. Over a month went by and I hadn't heard anything so I figured he'd changed his mind or sold to someone else but I got a message out of the blue the other week that the title had finally come through.

We set up a date and time and I went and picked it up this morning. From what the previous owner has told me he's the second owner and has had it since 1975. He bought it off a friend of his who had only owned the bike for a year. The bike has less than 10,000 miles on it and from what he says the odometer never rolled over, those are the original miles.

The bikes not running but I think a thorough carb cleaning, fresh oil, plugs and a new battery should get it going. Most of the chrome looks like it should clean up pretty good. The paint on the side covers still looks really good. The tank has a few small nicks and scratches and a small dent.

The left side exhaust looks pretty clean, the right side not as much. The lower right pipe is rotted out in a few spots on the muffler. I'll have to pull off the fairing to get a better look at the headers.

Like my CB500 I plan on doing a frame up restoration only this time I plan to stay closer to stock, at least when it comes to looks. With winter on the way though I probably won't have too much progress to report until spring.

SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan · « **Reply #1 on:** December 12, 2015, 05:42:16 PM »

Think I just saw this on FB. Good luck as the adventure begins!

HondaMan · « **Reply #2 on:** December 12, 2015, 06:28:57 PM »

What a fine start! I don't think I have seen one of those fairing lower sets since 1980?

onetruepunk87 · « **Reply #3 on:** December 13, 2015, 05:55:15 PM »

Thanks guys! Both fairings will be off as soon as I make some room in the garage. It's getting crowded with all these bikes/parts.
My ultimate plan for this bike is to go back to stock, at least in the looks department. I might switch over to an electronic ignition or go to an H4 headlight but I want it to look like it did new in 1974.
Like I said in my first post, this might end up sitting a couple months once winter amps up. It's been unseasonably warm on the east coast but I don't think it'll last much longer.

DH · « **Reply #4 on:** December 13, 2015, 06:02:40 PM »

You'll be suprised how handsome that bike is in stock form. I owned a twin of that one in '74, and it got comments even back then
just like now. You did good. Just a thorough wash and wax/polish will be inspiring enough to continue. Nice find

Stev-o · « **Reply #5 on:** December 13, 2015, 06:19:12 PM »

Congrats, looks good

Johnie · « **Reply #6 on:** December 14, 2015, 06:57:01 AM »

Agreed...what a nice find. That orange just screams 70's! Good luck with the project.

cooldrum · « **Reply #7 on:** December 14, 2015, 06:01:12 PM »

Hot shot, I ride a '74 just like yours. All original and has the 4 into 4 exhaust. All stock with only 31k miles. 4 into 1 is a good source for all the basic things for our cb750's. Every time I fire it up I just marvel at the engineering of this motor! Ride it don't hide it as they say. Merry Christmas and a Happy new year!

onetruepunk87 · « **Reply #8 on:** January 09, 2016, 12:56:43 PM »

Thanks guys. With the holidays over I finally got a little bit of time in the garage. No big updates but I was able to get the fairing and back rest off.

If the weather stays this mild I might actually be able to get stuff done before spring. This time last year my garage had frozen shut.

I picked myself up a copy of HondaMan's book over the holidays and my parents got me an ultrasonic cleaner for Christmas. Also, my brother got me a some parts bins and cleaning brushes so I'll be ready to dive in.

When I bought the bike the PO threw in 4-1 exhaust he had lying around, anyone happen to know the manufacturer? They cleaned up really nice so I'm not sure what I'm gonna do with them yet. I want to stay stock on this bike though so they'll have to be set aside for now.

754 · « **Reply #9 on:** January 09, 2016, 01:22:46 PM »

Hooker 4-1 ..
Not sure what you will do with your tank, i would run it..
If you dont keep me in mind for it and the 4-1...
Will try to post pic of that pipe on my bike

onetruepunk87 · « **Reply #10 on:** January 09, 2016, 04:12:05 PM »

Quote from: 754 on January 09, 2016, 01:22:46 PM

Hooker 4-1 ..
Not sure what you will do with your tank, i would run it..
If you dont keep me in mind for it and the 4-1...
Will try to post pic of that pipe on my bike

Thanks for info on the 4-1. I'll let you know if I'm going to sell the exhaust. I think I'm going to keep the tank and covers because they're in good shape. I might grab a second tank and some Frankenstuff side covers to to paint too.

meangreen · « **Reply #11 on:** January 09, 2016, 04:19:24 PM »

Wish mine had looked like that when I got it. What a nice bike. Good luck with your project.

onetruepunk87 · « **Reply #12 on:** February 15, 2016, 06:47:41 PM »

Picked up this dent free tank on eBay to repaint. Really can't wait for spring so I can get out to do some work in the garage.

onetruepunk87 · « **Reply #13 on:** March 12, 2016, 03:30:06 PM »

I finally got some time out in the garage today and made some progress. I changed the oil, switched the battery over from my other bike, pulled the spark plugs to spray a little WD-40 down the cylinders and figured I'd see if I could get the bike to fire. I rigged up an auxiliary gas tank and hit the starter and it turned right over, ran and idled.

I pulled the carb rack off to check them out and they look pretty clean for sitting for years.

I sprayed all the jets with WD-40 and I'm gonna let them soak over night, tomorrow I'm gonna start disabling them and try maybe give my ultrasonic cleaner a try.

Stev-o · « **Reply #14 on:** March 12, 2016, 05:54:22 PM »

Sounds like a good day!

SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan · « **Reply #15 on:** March 12, 2016, 06:03:12 PM »

Nice win! The carbs don't look too bad for sitting that long.

onetruepunk87 · « **Reply #16 on:** March 13, 2016, 08:52:43 PM »

Thanks guys. I was really happy to hear the bike run and see the carbs as clean as they were. I got right back into the carbs today and completely stripped the carbs off the rack and took the guts out of all of them. With the help of some carb cleaner spray, berryman's carb dip, and lots of simple green I completely cleaned the carbs. All the individual jets were taken out and put into separate jars for each carb soaked in berryman's for roughly 30 mins or so, ran through 30 minutes of ultrasonic with a 50/50 mix of water and simple green then sprayed out with carb cleaner. The carb bodies also got the same treatment plus I sprayed and scrubbed them prior to soaking in chem-dip. The end result is hopefully some really clean carbs.

I've still gotta finish cleaning up some of the hardware and stay plate while waiting for a new gasket kit in the mail but hopefully I should be able to button these up pretty soon. While cleaning I did notice that my #2 carb has a pretty good crack down the overflow tube and #3 has a harline one in the same spot. I'm gonna track down a replacement for both just to be safe. Also, at some point the PO must have lost the spring for the #3 idle mixture screw so I've also got to add that to the list. All in all not a bad day though.

przjohn · « **Reply #17 on:** March 14, 2016, 02:20:56 PM »

I like your organization with the carbs. I had an RD350 that I thought a bowl is a bowl, nope, it did matter. Best of luck with your bike, will be following along.

onetruepunk87 · « **Reply #18 on:** March 21, 2016, 06:05:58 PM »

Thanks John, I learned to keep everything separate doing my CB500. I ended up soldering both cracked drain tubes.they seem like they should hold. I've got everything pretty much buttoned up on the carbs now, just have to get them back on the rack. I went to put them on tonight after work and realized I don't have small enough cotter pins for the choke arm linkage. Got a new set of dust covers on the mail so it's just those tiny pins holding me up.

Lightly polished the float bowls and the top retainer ring. I think the rusted hardware on the stay plate is toast, I'll have to find some replacement bolts. Other than that everything cleaned up nice.

DH · « **Reply #19 on:** March 21, 2016, 09:21:49 PM »

linkage cotter pins are 1mm. size..got mine from Honda.

onetruepunk87 · « **Reply #20 on:** March 22, 2016, 04:05:10 AM »

Thanks DH, I talked to member harisuluv and he's going to hook me up with a few of the pins!

onetruepunk87 · « **Reply #21 on:** March 26, 2016, 12:18:36 PM »

Carbs are all back together. Thanks for the cotter pins James! Float heights set at 26mm and bench synced with a 1/8 in drill bit. I'll fine tune the float level with a clear tube test before they go back on the bike.

Even though its far off on my to do list I've been looking at Flake Sunrise Orange paint online to respray that extra tank I picked up on ebay. The two sites I've been looking at are VMR Paints and RS Motorbike Paint. Anyone have any experience with either? I've gotten pretty good at rattle can paint jobs. It looks like VMR uses the Spraymax style 2 part paints while RS i think is just a standard rattle can. The initial paint price for RS is way cheaper but the $110 dollar shipping cost from the UK puts them both at around the same price.

SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan · « **Reply #22 on:** March 26, 2016, 12:26:22 PM »

Those look brand spankin' new.

onetruepunk87 · « **Reply #23 on:** March 27, 2016, 12:10:17 AM »

Thanks Don!

Stev-o · « **Reply #24 on:** March 27, 2016, 07:17:26 AM »

Nice job on the carbies! I'd like me some Orange sunrise too.

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Author Topic: 1974 CB750K - Restoration (Read 26355 times)

DH

DH