Topic: 1977 CB750K currently has me stranded an hour from home, help!

[Hwmetzger]

I rode my K7 to work last night, and has ran fine with zero issues since I've had it. This morning I went to start it, hit the starter button and EVERYTHING went dead. No headlight, oil neutral etc. With the key in 'park' the taillight comes on. And if I wait a few minutes and then turn the key to 'run' from off, my lights come on very dimly and slowly fade out.

Fuses appear to check out. Stumped here guys... if I weren't for my girlfriend living 10min away I would be dead in the water. Help?

[Scott S]

Sounds like a dead battery to me.

[Don R]

 On the "headlight on" bikes I like to put a toggle switch in the ground wire in the headlight bucket to turn the headlight off. This will save a bit of battery while working on it etc. Did you try kicking it through a couple times and then once with the key on? Sometimes it will have enough spark to fire.

[calj737]

And pull the headlight fuse for the moment to get you home.

[ksmith0034]

+1 dead battery

[Hwmetzger]

Thanks guys, I'll definitely pull the headlight fuse when I get back to the bike and take the battery somewhere to check for charge. I'll keep you updated on the bike

Yes, I tried kickstarting it in that manner without any luck. That was my first attempt to get it back on the road actually

[Bankerdanny]

Does the K7 have the key between the gauges like the '77 550?

I know on the 550 there is a known issue with the ignition switch connector that causes them to fail. I have first hand experience with this.

See this post http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,74213.0.html on how to fix it.

After my 550 died on me at midnight I started carrying a jumper wire that would allow me to bypass the switch (basically hot wire it) so if it happened again I could get home.

[seanbarney41]

+1 danny...every sohc4 I have had with that type key switch has failed at ine time or another.  Just unplug and hot wire

[Desert-SOHC]

+1 on the switch, when I first got Mable she ran and then went dead...it was the switch on mine.

[754]

I would've lights or horn first to check battery in the bike.

[Bankerdanny]

Dim headlight would appear to indicate the battery vs the switch, but it doesn't take a ton of power to kick it over

[Hwmetzger]

Turned out that the ignition switch was bad, and wound up bringing it home on a trailer. Gonna try to rebuild it sometime tomorrow, thanks again guys