Haven't posted a build thread in quite a while. My helper kinda slacks off on the picture taking and build updates...granted she's 2. So, this is more of an after the fact post.
I had an engine, cut-up frame and a box of parts that I had been sitting on for many years. I bought it at an estate sale. 1970 CB750. A buddy of mine decided to hold an independent bike show in our town. I was the first to enter - even though I had nothing ready, or even close to it. But... I did have a couple months and a whole lot of parts that had been collecting dust on the shelves. So, I got out the boxes and started going through them. There was an original Honda manual in the boxes. It contained alot of receipts. Receipts from R.C. Engineering dating to 1973. Hmmmm... this box of junk might be fun. At the estate sale, the relatives told me that the motorcycle had been sitting in the same place since the 70's disassembled.
Since the frame was already cut up and I didn't really have much else from the original bike, I figured I'd do a cafe racer. Haven't done one of them for a decade or so.
First step - tear into engine and see if things matched the paperwork. Polished and balanced crank - this thing spins like butter. Didn't even need new bearings - It was like he had the work done and never put things together. Also in the box were some forged Venolia pistons and some nice rods. This is starting to look much better! Engine went off to get bored for the pistons - going to be an 836 now. While it was at the machine shop, I had the guy do a 5-way serti valve job on the heads. Got some new valve springs and valve guides while I was at it, and re-used the existing valves as my machine shop guy said they looked like they were new - just 40 years old.
