Topic: Happy 40th Birthday to my 1972 CB750!

[kschwarz]

Hi all-
The bike is 40 years old this week.  The year she was built , Americans still walked on the moon, and in the jungles of  Vietnam.  Pong was introduced (Pong?  better go ask your mother, youngster).  I acquired her in October iof 1980, and have been riding her ever since.  Removed the raked frame and over fork tubes, (replaced with stock tubes from "forks by frank", if that name rings a bell). Really a weekly driver, usually Friday or Thursday, the rest of the time, my 98 Ultraclassic.  The bike is in good shapes, fires right up.  Been doing some powdercoating to the frame, etc.  At this rate , she'll outlast me!
Good luck to all
Ken

[Steel CB650C]

Happy birthday your looking quite good for your age.

[Stev-o]

My K2 turned 40 back in March. Looks quite differant than yours, undergoing a stock restoration at the moment, when I bought it:




currently:

[lash]

Steve-o , are the handlebars you put on yours oem size ? I ordered bars for mine and they are the same as yours but don't look like most others with a bigger rise in them.

[Dream750]

This is my (former) bone stock USA market K2. It was a semi-cleaned up runner with the factory sunrise orange paint. Probably should have kept that one!

click on photo for a larger view

[Stev-o]

Steve-o , are the handlebars you put on yours oem size ? I ordered bars for mine and they are the same as yours but don't look like most others with a bigger rise in them.

No, they are not stock, they are super bars. Like them better...

[jerry h]

Ken - nice bike, looks like a fun ride!  How about some more pics?

Stev-o,  are you repainting your bike?  if so are you staying with the brown?  Mine was brown originally, then spray painted black by the p.o.   I went with candy gold for the restoration, so I guess its actually a "restomod".

Dream750 - WOW nice bike,  I'd sure hate to have to sell that one.

My K2's a 2/72  ....  so pushing toward 41 -

[Stev-o]

Stev-o,  are you repainting your bike?  if so are you staying with the brown?  Mine was brown originally, then spray painted black

 The original paint is in pretty good shape, so i don't think I will repaint it. BTW, it's Valley Green, not brown, hard to tell in that bad pic above. The project has stalled while I restore a 550F that I bought.

[HondaMan]

I just realized: my K2 is 41 this month! Build date 11/71, one of the first 800 sent to the States. Has the (leftover) K1 engine and carbs (w/110 mainjets), forks, brake stuff, wheels and hubs, but has the K2 taillight, dashboard, chrome fork ears, and unique K2 instruments (1 year of production), and the 18 tooth front sprocket (which was when that started). Has the K0/1 rhino horn steering top tree and lighter K0/K1 lower tree. Bought it new in 2/72, rode it home 3/72 after my friend at my former Honda Shop employer assembled it out of the crate for me. (I was in college, 80 miles away, at the time, didn't get to put it together myself.)   
Darn...

By about 3/72 build, the K2 had become all K2, with the stamped-steel instrument mount on the non-rhino top tree, heavier lower tree, different clutch internals, slightly longer toe tab on the centerstand (for easier lifting), less cam lobe lift and duration with 657B carbs and 105 mainjets, and the K2/3 spark advancer to match the pipes better and improve sparkplug life. The early K2 had been a plug-fouling SOB, only getting about 1000 miles per set of sparkplugs! The later K2 shifted more deliberately, less like the K0-K1 tranny, too.

[Magilla]

When my 76 turns 40 I will be turning 50 so I am in no hurry for it to turn 40. Let's not rush these things.

[VTCBike750]

Hoping the K2 guys can help.
Im looking for the production date of my bike. No VIN Plate
VIN: 20245XX

[jerry h]

If it helps, I have a production date of 2/72  20229xx   

[VTCBike750]

Thats a huge help!
I know of one 203025x with a production date 4/72. So narrowing it down

[edwardmorris]

I just realized: my K2 is 41 this month! Build date 11/71, one of the first 800 sent to the States. Has the (leftover) K1 engine and carbs (w/110 mainjets), forks, brake stuff, wheels and hubs, but has the K2 taillight, dashboard, chrome fork ears, and unique K2 instruments (1 year of production), and the 18 tooth front sprocket (which was when that started). Has the K0/1 rhino horn steering top tree and lighter K0/K1 lower tree. Bought it new in 2/72, rode it home 3/72 after my friend at my former Honda Shop employer assembled it out of the crate for me. (I was in college, 80 miles away, at the time, didn't get to put it together myself.)   
Darn...

By about 3/72 build, the K2 had become all K2, with the stamped-steel instrument mount on the non-rhino top tree, heavier lower tree, different clutch internals, slightly longer toe tab on the centerstand (for easier lifting), less cam lobe lift and duration with 657B carbs and 105 mainjets, and the K2/3 spark advancer to match the pipes better and improve sparkplug life. The early K2 had been a plug-fouling SOB, only getting about 1000 miles per set of sparkplugs! The later K2 shifted more deliberately, less like the K0-K1 tranny, too.

Mine's from the same batch I guess 11/71 date and 200x VIN. Has all the things you described above.

[nccb]

I didn't see the original date on this thread and was thinking to myself, "man these people are horrible at math."

[Johnie]

The original date was August 2012 so the math is correct. 
I did see this about the original poster:
Last Active: August 26, 2012, 07:44:25 AM
Wonder where the heck he has been?

[VTCBike750]

Im the guilty one. I tend to dig up old threads

[edwardmorris]

I'm glad you did, I'm happy to find out I own one of the first 800 K2s, something I now share with the legend himself

[VTCBike750]

Ive complied this:

VIN      Engine Number      Production Month
2004090      2011818         11/71
2004896      2012601         11/71
2014948                         1/72
20229XX                         2/72
2022907      2030799         2/72
202716X                                 3/72
20294xx                                  3/72
2029739                                  3/72
203025X                                 4/72
2039900                          5/72
2051211      2058887          7/72

[Keith]

If this is 2017, and the bike was made in 1972, wouldn't that be 45 years?

[edwardmorris]

If this is 2017, and the bike was made in 1972, wouldn't that be 45 years?

Earliest of the K2s were made in 71, and earliest of K3s were made in 72. I have one of each 46 and 45 yrs

[Stev-o]

If this is 2017, and the bike was made in 1972, wouldn't that be 45 years?

Yes, but this thread was started 5 years ago in 2012 when it was 40.