Topic: 750 project

[Bert]

I have been working in my fathers old bike. He bought it new in 1973. When he purchased it he also picked up a "hot cam" and a smaller front sprocket. He is pretty short so he lowered the rear and swapped out to a 16 inch rear wheel. He did the lowering project but never installed the cam.

In the early 80's a cousin (Zeek) purchased the bike from him. Zeek ditched the lowing blocks and installed the cam. Somewhere in there the sprockets both were changed as well, back to stock. Then in 1990 he parked the bike. It sat until last summer when I purchased it.

I don't know when the exhaust was changed, I'm assuming that Zeek did, but I forgot to ask him.

While the bike was parked the roof collapsed on the barn it was stored in. The roof twisted the sissy bar, the very back tail of the left side of the frame, bent the handlebars, mangled the gauges, headlight and top of the triple tree.

As luck would have it I was also able to purchase a donor parts bike this summer off craigslist. This gave me all the parts that I needed.

Sorry for the long story, but that's the history as I know it.

Now that I have the bike I'm just hoping to get it functional, not necessarily a complete resto.

Here's a picture of when I picked it up, and what it looks like now (parts bike in the background)

[Stev-o]

No need to apologize, that is a great story! What is next?  Suggest tapered bearings for the front end...

[CycleRanger]

Cool story and great project!

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

Great story and name (Zeek).

Is the motor freed up or seized?

[Johnie]

For parts contact member Bill Benson he has the stash and most of the guys say he is pretty decent

[Bert]

Luckily the motor is still free. The odometer reads about 20k, but I don't think it's the correct gauge. I don't think it's supposed to have the high beam and signal light in it. The parts bike instruments aren't pristine, but I hope they work.

I guess my next step is to piece the bike back together with the best parts between the two. Along with some new items, such as cables, tires and carb parts.

I am apprehensive about the carbs, they don't move and I popped one bowl and it's a bit cruddy. I believe they can be saved tho!

The last photo is an up to date where it sits.... please excuse the mess!

(Edit: photos seem to mess up my posts. To large of files maybe?)

[Bert]

Parts bike instruments

[lash]

Gauges are 1971. Good project , keep us updated

[seanbarney41]

Some very early K2 models came with the K1 gauges.  Bert, although you have been calling your bike a '73, and it probably says 1973 on the title, I bet if you check the vin and the build date on the frame tag, you will find that your bike was built in late 1971 and is a K2.  Honda did not follow the western model/year designations we are familiar with at this time.

[Bert]

The date on the tag is 5/72, no 2040907. The parts bike is 11/71.

[Bert]

Here's a peek at a carb.... ick

[754]

That looks pretty good actually.
 Not sure , but that float might be a later one..

[Bert]

I was expecting to see brass floats, but I'm not sure what it's supposed to be.

[Stev-o]

The date on the tag is 5/72, no 2040907. The parts bike is 11/71.

It's a K2....

http://www.sohc4.net/cb750k-serial-numbers/

Is the motor VIN close? [it wont be exactly the same]

[Johnie]

That carb is actually pretty dang good. The brass jets and needle will clean up nicely. Rule of thumb is to keep the old brass in the carbs and reuse them as the repops don't keep the correct taper. Just keep the carb brass and you will be good. These early carbs are pretty easy to work on.

[Bert]

The motor number is 2048545

The motor number on the parts bike is 2014557

Thanks for the tip on the brash parts for the carbs. Why can't new stuff be up to specs.... sad.

[Johnie]

I bet those smashed carbs are the originals along with the mileage. The indicator lights in the gauges were in the 69 - 71 for sure. Yours was close to 72 so got the 71 gauges. Don’t toss those old gauges out as maybe some internals are good.

[PeWe]

The sissy bar protected the bike from the roof collapse, right?

[Bert]

I didn't see the roof when it collapsed, but from what Zeek was saying everything else that was around the bike helped suspend the roof. So only the tallest parts were hit. It couldn't have been to bad, the tank and seat were untouched. We get so much dang snow around here, almost every year a building or two collapses.

[Johnie]

That bike is known as a "survivor" in more than one way!

[Bert]

Plugging along..... cleaning and adding parts, one at a time.

[spuds]

So neat that the bike has found its way 'home'.   

It must mean the world to you to have it again.

[Bert]

This is my first time using an ultrasonic cleaner on carbs.... and it worked great!

[Stev-o]

What cleaner do you have and what cleaning product did you use?

I have been thinking about getting one.

[Bert]

I picked up a cheap Vevor (model PS-40A) on ebay. And I used Omegaclean diluted 10:1 with water. Let them buzz in there for a few hrs.