Topic: Flake Sunrise Orange gas tank

[Martin (1975CB750F)]

Hi,
About a year ago I bought this 1975 CB750F with what I tough was the tank original paint.. it was not. It had a little damage, and the sticker is starting to come off. So I will have it repainted. After shopping around I found that paint shops are arguing on the type of flakes that should be used and especiall[/img]y the color.

Going with the original flakes is about 40% more than using more resent and smaller flakes. The bike is modified as a café racer and I don't intend to restor it as original but I love the colour.

Does anyone used the smaller flakes and does it make a real difference? or is it similar to the original?

Thanks,
Martin

[calj737]

http://www.ct70paint.com/flake-sunrise-orange.html

[jamesw]

A friend of mine had his flake orange tank repainted by a guy in Scarborough ONT. It looks exactly like factory. Take a look.

https://www.augmentcollective.com/1975-cb750f/

If you need a new tank decal, I have one new in package for the flake orange 75F. Bought it but never used it.

Here's the paint shop info.

http://www.connerycustompaint.com

[scottly]

Hi Martin! Three more posts and you will be a full member. Just say hi 3 more times here.

[Martin (1975CB750F)]

Thanks JamesW, the repainted bike looks amazing (great video). I was hesitating between getting the decal or have the lines painted instead. I am still waiting for the painter's quote. I will let you know if I need the decal.


Martin

[jamesw]

Thanks JamesW, the repainted bike looks amazing (great video). I was hesitating between getting the decal or have the lines painted instead. I am still waiting for the painter's quote. I will let you know if I need the decal.


Martin

Ok no problem. I highly recommend the decal. I used it on my 75F tank too. It's identical to factory.

[Martin (1975CB750F)]

Hi Calj737, I saw this kit from VMR paints that contains gold flakes, But I was shown paint job with flakes that were silver instaed of gold. That why I am wondering which was the right flake color in '75. My personal tast...gold looks better.

Thanks,
Martin

[calj737]

Hi Calj737, I saw this kit from VMR paints that contains gold flakes, But I was shown paint job with flakes that were silver instaed of gold. That why I am wondering which was the right flake color in '75. My personal tast...gold looks better.

Thanks,
Martin

Well, according to that paint site, Orange wasn't a color on your bike in that year. I would not however, rely on that being terribly accurate. Besides, to your point about "accuracy of the restoration", who cares? Paint it the color you like most  I happen to think FSO is very beautiful on any year SOHC.

For reference, here is a 550 tank, original paint in FSO. You might be able to tell the flake colors and notice the size is very fine of the flake.

[Martin (1975CB750F)]

Hi Calj737, I saw this kit from VMR paints that contains gold flakes, But I was shown paint job with flakes that were silver instaed of gold. That why I am wondering which was the right flake color in '75. My personal tast...gold looks better.

Thanks,
Martin

Well, according to that paint site, Orange wasn't a color on your bike in that year. I would not however, rely on that being terribly accurate. Besides, to your point about "accuracy of the restoration", who cares? Paint it the color you like most  I happen to think FSO is very beautiful on any year SOHC.

For reference, here is a 550 tank, original paint in FSO. You might be able to tell the flake colors and notice the size is very fine of the flake.

Hi Calj,

Thanks for your comments. I verified this site and the only model year the CB750F was Flake Sunrise Orange was in 1975.

As for the picture you sent, we can see the flakes are gold (not silver) and they look small. I'll have to do more research. And I will definitely paint it the color I like...it brings me back in time.
I'll keep in touch.
Martin




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[seanbarney41]

I don't think Honda ever used gold flake in the 70's...what you are seeing is silver metallic base coat, then flake, then the orange candy color over the flake, then clear coat...

[calj737]

I don't think Honda ever used gold flake in the 70's...what you are seeing is silver metallic base coat, then flake, then the orange candy color over the flake, then clear coat...

I dunno, Sean, if you blow up the picture I linked, there's an apparent "gold" layer of paint below the orange, and what appears to be very fine gold flake in the paint.

I know the original formula has often been discussed, but examples in hand with small exposure of the sublayers make it very interesting to say the least.

[jamesw]

I've got 2 original paint sunrise flake orange F tanks at home.

I'll take pics and post them tomorrow.

I'm going to have to agree with Sean on his above post from what I remember from the tanks I have.

[seanbarney41]

I think that gold you see is a gouge only partway through the candy, so that the color is not as deep.  I have seen several severely faded flake sunrise orange tanks where the orange is almost totally gone exposing clearly silver flake.

It seems every 6 months at least, someone starts a thread about how one or more of these amazing colors was created.  Someone usually comes up with the chart that lists the exact ingredients for each color, which unfortunately, is largely useless as the company is no longer in business, and the codes are obsolete.  Also, the specific application of candy paints depends on the technique of the painter and probably had a surprising amount of variation straight from the factory.

[Martin (1975CB750F)]

Thanks for the information Seanbarney. Looking at an original tank from a local shop that repaints about 50 tanks/years, we can see the flakes were silver. The shop owner said all flakes from this period, no matter the paint color, were silver flakes. And as you mentioned, it all as to do with the painter's technique.

Martin

[RAFster122s]

House of Kolor has flake in several different sizes and most kits I think are correct will use the silver base, silver flake with clear, and then clear and then the candy followed by clear. Sanding the flake wasn't done as much for the original is what I have read, which gives a different sheen and it requires more material to cover.
Having layer and layer and layer of clear I don't view as a bad thing, it give great depth to the color.

[Menno]

If you would use smaller flakes it might be possible that the flakes aren't flakes anymore but simply heavy metallic.
The Flakes Honda used for the sunrise flake orange is quite small to begin with.

Originaly the flakes were silver.

[jtunberg]

That orange 750F brings back a lot of memories.  I was working at a Honda shop assembling them out of the crate back then. That first CB750F brought a lot of lookers to the dealership.