Author Topic: CB750 K5 tank colour  (Read 938 times)

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Offline 074-EHR

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CB750 K5 tank colour
« on: February 22, 2020, 09:45:03 AM »
Hi,
I’m new to the forum and was hoping to get clarification on paint colour for my year of bike, a CB750 K5, manufactured September 1974. It is currently a faded sunrise orange candy flake and from what I understand this colour was not available for the K5 model. I’ve ruled out a faded flake red which I understand is a K5 colour and can fade to an orange appearance, because the orange is still very vivid where it has not been exposed to the sun. And it is obviously not planet blue. The bike didn’t have side panels when imported from the US to the UK so no help there.

The other query I have is also with the tank. The fuel tap is on the right, but I understand it moved to the left for the K5 model. However, I read there were some K5 bikes that had the fuel tap on the right (I assume as old stock was used up).

Could it be possible this bike was supplied with a sunrise orange tank with fuel tap on the right if manufactured in September 1974 (K5) model? Has any other owners seen this?

Regards,

Andrew.

Offline jaytee-nz

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Re: CB750 K5 tank colour
« Reply #1 on: February 22, 2020, 01:14:57 PM »
Do you know for sure it's the original tank - if it's not, the paint / fuel tap could well be wrong for the 75 model.

Offline jlh3rd

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Re: CB750 K5 tank colour
« Reply #2 on: February 22, 2020, 01:27:46 PM »
this is the official honda colors for the U.S. models.

Online newday777

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Re: CB750 K5 tank colour
« Reply #3 on: February 22, 2020, 01:32:22 PM »
Back then when buying a bike you could order with the dealer previous years tank and sidecovers. Yes the earlier years had the petcock on the right and the fuel line would have to be modified.
There were no color designation in the vin to identify what color it was from the factory. If it is an actual 1975 there was only the Apricot Red and Planet Blue so choose a color you like.
Stu
Honda Parts manager in the mid 1970s Nashua Honda
My current rides
1975 K5 Planet Blue my summer ride, it was a friend's bike I worked with at the Honda shop in 76, lots of fun to be on it again
1976 K6 Anteres Red rebuilding project, was originally my brother's that I set up from the crate, it'll breath again soon!
Project 750s, 2 K4, 2 K6, 1 K8
2008 GL1800 my daily ride and cross country runner

Prior bikes....
1972 Suzuki GT380 I had charge of it for a year in 1973 while my friend was deployed and learned to love street riding....
New CB450 K7 after my friend returned...
New CB750 K5 Planet Blue, demise by ex cousin in law at 9,000 miles...
New CB750 K6 Anteres Red, to replace the totaled K5, I sold this K6 at 45k in 1983, I had heavily modified it, many great memories on it and have missed it greatly.....
1983 GL1100A, 1999 GL1500 SE, 1999 GL1500A

Offline jlh3rd

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Re: CB750 K5 tank colour
« Reply #4 on: February 22, 2020, 01:36:58 PM »
and this

Offline jlh3rd

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Re: CB750 K5 tank colour
« Reply #5 on: February 22, 2020, 02:24:55 PM »
also, are you sure the bike is a K5? Did you run your engine and frame numbers?

Offline old76cr

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cb750 k5                                                                     76 Husqvarna 250cr                                                       77 Can-Am 175   1973 honda SL125

Offline 074-EHR

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Re: CB750 K5 tank colour
« Reply #7 on: February 23, 2020, 02:07:40 AM »
Thanks for all your feedback.

also, are you sure the bike is a K5? Did you run your engine and frame numbers?

Features on the bike according ”honda750expert” and the engine (E2400346) and frame (2519523) numbers seem to place it as a K5 model.

Do you know for sure it's the original tank - if it's not, the paint / fuel tap could well be wrong for the 75 model.

Have no way of knowing if tank is original as no paperwork was provided with bike. In the UK, registration details identified the colour; would the Colorado plate number for this bike reveal anything if it was possible to access these records?

Back then when buying a bike you could order with the dealer previous years tank and sidecovers. Yes the earlier years had the petcock on the right and the fuel line would have to be modified.
There were no color designation in the vin to identify what color it was from the factory. If it is an actual 1975 there was only the Apricot Red and Planet Blue so choose a color you like.

Good to know, that means it could be feasible the tank is original if it was possible to spec the previous years colour, but if only the earliest K5 models had the right sided petcock then I guess that would rule my tank out given the K5 was manufactured between May and Dec 74 and my bike is a Sep 74?

Offline jlh3rd

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Re: CB750 K5 tank colour
« Reply #8 on: February 23, 2020, 04:01:04 AM »
well, you could always order any tank or side covers for any year bike anytime you wanted, or just swap parts, so that's no proof of originality. I don't know about colorado but my Pa. registration and title for my 550 doesn't give a color.
The U.S. K2,K3, and K4 had sunrise metalflake orange as a color.
A PO swapped yours out ,it seems.
« Last Edit: February 23, 2020, 04:02:54 AM by jlh3rd »

Online newday777

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Re: CB750 K5 tank colour
« Reply #9 on: February 23, 2020, 05:30:10 AM »
What I was saying was, just as a possible reason, the original purchaser could have had the dealer swap the tank and side covers at the time of purchase to be set up with the earlier tank and side cover color, (which had the right side petcock).
And yes your 9/74 date is a 1975 K5 that would have shipped from Japan with either the 1975 Red or the blue color.
You can still order 1975 tank and side cover paint sets from Yamamia in Japan, CMS there in the UK and maybe David Silva Spares.
« Last Edit: March 11, 2020, 05:30:28 AM by newday777 »
Stu
Honda Parts manager in the mid 1970s Nashua Honda
My current rides
1975 K5 Planet Blue my summer ride, it was a friend's bike I worked with at the Honda shop in 76, lots of fun to be on it again
1976 K6 Anteres Red rebuilding project, was originally my brother's that I set up from the crate, it'll breath again soon!
Project 750s, 2 K4, 2 K6, 1 K8
2008 GL1800 my daily ride and cross country runner

Prior bikes....
1972 Suzuki GT380 I had charge of it for a year in 1973 while my friend was deployed and learned to love street riding....
New CB450 K7 after my friend returned...
New CB750 K5 Planet Blue, demise by ex cousin in law at 9,000 miles...
New CB750 K6 Anteres Red, to replace the totaled K5, I sold this K6 at 45k in 1983, I had heavily modified it, many great memories on it and have missed it greatly.....
1983 GL1100A, 1999 GL1500 SE, 1999 GL1500A

Online newday777

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Re: CB750 K5 tank colour
« Reply #10 on: March 11, 2020, 05:32:20 AM »
Andrew
How did your search turn up?
Stu
Honda Parts manager in the mid 1970s Nashua Honda
My current rides
1975 K5 Planet Blue my summer ride, it was a friend's bike I worked with at the Honda shop in 76, lots of fun to be on it again
1976 K6 Anteres Red rebuilding project, was originally my brother's that I set up from the crate, it'll breath again soon!
Project 750s, 2 K4, 2 K6, 1 K8
2008 GL1800 my daily ride and cross country runner

Prior bikes....
1972 Suzuki GT380 I had charge of it for a year in 1973 while my friend was deployed and learned to love street riding....
New CB450 K7 after my friend returned...
New CB750 K5 Planet Blue, demise by ex cousin in law at 9,000 miles...
New CB750 K6 Anteres Red, to replace the totaled K5, I sold this K6 at 45k in 1983, I had heavily modified it, many great memories on it and have missed it greatly.....
1983 GL1100A, 1999 GL1500 SE, 1999 GL1500A

Offline Stev-o

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Re: CB750 K5 tank colour
« Reply #11 on: March 11, 2020, 06:18:42 AM »
First off, welcome.   Secondly, who know what has been changed on a bike that is 45 years old and has gone from Japan to U.S and then to U.K.?!

Buy a good set of sidecovers and paint them along with your tank the colour of your choice and ride off into the sunset!
'74 "Big Bang" Honda 750K [836].....'76 Honda 550F.....K3 Park Racer!......and a Bomber!............plus plus plus.........