Topic: MrFry's CB750 Cafe Project Thread

[MrFry]

That's right folks, i finally started my own thread to document the build.

i picked the bike up about a month ago for $450 from a kid who didn't know how to work on it.
the story goes, he laid it down going to work one day (probably cause the brand new tires) and scraped the stator cover pretty good.
he bought all the replacement parts and more (used cover, sprockets, chain, gasket set, brake shoes and pads, seat, clymer's manual) and let it sit for about 10 months.
when i came to pick it up both the stator cover and sprocket cover were off and it was pretty obvious the kid didn't know what to do.
so i paid him, threw it in the back of a truck and took it home.

here is how it looked when i got it




10 minutes later, i had both covers on filled her with oil and started her up.
it went a bit rough at first, but once it remembered it was a honda, she breathed to life.

[MrFry]

i then laid out my plans for the bike and started researching and buying parts to start turning it into a cafe.
the bike came with a Kerker 4-1 system - so that was already taken care of
my goal is to create a retro bike with modern parts.
the original plan was to have someone make me a tank (BCR) but later decided to buy an older style and pound my own knee indents.

went over to my favorite motorcycle shop and was directed upstairs where they have a TON of tanks
after browsing i found a 71 CB750 tank and walked out the door $10 poorer and a happy man.
The PO had painted the tank flat black and it needed to be stripped. Turns out it was a metallic blue before.




i started the stripping with a sanding paid and went to town... but that ended up being slow going - so i bought me some paint stripper (NASTY STUFF!) which made quick work of the tank.

[MrFry]

once the tank was stripped i stared... and stared... and stared some more when i decided to see what it looked like with a bit of polish.



EUREKA! it started to look gooooood 
so i went and picked up some wetsand paper and started at 150 grit
then 220, 400, 800, 1000
and it was almost there
but with all the polishing i did, i couldn't get it to look good
so it sat, and i turned my attention elsewhere

[MrFry]

by this time i had started researching gauges.
i wasn't a big fan of the stockers, and really my only requirement was a Tach.
what would have been ideal was a Tach with a speedo and indicator lights built in - but they were $$$
and i couldn't justify spending more than what i paid for the bike on a gauge
so i looked somemore and narrowed it down to 2 choices
the Trailtech Vapor
and the ElectroSport 3700 series

...in the end it came down to customer service. I left a message for electrosport, and never recieved a call back
so i called trailtech and experience some of the best customer service i have seen in a long time
so a week later i had the VAPOR gauge with Indicator light dashboard

i tried several different methods for wiring the indicator lights, but in the end - it came down to cutting up their harness and fitting it to the CB via 8-pin Radio Shack connectors



the tach signal jumps around a bit and after talking to Trailtech they are sending me a new tach lead with resistors
i mounted the speedo sensor to the front brake dust-shield and drilled a hole through the base of the rotor for the magnet.

[MrFry]

after sitting on a friens XJ650 with clubmans, i decided on drag bars and mounted those yesterday
also took off and stripped the top tripple clamp

before:

After:
..sorry for the blurry pic, my camer doesn't like low-light conditions

and installed my Ebay Tach Plug 


also ordered new throttle cables from Dennis Kirk and took them over to be shortened 5" and have a Single SS Braided brake line made up


..which leaves me back to this tank
after some research on how to paint my tank to prevent rust, i was lead to POR Glisten PC
bought some locally and also found some metal polish to try


it's exactly what i needed! the metal polish took the shine that last 10% and now my tank is a mirror.



oh, also found some pinstripe tape at Kragen's and gave it a shot - not to bad if i do say so myself

[MrFry]

now we are almost caught up
today i installed the bolt kit from CRC, Kreemed the inside of the tank, fabbed up some license plate mounts on the exhaust hanger, and pulled the stock airbox.





couldn't resist - just had to start her up with the open carbs!


mmmmm carb backfire 

i havn't coated the outside of the tank yet cause i'd like to give it one last polish before i do

and lastly, before i head off to dreamland - i'd like to thank everyone on this forum for all their help so far!
if anyone has questions, don't hesitate to ask - i started this thread so people could learn from the route i'm taking.

[chrisf]

That is very impressive!

[xtalon]

Thanks for all the pics and build info.

Polished tank looks GREAT, but aren't you concerned with it rusting?

--xTalon

[andy750]

Hey MrFry,
I love the tank - looks amazing! But Im with the previous post - how are you going to prevent rusting? Ive heard uncoated tanks rust very fast. Can you keep us updated on this as Im thinking of doing the same - just love the polished tank look.

cheers
Andy

[MrFry]

Thanks for all the pics and build info.

Polished tank looks GREAT, but aren't you concerned with it rusting?

--xTalon

thanks guys
i was worried about the rust issue as well, and i  figured (and was told) that normal automotive clear-coat wouldn't stick very well due to the polished surface
after a bit of research i was directed to POR-15's Glisten PC
looks like it's more of a clear enamel that actually hardens with moisture.
http://www.por15.com/s.nl/it.A/id.1435/.f?sc=2&category=234


i have yet to put it on (will probably do it in the next few days)

[MrFry]

also... does anyone have a trick to get these bikes on the center stand on a slick garage floor?!

[bgfootball67]

Center Stand trick, use a rubber mat (piece of rubber, door mat or fancy garage floor material) of some sorts that makes it a lot easier to get on the stand.  Only down side is then you can not drag it around the garage.

[xtalon]

POR-15's Glisten PC
i have yet to put it on (will probably do it in the next few days)

I apologize for missing the part on the Glisten in the original posts.  When you mentioned POR, I wrongly assumed the POR was for the inside of the tank since they make a tank sealer.

Keep us up to date on the Glisten and how it does initially and over time.

--xTalon

[canttuckmyshirt]

I'm really liking the way the vapor looks. I want to see another wide angle pic with it installed 

[MrFry]

Center Stand trick, use a rubber mat (piece of rubber, door mat or fancy garage floor material) of some sorts that makes it a lot easier to get on the stand.  Only down side is then you can not drag it around the garage.

AHH!!! thanks!
for some reason i was hitting a brain blockage when it came to that
now, hopefully, i can take my wheels off and clean them up

POR-15's Glisten PC
i have yet to put it on (will probably do it in the next few days)

I apologize for missing the part on the Glisten in the original posts.  When you mentioned POR, I wrongly assumed the POR was for the inside of the tank since they make a tank sealer.

Keep us up to date on the Glisten and how it does initially and over time.

--xTalon

not a problem - i realized that i forgot to put the [ img ] tabs on the link for that picture
i'll hopefully do the glisten PC tonight, but it may wait till tomorrow - i'd like to pinstripe this top piece on the tank (for some reason the factory decals were etched into the tank).

<-- i had pinstriped it before - but took it off (wasn't happy with the tape)




next question:
how do i go about repairing a broken bleeder?


i bought the BF17 kit from NAPA, and when i brought it home, realize there is no way it's going to work. The base nut(?) is waaaay to big, it would leave me about 1/32" of wall. Did i just buy the wrong one?


just another picture of the bolt kit (i couldnt' get to the ones under the frame).

[MrFry]

I'm really liking the way the vapor looks. I want to see another wide angle pic with it installed 

ask and ye shall recieve 



^^still awaiting shorter cables & Brake line, but shows you how it looks sans stock gauges.

^^ still has stock handlebars on and painted tripple clamp

so that being said, should i leave the headlight mounts flat black (the PO painted them i believe), polish them, or ditch them all together and get some universal mounts?


oh, if you guys want to go through my pictures (and there are tons) just follow the top link in my signature

[dagersh]

Mr. Fry,

WOW - awesome thread, awesome job!  Lookin' killer.  I would check out the universal mounts at MikesXS, they have that modern billet look which may work well with your sweet guage set-up and the polished tank.  Also, cleaning up the Headlight Bucket and repainting Matt Black would look pretty sweet as well.

Keep up the great work, we are all watching and learning!

Gersh

[MrFry]

Mr. Fry,

WOW - awesome thread, awesome job!  Lookin' killer.  I would check out the universal mounts at MikesXS, they have that modern billet look which may work well with your sweet guage set-up and the polished tank.  Also, cleaning up the Headlight Bucket and repainting Matt Black would look pretty sweet as well.

Keep up the great work, we are all watching and learning!

Gersh

thanks!
i just found these at Z1 Enterprises

and yes, i do plan on repainting the bucket when i get a chance (i always seem to have a can of matte black on hand  )

figure i might as well replace the wheel bearings while i'm at it
http://www.z1enterprises.com/detail.aspx?ID=2838
is there 1 or 2 bearins for each wheel?

[jevfro]

Very cool looking tank!   :)I think you will just have to polish it every now and then to keep rust at bay ... Hopefully you don't live to close to the ocean!  Maybe a clear powder coat like ppl do on aluminum? anyone ever looked into chroming a old steel(read:probably rusty somewhere) tank?  It looks so nice shinny polished metal! ...

Oh I just saw your question,

is there 1 or 2 bearins for each wheel?

I believe 2 up front 3 in the rear.  I've yet to replace mine but it is on the list!

[MrFry]

Very cool looking tank!   :)I think you will just have to polish it every now and then to keep rust at bay ... Hopefully you don't live to close to the ocean!  Maybe a clear powder coat like ppl do on aluminum? anyone ever looked into chroming a old steel(read:probably rusty somewhere) tank?  It looks so nice shinny polished metal! ...

hehe, i live right next to Pismo Beach...
but, as said before, i'm going to try this Glisten PC coating (i hope it doesn't ruin the luster)
i thought about the clear powder coat - but i've never seen a powder coat that didn't have orange peel

thanks for the support!

[MrFry]

is there 1 or 2 bearins for each wheel?

I believe 2 up front 3 in the rear.  I've yet to replace mine but it is on the list!

can anyone confirm this? i'd like to order these soon

[Jerry Rxman Griffin aka MuthaF'er]

Great progress on your bike. Tank looks good. Speaking of Glisten, I hope you have some great sunglasses. Sun shining off chrome can be rather harsh. Hopefully you could get the old bleeder out without damaging the threads with either an easy out or easy out/drill combo. I have seen insert kits offered on EBay also. I'm assuming what you got from Napa requires you to drill it out totally then tap it for a larger diameter insert that you can then put a new bleeder into.

[MrFry]

Great progress on your bike. Tank looks good. Speaking of Glisten, I hope you have some great sunglasses. Sun shining off chrome can be rather harsh. Hopefully you could get the old bleeder out without damaging the threads with either an easy out or easy out/drill combo. I have seen insert kits offered on EBay also. I'm assuming what you got from Napa requires you to drill it out totally then tap it for a larger diameter insert that you can then put a new bleeder into.

yeah, hopefully it will help other drivers see me 
and you are correct on the Napa kit - but the size of the whole would just about destroy the caliper - there wouldn't be much material for it to hold on to.
i'm curious if i bought the wrong one. I purchased BF17 as i seem to recall reading a post on here that recomended it (but being as my bike is a K7 the calipers are different i believe).

new questions:
Do i need dust seals for those wheel bearings?
what is needed to do a dual brake conversion on the front?
it looks like i can just get the caliper arm, caliper, and rotor and just flip them around?

[MrFry]

just an update...
i attempted to pinstripe the center design again... and once again it didn't look right to me (i think it's the 1/8" pinstripe, i need something smaller)
i also tried to paint the stripe and as it turns out, the paint i was using doesn't like to stick to polish (imagine that).
so i tried one last ditch effort to actually cut the design out of Painter's tape (the blue stuff).
my unsteady hand caused that to look horrid, so i pulled it off and discovered that i actually carved my crappy design in the tank! 

so out came the 800 grit
then the 1000
then the 1500
then the 2000
then the polish
then more polish
then more polish
and i'm back to square one

...actually worse than square one - in polishing i knicked the pinstripe i had laid on the side of the tanks - so that had to go.
and now i am out of the tape
grrr! 

some nights are better than others.

so my final plan on this tank: strip the other pinstripe, and polish the hell out of the tank one last time
re-stripe
spray the 'prep fluid' for the POR-15
then coat it
i need to put an end to the polishing!

[mrblasty]

Have the tach cable come in the mail yet?  Was there an additional charge? and was there any improvement in the bouncing tach?