Topic: Terry's Taxi CaB 750A project.

[Terry in Australia]

Thanks John, he got back to me and confirmed that he wants to sell it all in “lots” which would be great if I was a seller no doubt, but who needs 4 gas tanks and four oil tanks etc when they’re only restoring one bike? Nice guy though, he said he’ll let me know if he changes his mind. Keith Davis has just bought some T500 parts, so I’ll send him a shopping list.

[Terry in Australia]

The weather was absolutely miserable yesterday, wind howling thru my winter workshop (AKA the Patio....) but I had just taken delivery of my NOS Honda CB750A kick starter pedal and rubber band to hold it in place. I was a tad confused as to where it mounted until I realised that a PO had for some reason installed the mounting bracket upside down. Anyway, all good now, I just need to work out how to install the rear blinkers without the OEM grab bar that it mounts on, that I don't have. Some rednecking will be the answer.

CB750A Kick pedal by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

[Just John]

The kick start pedal is the holy grail for 750As

[grcamna2]

The kick start pedal is the holy grail for 750As

Plus no way to push start it in 3rd;gotta have that lever.
Nice 'Find' Terry.

[Terry in Australia]

The kick start pedal is the holy grail for 750As

Plus no way to push start it in 3rd;gotta have that lever.
Nice 'Find' Terry.

Thanks guys, I couldn't find one anywhere, so that sucker cost me close to 300 bucks, but what the hell, at least I've got one, not that I'm hoping to use it anytime soon, in fact I'm not sure how to use it, as the footpeg doesn't stay up as I presume it should so I can get a clean kick in? Oh well, one day when I sell it that'll probably be a selling point, I do have the original owners manual and the kicker, now I just need an original tool kit.

I did fix the choke issue and installed the airbox and sidecovers, and was pleased yesterday that it started up as soon as I hit the button. I just need to sort the blinkers out and get some tyres (I had a whinge in the pissed off thread about 3 separate Ebay sellers advertising and taking money for items they don't physically have in stock, I've bought the rear tyre 3 times in the last 3 weeks now, and still don't have one) and I can ride it over to the storage place where it'll sit until I've finished the T500.

It'll cost me over a grand to get it on the road by the time I've paid an engineer to sign off on it, and the registration fees, so, as not to blow my budget completely, the Taxi will have to wait, but that's OK, I'm more interested in reanimating the T500 and riding it and the T350 once I'm out of lockdown again.

[grcamna2]

Those A kickstart levers are certainly unobtanium.

[Terry in Australia]

When I spend silly money for a part I always worry that I'm gonna find the same part the next week for a fraction of the price I paid, (it has happened) but in this case I haven't seen another one Bill, so far, so good........

[PeWe]

The kick might need a lock to not be stolen?

[Terry in Australia]

Well it's locked under the seat Per, and I don't know anyone except Brian (Bear) that owns an Auto, so I don't think there's much risk of it being stolen? But I would be pissed off if I lost it, I don't want to have to buy another one.

[MauiK3]

I've never understood why po's have thrown away critical stuff.

[Kelly E]

I've never understood why po's have thrown away critical stuff.

Of all the bikes we have bought only one has had a complete tool kit. I think it is because they can't figure out how to put all of the tools back in the bag.

[Terry in Australia]

Ha ha, yeah, it’s weird. I have a feeling that Vik used this bike as a “Spare Parts” donor for his other Auto, that he bought from the same importer at the same time.

There were lots of small parts missing and for whatever reason lots of parts were removed so I had to pay the motorcycle transport company another 60 bucks to bring over a cardboard box full of parts that Vik had removed. No biggie, I still think I got it cheap and it’s a nice bike.

[grcamna2]

Make sure you get a trailer hitch Terry,to pull that passenger transport trailer behind you;some tourists would enjoy a Tour across Australia. 

[Terry in Australia]

Now that's an idea Bill, the trailer would have to have one central wheel so it'd lean with the bike, and some flexible exhaust hoses so I don't gas them, but overall, it'd probably be a lovely sedate experience!

[grcamna2]

Now that's an idea Bill, the trailer would have to have one central wheel so it'd lean with the bike, and some flexible exhaust hoses so I don't gas them, but overall, it'd probably be a lovely sedate experience!

I like that single-wheel design idea Terry ! LOL !!  You could get some small outrigger wheels on either side of the trailer and lower them for very slow speeds or for very old tourists:the ones you like. 
I imagine you would want a pair of Huge rear-view mirrors with a type of camera view to document the wonderful,sporty "experiences" that some of the brave ones had on their 'Ride' which you offered to them;like on that movie 'Space Cowboys' when Tommy Lee Jones took that kid for a 'scary ride' in an acrobatic airplane:the kid asked for that ride with his girlfriend right there saying "it's his 18th birthday,and he wants a scary ride to celebrate"      ! I hope you would offer them photographs after the 'ride' is over which they could take back home with them !   LOL  !!!
Everybody could have a Grand old time. 

Don't forget to install a type of 'Guard-rail' so they can hang-on tight.

[Alan F.]

More than you ever wanted to know about single wheel trailers at http://www.singlewheel.com/

[Terry in Australia]

It definitely wasn't as warm today as it was yesterday, but hey, it's Saturday, and it wasn't raining, so not a total loss. One of the jobs I haven't done on the auto is to connect the rear blinkers, so after I went as far as I could with the Suzuki T500 seat, I decided to sort the blinkers. Now once again, the problem appears to be that Vik, or someone else decided to remove the grab handle off this bike and maybe use it on his other CB750A, so cut thru the blinker wires and dropped them off the bike.

CB750A grab rails in good condition must be as hard to find as kick starter pedals, so I had to come up with a redneck plan. I had some spare K0-K3 blinker brackets, but of course they don't fit the later suckers with their big fat mounts. Hmmnn, I came up with a plan. First of all, I mounted the splined tube, which is surprisingly thick, in my lathe.

Terry’s Taxi blinkers Sat 14 Aug 2021 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

Then I chopped the brackets off. The OEM steel is super hard, my hack saw didn't scratch it, so I had to employ the angle grinder.

Terry’s Taxi blinkers Sat 14 Aug 2021 1 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

Then I bored the end out and cleaned it up a tad.

Terry’s Taxi blinkers Sat 14 Aug 2021 2 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr 

Coincidentally, the mounting tube is a tight fit over the K0-K3 mounting tube, so I used my vice to force one into the other.

Terry's Tax1 blinkers Sat 14 Aug 2021 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

Unfortunately, once I mounted the blinker bod and gave it a twist into place, the mounting tubes moved, so I had to drill and tap them for 6mm screws.

Terry's Tax1 blinkers Sat 14 Aug 2021 1 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

Terry's Tax1 blinkers Sat 14 Aug 2021 2 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

I used a couple of those wonderful heat shrink connectors to repair the cut wires, and assembled the blinkers onto the bike. Looks factory! (sort of....)

Terry's Tax1 blinkers Sat 14 Aug 2021 4 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

I thought I'd check to see if they worked, and was happy that they did, but disappointed that the front blinkers weren't blinking? I pulled the front left apart, and found this:

Terry's Tax1 blinkers Sat 14 Aug 2021 5 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

If you were ever idly wondering what would happen if you didn't replace the lens gasket on your blinker, well, wonder no more. Moisture gets in, and fcuks them. The other front blinker was fine, just missing it's bulb. Luckily I never throw anything out, and I had a similar blinker that had been down the road and ground away somewhat, but the guts were still good.

Terry's Tax1 blinkers Sat 14 Aug 2021 6 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

But by this stage I'd done enough, and needed something to eat and drink. Tomorrow is supposed to be almost warm, so should be a good day to finish it. More then.

Terry's Tax1 blinkers Sat 14 Aug 2021 7 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr   

[RAFster122s]

Blinker hell dived in and pulled the drain plug to fix the issues...good job Terry.

[Terry in Australia]

Blinker hell dived in and pulled the drain plug to fix the issues...good job Terry.

Thanks David, I forgot to mention that I also noticed that the front blinkers have 2 wires, it's a US import so I'm wondering if they double as running lights? How are things in the desert mate, nice and warm? I really am hanging out for warmer weather!

[RAFster122s]

Temps in high 80s to low-to-mid 90s lately with monsoon rain.was wettest July on record with over 8" of rain quickly delivered in about 4 good storms. We have had normal annual rainfall reached with four months to go. Raining out now, steady rain with few thunder claps, nothing like the subwoofer shaking the house thunder of the storm two nights ago.  That went on for about two hours starting around midnight.
Lots of sand, dirt and gravel getting washed across the road in the low spots on the roadway out here in desert where I live.
After nearly two years without much rain this torrent like delivery has caused lots of roof leaks and roofers and water remediation companies are covered up with work, to the point they aren't answering phones and roofers are much the same.
AC guys have been in similar situation with AC system going out. Abundance of work...to point some supplies of AC systems have backorders and delays in shipping and delivery.

[Kelly E]

[/quote]

Thanks David, I forgot to mention that I also noticed that the front blinkers have 2 wires, it's a US import so I'm wondering if they double as running lights?
[/quote]

Yep, US bikes have running lights in the front blinkers. They do help oncoming traffic to see you.

[grcamna2]

Terry,any updates on your tires deliveries?

[Terry in Australia]

Thanks Kelly, I don’t think they’re legal here, so as it needs to have an Australian compliance check (VASS Certificate) done I’ll disconnect them. It does explain some extra wires in the headlight shell that Vik had disconnected and I couldn’t work out where they went.

Bill, the front tyre is sitting at my tyre place waiting for me, I’m getting to the stage where I’m desperate and may have to have the Stinko that I’ve already paid for put on the front, and another brand 130/90-17 put on the rear, just so I can ride it over to my storage facilty to free up space in the winter workshop for the T500. Not ideal, but Stinko tyres just aren’t around at the moment, and while I’m not worried about using another brand, mismatched tyres are not ideal, aesthetically or in terms of performance.

[grcamna2]

Thanks Kelly, I don’t think they’re legal here, so as it needs to have an Australian compliance check (VASS Certificate) done I’ll disconnect them. It does explain some extra wires in the headlight shell that Vik had disconnected and I couldn’t work out where they went.

Bill, the front tyre is sitting at my tyre place waiting for me, I’m getting to the stage where I’m desperate and may have to have the Stinko that I’ve already paid for put on the front, and another brand 130/90-17 put on the rear, just so I can ride it over to my storage facilty to free up space in the winter workshop for the T500. Not ideal, but Stinko tyres just aren’t around at the moment, and while I’m not worried about using another brand, mismatched tyres are not ideal, aesthetically or in terms of performance.

Terry,Maybe you could have those 'essential tire workers' drop-off/ship that Michelin to your residence and you install it yourself?

[Terry in Australia]

Thanks Kelly, I don’t think they’re legal here, so as it needs to have an Australian compliance check (VASS Certificate) done I’ll disconnect them. It does explain some extra wires in the headlight shell that Vik had disconnected and I couldn’t work out where they went.

Bill, the front tyre is sitting at my tyre place waiting for me, I’m getting to the stage where I’m desperate and may have to have the Stinko that I’ve already paid for put on the front, and another brand 130/90-17 put on the rear, just so I can ride it over to my storage facilty to free up space in the winter workshop for the T500. Not ideal, but Stinko tyres just aren’t around at the moment, and while I’m not worried about using another brand, mismatched tyres are not ideal, aesthetically or in terms of performance.

Terry,Maybe you could have those 'essential tire workers' drop-off/ship that Michelin to your residence and you install it yourself?

I'm thinking about it Bill, hopefully we'll be out of lockdown this week so I won't need to, I haven't changed a tyre on a Comstar wheel before, and the rims look very soft, so I'm inclined to leave it to the experts, I'd hate to damage them.