Topic: 1976 Honda cb750K

[Stev-o]

The bike looks very nice John. Always bugs me when the clutch cable is in front of the speedo!

BTW - seems all of your bikes have speedos in mph, arent your road sign speed limits in kph?

[BenelliSEI]

The bike looks very nice John. Always bugs me when the clutch cable is in front of the speedo!

BTW - seems all of your bikes have speedos in mph, arent your road sign speed limits in kph?

Steve….. I’ve noticed that cable too. It’s just long enough and really thick and stiff. I wonder if it’s routed there as the only option? Will need to have a look.
           “Metrification” in Canada started in the early ‘70’s. It took years and there was lots of objections and discussion! During one weekend in September 1977, ALL the speed limit signs across the country changed from MPH to KPH. After that date, cars, trucks and motorcycles were legislated to have KPH speedometers. There was a transition period where some manufacturers used stickers. My first new car was a 1979 Honda Civic. It had a KPH only speedo.
              Not sure what Honda did with the motorcycles, but I do have both 1977 and 1978 cb750K’s in the back of the shop. You’ve got me curious, I’ll have a look, and post.

P.S. a few days ago, I asked my 13 year old grandson, if he was 6’ tall yet? He had absolutely NO idea what I was talking about.

[BenelliSEI]

Did a full inventory today of what I have. Need a set of spokes, an oil line (how can I misplace one?), chain (must have tossed it), starter solenoid (I recall “borrowing” it a few years ago), and a few other small bits. Found most of it, including a nice set of “case savers” that will fit well. Side covers are flawless!

[BenelliSEI]

Went through some other new bits I have and came up with a “starter safety switch”. This is the only year this thing got used??

[BenelliSEI]

Need to dig through the K6 wiring diagram. What is this thing?


UPDATED. Checked the K6 dia. Diode, connected to the clutch lever safety switch.

[BenelliSEI]

The rear wheel is mysteriously missing one spoke. The previous owner installed the Brigestone Accolade tires just before I bought it. I suspect they have less than 50 miles on them. Of course it was hell to get off. 50% done and took the rest of the day off. Tube miraculously survived all the cursing!

[Galactica]

The bike looks very nice John. Always bugs me when the clutch cable is in front of the speedo!

BTW - seems all of your bikes have speedos in mph, arent your road sign speed limits in kph?

Canada went metric in 1976.  All 1976 model year vehicles sold in Canada had metric gauges.

Cheers,
Ross

[BenelliSEI]

The bike looks very nice John. Always bugs me when the clutch cable is in front of the speedo!

BTW - seems all of your bikes have speedos in mph, arent your road sign speed limits in kph?

Canada went metric in 1976.  All 1976 model year vehicles sold in Canada had metric gauges.

Cheers,
Ross

This is a 1976, sold here in Ontario, in MPH. Mmmm.

[newday777]

The bike looks very nice John. Always bugs me when the clutch cable is in front of the speedo!

BTW - seems all of your bikes have speedos in mph, arent your road sign speed limits in kph?

Canada went metric in 1976.  All 1976 model year vehicles sold in Canada had metric gauges.

Cheers,
Ross

Nope.
It was Sept 5, 1977

https://www.nytimes.com/1977/09/06/archives/metric-road-signs-due-in-canada-today-some-confusion-is-likely.html

My 1st trip across into Canada into Quebec was late October 1977 and exited in Suite St Marie a week later. It was strange to try to figure how fast to go as we were in a 66 Chevy pickup with mph.

[BenelliSEI]

The bike looks very nice John. Always bugs me when the clutch cable is in front of the speedo!

BTW - seems all of your bikes have speedos in mph, arent your road sign speed limits in kph?

Canada went metric in 1976.  All 1976 model year vehicles sold in Canada had metric gauges.

Cheers,
Ross

Nope.
It was Sept 5, 1977

https://www.nytimes.com/1977/09/06/archives/metric-road-signs-due-in-canada-today-some-confusion-is-likely.html

My 1st trip across into Canada into Quebec was late October 1977 and exited in Suite St Marie a week later. It was strange to try to figure how fast to go as we were in a 66 Chevy pickup with mph.

Like I said, Labour Day Long Weekend in 1977. All the signs got changed in three days!

[HondaMan]

The bike looks very nice John. Always bugs me when the clutch cable is in front of the speedo!

Yeah, me, too!
For a [brief] while there were some (5cm?) shorter clutch cables out there that didn't do it so much, but they disappeared after a couple of years. Seems the clutch was harder to pull, probably because of the kink it caused at the cable adjuster by the lever.

[Galactica]

The bike looks very nice John. Always bugs me when the clutch cable is in front of the speedo!

BTW - seems all of your bikes have speedos in mph, arent your road sign speed limits in kph?

Canada went metric in 1976.  All 1976 model year vehicles sold in Canada had metric gauges.

Cheers,
Ross

Nope.
It was Sept 5, 1977

https://www.nytimes.com/1977/09/06/archives/metric-road-signs-due-in-canada-today-some-confusion-is-likely.html

I stand corrected.

[Magpie]

Following your progress John. I'm starting on a K6 I drove 3200 kms. (round trip) for. Couldn't pass it up. I pulled the motor out yesterday, it needs a major clean-up. Compression at 170 psi across the board, less than 9000 miles on it and not pushing blue. From 10 feet away it looks pretty good. Exhaust is shot unfortunately.

[BenelliSEI]

Following your progress John. I'm starting on a K6 I drove 3200 kms. (round trip) for. Couldn't pass it up. I pulled the motor out yesterday, it needs a major clean-up. Compression at 170 psi across the board, less than 9000 miles on it and not pushing blue. From 10 feet away it looks pretty good. Exhaust is shot unfortunately.

Cliff……..parallel lives? They sure look identical! When you get a chance, can you take a close up photo of the electrical fastened to the LHS of the battery box? I’m curious how/ where the starter safety switch and the associated diode are mounted? I have all the bits, just not sure where they all go!

[BenelliSEI]

Finished sweating off that rear tire. What a pig! Wheel bearings and rubber snubbers (packed with grease!) are just perfect. The usual amount of rust and dirt will need to be scrubbed out. Brake shoes look new. The nipple from the missing spoke was NOT in the rim, so obviously ignored when the new tire was installed. Some people are a mystery!

The rim will polish up nicely and a new set of spokes and rim tapes have been ordered. Nothing improves the appearance of a motorcycle more than a clean hub and new spokes! The down side is I will have to do the front to match…….

[MauiK3]

Re-spoking is sure not for the impatient, it’s a sort of meditation thing.

[BenelliSEI]

Re-spoking is sure not for the impatient, it’s a sort of meditation thing.

Steve….. you know it! I really enjoy it. For many years, “I had a guy” that did it for me. After he died unexpectedly, I decided it was time. Bought a few tools, a good truing/balancing stand and got into it. First one took forever and I probably laced it 3-4 times before I got the sequence right. After building +20 now, I did the last one in an hour. Very Zen.

The added bonus of having the equipment is I can balance my own stuff and know it’s spot on. It also allows me to determine where the lightest spot is on a full wheel assembly (not always where the valve stem hole is) and then line the tire “yellow dot” with that spot. Probably a waste of time, but good fun!

[Magpie]

Here you go John, hope this helps. I haven't dived into the wiring yet as you can see.

[BenelliSEI]

Here you go John, hope this helps. I haven't dived into the wiring yet as you can see.

Cliff….. That’s great! Thank you. I see the diode on that strap in the lower left. I found the strap in my stuff. I don’t see the “starter motor safety switch” (see my photo, third one down from the top of this page). Is it hanging down below or is your bike missing it all together? I think it’s plugged into a red connector. If it’s been removed, the connector from the harness usually has a jumper wire across two of the pins?

[Magpie]

I'll have a better look in the morning John.

[BenelliSEI]

I'll have a better look in the morning John.

Thanks, NO RUSH.

[HondaMan]

Re-spoking is sure not for the impatient, it’s a sort of meditation DRINKING thing.

[Magpie]

John, the diode is wired right into the harness. I don't have a starter safety switch with a red plug in my wiring harness. I may have a spare wiring harness in my shed. I'll have a look and report back. Cliff.

[newday777]

John, the diode is wired right into the harness. I don't have a starter safety switch with a red plug in my wiring harness. I may have a spare wiring harness in my shed. I'll have a look and report back. Cliff.

I'll take a look at the K6 I have to see if it's on it still, but I looked at my K5 and a K4 which didn't have the diode.

[BenelliSEI]

John, the diode is wired right into the harness. I don't have a starter safety switch with a red plug in my wiring harness. I may have a spare wiring harness in my shed. I'll have a look and report back. Cliff.

Mmmm. Next time I’m in the shop I’ll make sure the K6 actually has the matching red connector on the harness. Never thought to look!