Topic: Ross’s 1975 CB750 K5

[BenelliSEI]

Sounds like your paint will be nice. The paint shops around here are charging so much that I’m glad my K6 is staying original. Asking around, I figure it would be less to just order a “body kit” from Yamiya!

[newday777]

Sounds like your paint will be nice. The paint shops around here are charging so much that I’m glad my K6 is staying original. Asking around, I figure it would be less to just order a “body kit” from Yamiya!

I agree John that Yamiya has the better price and you get new tank and side covers.
I have some cleaned tanks that I will try painting myself though, I'll start with one for now.

[Galactica]

Everything is getting sooo expensive.  I suppose a body kit is an option.  Not one that I had considered. 

The paint from VMR was really expensive.  If I had had a really good example of the Planet Blue in hand, we probably could have done a scan and computer matched the paint for less than half of what I paid VMR.  I’ve been going to the same body shop for repairs and paint for 25 years.  Had several Kawasaki bodies done there.  He’s really good to me on things like motorcycle stuff.  I pay cash and he charges me the cost of labour without the markup.

Having said that, this job will cost twice as much as I’m used to.  He has to spray it four times as well as landmark and apply the stripes.

I had a Z1 body kit from Duremi in Japan.  It was spectacular.  However…it wasn’t perfect.  It really looked exact until one did some empirical measurements.  The original tanks were 18lt.  I checked and they were indeed 18lt.  The Duremi was only 15lt.  But you wouldn’t know it just by looking at it. 

[Stev-o]

I had a Z1 body kit from Duremi in Japan. 

I have the body kit from Doremi on my Z1B, best $1200 I've ever spent!  [and Z1parts.net threw in the tank and side cover emblems for free]

[Galactica]

I usually try not to nit pick other guy’s bikes.  And I hate it when other guys nit pick mine.  Especially since all of my restorations have had more than a few compromises of one magnitude or another.  Believe me, I know all of her flaws.

For instance, I can tell from a few feet away if a Z1 has a Duremi body kit.  The tank is appreciably narrower and lower.  It just looks small to me, almost like the LTD tank, a bit disproportionate.  And the upper edge of the duck tail is too sharp. The originals were much more radiussed (spelling?).  I knew it, but even most Kawasaki guys wouldn’t notice.

From the pictures on the Yamya website, the side covers don’t look quite right to me.  The corners seem a bit too sharp.  Maybe should be more radiussed.

But ya, it’s tough to criticize too much.  Money talks.  And you save yourself sooo much effort with a new body kit.  I hadn’t looked around for one at all.  Didn’t even know they were available or I would seriously considered it.  Especially since my cost with new aftermarket side covers (that look really close to original), paint, stripes, sand blasting, and paint shop labour will be somewhere near $2200 CDN.  Ouch.  There is something about having original parts though (the tank is nice to have OEM).  And I’m not even trying to get close to a correct restored bike.  I just want a really nice runner that I can be proud of.

[BenelliSEI]

Paint is over $2,000 here in Ontario too. I’ve used a couple of Yamiya kits and I have to say they are as close to perfect as you can get. The last time I put a set on a KO I sold the original stuff and it netted to a much better deal……

[Floshenbarnical]

The seat looks great. My guy didn't want to do a stencil on my because of the heavy grain. I'll see if I can change his mind with your solution. The seat really does need "HONDA" on the back of it. Cliff.

Could always use a good paintbrush for miniatures and put two thinner coats down. Would solve the overspray

[Galactica]

So, a friend of mine just bought a good running’75 CB750.  It came with a bunch of spares including a decal package which includes both a black and white Safety decal that goes on the top of the tank forward of the gas cap.  He’ll give one of them.

My question is, since my parts are out for paint in Planet Blue, which is the correct one?  Black or white?

[newday777]

So, a friend of mine just bought a good running’75 CB750.  It came with a bunch of spares including a decal package which includes both a black and white Safety decal that goes on the top of the tank forward of the gas cap.  He’ll give one of them.

My question is, since my parts are out for paint in Planet Blue, which is the correct one?  Black or white?

[Galactica]

Thanks.

[Galactica]

Dang!!  The decal that my friend has isn’t correct.  It’s in three different languages, English, French, and German, arranged in columns.  Not the one I want.  Dang.

[Galactica]

Double Dang.  Carbs have to come off…again.  I’d set the timing using a test light but decided to check it dynamically with a timing light.  When I started it, it seemed a bit off.  Wouldn’t you know it, #3 isn’t firing.  There’s fuel in the bowl and spark, but no fire.  Dammit.

[seanbarney41]

No worries with a 750...don't pull the carbs.  Just drop the bowl, unscrew the pilot jet with a stubby screwdriver, bet you will find it re-plugged, clear it out again.

[Galactica]

No worries with a 750...don't pull the carbs.  Just drop the bowl, unscrew the pilot jet with a stubby screwdriver, bet you will find it re-plugged, clear it out again.

Hey, thanks for the tip.  I’ll give it a shot. 

[BenelliSEI]

Ross…… Is this the white tank decal you need? Send me a pm with your full mailing address. John D. in Ontario.

[Galactica]

Ross…… Is this the white tank decal you need? Send me a pm with your full mailing address. John D. in Ontario.

Yup.  That’s the one.

[Galactica]

No worries with a 750...don't pull the carbs.  Just drop the bowl, unscrew the pilot jet with a stubby screwdriver, bet you will find it re-plugged, clear it out again.

Hey, thanks for the tip.  I’ll give it a shot.

So I pulled the pilot jet and blew it out without removing the carbs.  Re-installed it and started the bike.  Initially it was firing but then got cold again. 

Here’s where you can berate me for my cheapness.  I’ve not replaced the float bowl gaskets and they keep sluffing off small bits of debris (I see it when I drain the bowls).  I reckon the debris is getting sucked up. 

I have the carbs off now and I’ve blown them out with my compressor.  I’ll replace the bowl gaskets before I run it again.

On the upside, my static timing was as near as dammit when checked with a timing light.

[BenelliSEI]

Ross…… Is this the white tank decal you need? Send me a pm with your full mailing address. John D. in Ontario.

Yup.  That’s the one.

Your in BC? Send me a PM with full name and address. I’ll get it put to you.

[Galactica]

Ross…… Is this the white tank decal you need? Send me a pm with your full mailing address. John D. in Ontario.

Yup.  That’s the one.

Your in BC? Send me a PM with full name and address. I’ll get it put to you.

Will do.  That’s very kind of you.

[BenelliSEI]

Ross…… Is this the white tank decal you need? Send me a pm with your full mailing address. John D. in Ontario.

Yup.  That’s the one.

Your in BC? Send me a PM with full name and address. I’ll get it put to you.

Will do.  That’s very kind of you.

I have a couple. No problem!

[seanbarney41]

No worries with a 750...don't pull the carbs.  Just drop the bowl, unscrew the pilot jet with a stubby screwdriver, bet you will find it re-plugged, clear it out again.

Hey, thanks for the tip.  I’ll give it a shot.

So I pulled the pilot jet and blew it out without removing the carbs.  Re-installed it and started the bike.  Initially it was firing but then got cold again. 

Here’s where you can berate me for my cheapness.  I’ve not replaced the float bowl gaskets and they keep sluffing off small bits of debris (I see it when I drain the bowls).  I reckon the debris is getting sucked up. 

I have the carbs off now and I’ve blown them out with my compressor.  I’ll replace the bowl gaskets before I run it again.

On the upside, my static timing was as near as dammit when checked with a timing light.

yeah, out of a dozen or so sets of cb750 carbs I have worked on, I don't recall ever buying new float bowl gaskets.  But if someone put some cheap aftermarket in there before me, I will salvage some from a parts rack.

I have had a lot of 750's that are lazy about running on all 4 on a first start or after a long winter.  These mostly always kick in, at the latest, once you get that fuel in the bowl happily sloshing about.

[Galactica]

So, I fired it up this afternoon.  #3 is still not right.  Doesn’t heat up at idle, warms with revs.  Something’s amiss in the pilot system.  Oh well, I’m not going to worry about it much just now.  I’ll wait until I get the body back from paint.  That could take a while, I’ve told them there’s no rush, just fit it in when you can.  Then I’ll apply for collector plate which could take a while as well.

Ya right, no rush.  I’m itching to ride it.  Long range forecast is 18C in a week or so.  Guess I might have to settle for riding the Tracer900.

[BenelliSEI]

Did you clean those carbs in an ultrasonic tank? Sometimes cleaning jets won’t help if the passages in the carb body are plugged up?

[Galactica]

Did you clean those carbs in an ultrasonic tank? Sometimes cleaning jets won’t help if the passages in the carb body are plugged up?

Yes, I had cleaned them ultrasonically several times.  Once in the large cleaner at Burnaby Kawasaki, and twice in a smaller one (borrowed) at home.

Initially it seemed to be running well with all cylinders hot.  I’m not going to worry about it just now.  Weather is supposed to improve greatly by end of next week (18C) and I can get it out and run it up and down the lane.

[newday777]

Did you do a compression and leak down tests?