Topic: Some basic original appearance questions of a K3 from a newbie

[junior]

Having never restored a Honda K3 I have looked at many pics on the web for some details of what was original and have some basic questions. Was the frame a gloss black? Was the front fork triple clamps a satin black? I've read Duplicolor DE1615 is a close match for the engine. Were the cases, cylinders and even the head painted? On other restorations I have completed, I resisted painting the heads and vapor blasted instead. Using a 2K clear over polished covers acceptable? Thanks, Jr.

[MauiK3]

Welcome!
I'm thinking you are talking about a K3 750
Frame was not quite gloss black, others here may be able to pinpoint it better, I used POR 15 Chassis Black
Upper triple is a sort of gloss as well.
Engine covers are polished and clear is pretty standard, as well as fork lowers.
Engine case, cylinders and head are painted with one of the silvers like Duplicator.
Plenty of opinion available on this, I don't purport to be an expert, just what I did with my K3 750, which I call "stockish" because it has some 1970 livery details, I rode a 1970 K0 back in the day and wanted to bring the look and feel back.

[Stev-o]

The frame is semi-gloss black, I prefer powdercoat.    Yes, the entire engine was painted at the factory and DE1615 is as close as you will get.   I've vapor blasted the engine on my Kaw H2 as it was not painted originally and it has held up nice.  The polished engine covers I have did not get clear coated and still look great but my bikes stay indoors and dont get ridden in the rain if at all possible. 

[willbird]

Welcome!
I'm thinking you are talking about a K3 750
Frame was not quite gloss black, others here may be able to pinpoint it better, I used POR 15 Chassis Black
Upper triple is a sort of gloss as well.
Engine covers are polished and clear is pretty standard, as well as fork lowers.
Engine case, cylinders and head are painted with one of the silvers like Duplicator.
Plenty of opinion available on this, I don't purport to be an expert, just what I did with my K3 750, which I call "stockish" because it has some 1970 livery details, I rode a 1970 K0 back in the day and wanted to bring the look and feel back.

The OEM clearcoat on cases of my K2 that my dad bought new started to peel and look crappy pretty quickly.

[seanbarney41]

Every nice original frame I have seen is pretty damn shiny but no, it's not like a modern basecoar/clearcoat shiny

[Mark1976]

The frame is semi-gloss black, I prefer powdercoat.    Yes, the entire engine was painted at the factory and DE1615 is as close as you will get.   I've vapor blasted the engine on my Kaw H2 as it was not painted originally and it has held up nice.  The polished engine covers I have did not get clear coated and still look great but my bikes stay indoors and dont get ridden in the rain if at all possible.

   I've done the powder coat semi/satin black finish on several bikes, personally, it's the best way to go. Looks great, durable as all get out and best of all, someone else does all the work...

[M 750K6]

I ride through the year, in damp conditions and across a salty tidal causeway (no choice). I had my 750 frame blasted and powdercoated last year. It came back looking brand new. 3,000 miles since, including last winter. It has stood up very well. I'm very happy with it.

The only blemish has been where the engine mounts are welded on the bottom frame tubes. There's a well in the bracket which must have been difficult to get powder into. Not visible, but I saw a trace of rust residue that had dripped out of the well. I just dremelled the area with a thin wire brush, rust treated in there with a thin artists brush (phosphoric acid based), let it dry and then dabbed in black gloss Hammerite. Invisible and sorted it. I often give it a good check all over after I've been out in the wet and so far, so good.

Make sure your chosen powder coater will plug all threads and the steering bearing / swing arm areas, before powder coating and be sure to take earths / grounds back to bare metal before assembly. I paid under £250 for the rusty frame, brackets, battery box etc. to be taken back to bare metal, etch primed and powder coated. I would probably have spent close to £100 in materials if I'd done it myself, so I thought it was one of my smarter decisions!

[newday777]

The frame should be semigloss black along with the triple tree.
The engine cases, cylinder and cylinder head were painted.
The cam cover and side covers should be polished. You can use clear over the polished covers, I don't know the longevity of the 2K clear, the original clear over the covers is not holding up in the weather, so I just recommend no clear and keep the polished yearly with Semichrome polish.

[jlh3rd]

Having never restored a Honda K3 I have looked at many pics on the web for some details of what was original and have some basic questions. Was the frame a gloss black? Was the front fork triple clamps a satin black? I've read Duplicolor DE1615 is a close match for the engine. Were the cases, cylinders and even the head painted? On other restorations I have completed, I resisted painting the heads and vapor blasted instead. Using a 2K clear over polished covers acceptable? Thanks, Jr.

I'm posting this because you asked, and depends on how much orig. info you want to use.
I'm using CMS part pages. The most accurate are honda 1st edition parts books.
The K3 frame part # ends in "B" ...black.
The orig, 1st 750 K (KO) says "NH1" ..."NH1" is the Honda paint for their black.
FYI - the '78 750K frame says "NH1", but the frame # ends in "ZA"...white primer.

this next post was for the 500 but still applies.
Hi guys - I'm working on a '72 CB500K. I have it all taken apart but am forecasting which paint I should use to get an original looking finish. In the past, I've used Rustoleum Satin Black on frames, but I'm wondering if the original frame for this bike was a bit glossier...?  Any thought/ideas?

Cb 500 K1 frame color was honda NH1.. black.
partzilla sells this OEM honda paint, color NH1.
the frame color isn't satin, or semi, or gloss. But restorers have used them, close enough I guess.
The only other paint I've come across that matched the "black" on the clock cases , 1975 550, is Eastwoods Underhood Black which seems to mirror the frame.
FYI.
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I'm not a restorer. I did redo a tach for a 550F and matched a NOS speedo using eastwood. I don't think to most people it matters. It's a choice.
You said you were a newbie so just FYI.