Tips & tricks:
-During 750 tuneups I'll remove the #4 intake tappet cover and kick the engine over until that tappet starts to go down. That's where I release the cam chain tensioner's lockbolt to apply chain tension. I also use the points cover's screw to push on the tensioner rod, as they are often stuck. The screw is the perfect length, handy to use.
- Cheating-in points gaps: I lay a 0.014" feeler gage into the points, loosen the mounting screw, then gently snug it back down with the highest point of the cam under the rubbing foot. Then do the other. More times than not, this puts the points almost dead-on under the timing light (if they are not Daiichi points).
- Installing modern tires on these rims: after they have been crowbarred onto the rim I apply oil to the bead area all the way around on both sides, then inflate to 60 PSI to lube the rim. Then I deflate to about 5-7 PSI and beat on the tire with a [large] rubber mallet all the way around the wheel to help the bead work itself outward. I repeat this then at 20 PSI, then go back to 50 PSI to check the indicators all around the wheel of even seating. Then I'll deflate to the PSI I want. Modern tires are all designed to run tubeless, so their beads are much stronger than the old tires.
- I've pulled off a few drive-chain sideplates by grinding away their staked-down pins, and I keep 1 or 2 in the toolkit of the bike. Then when installing the masterlink on the drive chain I'll put the chain onto the rear sprocket, slide in the masterlink and add it's cover plate, then add the old sideplate on top of the pins and use Visegrips to seat the pins into the new link by pressing the old sideplate right over the pins on each side of the link in 3 small steps, to alternating sides of the link. The old sideplate is then easy to remove and leaves the masterlink plate pressed al the way down so the clip can be installed.
- When spray-lubing the drive chain I lay a piece of cardboard or paper under the middle of the chain and spray right thru the chain onto the paper/board while spinning the wheel. This applies the lube where it is needed most, takes just 2 revs of the chain, and ensures it will spread evenly within 1 block of riding with the least throw-off (on you?).
- Lube the chain when you park the bike for winter. Don't wait until Spring for this move.
- Magic tire inflation pressures: to get the perfect pressure for you, your load, and your bike, start with cold tires. Measure the air PSI, then ride at least 2 miles, stop wherever that is and measure PSI again. If it is +2 PSI from the previous reading you are spot-on. If it rises MORE than +2 PSI then inflate an additional 2 PSI, wait for the tires to fully cool, and repeat. If the pressure is LESS than +2 PSI, drop off 2 PSI of the warm-tire reading and repeat the test from cold. At the end I add +1 PSI to the 'perfect' pressure because I tend to [try to] corner hard and this supports the sidewalls of the metric tires slightly better. It didn't work that way with the old tire carcass designs, though.
- Flip the front drive sprocket every 5000 miles, the rear twice that much, and leave the chain in the same direction as before. Every 2nd time you do this, flip the chain inside-out so it runs the other way against the sprockets. I got nearly 50k miles from 1 chain and 1 pair of sprockets twice that way: 100k+ miles with just 2 chains and 2 sets of sprockets on a CB750 is a rare achievement! The tires were changed out more often.
- In wintertime storage, add 2 ounces of oil to the gas in the full fuel tank. Drop by and visit the bike every 2 weeks or sooner and open the fuel petcock for 5 minutes, then reclose it. When Spring comes it will be ready to start right up (if the battery is good) and ride off, just as soon as you reinflate the tires.
- At end-of-season, change the sparklugs. Don't put it off. Use a propane torch to clean off the old ones and keep them as spares. Grease the plug's threads on installation.
- If you lock the steering column during winter storage (or even if you don't), turn the bars fully to the left. This will reduce kinking in the tach-drive cable and extend its life. This was SOP in our sales shop back in the day.
- If you park the bike on its centerstand for winter, make 2 props out of 1x2 wood and prop the front tire up in the air, too. This will prevent that tire from developing a flat spot over the winter. Check/inflate the tires to +2 PSI over the normal pressure(s) for the storage time and check it each month for that PSI. If you have Chinese-made tubes they will slowly leak air: consider getting some Michelin tubes over the winter and make your own body-building program by changing those tubes out before Spring. The Michelins don't leak hardly at all over the whole winter.
- If you tires are worn out, get them swapped during January or February. The tire inventories are getting better by then. If you try for new tires in Springtime you may not be able to get the ones you want because everyone else wants those then, too. Around here it takes 2 days to have the shop change tires in January, but 3 weeks in April.
