Topic: Gee, leave for a few months and gone here...!

[Wingmonk]

been gone a while and I have returned!
If anyone remembers me I am rebuilding a 78 K8 from the dead. her name is Kate (K8) and she was wrecked on June 24, 1996 and has not run since that day. I believed she was dead until I looked very closely one day a decade later and noticed the frame still looked straight, and the swingarm was the only real damage. Well, besides the Bates bags and the Windjammer fairing. Yanked all that off and under all that crap there she was!

Been spending most the last year working slow on it due to laziness. I ride my other favorite bike an old Yamaha 650 twin.
But now with the weather getting nice I am getting the SOHC fever!

I have a 76 CB750 for parts and the swingarm fits, but looks to be a couple inches shorter. I can't decide as to use the 76 arm, or look for the longer 78 one. Anyone here know how this may work or not?

Also, the oil tank was totally different from the 76 to the 78. My 78 tank was dented in pretty bad but still is intact..just may require less oil. Guess I better look for another one. Wonder if the dent could be blown out? I do have a couple of sweaty M80's from the 80's...yeah, that may work.

Its good to be back..I ride several bikes but the SOHC always held a special place of honor with me. I will not get lazy again. Just hope I can find the needed parts.

Bob near Crawford Colorado

[Jerry Rxman Griffin aka MuthaF'er]

Can't help with the swing arm. Hondaman in Denver has been rebuilding the bushings. Perhaps he might have some info.

Beautiful area you're in. Time to ride!

Jerry
Colorado Springs

[mrbreeze]

I'm not at all sure....other people here are......I would venture to say that those swingarms are different.The later 750's had 630 instead of 530 chains. I would think the later ones have a wider swingarm.

[xtalon]

I'm not at all sure....other people here are......I would venture to say that those swingarms are different.The later 750's had 630 instead of 530 chains. I would think the later ones have a wider swingarm.

'76 K swingarm is indeed shorter and slightly narrower in spots than the '77-'78 K; however, it will bolt on to a '78 with no problem; however, I don't think the chain will line up.  The '78 K has a wider sprocket carrier (about 10mm) to line up with the '78 front sprocket and while you could use your '78 sprocket carrier, I do not think it will fit in the narrower '76 swingarm (but you can try).  I know all this because I have gone the other route and put a '78 swingarm on my '76 so I could run a wider tire.

I had to run a front offset sprocket on my '76 K engine to match up with the rear.

--xTalon

[Wingmonk]

Well, the 78 did come with the 630 chain with a quarter mile sprocket set. I long ago removed them and returned to the 530 sprocket set and the chain from the 76. I forget the ratios but I remember the 530 with the 76 stock sprockets worked great.
One long trip I got 69.34 mpg!
As for alignment I will have to watch very carefully. The swingarm mounted up real nice and looks good for now. I need to shorten the chain a bit, but the carbs are the current project.
Really nice to be back, and thanks for the responses so far.

Bob near Crawford

[heffay]

just wanted to say... welcome, bob

i'm in lafayette near boulder, when you're up in the denver area we'll all have to get together... there is a growing number of us. 

anyway... good luck w/ kate

[SteveD CB500F]

I remember Kate...

Did your user ID get deleted? We only clean out dormant IDs that have never posted...

[Wingmonk]

Yeah, I had to re-register. Just glad to be back!

[johnny-from-bel]

Yeah, I had to re-register. Just glad to be back!

As long as you keep your sohc4 number you'r fine