Author Topic: Blog: 736cc Builds His Pipe Dream (Read 45127 times)

techy5025 · « **Reply #175 on:** December 16, 2007, 05:26:29 PM »

Looking back at the one pic I have of my K0 taken in 1969, I believe the tank badges only had black paint within the letters and not between them. The pic is from a scanned slide however and it is hard to tell. I know the replacements you could buy had paint in both places.

The choice of exhaust is an interesting one as the packing in the 300 pipes will be gone quickly if you ride the bike. At over 2 g's a pop, I think for a bike I was going to ride I would opt for the cheaper and longer lasting 341 replacements and keep the 300's in a vault somewhere (installed only for shows maybe). They will be the first thing to go on a ridden bike and unfortunately the most expensive restoration item...assuming nothing breaks of course. The source for new unmarked pipes may also dry up.

The gauge restoration looks great btw. I understand the replacement faces, how do you restore the plastic lenses? Or do you start with ones that aren't scratched or crased? (sp)

I could never do restores this good, because I would never sell them. As an aside, I wonder how many more machines are actually out there and available for this treatment?

Jim

Terry in Australia · « **Reply #176 on:** December 17, 2007, 12:17:45 AM »

BZZZZT! ("incorrect" game show buzzer noise) I just checked my May 1969 Cycle World mag with the full color pull out poster of the (same color as Andy's) Sandcast K0, and the tank badges have the black between as well as within them.

The good thing (for me, at least) is that the seat on the bike in my poster isn't as "scrunched up" as the one on the Vic World bike, which I guess was showing it's age, so a new repro cover on a soft new foam base from DSS (Yamiya are way too expensive at 220 bucks for a piece of foam, ouch!) on my K1 seat base will probably look just fine.

Why are the HM300's so expensive? I've seen them as late as last week on EBay, new, for $999.00 and 1200.00 per set? Why do they burn out quicker than the 341's? Not that I think I'll wear a set out, with 10 bikes and no time, it's doubtfull I'll wear any of them out, ha ha! Cheers, Terry.

Bob Wessner · « **Reply #177 on:** December 17, 2007, 03:34:03 AM »

Ten bikes!? Your wife needs to get a little more control over your free time.

Terry in Australia · « **Reply #178 on:** December 17, 2007, 04:00:35 AM »

Ha ha, well it's funny Bob, I've been meaning to sell some so I can "thin the herd", but I just can't bring myself to do it? Maybe I should just buy a bigger garage, ha ha!

736cc · « **Reply #179 on:** December 17, 2007, 05:57:27 PM »

Terry in Australia · « **Reply #180 on:** December 17, 2007, 05:59:03 PM »

That really is a beautiful bike Andy, you've done well!

736cc · « **Reply #181 on:** December 17, 2007, 06:40:04 PM »

Thanx, Terry. If anything, its become one of those little over-the-top monsters, but thats where it went. And I learned a few things along the way, and I hope some resto tips and tricks was gleemed from this blog. I'm getting the drift from some of the postings here that its become too-fussy a trailer-queen, and maybe thats correct to some degree. But I knew beforehand it would eventually find a new home, and for that it couldn't be done TOO NICE.
Whoever ends up w/ it will get something special. And I'll bet he will ride it, bring it to shows and maybe it will be one of those lucky motorcycles that will be well taken care of forever.

Bob Wessner · « **Reply #182 on:** December 17, 2007, 06:55:12 PM »

Andy,

What do you do about refreshing any gauge faces that are faded badly? Have you ever taken the K0 gauges apart to put a new face on them?

754 · « **Reply #183 on:** December 17, 2007, 08:00:30 PM »

Got some chainguard info,

from Honda partsbook June 21, 1971.

#40510-300-040B up to #1021,879

#40510-300-050B #1021,880 - #1022,649

So I assume they are both plastic, as I have had the short one and now have a 26 inch plastic one.

Instrument faces, I had a set that were not real faded but very yellowed, the came out real nice after polishing with Meguiar's. I think is what I used , comes in 3 grades..I used medium.

736cc · « **Reply #184 on:** December 17, 2007, 08:16:22 PM »

Quote

What do you do about refreshing any gauge faces that are faded badly? Have you ever taken the K0 gauges apart to put a new face on them?

Yamiya sells new "meter boards" or faces. Or you can mix and match several sets of gauges to make 1 real nice pair. The early plastic gauges are ez to take apart, just peel away the plastic lip w/ a small screwdriver. Cleaning and polishing the inside of the bezel is now possible, along w/ replacing the meter board and its faded redline. Pointer lifts off using a needlenose (carefully), and a couple dabs of glue hold the body to the works.

Note the difference between a sandcast gauge gearbox and a diecast gauge gearbox.

Sam Green Racing · « **Reply #185 on:** December 17, 2007, 10:19:50 PM »

Easy to see............................

more rust

Sam.

Bob Wessner · « **Reply #186 on:** December 18, 2007, 02:28:21 AM »

Thanks for the detail and pics Andy.

techy5025 · « **Reply #187 on:** December 18, 2007, 04:10:52 PM »

The other issue with the K0 gauges is the plastic lenses. I'm aware of the replacement faces, but how do you restore the lenses that have crazing....I don't think polishing will take it out?

I have a total of six gauges that need help in this area.

...and thanks Terry. I will have to re-do my re-store on the badges. Painting the whole badge and then cleaning off the raised portion of the letters should be easier then trying to keep paint off between the letters...it says here in fine print.

Jim

Terry in Australia · « **Reply #188 on:** December 18, 2007, 04:14:46 PM »

No worries Jim, I just use acrylic water based paint, and use a wet (moist) rag to wipe off any excess. Cheers, Terry.

754 · « **Reply #189 on:** February 01, 2008, 09:28:16 PM »

so, did the bike find a new home, or is it still in the stable??

sandcastcb750 · « **Reply #190 on:** February 02, 2008, 07:16:15 PM »

This is what it looked liked when I had bought it in 2005!

It ran but it was ugly. I had the engine rebuilt and frame powdercoated made into a rolling chassis.......then I quit. The rest was done by Andy and he should be congratulated on a really fantastic job.

736cc · « **Reply #191 on:** February 04, 2008, 05:30:54 PM »

EPILOG
It was purchased by a collector from Europe before it was even started for the 1st time; I rode it exactly 2 miles before it air-freighted away. Now I'm riding a sweet K5 that used to belong to sandcastCB750. Also picked-up a rare 1980 GS1000S Wes Cooley Suzi today just 3 miles from where I live, needs a few things but basically all there, something I think I will enjoy playing with.

bgfootball67 · « **Reply #192 on:** February 04, 2008, 06:33:30 PM »

Hopefully she went to a good home across the seas! You need to post some pics of your Wes Cooley GS in the other section! I picked up a 78 GS 1000 last year and loved it!

Terry in Australia · « **Reply #193 on:** February 04, 2008, 07:09:12 PM »

Quote from: 736cc on February 04, 2008, 05:30:54 PM

EPILOG
It was purchased by a collector from Europe before it was even started for the 1st time; I rode it exactly 2 miles before it air-freighted away. Now I'm riding a sweet K5 that used to belong to sandcastCB750. Also picked-up a rare 1980 GS1000S Wes Cooley Suzi today just 3 miles from where I live, needs a few things but basically all there, something I think I will enjoy playing with.

Good pick-up Andy, I've got both the 1979 and 1981 "Wes Cooley" GS1000S's, and they're brilliant bikes! Cheers, Terry.

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Author Topic: Blog: 736cc Builds His Pipe Dream (Read 45127 times)