Topic: Blog: 736cc Builds His Pipe Dream

[dusterdude]

groovie,i thought you were over in the mountains?

[GroovieGhoulie]

Dont' know what "deployment" is, but talking about fat money, good luck, and staying away, I guess it's something related to the Army. Good luck then.

Very nice bike, congratulations. Does it also have the white fender rubber grommet for the speedo drive?

And thanks again for the chainguard. Still waiting for you to tell me how much to send you.... 

Yeah, I'm being sent to Iraq for 15+ months. 

Been SUPER busy with pre-deployment stuff, but I am getting the guard down to the post office Friday.  Tomorrow is a holiday.  I'll let you know ASAP.

Weird, the front fender isn't even drilled for the grommet. 

[GroovieGhoulie]

Wow! 2 really nice bikes. Good luck at the sand box. What bike are you getting when you return? 

I would like a report on which bike wins in the 1/4 mile 

What caused the F's pipes to blue? I've owned mine since new and never had that issue?!

When I return, I'm getting the GF a NEW Triumph Bonneville since she loves them and doesn't care that they are made in Thailand.

As for me, I'm torn between a Kawasaki H1 500 and a '79 CBX.  Of course, I also need to build my Trials bike, my 400F Yoshima racebike and my motocross Hodaka, so I may not get a new one.  Decisions, decisions... 

As far as the 1/4 mile times, the F1 isn't even broken in yet and you're crazy if you think I'm gonna drag a sandcast! 

The magazines quoted 12.6 and 12.4 for the K0 with no trap speed and 13.1 at 103mph for the F1.  Best I could find.  The 12-second K0s were reported to be factory ringers though.

The pipes bluing I have no answer for.  It was like that when I bought it.  It sat for 30 years as "art" in a guy's living room  doing nothing but being polished and I presume when the previous owners fired it up to make sure it ran before they sold it, the gummy jets in the carbs caused a lean condition, which blued the pipes.  Still had the original tires on it and the factory yellow paint on all the fittings.

[GroovieGhoulie]

groovie,i thought you were over in the mountains?

Nope.  Home is Texas, stationed in Louisiana.  Though, I'm in the 10th Mountain Division, which has a brigade at Fort Polk, Louisiana, a place with NO mountains, but plenty of swamps and bayous.   

[736cc]

Weird, the front fender isn't even drilled for the grommet. 

Thats because sandcasts didn't have a speedo cable grommet. That double-cut-no-speedo-grommett original front fender is ultra-rare. Honda stopped making them because they were very sharp edged and sorta dangerous. Then they made a single cut fender (rear edge sharp) then they added the speedo cable grommet. goes in same category as the short chainguard.

Man, that 1st "pic" of you scared the crap outa me....I was like "huh?"  2nd pic is a classic (you definately look Joe Cool)
Safe speed!

[GroovieGhoulie]

Weird, the front fender isn't even drilled for the grommet. 

Thats because sandcasts didn't have a speedo cable grommet. That double-cut-no-speedo-grommett original front fender is ultra-rare. Honda stopped making them because they were very sharp edged and sorta dangerous. Then they made a single cut fender (rear edge sharp) then they added the speedo cable grommet. goes in same category as the short chainguard.

Man, that 1st "pic" of you scared the crap outa me....I was like "huh?"  2nd pic is a classic (you definately look Joe Cool)
Safe speed!

I figured it was one of those "rare" things.  Awesome.  I knew about the cut fenders, but didn't know they didn't have the grommet.  That's cool.

Thanks again for "talking me into" the bike!!!      I certainly didn't plan it.  Called you about a Candy Blue-Green Diecast, end up with a Candy Gold Sandcast.  No regrets.  One of the best things I've ever bought.   

I apologize for hi-jacking your thread.  Please continue.   

[dagersh]

Groovie,

We share two bikes and a riding jacket.  Sick minds think alike!

Seriously, be safe and return home ASAP.  I hope I can speak for everybody and say thanks for your sacrifices.

Sincerely,

Gersh

[GroovieGhoulie]

Groovie,

We share two bikes and a riding jacket.  Sick minds think alike!

Candy Gold and Captain America 4-EVAR!!!   

Thanks for all the well-wishes everyone.  You can bet I'm making it back!! Got too much cool stuff, right?? 

[Jerry Rxman Griffin aka MuthaF'er]

My money is on the F !! 12.9 times from the magazine I have. This oughta stir up some #$%*.

As far as the blueing goes, I'll bet that occurred in the guys living room. Not much air flow usually.

My choice would be the CBX especially if it's as nice as what you have now. My dream garage. I recently saw a widow maker H2 sitting on a trailer at Steele's Cycle in Englewood, CO. Not bad shape. Scared the #$%* outta me just looking at it. They ship all their nice bikes to their showroom in England for all those tea & crumpets (whatever the hell that is) blokes across the pond. They told me they can get $8K - $10K for a nice stock bike there. You bunch of rotten f@#kers. Quit stealing our bikes   

[GroovieGhoulie]

My money is on the F !! 12.9 times from the magazine I have. This oughta stir up some #$%*.

As far as the blueing goes, I'll bet that occurred in the guys living room. Not much air flow usually.

My choice would be the CBX especially if it's as nice as what you have now. My dream garage. I recently saw a widow maker H2 sitting on a trailer at Steele's Cycle in Englewood, CO. Not bad shape. Scared the #$%* outta me just looking at it. They ship all their nice bikes to their showroom in England for all those tea & crumpets (whatever the hell that is) blokes across the pond. They told me they can get $8K - $10K for a nice stock bike there. You bunch of rotten f@#kers. Quit stealing our bikes   

Yeah, I want a CBX for a "big bike", but I also have a hankering for a street two-stroke.  Something totally hooligan.  Problem is, I've got three bike projects I need to tackle when I get back: 

Hodaka Trials bike
Hodaka Combat Wombat motocrosser
Kaz Yoshima-style 400F roadrace bike

THEN I'll think about a new street bike.  Hell, I've got five street bikes now.  I probably should go for an even seven so I can have one for each day of the week. 

[Raul CB750K1]

So that fender is megar-rare? Tell you what, I have read John Wyatt's "Original Honda CB750" cover to cover and it doesn't deal with many sandcast one-of-a-kind like the exhaust clamps, two-hole rear hub etc. Don't know if the author didn't know about it -which I doubt- or it was too technical to deserve the space it needs on the expensive glossy paper. I'm learning quite a few things on this thread that I had never heard before.


It is true that Candy Blue Green is everywhere, but I love that color. In fact, I love all CB750 colors but Green -sorry Gordon-     Well, brown is not my cup of tea either. Actually, I think I like more the K6 tank decals than the earlier type. If I didn't know a thing about CB750's and I was offered one to pick, I would probably choose a K6 by the looks -I can't stand the squareness of the K0 side covers-, though I like the fork ears and headlight in the same colour as the rest of the bike.

[736cc]

  Wyatt's fine book definately missed a few things; I've been lucky enough to have played w/ 15 sandcasts, 10 K0's, 8 K1's and learn something new every time. Many of these changed details are not noted in parts book, by the way. My 1st two sandcasts were # 1001040 and # 1000387 they were full of unique parts that didn't come on later sandcasts. One of the cooler details on that pair was the long choke arm and short upper brake hose (w/o the rubber boot on master-visable on red bike in attached pic). The prototype CB750 is totally off the charts.


Check-out this site, lots of navigating
http://www.cb750sandcastonly.com/index.htm

[Bob Wessner]

Maybe YOU should right a book, "The Truly Definitive CB750."

[GroovieGhoulie]

I found pics and info on those exhaust clamps on the sandcast site:

http://www.cb750sandcastonly.com/support23.htm

"Two types of exhaust pipe clamps, Early 'fat' type & Late 'thin' type.  Early fat exhaust clamps are specific for EACH exhaust!  The #2 and #3 inner clamps are shaved on backside to clear the cylinder fins, bolt threads are side specific, and the #1 and #4 clamps are not shaved on backside and also threaded side specific. The #1 and #4 clamps will foul the cylinder fins if you use them on #2 and #3. They all come w/ large #8 bolts, I've seen them on 3 sandcasts up to E1873 so far.  Early clamps weigh 7.8 oz each & late clamps weigh 6.6 oz. each. "

[754]

Those pics explain it perfectly.. I will check the partsbook I have to see if it  shows the numbers when the change was..

736cc Do you know when they started using frame tags on the neck??

I know they did not have them in the mid 500 serial numbers, and I have seen 11/69 and 12/69 on diecast models, but dont know when they started.

[GroovieGhoulie]

Those pics explain it perfectly.. I will check the partsbook I have to see if it  shows the numbers when the change was..

736cc Do you know when they started using frame tags on the neck??

I know they did not have them in the mid 500 serial numbers, and I have seen 11/69 and 12/69 on diecast models, but dont know when they started.

On my bike, frame number 27xx, it doesn't have the VIN plate, but a silver plate or sticker that says something to the effect of "Honda certifies that this motorcycle is in compliance with all laws in effect on the date of it's construction, yadda, yadda, yadda..."   The swingarm has a similar sticker.

[754]

Is that then what I an seeing on the red bike in the last pics..?

[GroovieGhoulie]

Is that then what I an seeing on the red bike in the last pics..?

Yep.  Mine's got a similar plate/sticker.

When the change was made will be interesting.

It also appears to be on that gold bike, which has the later RH horn mount, so it's in the later part of sandcast production.  Maybe the change came at the very end of the sandcasts, or very early diecasts?

[754]

Frames had a change after #3950..part no 300-50B, superseded bt 300-365B. (I think that is the horn change)
300-620B ...# 5084 and later were used in Germany and Netherlands.

Number ending in 010  and I think 020 was exhaust flange used up to #26,143, then superseded by 030.
 (Having trouble reading my notes, book is not near computer)

Early Fat style clamp is listed as a number ending in 010 then superseded by 020.. but it does not list when it happened

[sandcastcb750]

September 1969 sandcasts had date/vin stickers. So about 6900-7414 would be about right. Hard to say exactly.

[736cc]

  Disc Brake Refinished
Excellent source to surface grind stainless steel discs and he races CB750's!
http://myworld.ebay.com/ebaymotors/smw70ss

[paulages]

  Disc Brake Refinished
Excellent source to surface grind stainless steel discs and he races CB750's!
http://myworld.ebay.com/ebaymotors/smw70ss

...and a forum member.

[Jerry Rxman Griffin aka MuthaF'er]

Did you have it machined before or after powdercoating?

[754]

Really been wondering.. How much did it cost to get your unnumbered pipes shipped from Japan ??

[736cc]

Really been wondering.. How much did it cost to get your unnumbered pipes shipped from Japan ??

$250 and it arrived at my front door 36 hours after I clicked the mouse.

Did you have it machined before or after powdercoating?

Wheels/disc did not get powdercoat. They were completely refinished before disc-machining.