Topic: Blog: 736cc Builds His Pipe Dream

[ekim98]

One hell of a restore job. Would be nice to own, but it would kill me to just look at it and not take it out and ride.

But to build a "Pipe Dream" just to sell it. Not much of a dream imo, as much as a money making job. Quite a misleading thread IMO. 

[Jerry Rxman Griffin aka MuthaF'er]

If you love what you're doing and it gives you the gratification you seek then it's not a job.

[736cc]

pic of the day

[dagersh]

736,

I will look forward to meeting yo and that gorgeous creation at the show!  What an outstanding job!  But....  you have spoiled us, we now expect this quality of work from you!

As for this not being a dream but rather a job....  well, some understand, some don't.  I appreciate what you do, and how you let us in on the fun.  I can't wait to really do some great work on my K0, and all the others as well.

Keep us in the loop, always!

Gersh

[shoggoth80]

You learn something new every day. I did not know that the really early 750s had sandcast cases, or that they were hot-ticket bikes. That is a beautiful job you've done, and man... I'm at a loss for words!

[736cc]

 eye candy

[Bob Wessner]

Great pic of a great looking bike.

So the early center stands did have a support strut? Someone once told me they didn't. Learned something new.. again.

[my78k]

736...question for you...can you actually do ok with these restos money wise?

I mean obviously you love doing it (and it shines through in spades!) but financially is there enough of a benefit? Seems like more guys throw on a set of drag bars or clubmans have an instant cafe and can flip it for more (volume sales I guess)...no disrespect to the cafers but some of the crap on EBAY lately tells the story better than I can!!! Obviously there is a significant investment (not prying more out of morbid curiosity really as it is way out of my league) and do you expect to get that back plus something for your sweat and tears?

Dennis

[Swoop]

Great pic of a great looking bike.

So the early center stands did have a support strut? Someone once told me they didn't. Learned something new.. again.

That is new info for me too...thanks

[Johnie]

736...I just went through this entire phenominal blog.  Where do you get all those Duckbill seats?  Or do you rebuild them yourself with Yamiya stuff?  And would you happen to know if the Yamiya seat pan is plastic or metal?  They never answer me.  That duckbill is still eluding me and my KO as I can not afford the $1500 on eBay for one.  I do have the metal duckbill pan and may consider buying rebuilding it myself.  However, Yamiya is $$$ for the foam and cover which does not include the strap or screws.  Anyway, thanks so much for the time you put into this bog for all of us.   

[736cc]

So the early center stands did have a support strut? Someone once told me they didn't. Learned something new.. again.

Only the VERY early sandcasts (1st 900 or so) had no centerstand support strut.

736...question for you...can you actually do ok with these restos money wise?

  If you spend $700 on a dull heatshield as some knucklehead once did on ebay, or $2200 on a ducktail seat, you're not going to do ok money wise.
 

Where do you get all those Duckbill seats?  Or do you rebuild them yourself with Yamiya stuff?  And would you happen to know if the Yamiya seat pan is plastic or metal?  They never answer me.  That duckbill is still eluding me and my KO as I can not afford the $1500 on eBay for one.  I do have the metal duckbill pan and may consider buying rebuilding it myself.  However, Yamiya is $$$ for the foam and cover which does not include the strap or screws.  Anyway, thanks so much for the time you put into this bog for all of us.   

  Use a K1 pan, buy the Yamiya foam, cover, strap and screws and do-it-yourself. Or buy the finished Yamiya seat $750+ship, they use a correct metal pan. Or buy a ripped-up ducktail w/ a good foam profile (thats key- the orig foam) and restore it. And DSS repop seats ain't bad for the price.

There's a famous Madison Ave saying: "Don't sell the steak, sell the sizzle."

[754]

My 69 did not have a strut on it. I am sure whoever got the bike had room to make money.

I know my former buddy that I held it for a few weeks to come look at it before I cleaned it up is kicking himself for not buying it ar 2500 bills.. I told him it was a deal...

[Raul CB750K1]

Have you checked www.cmsnl.com for the seat? They sell original and repro seats, don't know if they have the ducktail but asking won't hurt.

Or you can buy a repro seat at four-shop.de for 225 euro + shipping

http://shop.strato.de/epages/15481270.sf/de_DE/?ObjectPath=/Shops/15481270/Categories/Honda/%22CB%20750%20Four%22/%22SITZB%C3%84NKE%20%26%20ANBAUMATERIAL%22

[736cc]

Smooth Oil Filter Housing
  One of the rarest of all sandcast original parts is the smooth oil filter housing. Customers were cranking down the 14mm oil filter bolt too hard and cracking the housing. At around serial # 1003000 all CB750's were delivered from the factory w/ the common finned housing, and the oil filter bolt head became 12mm. Later on in production, the inside of the housing had reinforcing ribs cast in. These smooth housings were commonly recalled at 1st service and retrofitted w/ the updated parts.



 

[Raul CB750K1]

Aren't we the human beings stupid or what? If you want a new bike and the new model is due in a couple months, you wait for the newest model because you know all the gremlins and early teething problems will be sorted out.

But when it comes to old bikes, we are willing to pay more for a model that, no offence intended, is technologically flawed......



(put sour grapes emoticon here   )

[736cc]

 Short Chainguard
 The first 26,845 CB750's delivered in 1969 came w/ the notorious "short" chainguard. Complaints of chain lube slinging on passengers riding-#$%* saw Honda superceding the elegant 24" original w/ a really dorky-looking 26". Rear chainguard bolt on a short chainguard is a unique 6x70mm and cannot be installed w/ #1 pipe in place (which you always forget until its time to do it).
  Rolled Rear Rim
  A beautiful detail unique to sandcasts and a couple thousand early K0's is the "rolled-shoulder" rear rim.  The rim shoulder is distinctly rounded as compared to all the later rims which have a right-angle shoulder.
  Dull Heat Shield
  Sandcasts and K0 heat shields were not a gaudy bright chrome, they have a rather industrial-looking dull aluminum finish. Very rare part which can be cloned very ez by simply painting a chrome shield w/ aluminum paint (tip of the day).
  OEM 45T rear sprocket used on all sandcasts and K0's along w/ a 16T front, which was superceded very early by a 17T and a stronger chain w/ a riveted master link. Apparently the 16T's had a hardening problem with catastrophic chain-breaking causing all sorts of broken sandcast crankcases (I hate when that happens).  K1's had 18T/48T
  Swingarm unique also with different chainguard mounts from later models.
  Note the tightly-wound spring and SHOWA Decarbon sticker on rear shock. Top "eye' (not shown) is black, not silver like later models.
 
 

[754]

736.. how many bikes do you think were made in  69 or with build tags no later than 12-69??

I have seen  tags from 11-69 and 12-69 and they were under 14,000 in serial no.



I may be wrong on the 14,000 number but do remember it being fairly low compared to other years.

[Bob Wessner]

The frame number on my K0 is 1017898 and its build date is 11/69 so they must go higher than that at least.

[Terry in Australia]

Hey nice bike Andy, well done! I see that you've painted the engine as an assembly, (paint over bottom engine bolts and sump plug gives it away, and takes away a little shine off the "new bike" look) did you strip it and rebuild it as part of the resto, or is it just "as found"? I guess it'd be hard to find correct sandcast engine internals?

Also, the alternator cover is a later one with the "big boss" as Groovie Ghoulie taught us all a week or so ago, didn't you have a "sandcast" cover? I think I've got a couple of centre stands without braces out in my garage too, I better get 'em on EBay quick, ha ha! Cheers, Terry.

[736cc]

 Hi Terry, the motor was rebuilt/polished/painted by its previous owner and installed in frame so I simply clearcoatded the aluminum covers. It looks really fresh, so I kept the ball rolling and tried to make everything titty as possible.

[Terry in Australia]

Very nice Andy, what did you use to clearcoat the polished covers? 

[736cc]

Eastwood Clear rattle can

[Jerry Rxman Griffin aka MuthaF'er]

Gloss or satin?

[736cc]

 Eastwood Gloss. Interestingly, the previous owner had the aluminum covers professionaly polished to a mirror finish, which at 1st glance was TOO SHINY as compared to original, but several coats of the Eastwood clear gloss softened it to just the right satin sheen; a dead-ringer to oem.

[seaweb11]

Eastwood Clearcoat.  Looks great until it gets chipped by dirt,stones.

I won't use it on engine side covers again.  Should stand up well indoors though