Topic: CB750A...a dog or what?

[gregwaits]

I keep hearing about the CB750A. Was the automatic a popular model? Did it have any particular problems to speak of?

I see them pop up for sale constantly as parts bikes. I just was wondering.

[05c50]

They run good when tuned right. Pretty good pickup,but not as quick as K or F models. Weren't real popular when they came out in '76. The bike was kind of promoted as an "easier" bike to ride because there is no shifting-choose low or high and go,but they were heavy and balky. Honda scraped the 750a in 78 and made a smaller 400a. Sold a little better-lower seat height and a lot lighter. I think that the ones being bought now are just being bought because they're different. That's why I bought mine.
 
......... Paul

[merc2dogs]

 Most dealers pretty much pushed the 750A as a 'beginner' bike, easy to learn, easy to ride. But for most beginning riders it was a bit too much weight, power, and height so it failed in that aspect.
 
If it hadn't been pushed as a 'beginner' and instead been presented as a decent well mannered road bike, it would have seen much better acceptance.
 It's perfect for cruising where there are lots of stop and go, nice for the highway, and great for when you just want to hit backroads and putt along.

 As for the problems, the only real problems I've ever seen with them is from people letting them sit forever, otherwise no more than the regular 750. possibly less because there's no clutch to mess with.

 I picked one up for my wife a while back, and she loves it, And I like riding it, only problem is when I come up to a stop I always grab for the clutch, but I do the same if I drive her car, in 30 years driving I've only owned two automatic cars, and I've been known to slam those I drive into reverse while downshifting for a stop. 

Ken.
 

[Terry in Australia]

Someone here used to drag race much-modified CB750A's, said the tranny was like an old 2 speed powerglide, just about unburstable! Not many here in Oz, but I'd have one. Cheers, Terry.

[Big Jay]

Couple of guys here drag race them. They are very good money makers in bracket racing because they run the same exact ET every run. Once they master the tree, they are absolutly unbeatable.

Jay

[HondaMan]

When they came out, Cycle magazine dragraced one to record the "track times". It came out almost identical to the CB350 twin! 

They only have 24mm carbs, for one thing. You can wake them up with 28mm or CR29 units, but they will have a bit of a flat spot right at teh shift point if you are running them briskly there. But, in heavy city traffic, they are simply the cat's meow: I've ridden next to one here in Colorado several times in the long commute, and it's a blast to watch him just pull away, then brake, like when I'm in the car. No sticky, hot gears, no looking for neutral on the way to the light...it's downright tempting, sometimes!

I've also seen several being used (stock and cammed) in sidecar service, with no reported problems.

My sister-in-law rode her CB400 auto for many, many years. It never had a problem, just like the 750. Just ran and ran and ran. That's just plain hard to beat. 

[754]

Russ Collind gave one his "treatment"..

 I think it ran 10.9 in the 1/4 !!.. not too shabby..

bet it was real consistent..

[Jay B]

Never ridden one, but my cousin had one once, said it was the biggest dog for 750cc's he'd ever seen. Like I said, never ridden one, just my .02.

[Terry in Australia]

Yeah, no doubt the stocker was a tad slow, but what about a worked CB750A engine in a F2 frame? Will it fit? That might be fun! Cheers, Terry.

[MRieck]

Russ Collind gave one his "treatment"..

 I think it ran 10.9 in the 1/4 !!.. not too shabby..

bet it was real consistent..

Yes.....I remember that. You make just about anything go fast. We have a Go Ped that goes about 35mph

[Jonesy]

Racing folks would take the crank and primary drive out of the A model and put it in a K or F powerplant. The A ran a Hy-Vo primary chain and it was indestructable in the CB750 application.

[eurban]

Yeah, no doubt the stocker was a tad slow, but what about a worked CB750A engine in a F2 frame? Will it fit? That might be fun! Cheers, Terry.

Why would you want the F2 frame?  The Auto's frame has the curved frame rails over the engine designed to allow engine disassembly in the frame. . . . .  I have been considering going the other way; using the auto frame with a hot 5 speed motor. . . .

[Bodain]

Yeah, no doubt the stocker was a tad slow, but what about a worked CB750A engine in a F2 frame? Will it fit? That might be fun! Cheers, Terry.

Why would you want the F2 frame?  The Auto's frame has the curved frame rails over the engine designed to allow engine disassembly in the frame. . . . .  I have been considering going the other way; using the auto frame with a hot 5 speed motor. . . .

YEP.... We should all seak 750 A frames to put our none A engines in... Makes life a bit sweeter.

[TEET76]

I have a 79' CM400A in my stable. Great little bike with less than 2500 original miles. The guy that gave it to me bought it new in 79, and rode it one season, and discovered he doesn't like riding. These bikes can be found quite often with low miles.....heres a 77' 750A near me

http://rochester.craigslist.org/mcy/537667285.html

[754]

In Canada we call them 750 EH!!

 or Slushbox Honda..

[Terry in Australia]

Yeah, no doubt the stocker was a tad slow, but what about a worked CB750A engine in a F2 frame? Will it fit? That might be fun! Cheers, Terry.

Why would you want the F2 frame? 

'Cos the 750A is an ugly fuucker, ha ha! I can live with the pain of frame out rebuilds, but I'm not sure I could live with the "A"s looks!

But seriously, who actually does "in frame" rebuilds anyway, it's a pain in the arse trying to torque down a head when you can't get to half the studs with your torque wrench, I can do "in frame" top end work on my GS Suzuki's, but it's a lot easier and more comfortable to pull 'em and do 'em on the bench.

[MRieck]

Yeah, no doubt the stocker was a tad slow, but what about a worked CB750A engine in a F2 frame? Will it fit? That might be fun! Cheers, Terry.

Why would you want the F2 frame? 

'Cos the 750A is an ugly fuucker, ha ha! I can live with the pain of frame out rebuilds, but I'm not sure I could live with the "A"s looks!

But seriously, who actually does "in frame" rebuilds anyway, it's a pain in the arse trying to torque down a head when you can't get to half the studs with your torque wrench, I can do "in frame" top end work on my GS Suzuki's, but it's a lot easier and more comfortable to pull 'em and do 'em on the bench.

I agree there Terry though I've done several top end rebuilds on GPZ1100's and they were real easy.

[Terry in Australia]

Yeah Mike, you can do 'em in the frame, but I find that inserting new pistons and rings into a cylinder block for example, is a royal pain in the arse when you have to work around the frame, forks, front wheel, handlebars, etc etc.

It only takes me around 30 minutes to get the engine out, and the same to get it back in, so it's definitely worth it, to me. Cheers, Terry.

[GoatBaSS]

All the A's I know of are sitting waiting to be sprung from the holding cells they inhabit. Most owners I know are waiting for the "right time" to release... at some sort of dream like profit. I giggle and keep riding.

[MRieck]

Yeah Mike, you can do 'em in the frame, but I find that inserting new pistons and rings into a cylinder block for example, is a royal pain in the arse when you have to work around the frame, forks, front wheel, handlebars, etc etc.

It only takes me around 30 minutes to get the engine out, and the same to get it back in, so it's definitely worth it, to me. Cheers, Terry.

Terry...we all know you have the better half removing engines from frames. Your supervising doesn't really count as participation.

[eurban]

Yeah, no doubt the stocker was a tad slow, but what about a worked CB750A engine in a F2 frame? Will it fit? That might be fun! Cheers, Terry.

Why would you want the F2 frame? 

'Cos the 750A is an ugly fuucker, ha ha! I can live with the pain of frame out rebuilds, but I'm not sure I could live with the "A"s looks!

But seriously, who actually does "in frame" rebuilds anyway, it's a pain in the arse trying to torque down a head when you can't get to half the studs with your torque wrench, I can do "in frame" top end work on my GS Suzuki's, but it's a lot easier and more comfortable to pull 'em and do 'em on the bench.

Just cause you use a auto frame for your project doesn't mean that it will end up looking like an auto.  Think outside of the box man!  Besides the F2s are just as fugly.  I'm sure I could find a way to torque down my head bolts accurately with the engine in frame.  I could fix that annoying valve cover leak too.  Oh and even if I was removing or installing the engine whole I bet it would be a hell of a lot easier with more space to work in.  Yep my nicely powdercoated frame and painted/polished engine wouldn't even come into the tiniest bit of contact!

[754]

Tery some of us have a 3/8 non ratcheting torque wrench that will get in just about anywhere.

Being able to fix a top end glitch without removale is a plus at B'ville or the drags..ever work on a 750 motor at the track..flopping around?? Time is crucial at certain times..

[Terry in Australia]

Yeah, that's true, for work like cam changes at a track etc, that's definitely a benefit, but on a race bike I'd use Gordon's brilliant removable frame rail kit that I bought from him, which allows "in frame" top end work without the embarrassment of riding something as patently unattractive as an auto.

I suspect (but don't know) that not much of the K or F cosmetic parts will fit on the auto's frame, so if I could, I'd have a hot auto in a K1-6 or F2 frame, with Gordon's top rail kit, and it'd have to be good! Cheers, Terry.

[754]

I will just mod my frame to look like an F.

At Bonneville if you set a record, you have to pull the head off..  If you have any other problem and cant do this quickly, it may cost you the rest of the day if you dont get back in the line-up soon enough.  So if you plan on riding it there and back you dont want to pull it more than you have to.. working on the salt sucks! Good thing my sidecar is on the left if the motor does have to come out!!.. which it woulld after.. the only way to get all the salt off..

I am probably not going to racing it this year, but I sure dont want to pull the whole motor to fix a gasket..

[HondaMan]

I will just mod my frame to look like an F.

At Bonneville if you set a record, you have to pull the head off..  If you have any other problem and cant do this quickly, it may cost you the rest of the day if you dont get back in the line-up soon enough.  So if you plan on riding it there and back you dont want to pull it more than you have to.. working on the salt sucks! Good thing my sidecar is on the left if the motor does have to come out!!.. which it woulld after.. the only way to get all the salt off..

I am probably not going to racing it this year, but I sure dont want to pull the whole motor to fix a gasket..

My BSF racing was (is) limited to participation in the Lakester class, the Mountain States Automation record-holding 1000cc / 1500cc "bullet" car. It's been on many a B'ville calendar and T-shirt. Maybe I'll have to post some pix? This last offering is a 1500cc 'busa engine, both gas and nitrous-fueled, while we try to figure out how to shoehorn a turbo in next.

Fastest so far: 244 MPH one-way (threw a rod the other way  ).

My CB750K4 came from the unused pile of "other engines" that were slated at one time or another to run in this car.