Topic: CB750 Bikes from the past

[72 yellow]

It's nice to see the wayback machine working again.  I remember back in the late 60's and through the mid 70's when you could walk in places like Parts Galore on Ford Road or Cycle City in Riverview and others in the Metro Detroit area and purchase good parts at reasonable prices for almost any bike made.  They reminded me of a supermarket for bike parts.  Next to Parts Galore was a large sign advertising custom paint by Carlini.  Excuse me while I try to find my striped bellbottom pants and the tie dyed t-shirt for my next trip in the wayback machine.   

[754]

Tony C built some really clean bikes..like Black Bart..

He went on to do design work in Detroit and in recent years, built a connector plate for HD's that sold very well.

 nice cool stuff..

[mystic_1]

What sort of rims are those on "Just a Honda"?

mystic_1

[754]

Morris mags..



actually on closer look something was not right..looks like 6 spoker and ribbed slightly different.. I think  maybe C&G or something like that.. Curtis also made a similarmag.

very early disc brake rear, like Hurst Airhart maybe..

[Ricky_Racer]

754, the text indicates that the brakes are by Kosman.  The wheels, on the other hand, are a real mystery:  From the color, they appear to be magnesium.  Since they are six-spoke wheels, at first I thought they might be a 1970's Euro wheel like PVM's or EPM's, but the fact that the front is 18x3 and the rear is 16x5.25 suggests that they are pure American chopper.

I'm not aware of C&G or Curtis wheels. Do you have any additional info on them in your library? Very interesting stuff...  RR

[754]

Curtis was in Vancouver BC.. A while back there was a DOHC conversion 69 Honda 4 posted on here, I think he helped on that bike.. also he did a Monoshock Vincent custom frame with 3 discs back around 75. He made custom frames and racing stuff for a few years, and a few mag wheels. I have seen a pic of a Honda sohc from that area with his wheels on it, I think 1080 has seen that pic in his stuff lately.

 C&G used to run ads back then in the chopper mags, think there was always a girl in the pic with the wheels.. maybe we can unearth one of them ads..

 I could not bring up the text good enough to read, I remember the bike though when it came out, should have it here, but it is a lot of magazines..

 Morris built high quality wheels as they were centrifigully cast, eliminated most of the porosity.. a step a few other did not do which caused problems. Morris may have also X-rayed the wheels.... I think Performance Machine bought them out..

[Ricky_Racer]

Good information, 754! I wasn't acquainted with Curtis; it'd be great to see more on his work.

I knew of C&G but didn't know of their wheels. Any old ads on chopper frames you could unearth would be especially appreciated over on hondachopper.com. Good group of people over there as well.

To my knowledge, Morris (and Lester) only made seven-spoke mags. And yes, Morris sold the molds to Performance Machine who, I've been told, gave them to Jesse James.  In trying to verify the accuracy of my info, I sent JJ an email asking about the future of the Morris Mags including the possibility of a wider rear, but didn't get a response. 

Thanks for mentioning the DOHC conversion; I missed that one but I'll certainly try the search function.  RR

[bwaller]

I went to a VRRA event yesterday at Shannonville track in Ontario and pulled in and parked next to..............you quessed it Dennis Curtis. He is operating his frame business near Belleville, Ont. and is a sponsor of the VRRA.

 He had several assorted frames, aluminum tanks, etc. Beautiful work I might add. I didn't place him at first, but finally remembered him from my west coast days. Very knowledgable fellow and took a lot of time to answer everyones questions.

Check him out at www.cmrracingproducts.com. There are links to lots of articles including the dohc conversion. Spend some time, there is lots to see and read.

He seemed thrilled to see someone ride in on a CB750. I asked if he would like me to move it and give him more room and he said no that the crowd it drew would be good for him.

[andy750]

To my knowledge, Morris (and Lester) only made seven-spoke mags.

Found this in the link (great info by the way!)  shown above...6-spoke wheels from Dennis Curtis....

http://www.curtisracingframes.com/sf-racer.html

[754]

Cool.. people like Curtis, didnt come along every week in the bike scene in the 70,s... or even now....

[Ricky_Racer]

Wow!  Great stuff!  RR

[bwaller]

I was looking through the Curtis website and in the "70's" section he talks about moving to Vancouver and working for Deelys on Broadway. As it turns out I worked just down the street at a small shop and I remember that BSA Spitfire roadracer too. To be honest I thought the paint was a little wild at the time.

In those days there were still lots of British stuff racing and it wasn't uncommon to have oil on the track somewhere! The fastest sidecar rig the whole time I raced there was powered by a trident engine.

Next race I'll have to spend more time talking with Denis, maybe he can be talked into fabbing up some trick stuff for old Hondas again.

[livetoskate]

Just saw this one today at a shop in the neighborhood.Never seen one like it.

[img width= height= alt=Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting]http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w19/Travisvt82/IMG_0441.jpg[/img]


[img width= height= alt=Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting]http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w19/Travisvt82/IMG_0444.jpg[/img]


[img width= height= alt=Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting]http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w19/Travisvt82/IMG_0445.jpg[/img]

[754]

Jammer frame & oil bucket

Hallcraft wheels.

Fork might be Durfee..

Dug out a few mags at the bikecave..

 HotBike  80 and 93..

 Mel Mandel was running a Honda street four his 69 .. he put pee wee on it and ran a 10.58....streetbike.... shocks on rear, street tire, street legal... and only 836cc!!.. it did have a turbo.. but hey it was 1980..

 In 83 Eraldo Ferraci had a dohc 750 Honda, bored to 1000cc..ran 7.98.. .. pretty freakin fast in those days.. or today..


Yes there were quick Honda 750,s 25 years ago..

[1080]

Great to view & read Dennis Curtis website.

Thanks bwaller for that story about Dennis Curtis.


Budget Putt is from Custom Bike/Chopper Feb'82.

[andy750]

I like the lowrider style! Nice! What frame are they using? Any idea?

cheers
Andy

[754]

It is a Ness hardhead.. (front section ) on a stock frame.

SB&F also built them.. Donny Smith'soriginal company.

[andy750]

Can you explain the Ness hardhead part? You mean triple tree/forks? Or neck as well?

Thanks, Im a little slow today....

cheers
Andy

[Ricky_Racer]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the Ness Hardhead is a weld-on replacement for the front of the frame, leaving the engine mounts and rear suspension as stock.

The chopper/bobber reverse is the "weld on" or "bolt on" hardtail that replaces only the seat mounting, shock mounts and swing arm of the original frame.

BTW, this is the COOLEST thread!!!     

With my apologies to the original quote...  "Those who remember the past have the opportunity to recreate it!"   RR

[Kev Nemo]

This thread rules-keep it up!

[bunghole]

Big Bike went together with its sister mag Choppers..

In the early 70s there was StreetChopper, then Hot Bike (at the same time, samr company0 Hot Bike only lasted a short while. Down the road a few decades Street Chopper became Hot Bike again..

Anyone remeber when FTW was out in newspaper form, before it became Biker?? Back then Bob #$%*in rode a 750 Chopper all over the country for the mag, it had a hot RC motor in a rigid Amen frame.. he rode it 75 K IN ONE YEAR !!

Is that the same Bob #$%*in that now sails all around the world?  I think it is...

http://www.bob#$%*in.com/

[hymodyne]

This is a great thread.

hym

[andy750]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the Ness Hardhead is a weld-on replacement for the front of the frame, leaving the engine mounts and rear suspension as stock.

Thanks Ricky! Do you know where they welded the frame? Do they use the stock neck/triple tree combo with oversize tubes?  I think it looks very cool. With this set-up how does it handle? Anyone know? Pros and cons? Cruising versus cornering?  Frank? 1080?

This thread is very inspirational!

thanks
Andy

 

[754]

I tried to answer (right after you posted) but it would not take my reply

Yup same Bob #$%*in I think, real name is Robert Lipkin, lived in Hermosa Beach... went down to see them the winter I took my 750 down inside my Belair Bubbletop!!.. best 6 weeks of midwinter riding I ever had..

Andy, the frames are cut right above the front motor mount or close, the backbone is cut just ahead of the rear tank mount. The kits came with slugs or plugs that fit nicely in both tubes. once you tacked and welded around the joint you would drill into the sides of the tubing, then plugweld the tube to the inner plug for better, safer weld..

[andy750]

Thanks Frank that was what I was looking for. I wonder how much it would cost to do now....

Any idea on the handling of these frames/bikes?

cheers
Andy