Topic: What's the quickest way to tell if a bike's worth repairing.

[ger87410]

Thats an excellent suggestion Gordon.

  ..it looks like a newer frame with older components..

  With the previously mentioned frame details, its looking more and more like the VIN tag might be the only "newer"  part on your bike Ger.

Nope.  Had the wife check and the VIN number matches what's stamped.  Here's the VIN in case anyone cared: CB750K-2804732

It's a 1978 K frame as near as I can tell.

[sandcastcb750]

Value? 2 things..................

1) Has a title?
2) Frame is undamaged?

Everything else can be managed. Either of the two above answers to "NO", you have parts and a heavy boat anchor.

My only exception is a CB750 sandcast. Most of the others have relatively low value.

[ger87410]

No title.

By the sounds of it, a lost title is hard to get back...  Is that the case in most states?

It was pretty easy to get a lost title on our boats...

[Gordon]

No title.

By the sounds of it, a lost title is hard to get back...  Is that the case in most states?

It was pretty easy to get a lost title on our boats...

It varies greatly state to state, and a lot of places seem to be making it more difficult recently.  Just call your DMV (or whatever it's called in your state) and ask them what you'll need to do. 

[ger87410]

It varies greatly state to state, and a lot of places seem to be making it more difficult recently.  Just call your DMV (or whatever it's called in your state) and ask them what you'll need to do. 

Ahead of U there.  The only thing I need to do in NM in fill out a form and bring it in for a VIN inspection.

Come to think of it, that's all I had to do on my boats...

[Gordon]

Glad to hear it!  Apparently here in CO, they've made it close to impossible to get a title if the bike wasn't already in your name. 

[Geeto67]

This is kind of dubious.

your bike is definatly a 1969-76 model cb750K. There are no doubts about that because you would not even be able to get that seat mounted on a 77-78 frame without major welding. Plus a lot of the frame tubes are all wrong for a 77-78.

What you have on your hands is a bike somebody monkey-ed with the vin. The question is why?

- it could be a stolen bike. It would have been stolen a long long time ago but it is still possible. whether it could be traced back to you is another story.

- It could have been wrecked and to avoid a salvage title somebody retitled it with a 78 cb750 vin.

what are the motor numbers? maybe that would give you a clue as to the actual year of the bike (although If I had to guess I would say 75-76).

as to whether it is worth doing anything with? well depends on what you want to do. If you want to build a honda chop and are going to throw out the stock frame - as long as you have a good engine seems like the way to go. Otherwise, I would look for another early cb750 and use this sucker as a parts bike based on the questionable origin alone. 

[Gordon]

Well, if the stamped VIN matches the tag VIN, and there's no evidence that the stamp has been forged, then you can at least be sure the steering neck is from a '78. 

[mystic_1]

Let's see a pic of the stamped number.  It's nearly impossible to stamp new numbers and have them look like they're supposed to, to a trained eye.

mystic_1

[ger87410]

For your entertainment, I present the stamped number.



Please, let me know what your guy's thoughts are.

[dustyc]

Hmmm.  That doesn't look right.

[Gordon]

Just from looking at the picture, I don't see any obvious signs of forgery, but of course I'm not an expert.  What does stand out to me is that the last set of numbers is in a different typeface than the first.  On all my Hondas, the typeface is the same through the entire number, but then they're all '76 or newer, so something may have changed. 

I like a good mystery!

[dustyc]

They should look like this



Sorry for the blur, but you should be able to see the difference.

[Gordon]

Where's Angela Lansbury when you need her!?

[dustyc]

Hanging out with Matlock and Quincy???

[ger87410]

Looks like mine is a serif font and your's is a sans serif.

I'm assuming the VIN pictured came off a G1.  Anyone with a G2: is your stamp's font the same?


Could it be this is a frame to a DOHC and that's why the font's different?  I not sure, because it looks like the DOHC didn't come out till 79.....

[mystic_1]

DOHC frames are radically different.

mystic_1

[Gordon]

Hanging out with Matlock and Quincy???

Amazingly enough, they're all still alive!  So let's give 'em a call!

[dustyc]

77 K



and 78 F

[TwoTired]

DOHC frames in 79 begin with RC01

Your frame stamping looks forged, to me.  I guess at one time someone had a title for the 78, and then moved the plate and tampered with the headstock stamp.

Is the number on the motor tampered with, too?  My I.D. Guide has years for those numbers, too.

I wouldn't put ANY work into that bike until I had legal title or state ownership papers showing I owned it.

[Roach Carver]

my vote is that it is hand stamped. If the photo is accurate the numbers are up and down and the type style looks all wrong to me.

[ger87410]

The engine # is CB750E-2458161

What can you decipher from that?

EDIT: the engine number on the 1976 1 I'm riding is CB750E-2445866.  What year is that engine for?

[TwoTired]

CB750 1976 for both your engine numbers.

The 76 K model began with engine numbers; 2428762~
The 77 K model began with engine numbers; 2700001~
The 78 K model began with engine numbers; 3000001~

Methinks your bike began life as a 1976 K model before it had an identity crisis.

Cheers,

[ger87410]

Thanks, guys!!!

I've got a third engine the chap gave to me when I bought the 76 CB.  It's vin is cb75e-1053916.

It doesn't fall into any of those categories.  Does that mean it's older?

[TwoTired]

Thanks, guys!!!

I've got a third engine the chap gave to me when I bought the 76 CB.  It's vin is cb75e-1053916.

It doesn't fall into any of those categories.  Does that mean it's older?

Yes, 70-71 K1 model.