Topic: Phaedrus: CB750 RestoMod - Update: 09/23/21 w/ new video

[MCRider]

Thanks for the comments everyone! It was actually a bright sunny day, getting late around 6 PM, so sun going down and my driveway was in shadows from a nearby tree. Bright and sunny may not take the best picture. I'm learning how flake reacts and the silver reflects everything around it or the light that hits it. (I did not use the flash) Hence the very bright spots that kind wash out the rest of it, they are not that bright in real life and you can see the whole of the purple better. It may have been better to go 50/50 silver and purple flake.

Or shoot it with less light. A bright but cloudy day may be better.  Anyway i'd promised the painter some pictures and I got them.

Wanted a metalflake paint job since I knew what it was. Mission accomplished!

[MCRider]

After finally seein' the whole package put together, i can say that I like it!  I agree about the gas cap though... chrome / polished would flow much better with the overall feel.

later, joe

Thanks CBJ! After getting it to latch, we kinda like the gold one. But a chrome one is on the way, so with the screw and nut affair for the hinges, from HondaMan, they are easy to swap out.

It would probably photograph better without the backrest.

I think for me it would be the combo of the Polished Oil fill cap on the cover sync'ing with the tank also having a Polished Cap.  Gonna have to get a pic of that thing in full sunlight   

Might go blind!

Joe

I see what you're saying now. Brown just delivered the chrome cap. Maybe I'll have a dipstick powder coated so I'll have 2 sets.

accessorized.   

[Tintop]

OK, so enough beauty pageant pics, outstanding as it/they are MCR.    Time to get it running.

[andy750]

Ron Ill admit I had my doubts about the paint scheme when first seeing it but now that its on the bike and outside - WOW!!! the whole package looks amazing!! You really nailed it and there is so much detail that it takes a while to take it all in. I hope it runs as good as it looks!!!

Great job so far!
Good luck getting it started,
Andy

[MCRider]

OK, so enough beauty pageant pics, outstanding as it/they are MCR.    Time to get it running.

I've been waiting for that post. I promise, it will happen soon. 

So here's my excuses this week. I wanted to get those pics out of the way. Give some to my painter for his protfolio.  Gotta admit we wanted to see what it wold look like ourselves.  To get it out of the shop meant taking out the other bikes. The floor needed a good cleaning after many years, cobwebs, insect nests etc. Saturday was a long day.

I never put the spring back on the darn centerstand. I'd taken all the shims out of the spring coils and try as we might we couldn't get enough back in the coils to get the spring long enough to hook up. Then i remembered the way to do it is to pull the stand pivot pipe. Hook up the spring, lever the stand back up into the pivot, replace the pivot pipe and done. All good except, the muffler was in the way of drawing out the pivot pipe. So we pulled the muffler, and got the pivot pipe out. Installed the stand and reinserted the pipe in the direction so that we wouldn't have to pull the muffler again. All back together, it seems the standoff supplied by Marshall wasn't long enough to keep the stand out of the chain.

So pulled the rubber bunper out of the standoff, fished thru the hardware bins and came up with this:


Found a rubber endcap that fit tight over the hex, and back in biz. Another one of those bits of the Marshall pipe that's trying our patience.

Got the bike in position and back up on the stand surprisingly, I could do it by myself, as here's the amount its got to go up.

2 1x4s thick = 1.25"? That's what happens when you go from a /80/90-18 to a /70-17. For those of you considering such a change. Makes for a nice seat height though. In fact the whole riding position is very neutral.

We did a few more things to ready for the start but had to call it quits.

[MCRider]

Mark: Father's Day 2012: Phaedrus Lives!             

Bruce and I pushed the bikes out of the shop to clear the area. Double checked that the umbilicsl tank didn't have any leks to upset to moment.

Double checked the obvious thngs , float bowl drains (neeeded a little more squishing) various things. Readied rags and a shop floor fluid mat for the worst of leaks if so occurred. Battery been on charge for 45 minutes, but I figured it would still be weak.

Tried to kick it with the plugs in, (We'd kicked it quite a bit with the plugs out). That was a fail. Dang this things got some compresion! Good or bad, I'll bet it pumps to 240, That's what the first Phaedrus had when fresh.

Gas in UT, no leaks. Bruce armed with fire extinguisher. Hit the starter for 5 second burst. I remember that sound. Hit it agin. Spin no catch. I was glad it would spin at all, with that compresion. Granted my leg can't be what it was in 1985.

Drat, forgot the choke. Pulled it up 1/2 way, that's what it took back in the day. Hit the starter and Vroom! That was it. Probably would have started with the first burst had I choked it.

Oil light went out within seconds. New Joker oil gauge hit 70psi at 1500rpm!  Oil flicked out of the exhaust tappets with a minute or less.

All's right with the world.  Now celebrate with O Douls and move on to tuning it up.

More at 11.

[bwaller]

It's been a long time and a lot of work for you Ron. Well done man, enjoy the cold one.

[RAFster122s]

I lift a toast in your direction, to sweet success!
Congratulations, enjoy the feeling and best of luck with Phaedrus II's tuning!
David

[IndyFour]

It's alive!  Congrats Ron!!!

[MCRider]

Proof of sorts:


Next is to get the petcock mounted, needs some tweaking. Swapped out the gold fuel cap for a new chrome one. Swapped out the S&W shocks for the Street Strokers, a little longer, to get it to lean over a bit more on the sidestand. Very vertical as is and the Street Strokers didn't help much. Mostly due to the 17" rear wheel and /70 tire.

Gotta admit there was a lot of anxiety going in to starting it. While I've done dozens of engines they were all a long time ago. Did the slightly high performance top end on my Hawk 11 years ago.

All the problems that have cropped up on the forum had me on edge. No oil pressure, cam timed wrong, carbs acting up, ignition acting up. But everything fell right in place. Worst problem is a sad sack battery, my fault. Very minor carb leaks at the Jet access/drains on the VM29s. Just a touch of choke and it fired right up. Had to immediately switch to no choke, just the way it was 17 years ago. This time with a OEM point ignition, I know its the carbs that make the quick start up, and not the ignition.

Motion Pro tach cable not spinning the tach, seems the internals are too short. I can live without that for now. With 70psi oil pressure (nver seen one that high, especially at low RPMs.) the bottom end must be set up pretty tight and will need some breaking in.

I'll get my nephew to make a movie soon.

I think I'll move fast on the final details. There's some items that will wait till winter. Gotta get some miles on it.

[CBJoe]

Congrats!   Excellent news Ron... I just tipped a toast for you to celebrate!

Now you know we're all waiting for a video

Cheers, Joe

[Raef]

With the swiftness of a glacier and the persistence of erosion, it appears this build to will find its end.

I'm gonna get mine back together just so I can go for a ride with you and the new ride.

[tweakin]

Excellent.   

[Tintop]

Great news Ron, congrats.

[hoodellyhoo]

Congratulations!!!!! Nothing like a running motor to motivate you to finish that bike, right?

[MCRider]

Congratulations!!!!! Nothing like a running motor to motivate you to finish that bike, right?

That's right. Thanks for looking.

Admittedly i had a mental block to starting it. But start it did and reliably over and over. I started it about 10 times and allowing for the weak battery, it jumped to life each time.

If it starts, it can be tuned. So that's next.   

[Rookster]

Congratulations Ron!  I have been following your build for years.  Great to see it in running form.

Scott

[curemode2002]

Awesome! Congrats that is the best feeling to see the pressure rise and stay where you want it. Makes me nervous every time too.

[Old Scrambler]

Congrats.......but you really knew it would run.......or you would not have started this saga

Now to ride it and tell us if it FEELS as good as you planned it to be out on the open road.

[MCRider]

Congrats.......but you really knew it would run.......or you would not have started this saga

Now to ride it and tell us if it FEELS as good as you planned it to be out on the open road.

Yup and Yup.   

[Really?]

What?? No teaser trailer?!?!?!

[Spikeybike]

whoa ... i just realized this build started in 2008 

[MCRider]

What?? No teaser trailer?!?!?!

My nephew is scheduled to come over Fri PM to shoot a video. As i don't know how. 

[MCRider]

whoa ... i just realized this build started in 2008 

As far as this thread is concerned.

In fact it started in 2000, that's when i had the most of the engine machine work done. And an ill fated paint job. But that's all the reminiscing for now. 

Life, business, and the availability of other bikes that run, kept getting in the way.

[Ecosse]

With the swiftness of a glacier and the persistence of erosion...

   

an enthusiastic congratulations ron! and life comes to P2 on a fitting day.

looking forward to further updates.