Topic: New Owner CB750 - Durban , South Africa

[devon]

Hello All , My name is Devon Carr, and will be collecting a CB750 tomorrow to keep my '69 Royal Enfield 750 Interceptor Series 2 company in the garage. (Although there may be some fighting as the Honda was ultimately the nail in the coffine for the Interceptor +  the british bike industry)

The CB750 comes to me by way of an ex-work collegue who has owned it for a while , but hasn't ridden it since 1999. He has advised me that bike has stood outside for the past 7 years so the condition is "weathered"

I am not sure what model it is but think it is pre - '74 based on the pictures of the bike.

I am very new to the bike owner world having only aquired the Royal Enfield in Feb of this year from my late uncle who owned her from new. I have spent the new 2 months rebuilbing her and have clocked up 150miles so far whilst running in the new E/G parts.

My plans at this stage for the CB750 are to get running and back on the road. (I hope the E/G turns over). The current owner says that the bike had been services/overhauled before he stopped ridding it. But the starter became  faulty & he got tired of kickstarting it so parked it off.

So after some 7 years , I will collect her tomorrow for free and then hopefully get her back on the road. The owner has advised me though that the wheels are seized & no longer turn so I need to pick it up to load it onto the trailer.

Once I get more info I will post more details.
I attach a picture of my Enfield & the CB750 as I have seen it.

Chhers

Devon Carr
Durban , South Africa

[kghost]

Welcome....

I hate to think what shipping parts to South Africa costs.....

[devon]

Hi , yes the cost of parts for the Enfield cost an arm & leg just with the exchange rate. But I am total unsure about the Honda parts , but at least there are Honda agents present in South Africa.

My apologies but I am still finding my way around this site & didn't attached the pisture of the CB750 so I will give it another try.

The CB 750 by the way has 37000km on very sun beaten clocks.

cheer

Devon

[rhos1355]

From the pics you posted and from your location on the world map I reckon you're gonna need a whole load of help from your friends on the SOHC4 forum. But I'm sure you'll find no lack of info and tips on this site.

Keep us posted on the progress

[Kevin D]

Hi Devon, I'm thinking its wintertime in South Africa so I checked the weather and its a pleasant 70f there today. I checked some more and it looks like you have year round motorcycling weather.  Looks like the elevation is varied, so if the roads and traffic are OK, it should be a motorcyclists paradise - you lucky guy!

The Enfield looks very nice. Hope you can do the same with the Honda.

[devon]

Hi All,

After picking up the bike on Saturday and some real hard thinking/research over the weekend , I decided that the project was a bit to much for me at the moment.
I don't have the time or money or skill to complete the restoration within a reasonable timeframe. I would have been able to do it but it would have taken some time for me to get the bike back to the original condition I think it deserves.

I would have ultimately got bored due to it having to take so long time to complete and it probably would have ended up a basket case.

So I made a few calls and a fellow from our local classis bike club is going to restore it to original condition. He has the time/skill & finances to do it. His current private collection of bike numbers 39 I think. So I am looking forward to seeing the Honda restored and in his museum.

I am still on the lookout for another bike that would be easier to do.

cheers

devon

[rhos1355]

Hi All,

After picking up the bike on Saturday and some real hard thinking/research over the weekend , I decided that the project was a bit to much for me at the moment.
I don't have the time or money or skill to complete the restoration within a reasonable timeframe. I would have been able to do it but it would have taken some time for me to get the bike back to the original condition I think it deserves.

I would have ultimately got bored due to it having to take so long time to complete and it probably would have ended up a basket case.

So I made a few calls and a fellow from our local classis bike club is going to restore it to original condition. He has the time/skill & finances to do it. His current private collection of bike numbers 39 I think. So I am looking forward to seeing the Honda restored and in his museum.

I am still on the lookout for another bike that would be easier to do.

cheers

devon

Devon,
Are you sure? Think about it, man. Even if it took you years think of the satisfaction and enjoyment, plus all the beers you could drink just sitting in the garage looking at your bike.
I bought my K2 two years ago.I'd spannered many years ago but I had never undertaken such a project on my own before. The bike ran at the time I got it. It ran until I put my hands to it and then it didn't run anymore!
I didn't even have a shed to put it in. Our shed was full of gardening stuff and my wife's seedlings and geraniums. How could I convince her to get her stuff out of there so I could move the bike in? I had to wait until she herself came up with the idea. So I just left the bike in the middle of the back garden for 2 months and sure enough one day she said it would be better if we had another smaller shed built for her stuff further back in the garden. Within 2 weeks I had a base cast in the garden and a pre-fab shed delivered and built over it. When it was ready It took me 3 1/2 seconds to move her stuff into it! Then I started working on MY shed; I wanted to put a new floor in it as well as insulate it against the cold british winters and get a lot more power points in it as well as heating. After a delay of 6months due to a broken ankle (another story) I finally managed to wheel the bike into a completely refurbished shed.
Then I got tired of working on my knees, so I had to wait until I could afford a workbench, then I needed this tool, then that tool and so on until now 2 years later it's nowhere near finished, I'm loving it. It's made me feel alive again. Instead I'd have been slouched on that sofa in front of the telly every night.
Sorry, I've tried every which way to insert a picture of my bike in the new shed but I just don't seem to be able to do it.

[kghost]

Some like to tinker and work on bikes.....

Some like to ride.

Least ya gave it a good home.