Topic: CB750 K6 Project - Texas to Scotland!

[steve74]

After buying a 1970 CB250 K1 to cut my teeth on and selling that I was on the look out for a CB750 and a late K series (76) came up for sale. The bike looked pretty good and had very little rust, 4 owners and 26k miles in 32 years! After agreeing a price, I undertook a 600 mile round trip in a Transit van and brought the new bike home. It had barely covered 5000 miles over the last 15 years since it was imported into the country from Texas where it was originally bought.

So here it is:




First look at the bike


Back of the van


Cans needed to be replaced - sold for £100 on Ebay!!


After the first ride and a bit of a clean up. New temp grips added. She cleaned up really well. Lots of degreaser and she rides great. A slight crunch in the gear change - not sure if the clutch needs adjusted.

Now after a few months back I stripped the forks and added some new oil and replaced the fork seals, along with some new gaiters. Also I bought a new exhaust from Silver Spares as the old one as you can see above was a bit far gone!


Front end strip down


Front end bits.

Just ordered more bits and will post up progress of paint and front end work! Ordered new brake lines as the old ones were very large - one braided and one too long! Both to be replaced. Progressive springs too!

[Hush]

Bike looks in great condition for age, I had to import a full set of exhausts for my 650 from Texas USA to New Zealand  and they were in great nick too, I'm thinking the dry air over there may be some sort of natural rust protection?

[steve74]

That's what I was thinking. It really is very clean. Only paint work needed on the frame is the swinging arm in the middle.

Just painted the middle of the front dic, both calipers in gloss black engine enamel....

I'm trying to strike a balance between money spent and durability of finish. I've read advice here so hopefully things last a while

Progress this week....


Snotty calipers before painting....


Prepping the calipers.


Calipers freshly painted with engine enamel (black gloss) and new piston ready to be fitted along with seal, bleed screw, new hoses, pads and a few other bits...


Disc hung up and being prepped for a coat or several of engine enamel.


Nice and shiny with the new paint. Need to sort out the edges a bit.


Upper and lower bridges freshly prepped, painted in Hammerite Gloss Black (several coats) and several costs of lacquer. Instrument lights freshly coated in matt black satin acrylic and lacquer...


Close up of stem/lower bridge with new taper bearing fitted (tough job getting the old race off).


Instrument light cluster freshly painted...


Painting the lamp in the same paint as the instrument cluster, a slightly matt/gloss finish with 4 coats of that and 4 of lacquer. Managed to string the lamp so it could be painted without rewiring

[fastbroshi]

  Again, why did you keep the bucket on there instead of removing it for paint?  Whatever the reason, that pic looks funny, as if you newspapered someone sitting on the bike holding that thing.
  Nice looking bike.  You probably could've left as is, but darn, that looks a little dirty.  One thing leads to another, blah blah blah.  We totally understand.
  And about that dry air preserving things:  yes, it's like that along the southwest US over the deserts in southern California.  Some real treasures to be found in the boneyards (for cars and cycles, you weirdos).

[steve74]

  Again, why did you keep the bucket on there instead of removing it for paint?  Whatever the reason, that pic looks funny, as if you newspapered someone sitting on the bike holding that thing.
  Nice looking bike.  You probably could've left as is, but darn, that looks a little dirty.  One thing leads to another, blah blah blah.  We totally understand.
  And about that dry air preserving things:  yes, it's like that along the southwest US over the deserts in southern California.  Some real treasures to be found in the boneyards (for cars and cycles, you weirdos).

There was someone under the paper? 

I would have removed but a number of the wires are soldered together and that's another project. Managed to suspend it with wire and paint it completely without removing! looks pretty good which is surprising. If I mucked it up I was just going to buy another as they are quite easy to get and cheap...

Just done the gauges, looking good in matt satin

[steve74]

Another busy week!


Forks primed and smoothed down along with the caliper bracket.


Forks painted with Simoniz Silver Wheel Paint - very good colour - 2 coats primer, 4 coats silver, 2 coats clear then rub down and two more coats of clear.. Will try this for a while and if I don't like on the bike will just strip and polish the lowers again.


I replaced the right switch as the old one had the buttons held together with glue! When I went to wire the new part I sourced (77 CB750 which was the same spec) this is the wiring I found! Will sort out with original Japanese W Connectors (now ordered)


Clocks and bridge look good back on and freshly painted.


Front end starting to take shape again.

Also put some Hagon progressive springs in - replaced the other small spings too although the originals looked pretty good. The front end with the taper bearings is pretty good. Only thing is clutch cable is a bit long due to have smaller bars fitted but will live with that for now... 

[moham]

You work quick. Brilliant website, by the way, with your photos. Love the german and italian stuff, flappy paddle gear boxes and all those cylinders...

[steve74]

You work quick. Brilliant website, by the way, with your photos. Love the german and italian stuff, flappy paddle gear boxes and all those cylinders...

Yes, trying to get things sorted in the few weeks up until January. Maybe a bit too quick though as I only discovered the instructions for the progressive forks after building them and filling with oil - I put them in upside down

Still swaying with the idea of painting the tank and side panel as one of them is cracked and there are a few small marks, fading and a small dent on the tank.

Will be replacing the chain, powdercoating the swingarm and main stand soon...

The wesbite - yes, love taking photos of anything petrol based The 430 was a friends car and vvvv nice. My favourite must be the Delorean though!

[moham]

Did you re-face the gauges? Those look extremely clean for 30+ years...What's the story with the progressive springs? What's different?

[steve74]

Did you re-face the gauges? Those look extremely clean for 30+ years...What's the story with the progressive springs? What's different?

The bike is really clean for its age - the gauges were steaming up after a while riding and I stripped them by carefully prising off the metal retaining strap (which was quite tricky). There was some residue on the gauges so I just cleaned up with some very light rubbing of a polishing compound, then removed the sticky oily stuff from inside the gauges which I presume what was steaming up. Put back together, painted the outside and back on. Alos checked on the gauges - in 76 the changed to this style I believe for the US model - a lighter green so seem original and bike paperwork/condition seems to back up the mileage...

I just dropped my light gauge this evening when rerouting a throttle cable so have to paint all over again!


Progressive springs are meant to help the handling - tighter wound at the bottom. I'll report back on the difference if I can feel any

[steve74]

Right, it's all coming together now and looking a bit better.

I've rebuilt the caliper, new pads, new piston, new seal and back on the bracket. The return spring on the bracket was very weak so that's been replaced with the screw which was bent (and just how difficult is that to get off!)....

The paint looks better now it's dried - a nice matt aluminium look.


Caliper painted, rebuilt and with new bleed screw.



Back on the fork. New brake hoses including the metal one which had seen better days. All bled and working well! Trying to feed the hoses through and find the right position for the cables was tricky! Not a bad finish from a rattle can on the forks though


More to come!