Author Topic: Project: ADNOH - 1973 CB750 bobber  (Read 18949 times)

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Offline cdoggy81

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Project: ADNOH - 1973 CB750 bobber
« on: March 08, 2009, 07:46:59 PM »
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***EDIT*** ----> I am now going to build a bobber <---- ***EDIT***
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Hello to all. When I was in college I had a few street bikes (zx6, zx7, cbr600). They were fun but I sold them 7-8 years ago. Fast forward to the present & I somehow got this wild thought that I wanted a bike again. Didn't know what but it had to be old & air cooled. I wanted something cool, retro or just plain different. At first I looked at making a chopper or bobber (which I will do for my next bike) because I knew what that "scene" was & how the bikes basically looked.  I googled & youtubed all sorts of next rides. Somehow I got side tracked & found myself looking at a Cafe Racer. WOW, what a cool bike! JACKPOT, I was sold! This was the look I wanted to go for. So I started looking up all the info I could on Cafe Racer's. I spent hours on Carpy's & Benjie's webpages. I also found this great site & needless to say I have been lurking around here for a few month now while looking for the perfect bike to build from. I wanted either a cb550 or a cb750. Well last week I finally got my ride, a 1973 CB750. Here she is the day after I got her home:
« Last Edit: May 03, 2009, 08:02:56 PM by cdoggy81 »

Offline cdoggy81

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Re: Project: ADNOH - 1973 CB750 Cafe Racer
« Reply #1 on: March 08, 2009, 07:52:55 PM »
As you can see it is not original nor the look I was going for... 6" over forks, big bars, big seat, the list goes on. The price was right, it sorta ran, it was local & had a clean title so it then became mine :)

First order of business was to clean the carbs & try to get it to run better. I pulled them off, got 3 liters of Sam's Cola & tried the overnight coke bath.
« Last Edit: March 08, 2009, 07:58:38 PM by cdoggy81 »

Offline DollarBill

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Re: Project: ADNOH - 1973 CB750 Cafe Racer
« Reply #2 on: March 08, 2009, 08:06:40 PM »
Good GOD!  Sometimes you just wonder what the previous owners were thinking :D

Welcome aboard...can't wait to see how you morph this into your own ride.  You'll find lots of help here and you started off on the right foot by posting pics ;D  I have a 75 750F that is going through it's own metamorphosis right now.  Good luck!
1975 CB750F Project Yellow Jacket - CBR600rr Swinger GSXR 600 Forks
1955 BMW R25/3, 1966 Honda CA160, 1975 CB400f, 1975 CB550, 1976 CB550

Offline papp101

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Re: Project: ADNOH - 1973 CB750 Cafe Racer
« Reply #3 on: March 08, 2009, 08:12:13 PM »
Nice lookin man!

Make sure you post pics after the cola bath. I'm interested!

Good luck!

Offline cdoggy81

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Re: Project: ADNOH - 1973 CB750 Cafe Racer
« Reply #4 on: March 08, 2009, 08:31:12 PM »
Thank you both very much!
(I will post pics of the carbs when done :) )

Offline cdoggy81

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Re: Project: ADNOH - 1973 CB750 Cafe Racer
« Reply #5 on: March 08, 2009, 08:34:54 PM »
Next up was to order some parts that I knew I would be needing in the future. Here is what I ordered:
carb rebuild kits
NGK spark plugs
oil filter
oil
air filters
grips
handle bars
mirrors
fuel lines
engine gaskets
tires (110/90/19 & 120/80-18)
Dyna-S ignition ( it was $89 so why not :) )
front LED turn signals
rear LED turn signals
fork boots
Kreem tank liner
electrical hook up wire
clutch cable
chain 530 x 100

I thought about going CrAzY & getting a bigger cam, decking the head, getting dana coils, adding rearsets & going to a bigger rear sprocket but this is my 1st project like this so I had to draw a line somewhere... I've also given myself a budget of $1200 :( I would have more but I am also designing & building a home audio amp (based on National Semiconductors LM3886 chips) & a set of speakers to match. Oh yah, I almost forgot to mention the BIG MONEY PIT I'm building, a 1970 Pontiac Trans Am. Check it out:
http://www.pro-touring.com/forum/showthread.php?t=50475&highlight=bird

While I waited for the parts to get here I thought I would degrease it & tare it down some more to get it ready. A few pics:
« Last Edit: March 08, 2009, 08:39:04 PM by cdoggy81 »

Offline cdoggy81

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Re: Project: ADNOH - 1973 CB750 Cafe Racer
« Reply #6 on: March 08, 2009, 09:50:00 PM »
Parts started to come in this week & the carbs started to get rebuilt :)

As for the coke cleaning thing I like how cheap & non toxic it is. It did on OK job cleaning as I thought it would eat all the nasty stuff away... needless to say I had to do a little scrubbing but not that bad at all really:) I would like to put in a nasty set to see what it could do though.
Final verdict: I would give it a B-

Offline cdoggy81

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Re: Project: ADNOH - 1973 CB750 Cafe Racer
« Reply #7 on: March 08, 2009, 09:59:45 PM »
So what do you do with a 36 year old rusty gas tank, some river rocks, simple green & a new bottle of Kreem??? Make your tank new again of course :)


Offline cdoggy81

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Re: Project: ADNOH - 1973 CB750 Cafe Racer
« Reply #8 on: March 08, 2009, 10:09:44 PM »
As I waited for the Kreem to dry & in between tank rotations I tested the electrical system & made sure everything worked. Found a few surprises but nothing major. It did take a while but I got it all sorted out in the end. I realized my battery is a P.O.S. & will need to be replaced. The worst part though was I couldn't figure out why my brake light was staying on. After an hour of messing with wires, reading the diagram & testing it with the DMM, I finally realized the rear brake switch was ever so slightly adjusted too long so it was constantly staying open & making the light stay on. Literally 2 turns with the wrench & we were good to go :)

I also finished the carbs today. I think they turned out pretty nice!

That is all I have done for now. I will be working on a few things this week & will post pics & ask questions as the arise. Thanks for watching & stay tuned for more.....
« Last Edit: March 08, 2009, 10:15:07 PM by cdoggy81 »

Offline greenjeans

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Re: Project: ADNOH - 1973 CB750 Cafe Racer
« Reply #9 on: March 09, 2009, 07:16:22 AM »
The 'ol  Sam's cola bath.....
They sure look great.  keep it going
Yep, I'm the kid that figured out how to put things back together...eventually.

Offline jasonseasen

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Re: Project: ADNOH - 1973 CB750 Cafe Racer
« Reply #10 on: March 09, 2009, 10:58:22 AM »
Cdoggy81, what did you use to get your carb bodies so nice, was it the coke?? They look really good.

Offline SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan

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Re: Project: ADNOH - 1973 CB750 Cafe Racer
« Reply #11 on: March 09, 2009, 12:54:49 PM »
Nice clean-up on the carbs.
1975 CB550K1 "Blue" Stockish Restomod (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=135005.0)
1975 CB550F1 frame/CB650 engine hybrid "The Hot Mess" (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,150220.0.html)
2008 Triumph Thruxton (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,190956.0.html)
2014 MV Agusta Brutale Dragster 800
2015 Yamaha FZ-09 (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,186861.0.html)

"There are some things nobody needs in this world, and a bright-red, hunch-back, warp-speed 900cc cafe racer is one of them — but I want one anyway, and on some days I actually believe I need one.... Being shot out of a cannon will always be better than being squeezed out of a tube. That is why God made fast motorcycles, Bubba." Hunter S. Thompson, Song of the Sausage Creature, Cycle World, March 1995.  (http://www.latexnet.org/~csmith/sausage.html and https://magazine.cycleworld.com/article/1995/3/1/song-of-the-sausage-creature)

Sold/Emeritus
1973 CB750K2 "Bionic Mongrel" (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=132734.0) - Sold
1977 CB750K7 "Nine Lives" Restomod (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=50490.0) - Sold
2005 RVT1000RR RC51-SP2 "El Diablo" - Sold
2016+ Triumph Thruxton 1200 R (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,170198.0.html) - Sold

Offline cdoggy81

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Re: Project: ADNOH - 1973 CB750 Cafe Racer
« Reply #12 on: March 09, 2009, 03:26:57 PM »
The coke did an ok job but not that good so they come out looking like that. I attribute that part to the light dusting from a can of Rustoleum aluminum :)

Offline rachet

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Re: Project: ADNOH - 1973 CB750 Cafe Racer
« Reply #13 on: March 09, 2009, 03:35:21 PM »
Thanks for sharing your build and the results of the Coke bath.  I'm looking forward to your progress.

Rachet~
But I need Tacos!  I need them or I will explode!

Offline papp101

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Re: Project: ADNOH - 1973 CB750 Cafe Racer
« Reply #14 on: March 09, 2009, 09:57:38 PM »
Nice man!

Did you split the carbs and have them torn down completely when you painted them or what? They look great!

Offline cdoggy81

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Re: Project: ADNOH - 1973 CB750 Cafe Racer
« Reply #15 on: March 09, 2009, 10:09:44 PM »
No, it was a last minute thing really. I did a quick / half a$$ tape job but made up for it by being VERY careful & precise when I sprayed. All these compliments are making me feel a lot better about how they turned out, thanks :)

Offline papp101

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Re: Project: ADNOH - 1973 CB750 Cafe Racer
« Reply #16 on: March 10, 2009, 11:08:15 PM »
For sure man!

I will probably do mine in the flat black to "tuck" them away a bit more visually. Polished the carb bowls today.



Soaking in Coke for another day!

Offline cdoggy81

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Re: Project: ADNOH - 1973 CB750 Cafe Racer
« Reply #17 on: March 10, 2009, 11:13:05 PM »
Funny b/c I thought about going black to match the engine as well :)
How is the coke bath working for you?

Offline papp101

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Re: Project: ADNOH - 1973 CB750 Cafe Racer
« Reply #18 on: March 10, 2009, 11:19:39 PM »
Checked them today and they definitely look better. Will Pull them tomorrow afternoon to check the progress, hit with the dremel plastic brush buffer for tight spots, and then probably tape the bowls, throw them on and paint.

Did you prime them or scratch them first?

Offline cdoggy81

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Re: Project: ADNOH - 1973 CB750 bobber
« Reply #19 on: April 15, 2009, 03:26:39 PM »
So life gets in the way & things get put on hold but I'm back at this again :)

NOTE: I have decided to change my game plan & build a bobber / rat bike.
Pics to follow...

Offline dp2275

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Re: Project: ADNOH - 1973 CB750 bobber
« Reply #20 on: April 15, 2009, 04:03:49 PM »
So life gets in the way & things get put on hold but I'm back at this again :)

NOTE: I have decided to change my game plan & build a bobber / rat bike.
Pics to follow...

hmmm, i think thats a good idea  ;)

Offline cdoggy81

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Re: Project: ADNOH - 1973 CB750 bobber
« Reply #21 on: April 15, 2009, 05:42:50 PM »
A pic of the strip down:

Offline cdoggy81

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Re: Project: ADNOH - 1973 CB750 bobber
« Reply #22 on: April 15, 2009, 05:45:07 PM »
Then one with a $15 trailer fender & old seat I got for $35 :)

Offline cdoggy81

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Re: Project: ADNOH - 1973 CB750 bobber
« Reply #23 on: April 15, 2009, 05:51:47 PM »
Here is an idea of what I'd like to end up with along with some other cool ideas & paint options:
« Last Edit: May 03, 2009, 07:58:23 PM by cdoggy81 »

Offline cdoggy81

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Re: Project: ADNOH - 1973 CB750 bobber
« Reply #24 on: April 16, 2009, 06:10:25 PM »
I picked up some Dyna coils today for $61 so I had to get them :)
2 questions:
1. - Does it matter where the wires go on the coil as long as the correct ones go to the correct coil? (yellow & black = 1-4 blue & black = 2-3)

2. - I now have Taylor 8mm wires, do I need to use a resistor plug now?