Author Topic: 1971 750 is begging me to ride it...... and whats this mystery red light? (Read 3741 times)

ironbutter · « **on:** November 21, 2009, 04:22:05 PM »

Hi all, I own a 71 750 K1. Was not sure where to post this, as its a project I guess, but I am perplexed by a couple of things too. Anyhow, here it is... bought from original owner, original title, sales receipt and warranty paperwork, 8K miles.

Here are some pics and a video.

Oh, anyone ever see a little red light between the speedo and tach? any ideas? You can see it in the video, at is about 1/2" diameter domed red cover, with japanese writing on a sticker above it.

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Jerry Rxman Griffin aka MuthaF'er · « **Reply #1 on:** November 21, 2009, 04:30:00 PM »

I'll bet that red light comes on at 55mph. Japanese speed limit I think. Sounds like a Japanese bike imported to the states.

Don't get into rejetting just yet. It worked before probably. Make sure you have a good air cleaner so air will pass through properly and maybe it won't be rich. If you haven't ridden it do so before jacking around with the carbs.

davesee · « **Reply #2 on:** November 21, 2009, 05:00:51 PM »

that bike looks fantastic. i want one!

Don R · « **Reply #3 on:** November 21, 2009, 05:08:17 PM »

Sweet bike. Enjoy. Are the other stickers in Japanese also? I bet Rxman is right. I saw one ( japanese domestic bike) at the Davenport swap meet this year. It was newer but looked like that.

Industrial Cafe · « **Reply #4 on:** November 21, 2009, 05:19:14 PM »

the sprocket spinning in neutral is normal, you can grab it with your hand and let off the clutch and it wont spin but you'll feel some pressure against it. I think all bikes are like that.
sounds like you still have a miss, possibly the idle jets clogged or the air screws arent adjusted the same on all 4.
there was some discussion on that light between the gauges here a while back, but I don't remember what it was for. i think it lights up at a certain speed (japan only)

looks nice man.

mick7504 · « **Reply #5 on:** November 21, 2009, 05:22:49 PM »

That's a nice looking bike.

ironbutter · « **Reply #6 on:** November 21, 2009, 05:39:35 PM »

Yeah, that Japanese market thought crossed my mind, looks plausible, however, the guages are marked in MPH, would Japanese market bikes have KM? also the rear wheel is a 16, and its running a vintage Dunlop K81 with a 16" diameter, unfortunaltely the repop K81's dont come in a 16".

Terry in Australia · « **Reply #7 on:** November 21, 2009, 05:50:31 PM »

Very nice mate, I'm guessing it had one of those goofy touring seats that were so popular in the US "back in the day"? Jerry is spot on about the light, I had a K3 that had the same japanese speed warning light, although it's strange that youve got one on a bike that the PO bought new in the US?

Like Jerry said, leave your jetting alone, but give those carbs a good cleaning, like IC says, it's still missing and farting, so pull them off and strip all the jets and mixture screws, fuel valves etc out, and use a spray can of carb cleaner and some compressed air to clean them, and particularly flush out the idle circuits in each carb. Don't forget, new oil, filters, spark plugs and give the points a clean, valve adjustment, cam chain adjustment and carb synch, and it'll go as good as it looks! Excellent pic up mate, how'd you find it? Cheers, Terry.

hijynx · « **Reply #8 on:** November 21, 2009, 06:02:57 PM »

it also has the yellow side reflectors on the tail light lens. a while ago I was watching a k-0 on ebay that the guy said was sold through the px in guam to someone in the military that is equipped the same as yours. it is a domestic model bike with a different speedo face. are the forward footpegs spring loaded or solid? is the po a vietnam era vet?

Industrial Cafe · « **Reply #9 on:** November 21, 2009, 06:06:02 PM »

the front footpegs are spring loaded, you can see them on the video.

ironbutter · « **Reply #10 on:** November 21, 2009, 06:45:40 PM »

Affirmative IC, spring loaded. Yep, I need to do all of the above for tuning. Ill sort it.

Well, interesting... Im holding on my hand an actual sales reciept from Pop Kenyon's Cycle in Sunnyvale CA.

Terry in Australia · « **Reply #11 on:** November 21, 2009, 11:13:36 PM »

Fantastic mate, I'm glad you got the original documentation, it's really nice to have, and I love all that "period" stuff that was around back-in-the-day, I wonder if anyone's got one of theose "ride off stands", I'd love to have one? Cheers, Terry.

Don R · « **Reply #12 on:** November 22, 2009, 12:20:47 AM »

What a sweet deal. congrats. Watch for a grab handle, it goes from the left rear turn signal to the shock mount. It makes it a lot easier to pull the bike onto the center stand. I just got a new one last week so I'm sure there are more around.

bryanj · « **Reply #13 on:** November 22, 2009, 02:12:12 AM »

The red light for the Japanese market was originally in the chrome steering stem nut---I got a new one in a bag!! so unless its been moved its something the PO put on there

6adan · « **Reply #14 on:** November 22, 2009, 06:16:28 AM »

There should be a device between the speedo cable and the speedo with some wires going inside the headlight and connected there,there is also a part attached to the frame top tube that looks like a blinker unit that goes with this.If you decide you do not want these parts ever I would love to have them to get mine working again.
Dannie

Industrial Cafe · « **Reply #15 on:** November 22, 2009, 07:31:16 AM »

I have that grab handle, I bolted it to the swing-down door on my trailer.

ironbutter · « **Reply #16 on:** November 22, 2009, 09:26:08 AM »

Ill take a closer look at all the parts, Im sure its all there. Ill let you know if I dont want it Dannie. I must say, with the size of the wires coming out the back of the light I dont see how they would have fit this thing in that nut there, and then where would the wires exit to go into the headlight bucket from that nut? I would love to see some pictures of that setup bryanj? As for the grabhandle, yeah that would help, with the 16" rear this thing is quite difficult to lift onto the centerstand.

HondaMan · « **Reply #17 on:** November 22, 2009, 09:45:54 AM »

Quote from: Terry in Australia on November 21, 2009, 11:13:36 PM

Fantastic mate, I'm glad you got the original documentation, it's really nice to have, and I love all that "period" stuff that was around back-in-the-day, I wonder if anyone's got one of theose "ride off stands", I'd love to have one? Cheers, Terry.

Me, too!
I remember when they came out, I scoffed at them and said, "Anyone who can't centerstand his 750 doesn't deserve to have one."

I guess now I don't deserve mine? It sure would be nicer for the daily commute and park-at-home part.

Once, when I had a CL350, I was sidestand-parked at a public place and a little kid climbed up on the bike. It fell over, of course, and the kid got scratched up. (This was before there were too many lawyers...). The dad came over and yelled at the kid for climbing ona bike that wasn't his. Ever since, I've always stood my bikes if I'm not riding it for an hour or more.

greasy j · « **Reply #18 on:** November 22, 2009, 11:45:00 AM »

very cool. same year as mine! nice find. sounds like the probs are minimal. good luck!

754 · « **Reply #19 on:** November 22, 2009, 12:28:57 PM »

That is a rare color too I am thinking.
I found a headlite ear in poor shape at a salvage yard, same color, and small reflector, .. I was thinking a scarce export color.

ironbutter · « **Reply #20 on:** November 22, 2009, 01:14:31 PM »

Hey Mark! great story as always, what was that kid thinking climbing on the bike of Hondaman, thats like trying to steal the batmobile!

Yeah, I love that darker blue green. It is rare from what I'm told and it was not listed as an available color in this brochure:

http://www.spookytoms.com/Brochures-1971CB750.html

But I have found reference to the one year only 750 in 1971 showing up in Polynesian Blue... I have a guy whos selling cans off of the UK eBay site, I may try and source some from him.

bryanj · « **Reply #21 on:** November 23, 2009, 10:14:23 PM »

If you unscrew the big chrome nut on the top of the steering stew the wire from the red light went down the hollow tube and came out the bottom and the nut with bulb just screwed on insteas, i dont have any of the other bits either and they dont show in the japanese 500 parts book i have!!

ironbutter · « **Reply #22 on:** November 23, 2009, 10:46:01 PM »

Interesting Bryan, is your bike a 500 or a 750? Was the install on your bike factory? Interested in the origins. Id love to see a picture. Thanks.

Terry in Australia · « **Reply #23 on:** November 24, 2009, 12:49:57 PM »

Quote from: bryanj on November 23, 2009, 10:14:23 PM

If you unscrew the big chrome nut on the top of the steering stew the wire from the red light went down the hollow tube and came out the bottom and the nut with bulb just screwed on insteas, i dont have any of the other bits either and they dont show in the japanese 500 parts book i have!!

Hey Bryan, I'll check with SteveK0, but I'm sure his Japanese "domestic only" model K0 has the red light in the same spot on the triple tree as Ironbutter's, but my K3 (with the different triple tree) had the light in the steering stem nut as you describe. I'm guessing that they moved the red light due to the later triple trees not having the handy "horn" to mount the red light in? Cheers, Terry.

Don R · « **Reply #24 on:** November 24, 2009, 01:03:12 PM »

For the hard to centerstand bike, cut a 2x6 angled on one end, shim some more if needed, back the bike on it first and then to the center stand. Works great for lowered bikes. Of course you can't really haul it around with you.

Terry in Australia · « **Reply #25 on:** November 24, 2009, 06:50:43 PM »

Actually I remember a discussion here a couple of years ago about centre stands, my K0 is easy to get on the centre stand, but a real muther to get off, I normally have to enlist the help of my son, it's that bad. I wonder if that is why that accessory "ride off" stand came into being? Cheers, Terry.

754 · « **Reply #26 on:** November 24, 2009, 07:49:56 PM »

The 750 I am riding now, with all the crap on it (see pics in Travel thread) was an absolute pig to get on the stand,, even worse when the cooler was full of ice, beer and water..

ironbutter · « **Reply #27 on:** November 24, 2009, 08:11:24 PM »

I like the wedge idea Don R, thanks... and Terry, yeah... according to this AMA magazine article from December 1972, that is exactly why GRW engineered the *locking* ride-off stand. I'm gonna hunt us down a couple of those babies! Oh, and maybe Ill find one of those sweet sparkly helmets with the star and the fog free snap on protector too... Hmmm, maybe taking all the beer off might be an improvement, nah.

Terry in Australia · « **Reply #28 on:** November 26, 2009, 03:52:48 AM »

Very nice mate, and yep, I'll take one of the stands and while we're at it, I want a size XL "Captain America" helmet! Cheers, Terry.

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Author Topic: 1971 750 is begging me to ride it...... and whats this mystery red light? (Read 3741 times)