Topic: Taking the CB750 on long trips

[skyzo]

OK, so I've recently got out of college, so I finally have a little bit of money to spend. One of my dreams has always been to travel cross country on a motorcycle. Im not sure why, its just always seemed like it would be such a fun challenge. I've also really liked the old CB750's, and have thought about getting one. There happens to be one on the craigslist for my town, a 78 CB750 with 12K miles, in decent condition. He is asking $800 for it, is this a good deal?
Also, is my plan even realistic? I know its an old bike, but from what I've heard its pretty dependable, and by bringing some basic tools with me, it should be not a trouble to maintain. 12k also doesnt seem like that many miles when ive heard that getting to 50k is fairly common with good maintenance habits.

[Rosinante]

12K is low mileage, for sure.  But......there are rubber bits and various parts that will be tired after thirty-two years.  For a cross-country trip, you will need to be handy with tools and troubleshooting, and will need to carry those tools with you.  Of course, you would start with a shorter trip, as a shake-down cruise.  Got any friends three hundred miles away you could visit then return home?

Back in the day, I rode my CB750K to California and back a couple of times.  A thousand miles or so each way.  Plus thousands of local miles over a four-year period.  The only problem that stopped me from going down the highway was, once, the fiberglas can "rider" piece broke off one set of points.  I had to wait until next morning when the Honda dealership opened, as I did not have a spare set of points and condenser.  Even though it has been thirty+ years since that event, I remember it well enough to not make the same mistake again.  The thing you should be aware of though.....is that my bike was nearly new.  Yours will not be.

Still, your adventure is highly do-able.  See if you can find a sexy babe who has her own bike to come along.

[kpier883]

I encourage you to take off and do it while you can.  However, I think the question is what does "decent condition" mean.  I consider my '74 CB750 to be in decent condition, but my definition might differ.  I rode it on a 4000 mile trip in October 2009 with no issues except it used a lot of oil.  

My thought is to check it out and see how it starts, runs, charges, etc before purchasing.  Check to see if the blinkers and other lights present and operational.  Look for evidence of bad oil leaks.  Most of these leak some, and that is ok, just not excessive leaks.  

Ideally you could ride a bit closer to home for a while and put in a few longer weekend rides (maybe a 500 miler or so) to see how reliable it is.  Check out the wiring and repair any bare spots or loose connections.  Then around June - take off!

[BobbyR]

That is a steal so grab it. There is a ride report section, you should read that and you will see how members have taken some real long trips. You would want some new tires and tubes at a minimum. Maybe a new chain.  I have a 78K and you should pay some attention to the carbs, make sure the points are up to snuff. Not big things, just those small things that can leave you stuck.  

[BeSeeingYou]

For a runner in true decent shape that is a good price. Give the bike a good going over and repair /replace needed items and you should be good to go.  Take a few short trips to give it a shakedown.  On a well maintained bike even an old one breakdowns are overblown.  Never had one in 30K miles including several cross country trips.

[skyzo]

OK cool this is getting me excited  , if I had a picture of it, I'd show you guys.
I was planning on not going on the trip until next summer, not this coming one, so I'd have plently of time
to learn about it. I've worked on motorcycles quite a bit before, just never something as big as a 750.
I like how parts are pretty ready available for these bikes.

[madmtnmotors]

The asking price is very good, even more so if it runs and has clear title. I've been from Orlando, FL to North of Detroit Michigan and back on my 78' CB750K. Also been Orlando, FL to Raleigh, NC and back. Bought mine with 23,000 miles and am closing in on 60,000. No major breakdowns, was only stranded once with a dead (failed) battery. The charging systems on these bikes is not designed to function without a charged battery. The engine will not run without a charged battery, and below 2000 rpm the charging system is not even charging. I did discover that if the spring preload on the rear shocks is set too stiff it tends to radiate up through your neck and shoulders, so don't overdo the rear spring preload on long hauls! Enjoy the ride!

[Honda George]

I have ridden my 1973 cb750 all over the country. I have never had any problems but I also change the oil and filter along the way after about 1500 miles. You may want to take a set of spark plugs with you [although I have never used mine] and keep the chain well lubed. Put on a windshield and have fun. I almost forgot. You should probably get a butt pad also.

[Old Scrambler]

Welcome to the board!  My K3 did over 3,000 miles last September in Utah. It missed a few beats in the rain and the fork seals began to leak after a few days. The $800 is a very good buy if it is fairly complete and running. Don't worry to much about cosmetics. Plan to spend another $600 or so for the tires, tubes, battery, chain, seals, fluids, etc.

Do post some pics and tell us what attracted you to the CB750 versus other affordable bikes.

[skyzo]

I'll get some pics up hopefully sometime this weekend. Ill be going up to get it, and Ill take some pictures when i get back. The reason why I chose the CB750, was that it was affordable, well documented, and parts are readily available. I also love the vintage look that these old Hondas havem it just can't be beat.

The only thing that worries me about the trip would be breaking down somewhere in the middle of nowhere. I'm not that worried about me getting home, I could always just take a plane from wherever i get stuck, im more worried about having the bike being 1,000s of miles from home.

[MCRider]

I'll get some pics up hopefully sometime this weekend. Ill be going up to get it, and Ill take some pictures when i get back. The reason why I chose the CB750, was that it was affordable, well documented, and parts are readily available. I also love the vintage look that these old Hondas havem it just can't be beat.

The only thing that worries me about the trip would be breaking down somewhere in the middle of nowhere. I'm not that worried about me getting home, I could always just take a plane from wherever i get stuck, im more worried about having the bike being 1,000s of miles from home.

From Indy, i rode my CB750 to Key West (4000 miles round trip), Washington DC seveal times, back and forth to Tucson several times (3600Mi round trip?) and untold 10s of thousands shorter trips.

Breaking down never happened. Breaking down in the middle of nowhere was a bigger fear then than now, as there is less areas of nowhere.

You'll likely need tires, (over 6 years old questionable safety regardless of tread depth, google "tires safe age"), chain (age will contribute to rust even if otherwise good), and I'd look at the swingarm pivot usually good for 10k miles, and the steering head bearings, also a 10k item. As others have said, age is an issue as well as mileage. I'll bet the swingarm bushings are seized (it will still move but not properly) and the steering head bearings have not been serviced., probably bad as well.

But once its sorted out no reason you can't go anywhere reliably just like we did back then.

[754]

The  CB 750..
 if you were to break down, keep this in mind..
 there is probably, not another japanese bike made that it will be easier to get help on...and I mean riders on all makes, even HD.. not saying they all would stop but a few of them will... and they will talk to you whenever you stop as well..

 Try that on a  Radian....

[MCRider]

The  CB 750..
 if you were to break down, keep this in mind..
 there is probably, not another japanese bike made that it will be easier to get help on...and I mean riders on all makes, even HD.. not saying they all would stop but a few of them will... and they will talk to you whenever you stop as well..

 Try that on a  Radian....

yeah I'd agree on that!

[Jerry Rxman Griffin aka MuthaF'er]

And then again there may not be a damn thing wrong with it! Great price for the miles. If it starts up and seems to run decently go for it. If the oil is clean and full all the better. Oil the chain and go.

[mycb750k6]

Do it. Do it as soon as you're comfortable with the bike. These bikes aren't new anymore. But, you'll have a great time and have memories about it the rest of you life.

[xfactor]

I plan on doing this same thing when I am happy with my bike, also got mine for 800 bucks.

That being said I am going wait at least 2 years before I attempt it, that will give me time to get everything in order and get my bike where I want it. But I am having money issues and I am broke, so if you have money right now and can get your bike in the shape you want, then I say go for it.

The trip im planning my friend who rides a Harley wont go with me, so I called him a baby.

[tlbranth]

My wife and I went on lots of trips in the 70's on my K0 CB750. Never had a problem. We did 2 trips that were 3300 miles each. We drove from San Jose to Death Valley in August by ourselves (not too smart). My only concerns are the parts that don't age well such as rubber parts (seals, manifolds, ignition wires) & plug caps, and the fact that nobody will have parts if you need them. At best you'll have to find a dealer and order parts. That's my current concern. In that light, I bought AAA 100 mile towing just in case.

[andy750]

im more worried about having the bike being 1,000s of miles from home.

This happened to me...I was 1000 miles from home when my CB750 decided to run on only 3 cylinders - valve oil seal had gone. I had oil coming out of the exhaust! I was in Germany and had to make it back to the UK. Lucky I was riding a CB750 ...it got me home of course.

Plenty of breakdowns and punctures in my time but never anything terminal that couldnt be overcome at the side of the road. I even had a CB750 rear wheel collapse (was riding 2-up) in Knoxville, TN....spent 4 days waiting for it to get rebuilt so I got a job to pay for it .

Now if a guy can ride round the world (1973) or round Australia on a CB750 (1973 I think as well) you can surely take your bike on a long trip in the US - most likely the easiest country in the world in which to ride.

cheers
Andy

[laser145]

I'm in the market for a CB750.  Once I find the right one and get it set up I'm taking off.  My father has a VTX1300 and we're going to take a long haul.

I've never done too much distance riding on a bike, but I'm looking forward to it... good luck.  Make sure you document the trip when you get around to making it...

[Gonzowerke]

BUY A CRUISE CONTROL! You will thank me profusely later. It's not a wrist wrecking ride like a sport bike, but if you are not used to it, even a half hour up the interstate will have your right wrist starting to bug you from holding the throttle open. I cannot find the one I have on my bikes, and they are not here now for me to look at, but it is a simple plastic clamp with a thumblever and a tab on the bottom that goes between the cables to keep it from rotating. You don't have to modify anything, it just clamps the sleeve between the grip and control pod. When you flip the lever, it clamps the sleeve, keeping it in place and you can relax your hand. It allows rotation in an emergency, it just requires higher effort on your part.

[seaweb11]

BUY A CRUISE CONTROL! You will thank me profusely later. It's not a wrist wrecking ride like a sport bike, but if you are not used to it, even a half hour up the interstate will have your right wrist starting to bug you from holding the throttle open. I cannot find the one I have on my bikes, and they are not here now for me to look at, but it is a simple plastic clamp with a thumblever and a tab on the bottom that goes between the cables to keep it from rotating. You don't have to modify anything, it just clamps the sleeve between the grip and control pod. When you flip the lever, it clamps the sleeve, keeping it in place and you can relax your hand. It allows rotation in an emergency, it just requires higher effort on your part.

I have one of those on the bike I use for long trips "K8" and it is a wrist saver.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0014FVGIU/ref=asc_df_B0014FVGIU1101438?smid=A1NQPLTVQGQJFP&tag=dealtmp52775-20&linkCode=asn&creative=380341&creativeASIN=B0014FVGIU

[Hannibal Smith]

Man, when I picked up my CB550 last year, I had the carbs cleaned and a fresh battery in it within 2 hours after purchasing it locally.

With old cracked tires I wound up in Ojai, California by the afternoon of the very day I bought it, put 120 miles in on the first day. Went for a "shakedown" cruise and never came back!

These old Honda are great.

[Lights Out]

be prepared!

[seaweb11]

Nice of you to clean up the road with your rag

Beautiful BC and all that

[MCRider]

be prepared!

Yeah looks like somebody could've used some case guards.