Topic: New Member just bought cb750 K1

[elsinore401]

 hello everyone, I am new to the forum. I have been wanting a cb750 for awhile to go with my 70's bike collection and I finally got desperate and picked up a 1971 roller, pretty far gone, but matching numbers with title vin is 1048032 engine 1046774 . I will have a ton of questions I'm sure, I have been scouring the forum for some answers. I plan on a full resto, so I will be needing a ton of parts. I am an instructor at a motorcycle school, so I can get anything Honda still has at dealer cost so that might help. I would like to go from 0 to very nice for 5k or less investment. I see some cool personalities on here so I am looking foreward to the experience. Anyone who has any side covers headlight ears , good gauges etc to sell I would be willing to start the wallet drain right now.

[swellguy]

I plan on a full resto, so I will be needing a ton of parts. I am an instructor at a motorcycle school, so I can get anything Honda still has at dealer cost so that might help.

It's a nice position to be in but it's probably hard to count on getting much stuff from dealers these days for bikes that old, at least anything major. Of course, I guess it's a shop by shop basis. Good luck and welcome to the forum. It's a great resource.

[Stev-o]

Welcome and congrats!

Here are 442 parts, including sidecovers, to start spending your $5K!
http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=71+cb750+&_sacat=0&_dmpt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&_odkw=77+cb750+exhaust&_osacat=0&_trksid=p3286.c0.m270.l1313


Good Luck.

[Terry in Australia]

Geez, that's a really early K1 mate, the numbers are almost in K0 territory! Cheers, Terry.

[elsinore401]

Yes, from what I could tell on here it is pretty early. great name by the way Terry, that's mine also. I've seen some of your posts and hopefully I can keep up with the "personalities" on the forum. Good stuff. A question about side covers, which years are the same. I have heard k1-k6, but I noticed the emblems look different so are the indentions the same? I want to restore it correctly. Also, is the airbox the same over a few years? thanks guys.

[Terry in Australia]

Yes, from what I could tell on here it is pretty early. great name by the way Terry, that's mine also. I've seen some of your posts and hopefully I can keep up with the "personalities" on the forum. Good stuff. A question about side covers, which years are the same. I have heard k1-k6, but I noticed the emblems look different so are the indentions the same? I want to restore it correctly. Also, is the airbox the same over a few years? thanks guys.

Yeah mate, K1 to K6 sidies are the same, just the emblems are different. Check the threads, there's a seller here (Joe) who does excellent copies of the side covers for 50 bucks a pair to members, I've got a couple of sets, and they're great. A K1 has the earlier script badges, with red (as opposed to gold) "Diamonds". The early airboxes (K1/K2) are the same, then they changed them slightly with breather hose connections etc. Cheers, Terry.

[1974CB750rider]

Are your emblems missing or just really worn? Restoring them isn't that bad just a bit time consuming and most of us have more time than money here.

[elsinore401]

I actually don't have any emblems or side covers right now.

[Stev-o]

Here is a link to the sidecovers sold by Joe:

I actually don't have any emblems or side covers right now.

[GammaFlat]

Before you get started, you may want to give thoughtful consideration to what kind of restore you're interested in performing.  If you want everything perfect for a particular year, God bless, but you'll find it more difficult/expensive to get there.  Your rewards at the time of sale will be greater if you do a restore "dead nuts on" or what I'd call a "true restoration".. but I'm in denial about ever selling my mistress.  I've chosen a path I'd call "period correct".  Get "period correct" parts which might not be the exact year but it would take a discerning eye to understand that your directional stalks should be coming out of the headlight bolt instead of the fork ear.  "Period correct" (in my tiny little mind) requires correct colors, factory seat, factory pipes...  You get the idea.  A good example of what I'd like to do is paint a headlight bucket and fork ears to make a K1 using K1-K6 parts for most everything else.  In your case, you're starting out with a K1 which is an excellent year but it's not too hard to convert it to a K0... at least in looks.  Get a K0 oil tank, side covers, air box (to heck with the expensive carbs!) and some paint.  In terms of exhaust, you may make your decision between HM300 and HM341 based on how you ride.  They have different costs, different longevity, make different noise and make differing torque at different places on your tachometer. 

That's only two categories.  There are a few other categories but I don't think you fit in them.  There's "fully custom" which is folks that want to do they're own thing... (cafe, bobber, chopper, heavily modified etc.).  Then there's folks ("cobblers") that are just happy to be on an SOHC4 and will cobble together a K7 front end on a K4 with a king and queen seat and not worry about Terry laughing half way 'round the world about "the motorcycle with a toilet seat". 

Be warned: If you choose to go "true restoration", me and the rest of the "period correct" guys (weenie wanna be's) will swarm and be examining your starter button, saddle type (there are many), fender mounts, the numbers (or lack thereof) on your pipes, etc., etc., etc. (I've never quoted Yul Brynner before ).  Again, if everything is "year correct" and in excellent condition, these bikes can go for 20K or more. 

Welcome to the madness.  This is a great place.  I've made lots of friends here.  I guarantee you'll enjoy the ride. 

John

[elsinore401]

I just went through quite a bit of the honda parts today at work. We are a dealer so i got on the live honda dealer site and priced out a bunch of stuff that they are saying is still available. The dealer cost prices are quite a bit better than the new stuff on ebay of course. Looks like the guys on Ebay are selling stuff as NOS that is still available. that reminds me, ever since the "Barrett-Jackson on TV" era, people don't know what NOS really means, as I always understood it , it is "New Obsolete Stock" which means it's no longer available from the dealer. That is what makes it NOS as opposed to just a part you can get from the dealer. "New Old Stock" just means it's an old part that might or might not still be available, but everyone is a restoration expert these days. I have done a few resto's on cars and other bikes and had to deal with a million Geniuses. That's why I came here to get the real scoop on CB's from you guys.

[MCRider]

I'd always heard that it meant New Old Stock. "Obsolete" was never the issue. Which means its stock that's been in some dealers hands for may years but is actually new. AS you say. Not necessarrily unavailable. It could have shelf wear, but was never actually installed, and should be in or near its original packaging. OCICBW.

So what are you saying it means to you? I'm confused.

[elsinore401]

I am saying it means obsloete to me because if it is still available you wouldn't want it with shelf wear because you could just get it straight from honda in the bag. If it is not available anymore it's importance goes up when it is on a dealer's shelf because once it's gone there are no more. I can see your point in that it could mean just a part that sat around forever on the shelf but was still available from the manufacturer.

[MCRider]

I am saying it means obsloete to me because if it is still available you wouldn't want it with shelf wear because you could just get it straight from honda in the bag. If it is not available anymore it's importance goes up when it is on a dealer's shelf because once it's gone there are no more. I can see your point in that it could mean just a part that sat around forever on the shelf but was still available from the manufacturer.

I see.

I did a Google on "what does NOS mean?", Out of about 10 relelvant responses, one included "no longer available" and all the rest were still available from OEM stock. Could be a source of misunderstanding if someone is buying/selling NOS.

I can see where for example motogrid may list it as unavailable, from Honda, but those 20 reclusive parts found in a dealers warehouse, still in the bag, would constitute NOS to some sellers. And still "available" from a source other than the factory, if one knew to order from that dealer.