Topic: noob looking at 78 cb750

[red78ta]

Howdy ya'll, I'm new here but not new to motorcycles or wrenches
I'm am going to go look at a 78 CB750 next week, if I can figure out some titling hassle (I'm military, AK resident living in MA, cb750 registered in NH w/ no title b/c apparently NH doesn't issue titles for bikes over 10 years old...  anyway, guy says the bike isn't pretty (no problem i'm looking for a project anyway, not something to ride right off, that's what the 97 Nighthawk 750 is for), says he bought it off his daughters' boyfriend last summer to help him out and he doesn't have money to buy it back...  battery dead but he said it'll start off the charger, been sitting for the last year basically, and he said the guy rode it down 45min when he sold it to him but that's just about all he knows.

Its not the "A" model, he didn't know but said it wasn't the 2-spd auto, not sure if its the K or F but that doesn't concern me too much as long as its not the "A" (which didn't have a tach, correct?). I used this site (thanks already) to write down the engine/frame #s for each model for 78 so i could ID when i go look, thanks already

Anything I should look for or specifically check out aside from the normal motorcycle stuff when i go look at it.

[cookindaddy]

You are asking a pretty wide open question.

I have the same bike, bought as a POS (piece of sh**) for way too much money three years ago. Now it is completely rebuilt by me and it is like new and runs great. Had I known then what I know now, I would probably have the same year and model but not the same bike I bought. I would have looked at it a lot more carefully than I did. I would have been more skeptical of what I saw. I would have offered maybe 1/2 of the $ that I did. That said, I love my bike now!

You probably have more experience with bikes than I did when I bought mine so it would be presumptuous of me to offer you the usual beginner advice, except that you should "expect the unexpected". It is amazing what abuse some of these fine old machines are subjected to over 30+ years and what their POs do to them. Some here may feel otherwise but I don't think that there are any inherent weaknesses in the design that cause certain kinds of failure with this model/year, just abuse and sloppy maintenance.

Good luck.

[anders288]

Howdy ya'll, I'm new here but not new to motorcycles or wrenches
I'm am going to go look at a 78 CB750 next week, if I can figure out some titling hassle (I'm military, AK resident living in MA, cb750 registered in NH w/ no title b/c apparently NH doesn't issue titles for bikes over 10 years old...  anyway, guy says the bike isn't pretty (no problem i'm looking for a project anyway, not something to ride right off, that's what the 97 Nighthawk 750 is for), says he bought it off his daughters' boyfriend last summer to help him out and he doesn't have money to buy it back...  battery dead but he said it'll start off the charger, been sitting for the last year basically, and he said the guy rode it down 45min when he sold it to him but that's just about all he knows.

Its not the "A" model, he didn't know but said it wasn't the 2-spd auto, not sure if its the K or F but that doesn't concern me too much as long as its not the "A" (which didn't have a tach, correct?). I used this site (thanks already) to write down the engine/frame #s for each model for 78 so i could ID when i go look, thanks already

Anything I should look for or specifically check out aside from the normal motorcycle stuff when i go look at it.

    Hi it's 15 years hear in NH I have sold old bike out of state. Take the NH reg to your state DMV they look it up and see that NH don't use titles for old vehicles. At one time it was a cottage industry doing paper for old cars and bikes .Then the DMV now requires the Vin be verified buy a stats trooper or safety inspection station .
 

[trav]

I would be concerned regarding the title. Perhaps the VIN can get you a paper trail. NH ain't all that that far from MA, so perhaps you could make a run up there. I was in a boat that we put in the yards in Portsmouth, and still made runs down to the sub base at New London.
Good luck,
trav


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[splitt]

The cb750 sohc engines are pretty bullet proof. The title issue is something to check out though. Check with your dmv first. I'd rather spend a couple of hours asking questions now, than spend 20 hours later only to find out they won't issue you a title.