So a customer walked into my bike shop today and said she was looking for a mountain bike for her husband, doesn't need to be anything fancy, even used would be fine. The problem is she doesn't really have much money but she does have this old motorcycle she needs to get rid of and it looks just like that one outside! A couple hours later her husband is getting a $600 mountain bike (retail, not my cost. I'll let you guess at the math) and I've got a 1975 CB750F w/ 11,000 miles on it parked in the shop. It's crusty and rusty and hasn't been started since 1997 but it's not bad and it's all there. Side covers are shot, tank is full of sludge, brakes are empty of fluid but roll freely(!), original exhaust system is entirely intact(never seen that before) and has flecks of cement spattered here and there. Half a bottle of Simple Green, 2 scrubbing pads and 20 rags later I decide to throw caution to the wind and see if she'll fire up. I add a quart of oil, swap the battery out and throw a good tank full of gas on it. Press the starter button and an instant later the shop is filling up w/ smoke! Woohoo! Even the electrics are entirely functional w/ the exception of the turn signal relay. I took her for a victory lap around the parking lot and she ran great!
I'm sure she'll benefit from a thorough carb douching and I know the brake o-haul is gonna be fun but besides that all she really needs is more detailed cleaning and a seat re-cover. I'll keep y'all posted w/ progress.
