Bought this 1973 cb750 about 9 years ago, for the first CVMG Ganaraska 250 “Moto Giro”. It was a horrible pastel shade of light blue, my son named it instantly. Got it for $500 because the owner admitted the engine would seize up and come to a stop, after 20 minutes ridding.
Dragged it home and sure enough, 20 minutes and it chugged to a stop. Definitely not seized (I could kick it over) but had to cool down for 1/2 an hour before restarting........ Long story, checked/changed several parts, before I discovered a blocked fuel cap vent hole! Bike won it’s class at the first event in 2011. Since then my son has ridden with me and he seems to think it’s his. Last year he couldn’t make it and sent a friend instead. Mark has been riding all his life and won the class for the second time!
The motor has never been out of the frame, and all it’s ever got is a new set of points. Originally, it came with a rusty set of head pipes that had been cut to length and stuffed into 4-2 flared mufflers. The Gemini (Made in California) headers and can came with another project, and went on a few years ago. Everything on the bike, came with another! The Lester Wheels were on a K8 I put back on wires. The single stay front fender came with a K7. At the back is a K1 fender and turn signal mounts. The crash bars and tail light bracket were so rusty, I tossed them in with another project and had them blasted and black powder coated. When I mounted a set of dual sport Kendas to my Kawasaki KLR650, I noticed they came in 18” rear and 19” front. Tubeless, on the Lester’s, they work well on pavement and even better on rougher back roads.......
Swing arm has been off for new bearings and paint. Shocks came with another parts lot. A few years ago it desperately needed head stock bearings. Did it over the winter, so we did brakes, lines, for seals and polished the fork legs. When a hot rodder friend decided to paint his car black, I quickly prepped the “old blue” tank and bought a pair of repro side covers. Al did some really nice paint. He got so frustrated with the tank decals I had (they were very old), he hand striped the tank and clear coated! It looks awesome.
Recently, I picked up a really decent set of original HM341 4-4 pipes. I suggested to my son that this winter I’m going to strip it down and do a complete restoration. Huge push back! “Find something else. Leave old Blue alone” Wow........ what do you guys think?
