Topic: 73-75 Denvers choppers CB750 period correct build thread

[lxcoupe89]

I'm late starting my build thread so I'll start adding some pics from the beginning till now to get caught up

This journey started out when I was looking for a springer to build a period correct 70's harley chopper. I found a rolling chassis that had a long Denvers skinny springer which was what I was looking for. I ended up buying the whole rolling chassis.

Took a 3 hr trip each way to go pick it up. That was on 03-04-2017.

I later figured out that I did in fact have nearly all of the original denvers parts. Since so much of it was original matching parts I hated to split it up so I figured I'd just build it instead. I always thought Honda choppers were cool and have always been a fan of the old Denvers Choppers so why not.

I found the contact information and spoke to Fred Hernandes about my parts, he said he built the frame between 1973 & 75.

Here are pics from the day I bought it

[Medyo Bastos]

Are you a member at hondachopper.com?


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[lxcoupe89]

Yes I m a member there

[lxcoupe89]

The frame had some of the Honda motor mounts removed and some Triumph mounts were tack welded in.

I cut out all of the extra mounts, wrapped it up and sent it out to Fred Hernandes in CA for him to weld the motor mounts back in. it was pretty awesome to have the original guy that built the frame over 40 yrs ago to set it up in a jig and work on it again.







Sent it through greyhound

[754]

 Cool bike .. how much for cross country , by Greyhound?
Btw when shipping frames, I would  cut a square of 1 inch wood and bolt on both sides od neckcups with reddi rod  thu the middle holding it, plus a spacer between the axle plates, fastened securely.
 That's where they get damaged when the drop them,  don't ask how I know...

[lxcoupe89]

Shipping out was $109.35

on the way back $73.60 ( the girl in CA hooked me up with a discount)

I used all thread between the front motor mounts and the axle plates

Good Idea on the protecting the neck cups, I will do that next time.

[Medyo Bastos]

Wanna sell it?


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[lxcoupe89]

Wanna sell it?


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Nah, I have pretty much everything I need to build it at this point.

Thanks for asking

[lxcoupe89]

Since I sent the frame out to Fred in Cali, I thought it would be cool to take a vacation there, meet Fred pick it up in person and send it back to myself.

So that's what I did. It was a great trip. Met Fred, checked out his shop. Rented a Harley and rode a 2 day from San Bernadino out to the coast and back through Hollywood.

I had him make me an oil tank like the ones they made back in the day also.









Here is a bike a young guy that works with Fred is building, it is similar to the one Fred rode back in the day



Wrapped up the frame in the Quaid Harley Davidson Parking lot and shipped it back through Greyhound





I may have just blinked during the pic, but I think I'm actually praying that the frame makes it back home.

[Ruckus2115]

Bike looks great.  I will be following this thread.  You plan on keeping that style bars?

[lxcoupe89]

Bike looks great.  I will be following this thread.  You plan on keeping that style bars?

Yes, those are the original Denver's bars. Other than small parts I was only missing the original Denvers oil Tank and Sissy bar. I'm not really trying to restore the bike but I'm using all the original parts.

[lxcoupe89]

If anyone out there has any Denver's parts or parts that were used on Denver's Bikes I'd be interested in buying some stuff. I need some pegs, brake and clutch perches/levers and other little odds and ends.

I'm trying to buy all period correct stuff and nothing brand new if possible.

[Don R]

 Cool story and project.

[andy750]

Following along - big fan of Denver choppers.

[Medyo Bastos]

Rumor has it he rode a cbx chopper off a pier


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[lxcoupe89]

Rumor has it he rode a cbx chopper off a pier


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For fun?

[lxcoupe89]

While I was waiting to get the frame done and get it back i was doing some investigation and other odds and ends.


 I was hoping to find some original paint to see what the bike looked like so I did a little sanding on the tank, went right to bare metal nothing cool underneath.



I could see little bits and pieces of what looked like cool paint on the frame, and it looks like the frame had been fully molded and peaked but all of it was removed.











I also started stripping some of the black spray paint off the springer, only to find even harder to remove yellow paint.



I also bought a stuck 1975 CB750 motor and some odd and end parts as a bundle





Took some effort but I got her apart




Once I finally got the frame back home I had to throw the parts back together to check it out








All this stuff was done around June 2017

[lxcoupe89]

Following along - big fan of Denver choppers.

Andy750, just noticed your signature, That's pretty awesome. I'm betting they were some great experiences.

[lxcoupe89]

I was pretty anxious to get started on the sissy bar, Fred would have made me one for $150 but I wanted to make it myself. I had originally planned to use a propane torch but I ended up having to get my grandfathers old Oxy/acetylene set up.



Propane torch was slow and the steel was difficult to bend





I ended up cracking the first thicker fender support and had to remake it. I only had thinner material left.




Oxy/Acetylene torch made bending the 9/16" Cold rolled Rod easy, (I thought I bought 5/8" but later measured it and its 9/16")

[lxcoupe89]

I really like how clean the Denver's sissy bars bolt to the frame. I thought for a while on how to get the threaded hole that bolts the sissy bar to the frame in the end of the rod on center . Here is the Jig I came up with.

I started with a piece of square stock about 2" long. I drilled the smaller 5/16" tap drill size first, then got a bit nearly the exact size of the sissy bar rod and drilled half way down the block, all in one set up in the drill press. This bored my holes nearly exactly concentric.



I used tape on the bit to drill to the right depth




I used a pin to tap the sissy bar out of the jig after each hole was drilled

[lxcoupe89]

I found a 1976 motor that was locked up super cheap so I bought it for Mock up. My plan was to mock the whole bike up in my basement then tear it back apart for paint. This was my first time putting a Honda 4 into a frame. I had a buddy help me out. Those things are ridiculously heavy and awkward to maneuver.





Not long after I got the motor in and the sissy bar built I found a decent deal on a 75 running motor. I bought it and decided to move the bike up to my garage so I can start putting it together and try to get it running. It was difficult having the bike in my basement because travelling back and forth fitting stuff as I made it was a pain in the ass.

Since it was so difficult to man handle the motor I decided to build a small gantry crane to hold the motor.









The gantry crane doesn't work great for getting the motor in or out as a rolling chassis. Its works the best holding the motor and putting the bare frame onto the motor.

[lxcoupe89]

I have some more old pics and steps that I will post later on, but here is this weekends highlights.

I came home Friday to see my Shinko 270 waiting on the porch. That was a great start to the weekend. It looks like its going to fit perfect.









Spent Friday night stripping the rest of the paint off the springer. Feels good to have that finished.













Saturday morning I went to the post office to pick up a package I've been waiting anxiously for. I finally found an old original santee electrical box and a bread box air filter on ebay. I was pretty happy to get them even though I feel like I overpaid.

[lxcoupe89]

Back where I left off, I had taken the mock up motor back out of the rolling chassis. I had found a good deal on a running 1975 CB750 motor so I decided to pull the bike back apart and move it to my garage to go ahead and mock it up fully and get it running.

The Gantry crane definitely made it easier to get the frame on the motor. One man operation. Once its painted I'll probably need a helper though.












After I got the motor back in the frame I started fitting the rear fender and sissy bar. I was using a hammer to straighten out the fender a bit and when the paint chipped I could see stripes underneath all the paint layers. I decided to try sanding the fender to see if there was any old paint under there. And there was. It was awesome watching it appear as I sanded through the 5 layers of paint. The paint colors on the fender match the bits of paint on the frame so I'm sure they were part of the original Denver's Build.



















Finally got the sissy bar bolted on and started to fit the fender and seat. But I realized that I wasn't going to be able to finish until I got the rear tire I'm going to run.

[seanbarney41]

That was some impressively careful sanding!  It really is a shame what people paint over.

I like experimenting with the old bread boxes too.  I am currently running one with OEM air box boots installed and black UNI foam for the filter material.  I ended up with 135 mains, everything else stock in 086a carbs.  Super smooth idle and just off idle performance which is usually where carb adjustments get tricky.  I feel like the very top of the rpm range is lacking slightly compared to the stock airbox.  Probably due to the breadbox not being as big.  I plan to try to maximize the size by bending a new mesh piece if I can find suitable material.

[theDQG]

Verrrrry interesting build! Following along.