I recently bought a 1970 CB750 from a young man in Boulder, CO and it came with a documented story from the previous owner, Ryder3 (Ken). I had actually bid on this bike a couple of years ago, but lost to the young man in Boulder. He tinkered with the bike, but the "project" really didn't go anywhere, so he decided to list it on Craigslist again. I was determined not to let it slip away again and made him a fair offer which he accepted. I promised him I would make it beautiful again. Initially, I wanted to go back with all Honda parts, but due to the costs, I decided to do a mix of OEM and replicated parts with the goal of trying to improve the bike wherever possible. To start this thread, I am posting the story that came with the motorcycle, written by Ryder3 from the motorcycle's perspective. I will try and contact Ryder3 to update him on the project. Enjoy the story:
Hello, my name is CB 750 Honda K0 and I was born in 1970. Since bikes usually live out their owners, I want Ryder4 to know where I came from and where I have been. Assembled in Wako, Saitama, Japan and given the VIN number CB7501034704, I was sold to Ryder1.
Ryder1 was a young Japanese boy who bought me in Sasebo, Japan, but his feet barely touched the ground. After only a few months, He sold me.
Ryder2 was a young American sailor and was sent back to the United States after only three months.
Ryder3, my present Ryder bought me in December of 1971 for 270,000 yen or $750.00. Rember when it was 360 yen to 1 dollar? His ship, the Ajax was tied to a pier in Sasebo Japan where I spent most of my nights. We travel to Nagasaki and saw Tokyo Rose’s tower and toured the island of Kyushu. When Ryder3 went to Vietnam, I spent months on the pier parked on the dock.
Ryder3’s ship was going to San Diego for the first time in about 15 years and I hitched a ride in the hole with hundreds of other bikes. We were all imports, no to be exported, but they let us in the US anyways. I still have my original Speedometer in Kilometer per hour.
We stopped in Hawaii for a few days. I could not believe Americans drive on the right had side. Within the first few weeks of being in the United States, Ryder3 thought he could impress two young ladies and revved me up. When the light turned green, the cars started to go and then stopped suddenly. By that time my clutch was out and I rear ended the car in front of me. Ryder3 went over the handlebars and landed on the car’s trunk. A tow truck took me to a motorcycle repair shop where I got an American front fender. The Japanese version had a place for a license plate. Ryder3 learned his lesson and never looked at a woman on the side of the road again.
Spent the next six months parked at an apartment complex in San Diego. During this time, we explore the southern California coast and went to Tijuana to watch the bullfights.
In 1972, Ryder3 was discharged from the Navy. He bought a van and his best friend from Massachusetts flew out to do a road trip. Sometimes I road in the back of the van, sometimes Ryder3 rode me, like into Las Vegas or into the Grand Canyon. In Nevada, Ryder3 decided to open me up to 129 mph...I was not red lined, but Ryder3 backed off. He also rode min into Canada and we saw Niagara Falls. Stopped at Watkins Glen for a car race and finally made it to Massachusetts.
That summer, made it to Hampton Beach NH so I can now say I’ve been from Mexico to Canada and from the Pacific coast to the Atlantic coast.
At Ryder3’s parents house, I was parked right outside of the bedroom window. One winter, Ryder3 was hospitalized and I was left parked under the house’s roof overhang. I was totally encased in ice from the dripping water from the roof turning to ice. The spring sprang and Ryder3 zapped me with 12 volts and I started right up.
From 1972-1976, I took Ryder3 to college almost every day. My thrill was catching air on the road leading to the school. Ryder3’s thrill was parking next to whatever building he had a classroom.
In 1977, I moved to New Hampshire and sat out the blizzard of 1977 in a parking lot under a tarp at a housing complex.
In 1978, I almost went to the junkyard. We were following two cars. Since Ryder3 thought he was the fastest thing around, he decided to cross the double yellow line and pass. As soon as he pulled out, I saw the biggest possible thing on the road coming at us. What do you think it could be? It was an 18-wheeler, hauling a house, not a mobile home. I could see the headlines now…biker run over by a house.
In 1980, Ryder3 bought a house and I had my own shed except I shared it with a lawnmower. During this time, we took trips to Martha’s Vineyard, Boston, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Connecticut.
In 1994, while driving down the back roads, a tree trunk fell about 5 feet in front of me. When I rolled over the branch, it punctured my number 2 pipe. If it fell a second later, it would put a hole in Ryder3.
In 1995, I got sick and had low compression in my #3 cylinder and I sat in a shed for the next five years.
In 2000, an 18-wheeler took me to Colorado. Where I sat under a tarp for two years. Ryder3 went to three motorcycle shops looking for someone to rebuild me. One shop said the bike is older than any of my mechanics. Finally found a guy who worked on old Honda’s and I was rebuilt. Also got a new #2 pipe, new tires, had all aluminum buffed out and left the shop with 63,000 KM (39,0000 miles) on my speedometer. When I got home, I had a great spot parked in his garage. Colorado weather was great and I was ridden almost every day until Ryder3 retired in 2014 and I had 80,000 KM (49,000 miles) on my speedometer. The next few years, Ryder3 and I only did errands to the store. Then he only rode me once a year until 2019, then stopped. (Like Jacky Paper, he came no more.) I am now looking for Ryder4.
Hello, I am Ken (Ryder3) and it is time to pass the bike on. It’s drivable, but in rough shape.
It has been in a storage shed in Thornton with no gas or oil and the battery disconnected since 2021. It was running fine before I put it there. I have a clear title from Colorado and it is still registered till June. I am in Massachusetts and won’t be in Colorado till the end of April to show it.
Unsure what its really worth, but would like to take a few bids and sell it when I get back. I’ll only be there for a few days to show it. Glad to answer any questions.
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Now for the rest of the story, as told by the motorcycle.
Ryder4 was a young man in Boulder, Colorado that bought me for about $3000.00. He tinkered with me for a couple of years and in 2024, he sold me to Ryder5, Cedric Fairweather. Cedric promised to restore me to my former glory and make me beautiful again. So far, he rebuilt my engine, painted my frame, rebuilt the speedometer and changed it to MPH using parts from a K1. He is fixing me up like new.
Here is what I looked like when he started.
