Topic: Long Drive, No Luck Finding 750

[Popwood]

So I've been combing Craigs List for the past three months looking for an early 750. Checking not only my local list but those within a few hours drive. There have been temptation for later 750 models, but was holding out for an early model-- then, there it was, just 140 miles away in the heart of Kentucy. Listed, a K1, 13,000 miles, seemed to be mostly original except for the 4 into 2 pipes. Talk to the guy, seemed up front enough. So yesterday made the trip, cash in hand, excited.

Well, it was a K1 alright, valley green metallic, just under 14,000 miles. But Ohhhh, a bad cream job on the tank, two cylinders running cold, busted up side covers, jerry-rigged wiring, re-located ignition switch, Oil cooled, cheap Marque tires, peeling chrome, rust here and there and on and on, and the guy wants $2500. Told him it wasn't worth $1000. but he had $1,700 in it. No deal.

Well, it was nice spending time with my son who came along. He's into vintage bikes too. Lessons, I guess are shop closer to home and figure it's takes time to find something special at the right price.

[Markcb750]

Bad luck but you did the right thing.

I drove 8 hours to Hershey PA for a 6000 mile CB900C, guy said it ran great, he had driven it regularly.  It would not run, gas pouring from the carburetors, pipes all scraped up from someone crashing, front brake non functional.  And the guy was a bigoted, jackass used truck salesman.


I walked away, went to see my mom in NY. Then back to NC the next day.

[cbr-eric]

lesson learned, make sure to get a LOT of good pics lol!!  I once drove from my house in NH all the way to Baltimore to get a car I was hot for at the time (an old Saab SPG, a special 900 turbo, limited edition) and when I got there the guy was not there.  so I call his cell and he says he is on his way but had wanted to get the very small dent in the back pulled for me even though I had a bank check made out and wanted it as it was......... well he got rear ended in a parking lot on the way home and made a BIG dent and was determined he would be there in a short while...then it became him wondering if I could spend the night.... in the end I came home empty handed after driving 9+ hours to get there, about 8 hours sleeping in the car waiting for him (he never showed!) and driving 9+ hours home again.  that sucked for sure, but I shop closer to home and have decided it was simply not meant to be.  good luck with the hunt, I did end up finding my car.. only to sell it a few short years later lol!!!

[Hush]

Hopefully that guy with the 750 will see it's real worth and list it at a realistic price otherwise it will rust to junk.
Most bikes as we can all attest to are saveable, it's the unreal expectations of sellers that are dooming the old bikes.

[Spanner 1]

+1 with Hush...we've all gone to look at bikes that are wildly different from the sellers description and the idiots think their price is 'real reasonable'..! No deal, back under the tarp it goes to rot away for a few more years before the price will drop enough to make a clean-up bike now a total restore job...it's so frustrating !!!

[Popwood]

Yeah, he really didn't know what he had or it's value. I talked to him explaining the value was in the condition and how original a vintage bike should be for that price. I think I left him a bit depressed. Sure, in a way it was his fault for not knowing, but these are the chances one takes when stalking the more rare, good condition bikes. In his favor, he did offer to pay for some of my gas, but I declined. I'm sure he needed it more than me.

My last/first find was/is a really great condition '75 550. Suppose I spent some of my good luck on that one, first our the box. In a way I'm lucky cause I know a lot more now about what to look for. I could have been easily taken on that first one.

I think I'll shop closer to home now and practice a lot of patience. I know the one I want is out there, not too far away, at the right price and waiting for a good home.

[seaweb11]

What did you and your son have for lunch? 





    ...........it's the journey not the destination

[J.Webster Designs]

Hopefully that guy with the 750 will see it's real worth and list it at a realistic price otherwise it will rust to junk.
Most bikes as we can all attest to are saveable, it's the unreal expectations of sellers that are dooming the old bikes.

That is what happened with mine..... I went and talked to the guy a year before i bought it and he insisted that it was worth at least 1200... it was a bitsa bit and in pretty crappy condition at that.... I told him that it wasn't worth but 600 bucks and that ill give him cash for it and he said that it was worth him holding onto for 1200....  a year later he re listed it for 650 and i went to go see him talked him down to 400 since it was no longer running. he said he thought he would do something with it and ended up not doing anything and didn't want to watch it rust to pieces.

[Johnie]

Been there and walked away too.  After driving 2 hours in a blinding snow storm to get there.  I was looking at a K1 and the guy was a real jerk.  He forgot who was holding the money.  Plus, he did not have a title.  I should have never even considered it.  He said he would have the title by summer or fall.  I was stupid to even consider it.  I was lucky to walk away from that one after I heard stories about this fellow later.  I then found my K1 gold, just what I was looking for a week later not 10 miles from my house.  The owner was a fantastic guy and we both felt we got a deal.  We are now friends.  That is what I call a great sale for both parties.

[ajfriz]

I drove 14 hours each way to pick up my K0.  It was free though, and in really good shape so I guess I shouldn't complain.

[bender01]

Insert Quote
I drove 14 hours each way to pick up my K0.  It was free though, and in really good shape so I guess I shouldn't complain.
 No we all are complaining now!

[Jerry Rxman Griffin aka MuthaF'er]

I attempted to buy a 83 CB1100F with 6,000 "original" miles last summer for $3,000. Cash in hand. 1100 miles from home. We were headed there for a visit anyway so I thought I'd just enjoy a ride back home with my like new CB1100F. Nice guy with medical conditions. It had been raining on and off and the streets were wet so I couldn't hammer it. I fired it up and that 6,000 mile sum#$%* made much more bottom end noise than a worn out CB750. Coulda just been carbs outta sync but you'd think for that money it would have been tuned. Had to tell him sorry and I didn't expect another project with only 6,000 "original" miles. I was really bummed the whole trip home but we did those 1100 miles in 15 hours. You never know until you get there.

[Mekun]

I spent 10 hrs driving back and forth for my bike and know how you feel. Im looking for another to customize, but hard to fish through the scam ads. Look at this ad http://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/mcy/1097476668.html
Carbs redone but two puddles of gas on the ground below the overflow tubes. Makes me wonder how much is really wrong with it besides what he stated already.

[Don R]

I stumbled across another K0 on craigs list chicago, it was cut in half to make a go kart. Then the owner realized he didn't know what he was doing. He did show the engine numbers though. It was gone by the time I called. 200 dollars. I hope someone got some parts from it.

[Duke McDukiedook]

How do you know the puddles are from the carbs or that bike even?
Did the owner say so?

I've made two short trips so far in my city to find bikes that the owner's didn't know what models they actually had. Advertised K4 was a K5 frame with K3 motor, advertised K3 was actually a K2, all pretty well modified from stock, which is what I am looking for right now.

I'll find what I am looking for eventually.
 

[Mekun]

Did you even look at the pics or are you just making a comment that suggests im blind. Sorry you cant deduce from the pics its from the bike, ground is dry then there are wet spots. I know he moved the bike in the pics but the ground is the same general area.Maybe it just rained in those two spots. 

[cbr-eric]

I think thats muffler bearing grease leaking actually

[Duke McDukiedook]

That's what I was asking, are you deducing from those pictures alone that the bike is leaking some kind of substance? Or did you talk to the owner and he said "Yeah, them carbs, they like to do a little leaking every now and then".

Did I say you were blind? I think you are reading a little too much into my comment. That could have been the spot where the owner might have made an oil change and spilt a little on the driveway. Could be where the carbs are leaking. I admit, that would be a bad place to take a pic for the owner to have two spots of some kind right in front of the bike.

If you are deducing solely from those pics you could be potentially losing out on a good deal, but hey it's your dime, not mine.

[Frankencake]

So I've been combing Craigs List for the past three months looking for an early 750. Checking not only my local list but those within a few hours drive. There have been temptation for later 750 models, but was holding out for an early model-- then, there it was, just 140 miles away in the heart of Kentucy. Listed, a K1, 13,000 miles, seemed to be mostly original except for the 4 into 2 pipes. Talk to the guy, seemed up front enough. So yesterday made the trip, cash in hand, excited.

Well, it was a K1 alright, valley green metallic, just under 14,000 miles. But Ohhhh, a bad cream job on the tank, two cylinders running cold, busted up side covers, jerry-rigged wiring, re-located ignition switch, Oil cooled, cheap Marque tires, peeling chrome, rust here and there and on and on, and the guy wants $2500. Told him it wasn't worth $1000. but he had $1,700 in it. No deal.

Well, it was nice spending time with my son who came along. He's into vintage bikes too. Lessons, I guess are shop closer to home and figure it's takes time to find something special at the right price.

There's what looks to be a pretty nice '74 In Vermont.  $850  It was posted a few days ago. 

[kghost]

If it makes you feel better I chased a 69 750 for 6 weeks before I left to Australia....turned out to be a 76.....with a busted shift fork to boot.,

[754]

You guys sure give up easy..

 Gas leak from carbs, a deal breaker..

 Yeah, I been on a few wild goose chases.... but struck enough gold to come out wWWAAAYYYYYY ahead in the long run..

[Markcb750]

You guys sure give up easy..

 Gas leak from carbs, a deal breaker..

 Yeah, I been on a few wild goose chases.... but struck enough gold to come out wWWAAAYYYYYY ahead in the long run..

for me the leaking carbs where just one of a long list of problems, not the least of which was there was no way the bike only had 6000 miles on it, and the pipes where shot...

I found a great bike with a true 5900 miles...for less then the cost of purchase plus rebuilding the 900's carbs and putting on new pipes. It just was not a Honda four...

[VitaminCB550]

Too bad you want an earlier one... My 75 is getting ready to go on the market 

PM if interested... I'm posting it in the for sale probably within a month. I'm in Norwood.

[754]

There was a 77 750 Honda listed on a local online place .. everyone saw it.. Needs reggy, but we have paperwork, cant finish bike etc.

well I talked my buddy out of it sounded like a headache for a plain jane 77K....it was 500 or 600, needed minor work..

 It was on for over a month, finally seen it at my neighbors, he got it for 420..

looked real good actually.. I think it had bill of sale and title searched...so it was just a matter of sending a registered letter and a bit of time to register..

Heres the best part, it was a not too bad looking F... the guy never put ss or F in the ad..

 ..pays to check, ya never know