Topic: The latest addition: 1975 CB750 for $300

[mrjack55]

Hey guys today I got a chance to look at a K5 750 that a guy was selling locally for $300.00  Well, need less to say I bought it.  Tomorrow I will pick it up and begin the work.



It is a one owner bike, and it has been garage kept most of the time.  It's in really nice shape.

The bad:  75K miles.  It has a rusted frame.  On the left side, under the engine, there are a a few spots that go through.  Also, It has been repainted, and the headlight ears are not the original ones and they are painted.  Not to mention, he had a windjammer on it for most of it's life, so there are a few taps into the harness. 

The good:  It started and ran...on 3 and 4, but it ran.  1 and 2 stayed pretty cold.  The carbs look good and are pretty clean.  I'm sure they just need a good cleaning. It's a one owner bike.


I'll post more once I get it home tomorrow.  Should be fun.

[Terry in Australia]

Congratulations mate, that must be the bargain of the week! Over here in Oz I'd pay at least ten times that for a bike in the same condition. Cheers, Terry.

[dhall57]

mrjack, great find and great price for only $300. Yes the bargins are still out there

[Rigid]

Are you going to repair or replace the frame?

[CycleRanger]

mrjack, great find and great price for only $300. Yes the bargains are still out there

Indeed. He stole that at $300. 

[bjatwood]

Nice score, you can replace or fix that frame easy enough.

[Retro Rocket]

If i found rust like that anywhere on a frame i WOULD NOT attempt to fix it. It will probably have more rust you can't see and on a 220KG bike i would not risk it at all. Frames are cheap, and you sure as hell got that bike cheap enough, so my advice would be to get a better frame and enjoy the ride without having the fear of a frame failure in the back of your mind....

[Greggo]

$300?!  SCORE!

[Trav-i]

Awesome deal man!  I recently missed out on an all orginal 3600mi 77 supersport for $400.  Old guy that had it sold it the day before I heard about it for $700.  Oh well you win some, you lose some.

[Stev-o]

Deal!

[MoMo]

For this area that is a great deal.  Did you get a title?  If so, 300 for a 750 around here is a steal.  The suggestion to replace the frame is almost impossible in PA, unless one were to fill in the new frame numbers and stamp in the original-but I didn't suggest that ...Larry

[wedoo2]

If i found rust like that anywhere on a frame i WOULD NOT attempt to fix it. It will probably have more rust you can't see and on a 220KG bike i would not risk it at all. Frames are cheap, and you sure as hell got that bike cheap enough, so my advice would be to get a better frame and enjoy the ride without having the fear of a frame failure in the back of your mind....

+1

But a heck of a deal.  Give you $400

[Stev-o]

$500!

[Roach Carver]

I have seen these frames have issues exactly where you are talking about. I had one that was not a rust through issue, but an issue of water getting into the frame and settling in that area where it freezes in the winter and splits the tube. I repaired one by having another section layed over the damaged area and stitched down segmentally. not a constant bead all the way around if that makes sence?

[Stev-o]

I have seen these frames have issues exactly where you are talking about. It is usually not a rust through issue, but an issue of water getting into the frame and settling in that area where it freezes in the winter and splits the frame. I repaired one by having another section layed over the damaged area and stitched down segmentally. not a constant bead all the way around if that makes sence?

skip weld?

[Roach Carver]

sounds good ... thats what I would call it.

[Retro Rocket]

I recommended replacement because that is what i would do without hesitation, its piece of mind that i am after...  
Question, how does the water get in there in the first place.?

[Roach Carver]

I recommended replacement because that is what i would do without hesitation, its piece of mind that i am after...  
Question, how does the water get in there in the first place.?

osmosis? or the fancy new reverse osmosis. I dont know....

RR sent you a pm

[Hondawggie]

MEIN GOTT I'd buy that fer a doller or $1000 sheesh ONE OWNER?!!

I thought I was the best all-around cheefskafe
$300 that is a deal deal deal there son

pshaw on the mileage


mein gott

[Grnrngr]

Very nice!! I'da done it in a heartbeat. Gonna keep it stock or get creative with the frame? That seat sure doesn't look like it has 75k miles on it..

[mrjack55]

Thanks guys.  I appreciate all your advice.  It was a hell of a deal that I just couldn't pass up.
The only thing I'm not getting is the original HM 341 exhaust.  He wants to sell it separately.  Tomorrow I'll try to offer negotiations.  I get the impression that he wants a bit more than $300 for it.  Regardless, he does want to sell it and I told him that I would post it here.  I'll let you know what happens.

As far as the frame goes, I'm going to check it out with a buddy of mine and see how bad it is.  I'm all for a frame swap, but like Larry said, in this area finding a 75 frame with a title is near impossible.  I do have my titled K7 frame sitting here, but that would kill the whole idea of having a 1 owner K5 that is for all intents and purposes a survivor. 

I think the water got into the frame via the Windjammer that was on the bike for years.  If there was a pin-hole of a crack somewhere, the faring could have directed rain water right to it.  IDK, for a bike that was so well maintained and garage kept, I can understand how this would happen.  I try to get some pics of the frame rot.  If I can, I'm going to lean towards welding.  Stay tuned my brothers and sisters.

[Hondawggie]

Get creative with a tale of some sort then get them 341 pipes
Here's what I'd start with, I'd be keeping in mind he is shy a bit having sold that nice bike for $300


"My wife is a light sleeper, I really need the 341s, when she gets woke up too early she's a real b_tch all day"
"We just had a new baby and she's a light sleeper, I need the 341s"
"My dog has cancer in her throat and loud noise gets her barking then she bleeds from her mouth"
"my neighbor is crazy I had to buy an electric lawn mower, he hates loud noise and just got back from Afganistan"

get creative and get the 341s dude

[Stev-o]

Agreed, you need to get the 341's. Remember, you can sell the exhaust currently on it on ebay for $300!

[grcamna2]

Hey guys today I got a chance to look at a K5 750 that a guy was selling locally for $300.00  Well, need less to say I bought it.  Tomorrow I will pick it up and begin the work.



It is a one owner bike, and it has been garage kept most of the time.  It's in really nice shape.

The bad:  75K miles.  It has a rusted frame.  On the left side, under the engine, there are a a few spots that go through.  Also, It has been repainted, and the headlight ears are not the original ones and they are painted.  Not to mention, he had a windjammer on it for most of it's life, so there are a few taps into the harness. 

The good:  It started and ran...on 3 and 4, but it ran.  1 and 2 stayed pretty cold.  The carbs look good and are pretty clean.  I'm sure they just need a good cleaning. It's a one owner bike.


I'll post more once I get it home tomorrow.  Should be fun.

mrjack55, that's a real Nice Honda you have there & I hope you are able to "liberate" that O.E. 4 into 4 exh. for it w/o too much pain from the guy.That rear rack you have on it is a very well made USA beauty;did you know that you can find a backrest that was made for that one? I'm presently seeking one out; I have that same rack for my machine & I had a welder modify it to fit & redesign it a bit so that I can use it to hang some nice hard bags in the future;its Strong.
I purchase a Nice Honda here in E.Pa. that looked like an 8 out of a 10, but a lot of front end damage & consequently the frame is bent.I just moved here a year ago for the first time and what you say about the idea of finding a titled frame being tough is correct.I plan on getting my frame straightened because it is titled.I haven't tried doing a salvage type of thing here in Pa. ...as far as trying to register a spare frame that I have installed temporarily just to ride.I bought that as a roller & a bill of sale only, from NJ. I think frames can be replaced just like any other component,but some places do sure have more RED TAPE in the way to keep you begging for approval. I know I'll be better off fixing my frame.

[MoMo]

Jack,  I worked at Montgomeryville Cycle and Riff's back in the day.  It was perfectly legal to replace a frame and stamp in the original numbers. To me, it follows that you could buy any frame, restamp it with your numbers-you'd still have your survivor but with a replaced frame. .. Larry