NEWBIE -1981CB750kz

willmeg

New Member
New to this forum but not new to bikes ...although first attempt at a cafe racer type. Bought a very good condition 1981 cb750kz with some good work already done. Will be looking for some technical advice and helpful tips from the very experienced members on here.

Thanks in advance.
Russ
 
^^^^^ What he said !!! Is that like T-top convertible ?

I thought CB was Honda and KZ was Kawasaki... ;D
 
A quick google search shows the KZ designation to be an overseas model (England, Germany, etc.)

Welcome aboard Russ, let's see that bad boy
 
It's especially confusing to think of how on my old '82 CB750F project (lost to my 2013 house-fire) I was using parts from both the CB750KZ, the KZ750B/C - not to mention the CB750LTD & KZ750LTD for that matter....

But to be clear:

The 'Z suffix designates the model year 1979, the 'A is for 1980, the 'B is '81 and the 'C is '82. Some 'F-olks (CB750F/CB900F/CB1100F 'F-ers) refer to the CB1100F as the CB1100FD though the CB1100F was only released in the one year, 1983, only. But the 'D suffix is still relevant 'cause in Japan & possibly New Zealand also, there actually WAS a CB750FD with silver Boomerang wheels - sfaik there wasn't any CB900FD because that's precisely what the CB1100F was, an embiggened CB900FC - the CB900F2C had silver Boomerang wheels and a FAIRING, there was a CB900F2B with regular 5-point wheels, sfaik the 'F2 with fairing was only a European market item. North America got the fairing as a "HONDALINE" item (a company which offered some truly fantastic items, not just nylon "club" jackets - witness the sport fairing for the CB400T/CB400N etc) AND they only got rear-set foot-pegs & the racing style throttle all through their dealerships as the "SPORT-KIT" for an add-on price. What's TRULY confusing about the "CB750F2" and "CB900F2" European market bikes with the fairings, is there was ALSO the SOHC-4 version of "CB750F2" which designates the '77-'78 Super-Sport with the COMSTAR wheels, as opposed to the "CB750F1" which had the wire-spoke wheels and the additional disc brake on the rear - the '77-'78 CB750F2 had THREE discs of course, but they'd dropped the 296mm diameter down to 276mm. Dual 296mm brakes as seen on the CR750 didn't return again until the '81 GL1100A Aspencade & CBX1050 "Pro-Link" as well as the CB1100RB Homologated Production racer. Which is differentiated from the ENDURANCE racer, which confuses things even further. Though the "CR750" (actually designated "CB750 racing type" by Honda) was a SOHC-4 racer with most parts available in kit form through dealerships, there were ALSO Endurance Racers with a DOHC-4 engine beginning as soon as 1976, known as the "RCB" that transitioned circa 1980 or 1981 to the "RS1000" which used the DOHC-4 engine as it's basis (heavily modified by "RSC" or Racing Services Corporation" the precursor to "HRC" or "Honda Racing Corporation" only in 1984 - So PLEASE don't sully your CB-series bikes with the HRC logos?) SO YEAH, it's confusing if you're trying to figure out where the CR750 went in the late '70s though SOHC-4 bikes were still ostensibly the flagship of the Honda line - In truth the GOLD WING was the flagship as of 1975, and there was actually an ENDURANCE RACER version of IT as well, circa 1976 known as the "DLF-1000" though this wasn't official Honda RSC product, there WAS a pre-production racing version of the GL1000 engine, appearing as early as 1972 in SIDE-HACK racing! This later wound up in the Rickman/Dresda "WING THING" so yeah, if you're looking for some other Flagship racer in between the CR750 & the RCB or RS1000, that'd have to be it. Oddly enough the SOHC-4 engine continued to be used in both privateer AND factory sponsored racing efforts, all the way up to the early '80s, with the engines rebuilt to 999cc's by JAPAUTO of France, with their own "VX1000" street-bikes. And a TON of different aftermarket chassis which were built for both the SOHC-4 and DOHC-4 powerplant! Though much has been said in the press about the CB750 series ending in '78, obviously it DIDN'T though if Honda had done what they should've and put the 901cc CB900F engine into each and every CB750FZ through CB750FC, the CB750KZ & CB750K-LTD ("10th Anniversary Edition") as well as the CB750C Custom and the '82-'83 CB750SC Night-Hawk, as strictly a 901cc series - perhaps then the CB900C shaft-drive model & it's '83 1000cc upgrade CB1000C (not to be confused with the later liquid-cooled "CB1000") might instead have been a 1000cc & 1100cc version? After all, they used the GL1100 rear end, we know they could take the brunt of a full 1100cc Honda four-banger engine! EITHER which way, because the CB900FZ was only in Europe, and North America got the CB750FZ instead (North America was gypped out of all SORTS of good features, read "Hondaline" & "Sport-Kit" up above? Yeah - Well I'VE always figured this was comeuppance for all of the CHOPPER shite which the denizens of Norte Americano, had lavished upon the SOHC-4 series.....

GAWD FORBID we should CONTINUE at this point, to visit shameful ridicule upon the beloved & iconic all-time-Classics of Honda's early history.....



-Sigh.
 
I'm definitely no expert (and that's being generous) but I did do a complete tear-down and rebuild of an '81 CB750K so may be able to help out here and there. You got any photos of your ride? Welcome, and hope I can help!
 
Ah, zombie thread. Yeah, if he hasn't got that thing on the road by now then he's been asking the wrong questions...
 
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