Mr. E's CB750 (The Black and Tan) But wait, theres MORE! Barber preperations..

[Mr.E]

So here’s my official entry in the Big Arse Projects thread…  Bought it for $600 from a friend a couple months ago.  It’s a ’75 cb750K, 16000 miles on it, and it kind-of runs.  One Saturday of tinkering got it running, replaced all the fuel lines, cleaned the carbs, and a new interstate gel battery.  I had a bit of a scare when I put the new battery in, as the new battery’s posts are backwards from the old cables (and 1 cable had a black cover so I was in a hurry and assumed it was negative-WRONG!!) Some smoke happened but it still runs.  Now I need to make new cables to fit.

I took the battery box out last week and I’m working on sandblasting it and some other misc unidentified brackets in the frame with electrical things that confuse me attached to them…  My dad also had an old cb400 tank Im going to use for the seat hump on of these years.  I’m going to try to form it so its removable so my wife can ride along.  Progress is going really slow, as I stay overly busy with everything else in life, but I am a toolmaker, and therefore have an entire CNC machine shop at my disposal (after hours)   So let’s see where this goes!  I’d like some input and ideas from all of you, cause I still need to pick a paint scheme (something coffee related?)  And a name too.  Ive never seen exhaust like this before on a 750, anyone else run this on a café?  I’d be interested in a pic of one to see what it will look like, as opposed to the usual 4-1 sets out there.  I like those too, but I am wanting to do something a little out there…

Future changes to the bike:

Pod air filters – which ones are best?
Clubman bars – ordered from carpy
LED signals – no clue
Paint – looking for ideas from you guys – something coffee related?
Exhaust wrapping?
Dyna S ignition.

So this project will probably take me to infinity to finish, but I gotta say, this is the first bike Iva actually enjoyed working on. 

[DBLshotcafe]

that looks like a sweet base. 

man i wish i had access to all these cnc machines/blasters/PC coaters/welders etc that some of you guys have. my imagination would over flow if i did! 

looks like its the old scrap aluminium sheeting and a handsaw is all i get.

good luck by the way! looking forward to its progress.

[boingk]

Lookin good for the start of a project, be great to see what it turns into.

For paint, I was thinking of doing my bike in a rich medium brown, with offset dual race stripes in Mitsubishi Light Cashmere (aka very light brown). I reckon that'd fit well with a coffee theme, especially if you ditch pods and use polished velocity stacks. I'd name it something quirky like 'Ristretto Grande', or 'The Hot Shot'. Perhaps 'Blend 47' if you wanna appeal to the masses.

Yeah, do a coffee theme for sure. This is gonna be sweet...

Cheers - boingk

[Mr.E]

Thanks guys, while having the machine shop is a huge blessing for this build, I'm shut out at the moment because our company shuts down the week of July 4th every year.  So all my parts are sitting in the sandblaster where I forgot them on saturday, until next monday....  No worries tho, Im busy moving my mother-in-law this week, and there's a list of other responsibilities and fix-its I've got to get on.  I like boingk's idea on the paint scheme.  I was considering that base brown color, and maybe a black diagonal race stripe thru where the honda badges are on the tank.  Alternately in the same place, a black and creme checkered stripe in the same place.  

A ? about velocity stacks, then this thing is done, it will be stored mostly under a car port (unless I can convince my landlord to let me put a door on the screen porch) so how do velocity stacks do in the weather?  will dust be a problem?  Also would I need to re-jet if I use them?

thanks guys!

[561design]

Go with this color.

[Mr.E]

Ooh, i like maybe not as much clearcoat, kinda satin maybe?  I like that color a lot

[boingk]

Velocity stacks won't like rain that much, but leaving a bike outside isn't a drama if you pick up a bike cover. Seriously, 50 bucks and you've got a decent cover with elastic bottom and venting near the bars to prevent condensation. I have one for both my bikes. The opening of the stacks themselves can be covered with a fine metal mesh and oiled to prevent rocks etc from entering. Pod filters are needed to keep out dust. Both will require rejetting.

As for rejetting, I don't know why people freak about it. Any change you do to the exhaust or intake will require a rejet or needle height change. If you don't change anything you risk running rich or lean, the latter is more common for performance parts and will lead to overheating, detonation, or even holes in pistons and seizures. Both conditions will lose you power and rideability.

So, as soon as a modification gets done you take the carbs out, take the bowls off and change the main jets. 1 per carb. Easy. Look through my 850 thread and you'll get the picture. You can get anal about idle and pilot jets and so on, but if you've got the main jet under control you're doing better than most. Ballpark is 1 size up for pipes only, another size or two with pods/stacks ub addition to pipes. Go up or down as you need to. Spluttery and boggy is rich, strangled and reluctant at high revs is lean. Check the plugs to get things right, tan is good.

Hope this helps some - boingk

[Mr.E]

ok cool, I'll look into that next time I'll able to work on it.  My dad mentioned something about the pipes - he said that because they weren't discolored around the head, that someone must have done jet work when they were installed.  The guy I bought it from said he bought it from his wife's uncle, and he ordered the bike new in 75, and had the handlebars and pipes put on at the dealer.  If that is true about the pipe color, then it's possible that I would only need to go up one size on the jets?  I took the carbs off a few weeks ago and got them working again (same day i got it running) but didnt disassemble much more that was necessary.  Thanks for the info, I'll look into it!

In other progress, Work called me in yesterday so I was able to rescue my captive parts from the sandblaster.  Got them painted last night,

[Mr.E]

Took the wheels off today, even got the front tire taken off, but the rear tire got the best of me for now (time to go home) also measured up the carbs for velocity stacks that I'll be drawing up at work soon.  Gonna take the wheels into work tomorrow and start cleaning them up.  

[Mr.E]

Seems nothing but setbacks lately...Tried to turn the brake rotor and that didn't go well, so now I'm looking for a new one... And work hasn't exactly been a good place to work on bike stuff lately.  But my clip-ons from roc city should arrive today so there's a glimmer of hope out there.  On a side not, anyone know where I can get a sportster tank?

[Mr.E]

PROGRESS!!!  Since stripping the frame down a couple weeks ago, it's been a standstill for progress, but I did get all new bearings from allballs.  I've managed to make a little more headway in the direction of making thing look cleaner.  Got the engine painted, still some polishing to do to it.  Still working out the color scheme on the carbs/shocks.  I've also shifted direction a tad on the style of the bike.  Now It's going to be the Java Bomber-sort of a vintage fighter plane type.  Been grinding a little on the frame to remove some of those ugly mass-production weld lines.  Bondo and hi-build primer are soon to follow   Ok, the pictures now!




Masked off engine.





Working on the frame




And now the engine is done.  Still some chrome bits to polish.

[boingk]

Looking good man, very clean work on the engine. Keen to see how this one comes out, keep up the good stuff.

CHeers - boingk

[gribbs]

Painting straight over the aluminum pieces??  black I take it?  sorry you probably mentioned black. I aint much for reading, i just look at the pictures   

[dcwp]

This is looking great, can't wait to see it take off 

You mentioned something earlier about discolored headers and carb jetting.  Can you elaborate?  I thought all headers eventually discolored from heat, but do some stay cooler if the carbs are perfectly tuned?

Thanks for anything you know.

Dan

[Mr.E]

Painting straight over the aluminum pieces??  black I take it?  sorry you probably mentioned black. I aint much for reading, i just look at the pictures   

Yeah I'm painting over most aluminum parts.  On the non engine components I'm using mar-hyde etching primer (especially on the chrome wheels and front fender)  And most of the bike is going flat black, with a mustardish color to be determined on the tank and covers.