New Guy | cb750 Project | TN

[covetless]

ABOUT ME
Hey everybody! I'm Matt and I recently traded one of my guitars for a cb750 project. It's been years since I have touched anything with two wheels and this will be my first personal bike. After seeing a friend's cb550, I recently got the itch for my own and when the trade was offered, I couldn't pass it up. I plan on documenting my progress and I am sure I will have loads of dumb newbie questions along the way (so thanks in advance for your advice and patience).

ABOUT THE BIKE
The cb750 is a 1977 and currently doesn't run. It's a little rough (see photos for reference) but most of it is there. I need to fix some pinholes in the tank and get a few lines run to see if I can get it to turn over. I plan on completely ripping it apart and building a cafe/brat style with the goal of learning all about the bike before I put it on the road. I already purchased several different manuals and can't wait to dig in!

WHERE SHOULD I START
This thing is going to need a complete overhaul... Should I start by pulling the engine and working on the tank/frame/forks first and then the engine, or vice versa? Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated as this is my first build.

 

[DohcBikes]

I didn't read past the fact that you traded one of your guitars for a motorcycle. Which means you still have at least one guitar and at least one motorcycle. Good man.

Wait. Don't you dare take the engine out of that motorcycle.

"I plan on ripping it apart" To build a bratard?

Not a good plan at all.

Go play your guitar for a while. Come back with a clear head.

You don't just "fix pinholes" in a vintage Honda tank. You'll see what I mean soon enough.

Don't run the engine on that gas tank.

Change the oil.

Play another song.

Clean the carbs.

Play another song.

Make both brakes work.

Play another song.

And so on.

 

[Sideswipe]

As dohc says, i would second dont pull the engine out (with the caveat of, until after you have a plan). What were you thinking of pulling it out for?

Any ideas on why it doesn't start? Get it going and stopping properly first, then work from there.

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[whynot]

I third it.

Jumping on board to watch, and help if I can.

I hate pin holes in a tank......cause they usually turn into bigger holes.

BTW.....welcome to the DTT world.

 

[covetless]

Thanks for the warm welcome everyone! I'm looking forward to joining the community.


As far as the engine goes, I have several reasons behind wanting to open it up:

[list type=decimal]
[*]I have no idea how the previous owner treated this bike so I would like to have a full picture of what I am working with.

[*]This will hopefully be my daily driver around town (weather permitting), so I want it to be as reliable as a vintage bike can be.

[*]It's a vintage bike, so I am sure even if stuff is working, it's not going to be long before things start giving me issues (hoses, carbs, brake lines, gaskets, chain, etc.).

[*]This is my very first personal bike and very first build so I want to make sure everything is done right.

[*]I want to learn and fix as much as possible about this vintage bike before I put it on the road, both for safety sake and in case I break down.
[/list]


Here is a list of some of the projects I have written down so far to check/work on. Some may not be as in-depth as I have listed, and some may take more, but I won't know until I get into it...

[list type=decimal]
[*]Fix tank (remove all rust inside and surface rust outside, repair pinholes with patch kit, use a tank liner to stop pinhole leaks - I wanted to stay away from tank liners but I think this is going to be my best option until I can find a used tank at a later time)

[*]Remove all the clutter (wires, electric start -want to go kick only if possible, enormous signal lights, etc.)

[*]Modify frame (take off original back fender/tail light combo, cut back end and add loop for cafe/seat, paint/powdercoat the frame, relocate oil tank, etc.)

[*]Repair Wheels (remove surface rust, paint/powdercoat Wheels/Hubs, re-spoke, new tires, etc.)

[*]Work on Forks/Shocks (repair/replace as needed, purchase front brake/caliper, check condition of master cylinder, etc.)

[*]New handlebars (the ones currently on the bike are way too high for what I'm looking for)

[*]New lines (fuel, brakes, etc.)

[*]Engine work (clean/rebuild carbs, check condition of engine for possible rebuild if needed, new spark plugs, etc.)

[*]New battery and wiring (current harness is a mess and the old battery was junk, smaller battery if I go kickstart only, etc.)[/list]


If you can think of anything else I should check, please feel free to let me know. As I mentioned before, I am inexperienced so all help is appreciated!

 

[coyote13]

You can get a good idea how the bike was treated by giving it a full tune and get it running. Just saying, prioritize your work from function => form, that way you maximize the amount of actual riding you get out of it versus just spending money on a look. That bike is in decent shape, but little bits and pieces just to get it roadworthy will add up. Plan to spend some money on things like control cables (since you want lower handlebars), air filter, A GOOD SET OF TIRES, brake pads, ignition parts (new set of points and a condenser is usually a good idea and cheap insurance, unless you want to go with electronic ignition).

Point is, do the simple and cheap stuff first. Get it starting, idling, running through the gears, and stopping well and safely, then worry about "removing clutter" and "modifying the frame." You'll kick yourself in the pants if you pull or cut something off that you end up wishing you still had, like the centerstand, or passenger pegs, or turn signals, or...... see my point? Ride it first. Then modify.

 

[tnap92]

How's the build coming along? Nice to see I'm not the only one in Tennessee with the itch.


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[DohcBikes]

Engine is on the floor in pieces.

 

[Tune-A-Fish]

14000 miles, stock short of pipes, no noticeable abuse... That motor is likely as good as it will ever be unless you plan to modify it.

Maybe just get it serviced and running decent, pull compression and see where you land. You could bore sight it if you think its rusty, maybe pull the timing chain adjuster and have a look while you loosen it up. The tank is toast, I tried to weld holes on a 72 with backer and no matter what I did you cant get it perfect again without a lot of putty.

These guys just don't see a reason to pull it down unless need be. Nor do I

 

[covetless]

Sorry for the delayed response everyone. The wife and I have had our house on the market and it finally sold. We close next week so it's been pretty hectic around here. It's looking like it may be after the first of the year before I get to mess with the bike :-\. Looks like she will be going in storage for a bit while we search for a new house...

On a positive note, I found a replacement outer clutch cover (mine was missing) online super cheap and received that in the mail last week. I also ordered a few various books/manuals so I can read up a bit until I can get back to this project.

Once I get back to it, I may take everyone's advice and see if I can get it running before I mess with anything. It would be great if I can avoid some work and troubleshooting!

tnap92 what part of TN are you from?