Honda 750 KO K1 which is which ??

[KB 1971 CB750]

I have heared that the K0 model was a interim model, and only 36 came into the UK. The first model being simply a CB750......then the K0.....and then the K1.

Can anyone give any details on this one. I'm presently running a 1971 CB750, (early type sidepanels), and I have another 1971 CB750 in bits, but this has the later K1 sidepanels.

Cetrainly the like to the USA site does not record a K0, but it is possibly just a UK thing.

Any ideas??

Keith.

[SteveD CB500K0]

Hi Keith and welcome. There's a fair bit of "spirited" discussion on this on www.sohc4.net/forums - you should join there as well (mostly N American but we'll let them off that). Try this one http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=28697.0

BryanJ is based in Gloucester and is a fount of all knowledge on these bikes. Look him up in the members section and post him a PM.

Steve (also of Nirvana)

[Spitfire]

Had a 1970 K0, most of my friends at the time had the same bike, all greeny/blue colour, if there were only 36 in the UK we had cornered the market in our little town. Early large side covers, coloured airboxes and headlamp brackets (ears), headlamps and different exhausts, I remember taking the baffles out of my K1 and they were different to the K2, the K0 had a bar across whereas the K2 had more concentric rings. Plus the K0 had the high wide and handsome bars.
My bike was different in that it had the push pull cable carbs for some reason, it was originally registered in Ireland hence the strange registration number COI3922.
I next bought a new (in 1972) K2, larger tail light, black airbox, chrome headlamp brackets and smaller side covers. After that I bought a 1971 K1, small side covers, painted headlamp brackets and headlamp and smaller tail light (as per the K0). If anyone ever restored it they would be confused as I fitted K2 headlamp brackets, larger tail light and as many other K2 parts as I could afford, so don't be fooled by old photos !
The 2 attached photos show my K0, pretty standard and my K1, the white one, in front is a friends K1 which is more representative apart from the Dunstall 4-2 (Dragon rally 19 plonk).

Cheers

[KB 1971 CB750]

Thanks for the replys guys, but I've just got hold of a book called "The Original Honda CB750 by John Wyatt. In there, he lists 3 separate early CB750's. The first one being a CB750 (no K or K0)

He then lists a KO, an interim model, only 121 made, and 36 coming to the UK, none to the USA.

Then the K1, with the black air box, instead of the colour matched one which cracked.

My frame number of 1044827 would put it in the KO section if the book is correct.

I think that in the USA, they naturally call the original CB750 a KO

Regards,

Keith.

[SteveD CB500K0]

You're right.

Our friends over there can't handle the phrase "CB750" without a "K" bit on the end, so they tend to call the original 750 a "K0" to differentiate it from the K1

Forum threads go like this:

"Hi. I'm new. I need a .... for my CB750"
"Which model"
"It's a CB750"
"Yea but K-what?"

You get my drift?

[Bryanj]

According to the incredibly early parts book i got that small rear light was never fitted to a CB750 They should all have the square edged one like on the 500, unless its in the states and then the even later ones have the HUGE Goldwing one.

Not saying it aint original as Honda, like most manufacturers, would fit whatever was necessary to keep the line going and whats more there are majour inconsistencies on frame numbers/year as we had the K2 all the time that the US went through the K3, K4, K5, K6---even worse on the 500 as they were making 500 K1 for us, 500K2 for the yanks and started a 550 K0/K1 for the yanks all at the same time

[KB 1971 CB750]

Many thanks for the replies. Not sure about the rear light one though. My book shows the early CB750's has having the  "smaller" rear light. In fact the part number of the rear lens is 33701-041-601 shows it's the same as the Honda C50. In fact I got a genuine rear lens for a C50 off e-bay last year and it certainly is the correct one. I think the "Square" types started on the K2's, although as previously mentioned, this is probably right for the UK model, the USA models did not fit the oval shape lamp.
The link below shows all the differences, even showing the difference on the German and Dutch versions.

                                                     
http://members.tripod.com/cb750K2/parts-manuals/index.html

Regards,
Keith.

[Bryanj]

You could well be right as the parts book i have did come from the US. Usefull tho' as it gives part numbers for all the individual "O" rings in the carbs etc

[steff750]

  Hi check the pic spitfire posted above(the Irish genuine k0 with push and pull cables)shows the proper back light for the cb750 UK market these are also fitted on c50 c70 c90(chicken chasers) cb175's cb250's and as already said the k2's had bigger tail lights, BTW i got four all with the oval back lights, so im just confirming wots already been said