Side Panel Confusion (For Me)

[bucksfizz]

I'm new to Hondas in general, and the CB 750 in particular, even though I had a CB125S and CB360 back in the day.
My problem is the side panels that are currently fitted to my 1973 US spec. K3.
It would appear that the panels have had their badge indents filled in:

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Also, the paint on the right side panel is very poor and lumpy:

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Given what I have, I have some questions for the cognoscenti.
Is it worth keeping these panels, even though they're going to be painted?
I've done some searching on the forum, and the LPM panels are the ones to go for, should I decide to replace.
This site indicates that K1 - K6 panels are all the same, yet the K1 - K2 badges appear to be very different from those for K3 - K6.
I cannot see how K3 - K6 badges would fit the indents in these panels.
David Silver Spares indicates that K3 jewels are red, yet my investigations tell me that orange is the correct colour.
Which is correct?

[petermigreen]

Scan this page and search jewel.
http://honda750expert.com
may help.

[bucksfizz]

Scan this page and search jewel.
http://honda750expert.com
may help.

It looks like DSS is wrong, as honda750expert.com says:

Orange side cover diamond jewel = originally for 72-76.

Thanks!

[Menno]

In general if a sidepanel has been straightned out with plaster the only thing you can do with it is exchange it for a (new) pair where the fittings for the logos are still intact.

Maybe someone has a trick to get the plaster out without damaging the surrounding plastic.

Your right side panel is lumpy because the paint is getting loose. There is air under the paint.

[SumpMagnet]

Can't think of any simple way of getting filler to come off plastic. Metal..yes. Plastic..no.

It's also possible they have scored the surface to get it to stick better.

[Green1]

Its not worth putting the effort in to remove the filler. Flog them on eBay and put the money towards LPM panels

[Trigger]

Scan this page and search jewel.
http://honda750expert.com
may help.

It looks like DSS is wrong, as honda750expert.com says:

Orange side cover diamond jewel = originally for 72-76.

Thanks!

Sliver is listing the part as Genuine and fits the bike. He never says, it is original to the bike. Always be careful of listings like this 

[bucksfizz]

In general if a sidepanel has been straightened out with plaster the only thing you can do with it is exchange it for a (new) pair where the fittings for the logos are still intact.

Maybe someone has a trick to get the plaster out without damaging the surrounding plastic.

Your right side panel is lumpy because the paint is getting loose. There is air under the paint.

Can't think of any simple way of getting filler to come off plastic. Metal..yes. Plastic..no.

It's also possible they have scored the surface to get it to stick better.

Its not worth putting the effort in to remove the filler. Flog them on eBay and put the money towards LPM panels

Many thanks for your replies, gents.
Being retired, I have time on my hands, so I was hoping that I could resurrect those old panels, and it wouldn't matter how long it took.
I'm just trying to keep the costs down, and for the first time I'm using a spreadsheet to track costs - it's frightening.
I've already been in touch with Karen at LPM, so it looks as though I'll be buying some new panels.

[Andrew-S]

Just a thought and nothing to lose, but why not scrape the paint off around the emblem and soak the local area in thinners for a few days as it might just react with the filler and soften it enough to did it out?

[Spitfire]

I had great fun with some side panels for my F1, Bought some on eBay and refurbished them, this was part way into the process, took ages to finish it but was worth it in  the end.

And finished, I did some as spares as well


Cheers

Dennis

[Laverda Dave]

Oh dear, you have made a fatal restoration error........ Never compose a spreadsheet to keep track of costs, you'll give up when you realise how much you are spending and the bike will end up on ebay as 90% complete for peanuts 😯.
Best advice is to do what we all do, keep the various receipts in a folder where the o/h won't find them and when you have finished the restoration count up the cost but don't tell anyone otherwise you'll never restore anything else!
Delete the spreadsheet and just crack on, keep the updates and photo's coming and good luck with progress 👍.

[bucksfizz]

Oh dear, you have made a fatal restoration error........ Never compose a spreadsheet to keep track of costs, you'll give up when you realise how much you are spending and the bike will end up on ebay as 90% complete for peanuts 😯.
Best advice is to do what we all do, keep the various receipts in a folder where the o/h won't find them and when you have finished the restoration count up the cost but don't tell anyone otherwise you'll never restore anything else!
Delete the spreadsheet and just crack on, keep the updates and photo's coming and good luck with progress 👍.

I was thinking the same myself, but my three previous restorations had no limit spending, and I am now just curious.
As luck would have it, I don't need to justify any expenditure on my bikes, as my o/h and I have independent incomes - I spend what I like  .
Will it end up on eBay even with the dreaded spreadsheet?
Probably not, as I'm a completer/finisher - I can't tolerate unfinished jobs.
Anyway, this is just the first phase: cleaning it up, and making sure everything works, which it doesn't, of course.
I have identified a couple of electrical gremlins, which I'll sort out when the parts arrive (one via my buddy in the US).
Cleaning and polishing are half-way through, and it's looking a lot better now:

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[MCTID]

Hahahahaha.........spreadsheets...........four years on and I'm £7K into my CB750K4....seeing as I only paid £480 for the wreck of a rusty nail in the first place, I could have bought a very nice CB750 four years ago and enjoyed some nice rides and plenty of polishing since.

If you think that's crazy......I'm just over 11 years into my 1970 T120R Bonneville....again a £500 wreck rescued from the US..........I stopped filling in the Spreadsheet on that one when I retired in 2015 as it was on my PC at work (I forgot to copy it TBH....but probably a good job I stopped then).

So what has that cost so far........£7K.......£9K.......£10K ? Keep going....and that doesn't include anything for my labour, consumables, tools, trawling t'internet, going to look at stuff, VAT, shipping, Import Duty, Rip Offs etc etc.

The downside of the Story........don't do spreadsheets ! The good part.......if you have an (expensive) hobby like an old bike/ car/ boat you won't have time (or money or energy) for affairs with wayward Lasses (or blokes) ! LOL.

[royhall]

But Alan, you have bought enough spare parts to build about 10 bikes so the expense probably isn't that bad.

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[bucksfizz]

Total cost to date, which includes purchase price, shipping, and some parts yet to arrive, is £3,279.32.
I need to buy some side panels with jewel emblems, get them painted with the fuel tank.
That should come to less than £4K, and give me a ridable bike that will look reasonable.
Thereafter, I have to decide whether to do a full restoration.