CB750 K1 restoration

[GLRoberts99]

Hello all.

I'm based between Birmingham and Derby and have just completed a restoration of a US import CB750 K1. She will go to auction at Bonhams in October at the Stafford Show, but I was wondering if any of you out there could critique the bike and suggest at what level I should set the reserve.

Here's the link to the last YouTube video : https://youtu.be/hYw8oqVF7Oo

TIA and cheers

Gareth

[GLRoberts99]

And here are some photos.

[Laverdaroo]

whats all that on the frame above where you show the exhaust stamps? Has it been taken down to the frame and back as it looks like blown paint from rust there and quite extensive.

[Nurse Julie]

October is not the best time to sell bikes,  especially USA imports which are 2 a penny. If you are sending it to Bonhams,  my personal opinion is that it needs a lot more work to make it desirable. The carbs are dirty,  carb clamps need fitting correctly. The seat has a big bulge in the middle for some reason. The engine needs a very good clean. Kick start needs moving around on the splines to sit at correct angle. Pitting evident on some chrome parts. Rust and pitting on frame on steering head. Gear change rubber perished. Paint on front of tank looks very poor (it could be a reflection from the rough steering stem though) If it was a cheap restoration you were aiming for,  fair enough but the reserve at auction would have to reflect its condition. I'm assuming the engine / gearbox hasn't been overhauled by the looks of the condition of it.

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

I don't want to appear negative but I assume you were in a rush to get it to market so did not aim for a quality finish where it counts - can't see it being the star of the auction.

I have recently viewed a series of photos of a members CB500K2 - they put this mediocre example of a CB750 to shame.

[Oddjob]

Is that a piece of garden hose used as petrol pipe? Plus it’s so kinked I doubt petrol could flow down it.

Lot of chrome tarnishing evident, it should sell but not for as much as you expect I think.

[Trigger]

To get top money, it needs to be a top restoration for Bonham's, with a full file on what has been done and the level of detail. He is a link to a top restored 750 >> http://www.sohc.co.uk/index.php/topic,23571.0.html

[GLRoberts99]

Thanks folks, great feedback.

A bit of background to answer some of the questions. It has been taken back to every single component and rebuilt from the ground up. I was never aiming for a concours restoration, and wanted to reuse as many of the original parts as possible.

I decided not to powder coat the frame as it looks unnatural to me, and so I left the frame as-painted and had the worst parts touched up.

The engine was vapour blasted but not to a shiny condition as I wanted a dull condition to show off the chrome parts. The internals were all dimensionally checked and rebuilt with new shells, bearings, rings, pistons, seals etc.

The carbs were stripped, ultrasonically cleaned and rebuilt, but not vapour blasted (same reason).

Fair comment about the kick start position and the carb clamps which I put on the wrong way. I use clear petrol hose when doing a rebuild so I can see flow, and will have the petrol pipe changed before sale. The paint is all new and is excellent, so I guess the photos don't do it justice. The colour was matched with a patch under the tank that hadn't been sun faded, and a new batch mixed. The stripes are painted on i.e. not decals.

No-one's mentioned there is no Oil tank dipstick - any suggestions, as DSS and CMSNL have none?

But back to my original question, what's a reasonable reserve estimate for the bike?

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

I guess the reserve price is not an easy calculation especially at the back end of the year - it also depends on how much you have paid for the bike initially and subsequently your restoration costs.

If it's a case of moving it on so you can fund another project I have an odd but (I think) realistic way of looking at it.
Add up all your restoration costs and halve the figure then add that to what you paid for it - that would be my reserve price.

I would have thought Bonhams would give you some guidance on the right level of reserve if you ask them.

[Sesman]

Having absolutely no insight whatsoever to the UK versus the rest of the word position, I’m still unclear as to the argument surrounding the UK versus ‘import’ cost/value argument.

It’s my understanding that all Honda’s of this marque are Japanese Exports with some simply arriving in the UK via other countries…the USA for example. Judging by some of the UK bikes I’ve seen the imports have survived much better. Yes they may have subtle styling differences, but they are essentially the same product!

Surely the bikes should be evaluated on appearance and quality alone, not the countries through which they have travelled. Mines a Japanese export that’s finally arrived in the UK via the USA and thank goodness it did, judging by some of the rusted heaps I’ve seen toted as ‘genuine’ UK barn find.

Genuinely, some insight to the concept would be appreciated.

Mischievously yours
💥🤪🌪💀

[GLRoberts99]

I guess the reserve price is not an easy calculation especially at the back end of the year - it also depends on how much you have paid for the bike initially and subsequently your restoration costs.

If it's a case of moving it on so you can fund another project I have an odd but (I think) realistic way of looking at it.
Add up all your restoration costs and halve the figure then add that to what you paid for it - that would be my reserve price.

I would have thought Bonhams would give you some guidance on the right level of reserve if you ask them.

Hi Ted, my approach is to sell the bike to start the next project and I do like your "rule of thumb". The risk I see is that in my experience, pricing has little respect of the costs incurred - especially if you factor in labour costs !!

Bonhams have indeed given me some guidance of pricing (I too have a view), but neither Bonhams nor I have the knowledge or experience that is found on this forum. I'd take more heed of people's views on the forum than Bonhams who, to be fair, have to have a very broad knowledge of a wide variety of bikes and vintages, while members here are specialists in the CB750 field.

[Nurse Julie]

Ted..... I've sat here and worked out how much all our bikes are worth using your formulae,  it's bollocks 😂😂😂😂😂😂.  (no,  I'm not being rude to Ted for anyone that thinks I am 😁😁😁😁)

[Laverdaroo]

Having absolutely no insight whatsoever to the UK versus the rest of the word position, I’m still unclear as to the argument surrounding the UK versus ‘import’ cost/value argument.

It’s my understanding that all Hondas of this marque are Japanese Exports and some simply eventually  in the UK via other countries…the USA for example. Judging by some of the UK bikes I’ve seen the imports have survived much better. Yes they may have subtle styling differences, but they are essentially the same product!

Surely the bikes should be evaluated on appearance and quality alone, not the countries through which they have travelled. Mines a Japanese export that’s finally arrived in the UK via the USA and thank goodness it did, judging by some of the rusted heaps I’ve seen toted as ‘genuine’ UK barn find.

Genuinely, some insight to the concept would be appreciated.

Mischievously yours
💥🤪🌪💀

You know what youve done there Phil, dont you!

[Nurse Julie]

It's obviously a guessing game we are playing here, so here's my two penneth worth.
A reserve of £5000.
The lower the reserve,  the more chance of it selling.

[GLRoberts99]

It's obviously a guessing game we are playing here, so here's my two penneth worth.
A reserve of £5000.
The lower the reserve,  the more chance of it selling.

Thank you.