BYU765H UK Bike on eBay UK 3 up Reg No. from Dick Emerys Bike

[kettle738]

BTW the eBay bike had the wrong front mudguard ,not a 'double cut'  .. anyone else spot anything !

I'll start the bidding......rear indicator stems....particularly horrible pattern seat....wrong rear shocks.....it's got a Tyre decal that shouldn't be there.......non recessed ignition switch.......front indicator clamp bolts way too long (and too tight)....no oil decal......painted stripe on the tank trim (should be plain)......top yoke looks too shiny.......modern 'scripted' DID rims....no bracing rod on the centre stand.......shiny chrome exhaust trims (should be satin chrome)......gloss painted switches with badly picked out lettering.......various modern Honda bolts (not old style 8 type)......non UK type plug caps.......an Allen screw on the rear brake arm....and of course the front mudguard you mentioned.........etc etc.

None of which I would dream of mentioning to the owner of the bike.......but as it's Frank's and he wants £20k for it then these things definitely need pointing out.

Mick.

[UK Pete]

mick you have a good eye for the details, whoever restored it took the cheap and easy option, but to someone new to the cb scene and wants the bike they could not afford in their  younger days it could look like the real deal
pete

[Green1]

The tank strip doesn't look right to me it looks like it tapers down toward the seat to much

[AshimotoK0]

The bike was a prize 18 years ago  and was probably built to a budget set by CB magazine by John Wyatt, who tends to be pricey for work he does IMHO. When it was restored lots of the repro parts from Yamiya were probably not available so he used superseded Genuine Honda  parts. Being a prize, it would have to built to the safest standards so, with that in mind, best to use new rims,even though  'scripted' rather than re-chromed ones, which can be dodgy, as we all know. Used  Ducktail seats in decent condition were very rare, even  back then because the original foams collapsed, being made from multiple blocks of red foam, so given that fact, the seat is fairly nice for a pre-Yamiya repro. The start price on eBay from the dealer was £7k, which was very reasonable for that bike. I think we are all being a little picky and obsessive about it but, given that Frank is selling it for probably at least double what he paid, then it's obviously justifiable.  Suppose he fitted the non-metal plug caps and non-recessed ignition because they were items known to suffer from water ingress which, again  could have been a safety related issue on a bike intended to be ridden by the winner not a museum piece. I think there is only myself and Mick (kettle738)  silly enough to re-fit those plug caps....one of these days I am going to set up a test rig to determine why they were so bad and if they can be improved  !

IMHO I still think it's nice genuine UK bike, restored to a high standard and even with the non-correct items , give me that over the multitude  of US bikes we now have over here any day. I went to DK a couple of weeks ago and the classic sales guy there told me they have so many imported from the US  Hondas available to them, that the they are only gradually releasing  them to sell on eBay, so as not to flood the market.

Ash

[UK Pete]

I think they have already flooded the market, but it has a good effect for them also when they break them for spares
I really dont see the issue with US bikes, to me a motorcycle is a motorcycle regardless of which country it was destined for lets face it the UK and the US bikes were  built by the japanese anyway just minor differences for the different laws
Yes i agree perhaps judging other peoples restorations is a bit harsh, it just makes me wonder why we get so obsessed with getting things as near to original, when the cheap easy option can be taken and top market value achieved with the incorrect parts
Over on the sandcast forum people get crucified if it has not got the original oil and petrol still in it LOL , they really are a bunch of  sticklers for absolute correctness,
pete

[JamesH]

Ha ha you guys know my view on US bikes (I have loads of them).

And given the choice between a UK 750K that has sat in a damp shed for 40 years vs. a US bike that sat in a climate controlled indoor storage unit I know which one I'd choose....

James.

[philward]

I have often wondered how to identify a UK bike from a US bike? I know the spec difference but if a bike was incomplete (you see engine/frame/forks/basics advertised as projects for example) can you know from a frame number range for example?

[Trigger]

Yep, from VIN and engine numbers

[AshimotoK0]

I suppose my main point on this particular bike is that it was probably  commisioned to be rebuilt by John Wyatt for Classic Bike for a prize in a competition. I would image that if there was any issues with the bike cutting out in the rain (due to water ingress into the plug caps or recessed ignition) or any  safety related issues due to rechromed wheels or sharp double cut fender then this would have been deemed as irresponsible by the comissioners of the rebuild to ignore design feature changes by the manufacturer, which were introduced to prevent unreliabilty / improve safety. I have been told stories of rechromed rims that were so weak in the spoke nipple area that the nipped pulled through the hole or there had been so much corrosion blasted away on the inside where water had gathered due to long term storage that, after rechroming, it was practically impossible to safely balance the wheel.

You are dead right about some of  the 'sandcastonly' people Pete ...e.g. to replace 'No. 28' carb tops for a cost of well over grand, that were a recall item by Honda due to serious safety issue,  is absolutely ludicrous IMHO.

My own personal take on UK bikes is that you can trace their history via PO's /relatives and they were the actual examples that buzzed around our roads back in their heyday. It's just my usual 'anoraky' 'obsessive'  take on things though and it's all b*llocks really because they were all made in Japan and most UK bikes rusted so badly that over 50% of the rebuild parts are probably either new/NOS or sourced from the US.

My only US import  bike is my CB350K1 (never sold in the UK), which was initially untitled but on picking it up the import company found they had  the title document. Given  the title docs & modern day tools like Google Earth/maps I was able to get an image of the house in Idaho  where the original owner lived.

[Saisei]

Never had Wyatt down as a top restorer

+1

[AshimotoK0]

Never had Wyatt down as a top restorer

+1

Think I know the reason why  you +1' D David !

He was a bit of a grumpy unhelpful  sod when I went to see him.. but there again, it's just a hobby for me and he's trying to earn a crust out of restoration, which can't be easy. His next door neighbour is a cracking guy though, makers you a cuppa, good banter and does superb paintwork.

[hairygit]

Does nobody else remember the utter disaster that happened when John Wyatt was used by "Classic Motorcycle & Mechanics" to recondition the "Project C.B.X." engine they were covering in the early 90's? Long and short of it was he left some blasting media in an oil gallery after blasting the cases. The team fitted the engine, and in a matter of minutes it was toast. I seem to recall that S.E.P.in Kegworth ended up re-doing it all,(Rebore & pistons,Crankshaft restoration, which was bent as well, shells etc)   So you'll understand when I have a damn good laugh when I see ads saying " Restored by top restorer John Wyatt" At least Wyatt paid the bill from S.E.P.

[Chris400F]

I love this forum.

This weekend's reading has included the anecdote above about the restorer who was perhaps not as diligent as he should have been - I enjoy reading things like this. There is also the ongoing saga of a guy potentially condemned to a diet of Pot Noodles as his microwave grill thingy has blown up, and a nurse throwing flour around her kitchen and trying not to get it on the sundry pieces of motorcycle lying around in there. Oh, and some stuff about bikes too ....

Great entertainment, and help and advice when you need it too. What more could you want? 

[AshimotoK0]

I sent a flurry of posts today and can hear the 'great man' , sadly missed, speaking out to me 'stop rattling on, living in the past and get on with yer fr*g*in bikes mate'   

[UK Pete]

Yep he will never be forgotten , enjoy life while you have it people