Honda-SOHC
SOHC.co.uk Forums => CB750 => Topic started by: AshimotoK0 on October 19, 2019, 10:33:37 PM
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Was talking to the guy from York today at Stafford who restored the 1st official UK CB750 now owned by Mick on here UUT XXXH
He told me he also still owns 1010371, which he built up from a lot of NOS and restored parts. Story is that Queens Park Motors in Salford (where Ken ... Oddjob was a mechanic) broke the bike for parts out of the crate and he got the frame when he bought loads of NOS stock when they closed. He also told me that he has it stored under a cover and mice have nibbled and p*ssed over loads of parts of it and caused a load of damage.....so it's not just you Obbjob who suffers rodent damage ;D
He also told me that Alan Mountains in York (where mine from 1st batch came from new) also imported a 750 from Europe before the official UK 1st batch and it was registered in York before any of the 1st UK batch was registered. Evidently Mountains never threw anything away so when they did a recall on the imported bike and changed the rear wheel cush drive rubbers, they kept them and the guy I talked to acquired them and put them into the UUT when he restored it to retain originality, as it too had been recalled and had the supeseded parts fitted.
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;) that is the only thing i miss from shows is talking to the people who can recall how it all started
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Great info Ken (Oddjob) to back up the guys story ... not that i doubted it anyway as I have spoken to him before and the quality and detail of his resto of the 1st official registered UK 750, carried out probably pre-eBay days when finding parts was much harder speaks volumes to me.
I ofter wonder if Lord Lichfield owned an early CB750 .. I know he was riding around london around early '71 ona CB750 because of the attached article which I 'researched'. I also know he owned a monkey bike a few reg no's up from Dick Emery's CB750 early bike BYU762H as I nicked the attached shot from a video of his estate. Lord Litchfield and his mate Lord Denbigh owned Bombers (Lord L's was a red tank 'Ken Ives' special) and of course Lord D bought the Brighton Gold pre-production bike from Honda UK ...so you can imagine Lord L wanting one too.
Another load of Ashimoto B*ll*cks trivia :-[ :-[ :-[
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I think it's really interesting Ash, there's obviously quite a lot of stuff out there that places bikes and gives background fabric to what was happening at the time.
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Above is something that lord L appears to be linked to, maybe just as photographer.
https://www.theresident.co.uk/london-culture-events/bill-wyman-stones-chelsea-photography/attachment/chelsea-drugstore-stones-ki/
Story in above link, the building is still there in Chelsea and used as Mc D now.
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Wow ... I own OLA 4E the press bike reviewed in 'Motorcycle Magazine' in 1967 ... just rebuilding the engine this week.
The one reviewed in MCM was a biked loaned from a policeman because the bike was selling so well Honda UK didn't have one to review but they had one to Loan 'Motor Cycle' magazine ... the next issue of which went to paper weekly style I believe. .
This it as found in Scotland by the PO who did a lot of the restoration of it before I got it. hoping to 'Show' it fully restored next year .. I even have a NOS 'Nitto' ribbed tyre on the front wheel, as was fitted when new ! A real labour of love as the 1st twin I ever owned and loved it to bits. Note the tatty CB92 exhausts on it ''as found.
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That is a wow :) more fabric to link up.
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This 750 is linked to L you can just about get the number plate big enough to read.
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I hadn't seen this one before, others from the series, but very clear of the bike here.
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Awesome ... Do you reckon that is BYY 37H then Nigel? Where did the photo come from?
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It looks like the number you've read to me too.
I've not any contact with the photo as it's through searching, but it's linked in some way to him which I can't see. Not sure if it's him on the bike or he maybe took it, but just doesn't look like he is the photographer. I'll search more to see if anything else is related.
Traces back to here https://mobile.twitter.com/NTmidlands/status/1014613406962323462 and related to Shugborough which was his place, I thought.
Looking at it from photo perspective, I does actually have his sort of image "fingerprint" to it. The scale, composition (space above image etc) appear as his, the camera is laying on the ground and possibly fired with self timer as it looks like him in frame. A "selfie" possibly of him plus new bike?
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It looks like the number you've read to me too.
I've not any contact with the photo as it's through searching, but it's linked in some way to him which I can't see. Not sure if it's him on the bike or he maybe took it, but just doesn't look like he is the photographer. I'll search more to see if anything else is related.
BYY 29H is a Red Honda 175cc Reg'd in May 1970 ! So if it is Lord L's bike sounds like an early one. Mine was in the Jan 1970 batch but not reg's until 1st May '70.
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It looks like the number you've read to me too.
I've not any contact with the photo as it's through searching, but it's linked in some way to him which I can't see. Not sure if it's him on the bike or he maybe took it, but just doesn't look like he is the photographer. I'll search more to see if anything else is related.
Traces back to here https://mobile.twitter.com/NTmidlands/status/1014613406962323462 and related to Shugborough which was his place, I thought.
Looking at it from photo perspective, I does actually have his sort of image "fingerprint" to it. The scale, composition (space above image etc) appear as his, the camera is laying on the ground and possibly fired with self timer as it looks like him in frame. A "selfie" possibly of him plus new bike?
All adds up Nigel and the registration town (well City of London) is the same as his Bomber, so I guess he used the same dealer. I am certain that his monkey bike in previous reply photo was taken at Shugborough and that bike probably came from Honda main dealers Tippetts of Surbiton.
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I also found that the Science Museum has an early UK CB750 in storage.
Dear Ashley,
Thank you for your enquiry about the HONDA CB750 motorcycle.
I have searched our collections database and I can confirm that the Science Museum still has a HONDA CB750 in its collections:
Object number 1992-1064 - Honda CB750 KO 750cc motorcycle, 1969. Engine no.CB750E 1015403, frame no.CB750 1015142, registration no.GVX 50H
This item is currently held at our store in Wroughton. If you would like to discuss the possibility of viewing the motorcycle, please contact my colleague at the address below:
Science Museum Wroughton
Hackpen Lane
Wiltshire
SN4 9NS
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I have a foot in both camps here......Bombers and CB750, here is a photo I guess many have seen, Lord Lichfield and his mate Rollo Feilding, Earl of Denbigh and their respective Bombers. This photo came about after I bought the 'Denbigh' bomber from a chap in Canterbury for the princely sum of £300 (it was a while ago, but even then it was not to be missed).... The bike had not been used for a long time and was amazingly original, the tool kit looked brand new, all the tools still had their quality control stickers intact.
The original green log book was with the bike, showing all its early history and that it was supplied by Tippets of Surbiton. I knew through the VJMC that Dave Jupp had a good relationship with Tippets, so I asked him if they kept any archives, he very kindly trawled through their old paperwork and came up with this amazing photo, which was simply priceless to me at the time.
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Rollo Feilding also has a CB750 connection, he was chairman of the motor trades association (or whatever it was called back then) which made him an extremely influential man.....he clearly had some clout within Honda UK as he became the first owner of the gold pre production 'Brighton' CB750, which had been due to be returned to Japan and might have been lost but for his intervention.
Mick.
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Wonderful story Mick ...which you have told me about before great that you shared on here, paricularly the photo with the royal seals on it.
Here is a shot of the Lords with the same Bombers from Lord L's biography book. Again, posted on here before by me but good for comparison with your photo.
Can anyone identify any of the other bikes?
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Fantastic photos, wonderful era.....but that particular group of 'bikers' were probably unlike most at the time.
Incidentally.....tomorrow is a significant day for me and for Ash, our first batch CB750s turn 50 years old, manufactured on the 22nd October 1969. Yours (Ash) is only a couple of numbers from mine, so they would have been made on the same day.
The specific date was supplied by Honda when Eamon (last owner of mine) was researching the history, it's somewhere in the file and if I can find it, I'll drag it out....but the file is well over a foot thick, Eamon was an unbelievably prolific letter writer and if he wanted to know something, he just persisted until every possible line of enquiry was exhausted.
The letters file is a who's who of 1960s through 1970s motorcycling, loads of famous names, racers, authors, journalists, companies that he wrote to seeking information, and every one retained....many with the envelopes.
Eamon was very well known and highly regarded within motorcycling circles so I suspect he probably elicited replies and information more readily than most would have done, but the main thing was his sheer persistence.
On another note, does anyone reproduce these quality control stickers?
Mick.
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You could try Piki on here for those stickers. He made the DID stickers for my wheel rims on the CB250RS and did a great job.
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You could try Piki on here for those stickers. He made the DID stickers for my wheel rims on the CB250RS and did a great job.
I'll do that, I've only ever seen a few tools with their original stickers....unsurprisingly.....so I guess most won't even be aware they were ever there.
Thanks.........Mick.
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Wonderful History lesson there Folks. 'You meet the nicest people on a Honda' !
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You could try Piki on here for those stickers. He made the DID stickers for my wheel rims on the CB250RS and did a great job.
I'll do that, I've only ever seen a few tools with their original stickers....unsurprisingly.....so I guess most won't even be aware they were ever there.
Thanks.........Mick.
Never seen tools with those stickets on Mick then look on eBay same week and see these below as part of this kit !
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NOS-GENUINE-HONDA-DEALER-TOOLS-NEW-OLD-STOCK-SPECIAL-TOOLS-CB92-CB72-C72-Era/254394770923
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That is a nice looking set of spanners......are you buying them?
Re the quality control stickers, I had seen them once or twice, but in such poor condition I didn't realise what they were, it was only when I bought this bomber with it's unused tool kit that the penny dropped.....I don't know how long they were present on Honda tools, or even if it was just one supplier that put stickers on their tools, but to an anorak (me) it's interesting stuff.
Mick.
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I vaguely remember seeing them when i used to pdi in the late 70's but i think it was just 1 sticker per tool kit not every tool.
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I know Trigger said he was thinking of retirement but its a bit early for him to be selling his tools :o :)
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I vaguely remember seeing them when i used to pdi in the late 70's but i think it was just 1 sticker per tool kit not every tool.
That would explain why I took just the one photo....my memory says they were on all the spanners, but my memory is not to be trusted and I sold the bomber a few years ago.
Nice thing to have though for your perfect tool kt.
Mick.
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That is a nice looking set of spanners......are you buying them?
Re the quality control stickers, I had seen them once or twice, but in such poor condition I didn't realise what they were, it was only when I bought this bomber with it's unused tool kit that the penny dropped.....I don't know how long they were present on Honda tools, or even if it was just one supplier that put stickers on their tools, but to an anorak (me) it's interesting stuff.
Mick.
No not me Mick .. I was just looking at Benlypage eBay listings and saw it (actually Ray Davis the VJMC dating guy who sells lot of CB92 stuff) .. That 'general' dealer took kit he is asking nearly £1k for !
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Nice stuff, but I'd rather have £1,000 in the kitty.
These stickers are around on period pieces, not just Honda it seems.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NOS-Yamaha-Tool-Kit-75-83-XS650-77-79-XS750-80-81-XS850-315-28100-10/192362257634?hash=item2cc9af1ce2:g:OvEAAOSwf-VWUnpa
Mick.
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Interesting thread - I've been putting together an original tool kit for my 750 K1 and I'm almost there - whilst searching I came across this, complete with QC sticker: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NOS-Honda-CB350-CB450-CB500-CB72-CB77-CB750K-Wrench-17X19-99001-17190/291084527019?hash=item43c5fd65ab:g:WRoAAOxy0NtTBaTG (https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NOS-Honda-CB350-CB450-CB500-CB72-CB77-CB750K-Wrench-17X19-99001-17190/291084527019?hash=item43c5fd65ab:g:WRoAAOxy0NtTBaTG)
(https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/WRoAAOxy0NtTBaTG/s-l1600.jpg)
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Interesting thread - I've been putting together an original tool kit for my 750 K1 and I'm almost there - whilst searching I came across this, complete with QC sticker: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NOS-Honda-CB350-CB450-CB500-CB72-CB77-CB750K-Wrench-17X19-99001-17190/291084527019?hash=item43c5fd65ab:g:WRoAAOxy0NtTBaTG (https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NOS-Honda-CB350-CB450-CB500-CB72-CB77-CB750K-Wrench-17X19-99001-17190/291084527019?hash=item43c5fd65ab:g:WRoAAOxy0NtTBaTG)
(https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/WRoAAOxy0NtTBaTG/s-l1600.jpg)
Andrew - what are you missing to complete the set?
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Interesting thread - I've been putting together an original tool kit for my 750 K1 and I'm almost there - whilst searching I came across this, complete with QC sticker: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NOS-Honda-CB350-CB450-CB500-CB72-CB77-CB750K-Wrench-17X19-99001-17190/291084527019?hash=item43c5fd65ab:g:WRoAAOxy0NtTBaTG (https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NOS-Honda-CB350-CB450-CB500-CB72-CB77-CB750K-Wrench-17X19-99001-17190/291084527019?hash=item43c5fd65ab:g:WRoAAOxy0NtTBaTG)
Andrew - what are you missing to complete the set?
Hi James,
I've got most things now, including the correct pliers and the red handle screwdriver - the original tools I'm missing are the 2 feeler gauges, the points file and a No2 Screwdriver bit.
Cheers, Andrew