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Project Board / 1978 CB750K8
« on: February 14, 2017, 01:11:39 PM »
Hi all!
After the warm welcome in the "New Members" section, I thought I 'd better post my "tale of woe" here.
Many years ago, my Dad bought a running + MOT'd 1978 Honda CB750 K8 US import off a friend. We both rode it - it was a great bike - smooth + powerful engine with great handling and excellent brakes compared to the previous British stuff he had owned.
It did have a bit of a "chain rattle" in the engine which we initially ignored. Whilst I was living away, my Dad got a mate to help him take the engine out and put it on his bench so he could tear the engine down and see what was going on with the cam chain. He got stuck on something so he shelved it "for a month or two" (ahem) until he could fix it.
Move on many years and unfortunately he is not longer able to work on bikes through ill health. I am just about OK doing basic maintenance on my old Yamaha XT225 Serow but I seriously would not tackle anything more than that.
So the bike just sits there as a bottom end (intact) with all the bits for the top end around it and a rolling chassis. I know it saddens him to see it like that - many's the time he's said to me that taking the engine apart was the worst day's work he's ever done! :-(
So it needs the equivalent of "Car SOS" for bikes - only with it being paid for (obviously!). Is there anyone here that would undertake putting it back together? A couple of local general bike companies have said "they'd have a go" but that doesn't fill me with great confidence. I'd rather pay a fair amount and have someone with knowledge of these bikes and engines to put it back on the road for us.
Ideally, we'd put it all in a van and take it somewhere and hopefully sometime later - we'd be able to ride it away!
Apologies if this seems a bit cheeky - to be fair, I have put off signing up to the forum in case what I am asking "Isn't the done thing!".
It's getting to the point now where if I don't get it fixed up soon - I suspect he will get one of the local breakers to take it away and part it out - which I really don't want as there is a complete bike there!
He's basically said "If you can get it running - you can have it! Otherwise, I'd best move it on!"
Good points:
It is UK registered and on SORN.
It is complete and ran well before the engine was taken apart.
The tank and tinwork are OK. Far from concourse but it was bought as a bike to use - not to show!
It has been dry stored.
Bad points:
My Dad is convinced there is some part of the oil system that he either can't find now or wasn't there when he opened the engine up.
The engine has been apart for many years - so I suspect there may be the odd bit missing - hence me looking for an expert on these engines to put it back together.
It'll need new tyres, brake hoses etc.
There are possibly untold problems that have crept in whilst it has been in storage.
Any ideas/thoughts/recommendations? I realise I am going to have to throw a bundle of money at it - but I think it would be worth it for us to see it running again.
After the warm welcome in the "New Members" section, I thought I 'd better post my "tale of woe" here.
Many years ago, my Dad bought a running + MOT'd 1978 Honda CB750 K8 US import off a friend. We both rode it - it was a great bike - smooth + powerful engine with great handling and excellent brakes compared to the previous British stuff he had owned.
It did have a bit of a "chain rattle" in the engine which we initially ignored. Whilst I was living away, my Dad got a mate to help him take the engine out and put it on his bench so he could tear the engine down and see what was going on with the cam chain. He got stuck on something so he shelved it "for a month or two" (ahem) until he could fix it.
Move on many years and unfortunately he is not longer able to work on bikes through ill health. I am just about OK doing basic maintenance on my old Yamaha XT225 Serow but I seriously would not tackle anything more than that.
So the bike just sits there as a bottom end (intact) with all the bits for the top end around it and a rolling chassis. I know it saddens him to see it like that - many's the time he's said to me that taking the engine apart was the worst day's work he's ever done! :-(
So it needs the equivalent of "Car SOS" for bikes - only with it being paid for (obviously!). Is there anyone here that would undertake putting it back together? A couple of local general bike companies have said "they'd have a go" but that doesn't fill me with great confidence. I'd rather pay a fair amount and have someone with knowledge of these bikes and engines to put it back on the road for us.
Ideally, we'd put it all in a van and take it somewhere and hopefully sometime later - we'd be able to ride it away!
Apologies if this seems a bit cheeky - to be fair, I have put off signing up to the forum in case what I am asking "Isn't the done thing!".
It's getting to the point now where if I don't get it fixed up soon - I suspect he will get one of the local breakers to take it away and part it out - which I really don't want as there is a complete bike there!
He's basically said "If you can get it running - you can have it! Otherwise, I'd best move it on!"
Good points:
It is UK registered and on SORN.
It is complete and ran well before the engine was taken apart.
The tank and tinwork are OK. Far from concourse but it was bought as a bike to use - not to show!
It has been dry stored.
Bad points:
My Dad is convinced there is some part of the oil system that he either can't find now or wasn't there when he opened the engine up.
The engine has been apart for many years - so I suspect there may be the odd bit missing - hence me looking for an expert on these engines to put it back together.
It'll need new tyres, brake hoses etc.
There are possibly untold problems that have crept in whilst it has been in storage.
Any ideas/thoughts/recommendations? I realise I am going to have to throw a bundle of money at it - but I think it would be worth it for us to see it running again.
) and I am based in Macclesfield, Cheshire.