Honda-SOHC
General => New Member Introductions => Topic started by: bucksfizz on March 23, 2019, 11:06:39 AM
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It's customary to introduce oneself to any new forum, so here's mine.
I'm a member of quite a few forums for the very good reason that there's a mine of useful information on them.
I'm retired, and my formative years are the seventies.
As such, I seek out old motor cycles from my youth, in order to relive my youth.
To date I have restored a '68 Triumph Bonneville T120R, a '74 Triumph Trident T150V, and a '74 Norton Commando 850.
As I refuse to pay silly UK prices, I sourced all those bikes from the US with the help of my buddy, Dave, in Illinois.
The most expensive was £2400 + shipping - you don't have to pay over the odds.
Anyway, enough of the background rambling, and I'll cut to the chase.
With my US buddy brokering the deal, I have just bought what appears to be a very complete 1973 Honda CB750 K3.
In keeping with my philosophy of not paying too much, this venerable steed cost me a very reasonable $2000 - £1515 in my money.
I think the seller undersold, as he spent $1300 last year on carburation, ignition, front tyre, and a few other jobs.
It's a good runner, although Dave says that it has a "stumble" at high RPM - I presume he means a misfire.
It even has the original 4 into 4 exhaust system, which I believe is NLA.
It's going to take a couple of months to arrive here in the UK, so in the interim I'm going to bone up about these bikes.
I've posted a few pictures, and I'd be interested to hear what you folks think.
BTW, the paint job does resemble something from Jackson Pollock!
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Apart from the paint and typical US high bars looks reasonable.
Will have lights on all the time but a UK rh switch unit cures that, the rest is just paperwork and service items hopefully.
In Ash's dropbox you should find the honda manuals and parts books then apart from a decent metric socket set(3/8 drive 6 sided sockets) circlip pliers and some jis screwdrivers(+ impact ones) you are good to go.
There are only a few special tools( clutch nut, hub bearing retainers, rotor puller) and if you can assemble a Commando the Honda is dead easy.
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Looks like a bargain, I like your style !
Cheers
Dennis
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Apart from the paint and typical US high bars looks reasonable.
Will have lights on all the time but a UK rh switch unit cures that, the rest is just paperwork and service items hopefully.
In Ash's dropbox you should find the honda manuals and parts books then apart from a decent metric socket set(3/8 drive 6 sided sockets) circlip pliers and some jis screwdrivers(+ impact ones) you are good to go.
There are only a few special tools( clutch nut, hub bearing retainers, rotor puller) and if you can assemble a Commando the Honda is dead easy.
Thanks for the helpful info.
I didn't know about the headlight being on all the time, so it sounds like a RH switch unit is on the list of parts.
Presumably I'll need a new headlight with left side kick-up too for our left side driving.
I had an impact uni-driver with long JIS bits back in the day, but lent it to someone...
I have a good tool set (metric, AF, and Whitworth), but I don't have any JIS screwdrivers - they're on the list.
(It's amazing the number of people who don't know the difference between Pozidriv, Philips, and JIS.)
I can do a Commando clutch easily, so it's good to know that the Honda will be just as easy.
I did find a load of manuals and parts books on the US SOHC site - it's so confusing with all these forums.
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Welcome and enjoy both the bike and the forum.
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My US K2 doesn't have the headlight on all the time? Not sure that's correct information.
PS. Will Dave be my buddy too?
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Great intro, welcome in. Bike looks good... my USA K4 doesn’t have the light on all the time either... duff info I think. You’re going to be inundated with guys wanting to be introduced to your pal 😄
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Welcome to the forum and have fun. Now about this pal...…. ;)
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Trigger, i think it was 73/4:that the yanks made headlight on compulsory but it will, of course, depend on vin plate build date.
As to headlamp dip all the ones i have done that were not H4 converted had a straight up and down dip so same for rh and lh drive, a lot of US ones have sealed beams and if a car replacement has been fitted that would be out the window!!
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Trigger, i think it was 73/4:that the yanks made headlight on compulsory but it will, of course, depend on vin plate build date.
As to headlamp dip all the ones i have done that were not H4 converted had a straight up and down dip so same for rh and lh drive, a lot of US ones have sealed beams and if a car replacement has been fitted that would be out the window!!
I never said a word Bryan :o and know diddly squat about electrics ;)
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There is one bolt on the Honda that will respond well to Whitworth socket and that is the original 12mm headed oil filter bolt that you can "hammer fit" a whitworth 12 point socket onto when it gets rounded and it will undo!!!
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Trigger, all you have to remember about electrics is you cant taste, smell or see it but by christ it bites!
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Welcome to the forum. Everyone needs a bud like Dave at those prices!
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Welcome to the forum
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welcome to the fun forum,
looks a great bike,have a US based contact does help.
lots of advice and help here,
and Somerset is a great place to ride.
have fun
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Welcome from me too, lots of helpful members on here - enjoy your K3.
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Welcome to the forum, bike looks good in photos.
We need a few more 750s to balance all the 400s on here :)
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pound for pound, the weight of one 750 covers about 3 400's .....
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pound for pound, the weight of one 750 covers about 3 400's .....
Only 3 CB400/4's......are you sure 😀😀 Pushing a CB750/4 around is like trying to push a block of flats from A to B 😭😭😭
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Thanks for the warm welcome, guys.
This will be my first Honda since a rather lacklustre '75 CB360 back in the day - not one of Honda's finest.
I'm sure I'll have loads of questions, many of which should already be on the forum - "search" is your friend.
I do have a few extra pictures that were on the Craigslist ad so I'll pop them up.
I'll get round to using the gallery soon, as I prefer in-line pictures, as most do I presume.
Cheers.
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Nice bike - welcome an enjoy the forum
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US bikes lights point dead ahead but in reality It don't matter what way the lights dip there so dull ;D