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Topics - PHILIP2908
1
« on: July 13, 2022, 09:34:54 PM »
This one had me fooled (again) – pattern parts do my head in.
I’d nadgered the hex head on the the bowl of the fuel tap, then the screws got chewed up and it was really manky anyway. So ordered up a pattern replacement from Dave Silver.
This turned up and it looked OK but the engraved plate had ‘reserve’ at the front position and ‘stop’ at the rear – totally opposite to every Honda I’d ridden since 1971. It was always easy to remember as Honda has ‘Reserve’ and ‘Rear’ - both start with an ‘R’ - dead simple.
So, on went the nice new shiny tap and the bike would not start – no fuel it seemed; bone dry plugs. On taking the tap apart it turned out that the rear position was reserve after all so it’s the engraved plate was wrong. Just crap .
Anyhow, once I’d got the bile running again I then had to leave it for the past 5 weeks due to pressure from my job; came back to it again and the damn thing would not start – bone dry plugs again. Ahh what now !
Took the fuel tap apart and it was full of what looked like a small quantity of sand which was preventing fuel flow. This is E10 at its worst. Never again – more crap. Just how much crap do we have to put up with??
So splashed in a few litres of ASPEN pure petrol (£25 for 5 litres) and it fired right up. If I leave the bike again for an extended period, I will always fill it with E5 or Aspen.
This bike has fought me every step of the way for 5 years and I am that close to riding it. Although at 68 years old it seems am lot heavier than the one I had in 1988.
Will report back if I survive the first ride out.
Keep safe.
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2
« on: February 07, 2022, 10:55:03 AM »
Hello all.
After re-mortgaging my house I bought one of the few sets of 4 into 4 pipes from DSS. This leaves me with the 4 into 2 exhaust which I’ve just removed and although a looking a little used with a couple of scratches, dings and thin chrome, they are too good to throw in the skip.
If you PM me I can send a video of what they sound like; a little unusual as pipes 1 and 4 end up in one silencer and 2 and 3 in another – normally it seems 1 & 2 then 3 & 4 are linked together. This leads to some crossovers underneath the engine but it all fits together well and I’ve labelled everything so should be a fairly easy job.
I should say that they are rather loud; they look like they have baffles but only very ineffective ones (the end cones are removable if you wanted to stuff something in there). Bit loud for me at my age (and the neighbours) but would have loved these in the 70s. Reminds me of the megaphones I had on my CB250K2 after the original pipes rotted out – an anti-social blast through the Blackwall Tunnel was something that sticks in my memory and probably shouldn’t.
So, there they are: too good to chuck out but will suit someone who is building a special. Use them as they are or paint them up or wrap the downpipes in heat resistant tape?
Looking for £40 plus postage (7 kilos costs about £20 2nd class). Or collect from Cheltenham, Glos.
3
« on: December 07, 2021, 04:52:52 PM »
Just picking up on a previous post: I’ve had a grumble on here before as I find my CB750 hard to get on the centre-stand – the bike weighs in at a quarter of a ton and my 67 year old muscles just can’t pull it up & back. I didn’t have much difficulty back in 1988; I was a lot younger then but I don’t remember the rear wheel being so high off the ground, as it is now, when its finally on the stand. Its over 5cm.
The 750 K2 DK Special I bought came from the USA and the previous owner had removed the centre-stand in the interests of weight saving to give that extra 0.25 mph. So, I bought one off ebay and fitted it thinking they must all be the same. Wrong.
Looking at parts lists there are several different numbers and the one have is meant for a 750 with longer shocks or a bigger rear tyre – F1, Hondamatic, who knows.
Anyway, its too flippin’ long and I’ve decided to shorten it.
Using the skills acquired from my 1969 ‘O’ level in Technical Drawing, I drew a scaled plan which revealed that if I chopped out 3cm on each leg it would end up with the rear wheel just clear of the ground by a couple of mm. So less of a ‘lift’ for me.
Using my other 1969 ‘O’ level in metalwork, I set to with the angle grinder chopping out the required amount and then finding some steel tubing to act as ‘slugs’ to strengthen the points where they were to be rewelded.
I found an old worn wishbone pivot tube from my long gone Triumph TR3A which I’d kept, chopped off the case hardened ends and got a friendly local garage who restore pre-war Austins to turn them down to the required o.s. diameter so they fit within each tube of the centre-stand.
Holes have been drilled into the separated pieces of the stand so that the ‘slugs’ may be plug welded through them to increase the strength of the joints.
UPDATE
After about 12 yards of welding wire: it’s now all welded up and then stand is back on the bike; no cracks or bending and it hasn’t fallen over. It’s now far easier for 67 year old me to pull it back and get it on the stand. I know how you lot like a few pics….
4
« on: October 04, 2021, 08:00:07 PM »
Hello Chums,
Had my first ride in 20 years on the DK/DS Special but only got about 100 yards down the road as I couldn’t get it out of first gear.
Not a problem with the gearbox you understand, but I just couldn’t get my foot (with a trainer on it) underneath the lever to move it up. Either my foot has got bigger since I last rode a K2 in 1990 or the lever is too short.
Its not the lever I remember with a round rubber on the end, this one is oval and quite stubby.
This bike has slid on its (both) sides many hundreds of yards down American roads with its previous owner and most parts have been replaced from the breaker’s yard with any old Honda bits that happen to be lying around. This I think being one of them.
Can anybody measure theirs and tell me if what I have is the correct lever? The one I have is 14cm long?
By the way, the bike is great. Goes like hell (in first).
Thanks in advance.
Phil in Cheltenham.
5
« on: September 07, 2021, 05:27:14 PM »
Big present to myself; saw a set of repro exhaust pipes on the Dave Silver website last weekend with 4 sets in stock. (Another 35 sets on their way I am told). By 9.30 Monday morning this was down to 2 so I nabbed one set. £1,000 with a few bits & bobs. Wife won’t find out until month end.
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This is a big shock on price as when I restored my first K2 (JGN 699N you are out there somewhere on a SORN) in about 1990 you could pick up odd pipes out of the classifieds in MCN for about £25 each. On getting a decent set together I used to squirt a bit of old used engine oil in the end after each run and they seemed to last OK.
I just realized I still need a couple of heat shields - £40 a side, connector pipe, pillion mounting bolts etc. about another £75 to the DS fund.
Have to say they look pretty well made; come with the baffle caps and the chrome is shiny but not lustrous.
Will post some piccys when they are on.
Ride safe
Phil @ Chelt
6
« on: May 31, 2021, 09:21:32 AM »
Hello everybody - hope you are enjoying the sunshine. We all know one thing leads to another; on the CB750 that's been fighting me for 5 years, what I thought would be a quick clean out of the tank has led to a paint job. I can't justify a professional job as the rest of the bike is a bit shabby. So a rattle can it had to be - just like the 70's. I bought some Candy Apple Red, coarse silver basecoat and a can of 2K lacquer and using my new spray-booth (garden) I set about the task. It's come out well so far and I'm just waiting for some stripes from Piki; I'll get those on and then apply the lacquer. I got the paint from Complete Cafe Racer https://www.facebook.com/CompleteCafeRacer for about £60; very quick delivery and a very helpful chap on the 'phone answering all my dumb questions. Highly recommended. I'll post again when I have finished it (probably October).
7
« on: May 04, 2021, 08:28:18 AM »
Hello everybody.
Just looking at billdn’s problems with setting ignition timing; a comment by my fellow Gloucestershire resident, Bryan, forced me to look at my 750 (still fighting me after 5 years – it WILL be on the road this summer).
It relates to the 22mm nut on the end of the crank and how you should not use this to turn the engine over whilst the plugs are in.
A previous owner seems to have done this and I noticed that the nut wiggles gently around gently, scribing an oval pattern, noticeable even when turning over on the starter. Still runs though.
I seem to remember that the cam & advance/retard plate and cam sits on a 6mm screw thread which is drilled into the end of the crank and mine is obviously bent which will upset the points gap.
Two questions;
1. How can I replace the threaded portion emanating from the right-hand crank end? Is it screwed in? Please don’t tell me I have to take the crank out !
2. Could this problem be solved by installing an electronic ignition system such as the one from Dave Silver or Hondaman?
Any advice appreciated. TIA.
Regards,
Phil
8
« on: April 05, 2021, 03:37:49 PM »
Hello all,
The DK/DS Special is still fighting me like its done for the past 5 years.
I'm almost there, got insured (Motorcycle Direct of Bristol - £79 for an old fogey), its off SORN, new helmet but it still doesn't run properly.
Start up is instant but it pops and bangs through the 1-4 cylinder silencer and when revving it actually spits flame. Me thinking I've got the valve timing wrong and that the engine has to come out again. But a bit more investigation revealed that all the valve clearances had gone down to not very much; and on some there is no play at al.I remember that I set the clearances when it was on the bench and just a few start ups has settled the valves back in the seats and eliminating the gap - exhaust valve stays open and that's why I get flames... at least I hope that is what it is.
The question is: it is difficult, even when I had one in the 1980s, to get a feeler gauge in there, with a ring spanner and my fat fingers and a torch, so I was wondering if at least to get it running I could set the clearances by counting the number of turns on the screw?
I seem to remember a post, but can't find it, that one turn of the screw = 0.1mm or 40 thou. So from that perspective you should be able to set a gap fairly accurately even if not exactly.
A good idea or not?
9
« on: January 26, 2021, 07:24:55 PM »
Hello all,
I restored a couple of small Hondas (C100s & C72s) in the late 80s culminating in a CB750 K2 resto in 1989. Frame off, powdercoat, chrome, NOS parts etc, a real proper job and people thought I was a bit mad and wasting money.
Back then there wasn’t much of an ‘after-market replacement’ supply of parts; China hadn’t even got going then. But it was easy because there were plenty of wrecked CB750s and new OE parts that dealers wanted to be rid of as CB750s weren’t as desirable then, as they are now. Trading was conducted by placing and scouring the classifieds in MCN and Exchange & Mart (this was the bible) and using the old school telephone – no internet then… and one of the best deals I got was a full set of four pipes, used but rust free, off a crashed bike for just £75.
Sold it for £1800 when I got into classic cars and really wish I’d kept it, but just didn’t have the room.
The point of this is; that the chap who did my chroming also took my large box of nuts & bolts, put them into a perforated bucket and dipped them in something. A week later, they didn’t come back shiny, but an even silver/grey colour, not unlike galvanizing.
The question is: what was that process: nickelling, zincing, anodizing or something else? Its been 30 years and I’ve forgotten (along with many other things).
As always, all answers gratefully received.
Thanks in advance
Phil
10
« on: January 23, 2021, 08:21:17 PM »
No not jeans. This is a head scratcher for me as my DK Special from the USA has been thrown down the road numerous times and suffered less than perfect rebuilds after its many accidents.
One example of this I the way the loom passes beneath the tank. Currently it is squeezed though the triangular gusset just behind the coils. This interferes with the operation of the push-pull throttle cables to the extent that the throttle will not shut on it own as the cables are kinked. There is just not enough room in there.
One of my lockdown projects was to change the handlebar from the horrible USA aftermarket ‘cowhorn’ bars into a more European and flatter spec; I’ll do another post on that as that is proving to be a right giggle as well. This necessitates the disconnection of all the wires in the headlamp shell and I thought I’d re-route the loom at the same time as everything was undone.
The question I have, is, should the loom that runs from the battery area to the headlamp, be routed:
- Strapped to the thick top tube that supports the top of the headstock
Or
- Strapped to the thinner lower left hand tube that runs under the tank
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As always, all answers gratefully received.
Thanks in advance
Phil
11
« on: January 14, 2021, 08:24:20 AM »
Does anybody follow Andy Mechanic on You Tube? During lockdown, I’ve been bingeing on Allen Millyard videos and came across Andy Mechanic. He’s a Yorkshire lad I think, living in New Zealand and works as a lecturer. He is fault finding on a friend’s CB750 at the moment and the video on chasing a weak spark is really good as he explains things really well for electrical dummies like me. There are over 300 videos; goes on a bit so they are a bit lengthy and also has scantily dressed young women walking around doing some tasks – obviously to bump up the number of subscribers (gets more money off You Tube see). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4HRPsTPl0AWorth a watch. Stay safe. Phil. [ Guests cannot view attachments ]
12
« on: December 26, 2020, 09:25:01 AM »
Hello All,
Hope you had a good day yesterday. I did and got an Amazon voucher in amongst all the socks and scarves.
I have been thinking about getting an electric rattle gun as I've struggled with rusty nuts on bikes (and cars) since about 1968 - I've rounded more corners than Lewis Hamilton. It will have to deal with hub nuts, clutch centre nuts and wheel bolts.
The questions are:
- Best brand - I want to stick to De Walt, Makita, Ryobi if possible.
- Corded or cordless - I favour a corded one as I don't want yet another battery charger.
- Budget is about £100 - £125.
Any recommendations or advice welcome.
Thanks in advance.
Have a good new year (its got to be better than the last one...)
13
« on: November 05, 2020, 09:23:04 PM »
Hello all,
My DK import arrived (4 years and still fiddling to get it on the road) with no return throttle cable - I always like to have one in case one of those 4 x carbs decide to stick open and shove you through a hedge backwards.
I ordered a cable from DS but how does it get to the carbs? At the moment I have the loom, the 'pull' throttle cable trying to fit through the triangle brace at the top of the frame. The coils make this all the more difficult as everything has to fit down the left hand side of these.
Does anyone have a 'tank off' photo showing the routing of everything that has to squeeze through the tank tunnel?
Thanks in advance.
14
« on: January 10, 2020, 08:59:53 PM »
If this doesn't work, I give up
15
« on: January 10, 2020, 08:57:45 PM »
Photo was upside down - try this.... [ Guests cannot view attachments ]
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