Another CB750 joins in....

[RupertB]

Hi all - stumbled on the American arm of this forum and was directed over to the UK one so having registered just a brief note of me etc if anyone is interested.
I bought a CB750 K4 engine and gearbox in a 1978-ish Tony Foale monoshock frame a few weeks ago, hence the interest in this site. It is the second CB I've owned, had a 500/4 about 30 years ago which I sold to buy a Norton Commando, which I sold 26years later because I gave up trying to get it started. No actually it was to buy a horse for my dear daughter. How sad is that! Also have a Laverda Jota, a Guzzi Le Mans 1 and a Ducati ST3, and have previously had Ducati 900SS and ST4, Suzuki Hayabusa and a Laverda Mirage.
The CB has a pair of wheels by a bloke called Henry Abe, and apparently an 810 conversion by the same bloke. Presumably as a K4 all this would mosty likely be done in America before it came over here because until last week I'd never heard of Henry Abe.
Engine is now top-end stripped and the rest of the bike in pieces of varying size. This will take less than a year if I get the money together, longer if I don't, and the idea is to have a cafe racer of some sort at the end of it.
Photos of the mess so far are at http://s1179.photobucket.com/albums/x397/rupert2147/

[UK Pete]

Hi RupertB, welcome to the site, interesting looking bike you have there, was that a mouse nest in one of your pictures , if so was he living in part of the bike
Pete

[RupertB]

The 'mouse nest' was actually the leaves and cobwebs and other stuff that I brushed off the crankcases before I could do any proper work.
Apparently the bike sat under a tarpaulin outside someone's house for about 15 years, so no surprise it 'requires minor tidying for concours' as an estate agent might say!

[Bryanj]

Is that a 180 or 120 Jota? Seriously hardest part of the Henry Abe kit is getting rings which usually involy machining the piston grooves slightly to get ones to fit

[RupertB]

The Abe pistons seem barely worth keeping - If the bores turn out to be OK and the pistons still useable then fair enough, machining them out could be cost effective, but I am seriously tempted to go for an 836 overbore, then at least everything is back in new condition. Have to see how the money and assessment of the existing bits goes.
The Jota is a 1979 180 - bought it off a mate in Shetland about 4 years ago and did a heavy cosmetic restoration on it. Mechanically it was fine - only done 21,000 from new and blew up at 15,000 so had a full rebuild in 1993. Loads more history but not Honda related so won't bore!

[SteveD CB500K0]

No, we love Jotas!

It's what every self-respecting 500/4 owner in the 70's lusted after (that's me then...)

The two posters that adorned our student rooms back then were the MV Agusta 750S America (him) and the orange Jota (me)

Then there were those Life helmet posters with the bodypaint...

... and the Athena tennis girl of course.

 

[F2 Paul 876]

Hi Welcome to the site, interesting bike.
My mate had a 4oo/4 Tony Foale, will try to find the photos.
Paul

[RupertB]

Everyone loves Jotas!? Well not everyone and for various reasons. Best part - putting it on the mainstand, absolutely the easiest ever. Worst part - pushing it round with the engine off - it has a C of G about 2 feet above your head. Yes I too am a victim of 70s-itis and should look for a 900ss to complete the holy trinity of 70s classics to add to the Jota and the Le Mans. But the two I own have electric starters, so as I move to 51 years old next year I don't have to use a kickstart! The Jota is a fascinating one as I have bills, records and MoTs going back to about 1983 ish. I am in touch with two of the previous owners - the friend from Shetland and a guy who owned it in the late 80s before he got seduced by a GSXR750. Coincidentally he now does high quality metal fabrication so is first in line to make a new fuel tank for the Foale 750. Both have offered to buy it back - unsuccessfully!
I wish the Honda had as much history as the Jota, but I seem to make a habit of picking up folorn, neglected bikes - the Guzzi was bought unseen off ebay and ended up proving true to its mileometer reading of 3,800 having spent 23 years in a shed in Swansea.
So there's the background bit - meanwhile have a look on amazon at Prisoners Property and Prostitutes by Tom Ratcliffe. One of my favourite books - mainly because I wrote it!
Cheers all.

[Bryanj]

Ah the old Jota's and ducks

HINT:-

NEVER EVER test for a spark by layiong the plug on the cylinder head-----slightest resistance in the earth circuit and back emf blows the expensive Bosch black box, at least that was how it was explaned to me.

And just to upset you i rode and worked on a 750SS (Ultra rare with the sight glass window stripe on each side of the tank)

[RupertB]

When I was a student in Manchester I loooked at one of those 750s in Sports Motorcycles and wondered about buying it - it wasn't that expensive relatively but I decided it wasn't the ideal commuter machine. Also wasn't sure about the petrol tank window thing. D'oh!
If I had bought it I am sure I would have neglected it horribly due to lack of money and technincal ignorance, but I wish I had bitten the bullet and gone for it. Mind you I nearly bought a CB250 Superdream so that balances it out I suppose.
As for electrics - can't work them out. All I know is it's invisible and it hurts. At least if a rod comes through the cases you know where to start looking to put things right, whereas a blown fuse could be anything. 300 years ago electricians were called witches and burnt at the stake because nobody understood what they were doing and how it worked. Glad we've stopped burning them because at least now someone else can fix my electrics!

[notobikeparkingtax]

That's a great looking project - very jealous. I want those wheels NOW!!

[RupertB]

I was pondering selling the wheels but at the moment (sorry) but the plan is to get them polished up and put back on when the thing is finished. Which will probably be a while, but first steps to getting the engine cleaned up will start tomorrow, so at least that's something under way.