Bringing 1983 / 2005 back to live

[Sgt.Pinback]

The other day I found # 1983 more or less by accident here in Germany.
An older man was offering parts on local eBay and when phoning with him I learned, he has a barn full of parts and bikes.
This particular bike was imported from the States in Feb. 1993 and not touched since then.

I got some pics from that SC resto bike via e-mail and after some difficult negotiations we agreed on a price.Before that I had some mails with Steve to get confirmation on the VIN and engine numbers to ensure, that everything is OK here.
Again, many thanks for your help, Steve.

So the bike finally is here and I started stripping here down and cleaning parts.

disclaimer:

The benchmark for restoration is extremely high here in this great forum. As to others, those fantastic resto documentations are the "bible" for me.
So I am sure I cant close up to that in any way.
In real live, I am no mechanic and even dont have an adequate workshop. In one word: I am a tax consultant.

[Sgt.Pinback]

Here are two pics I got from the seller to get an impression what I may expect
Obviously many KO parts missing.


Here is a pic when we took her out of the barn with a snatch pulley



.. and a feature film to this mission. I call it "old farts taking old bike out of old barn"

(even if you speak German you wont understand what he´s saying)

[DW69K0]

Good for you Uli!!
What a great find and unique recovery video!
Now the fun begins, finding those few components need to make your Sandcast whole again. Enjoy the success of finding your hidden gem.
Duane

[Steve Swan]

Uli, that looks like an absolutely lovely basis for restoration !  FANTASTIC VIDEO ! !  !  !

keep us up to date with your progress.  the nice thing about these early CB750's, they are really very simple and require very few special tools, so assuming you have some mechanical aptitude, you can do alot of your own work yourself !  and ask us questions anytime !!!!

ps -  "tax consultant" is 2 words 

[Sgt.Pinback]

Thank you.
Yes, until now I mainly needed a 10, 12, 14 nut, Vessel driver and a heating gun.

Last weekend I started stripping her down.
Now looks like that:

[Sgt.Pinback]

Here is my first question:

What may tell me this sticker?

I assume this bike was used by a student in NY as a commuter bike until August 1977 and then set aside.

[4pots1969]

Happy for you ... Very nice machine in a good juice ...

[Steve Swan]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_University_of_New_York_at_Oswego

are the exhaust HM341 ?

[Sgt.Pinback]

Yes.

But I have a set of NOS/NIB "HM300" pipes.

I know HM300  are not correct to a SC so will I have to sell those and buy myself new "no number" repros instead  or take the HM300?
What would you do?

[Steve Swan]

"if your bike were mine" i would go with the "No.no" exhaust.  for me, for things sandcast, the HM300 stamped exhaust with relief in 1 & 4 pipes simply are not correct, even more especially so if they are the "emissions paragraph" stamped HM300's.  at least with the "No.no" exhaust, the only external difference from a Lotus Root exhaust is the 5 mm seams instead of 3 mm seams.  i know Vic World fits, or at least used to fit, HM300's, rationale being, "My customers expect the bike to have genuine factory parts on the motorcycles they purchase for me."  again, in this restoration process,  there are always decisions and compromises we must make.  IF there is a choice to not fit HM300's and i feel it's a better choice, THEN i would take that choice.  therefore, "if your bike were mine" i would go with the "No.no" exhaust.

a set of oem nos HM300's, especially if in the factory boxes, are worth a nice number of USD's, DM's, GBP's, AUD's, KR's.......

and these are dented !!!  http://www.ebay.com/itm/Honda-New-OEM-Exhaust-Mufflers-HM300-1969-71-CB750-K-Four-Genuine-Honda-Pipes-/331510096228?hash=item4d2f8aa164:g:WcMAAOxy66pRtPY1&vxp=mtr

[Sgt.Pinback]

Thanks for your thoughts.
Thats exact my dilemma: genuine Honda part or good replica.
But at the end HM300 would almost  be as wrong as HM341 are. With better sound of course.

So I will take new No.No. and sell the HM300 to get some cash. Can't use them because my other KO'S are German spec and demand "HMCB750 " pipes.

And yes, they have these emission stamp.

[Sgt.Pinback]

Here is the cleaned brake master cylinder.

Luckily, it is the correct early SC reservoir without filling-line.
And lots of patina here. Note, there is no darker area at the end because the bike correctly did´nt have the rubber boot.

So fundamental question: keeping patina where adequate or doing everything as new?

Bike will get new seat, pipes, paint in any case.

[kp]

IMHO the bike is in need of restoration. Assuming the frame is the color as seen in the pictures then you would need to at least have it repainted. In addition, there are items on the bike that need to be replaced such as the front fender/mudguard, seat etc. Even though the pipes are HM300, they are still early Honda fitment (maybe not on a Sandcast) but certainly Honda product so that would be one item I would keep. A set of HM 300s' may not be original to a sandcast but they are acceptable replacements like batteries and tyres, and are way better than a set of Yamiya No Nos. If you want pristine then have them rechromed or if that's not possible then opt for the Yamiya. Again this is my take
To recap, I would restore the bike to pristine order and enjoy the fruits of your labour. Be sure to check the tank and petcock for originality as this VIN should have the early 17litre tank and petcock. Also ensure the other items such as brake pedal, top triple clamp, rear foot pegs, horn, tacho (I think the speedo is a K1), switches, brake three way union, airbox, frame #8 bolts etc etc etc etc, are restored rather than replaced as these items are common only to these early VIN bikes KP

[Steve Swan]

i would "ditto what KP says."  the problem with a "preservation" or a "conservation" v.s. a "restoration" is always patina.  too much patina.  or too severe patina. in either or both those cases, restoring certain parts of or on the bike and leaving others with patina can start looking real bad, real fast.  in the antique motorcycle world, spraying new paint to appear "distressed" or "aged" is done often to try to match severely patina'd parts with parts with less patina.  not sure there's a way to make anodizing appear "distressed" or conserve or preserve anodizing or chrome or zinc.

as KP says, "no.no" v.s. HM is a matter of personal taste and preference.  i don't disagree with HM300's being "oem replacement part" rationale.  i have a new set of non-paragraph HM300's on 2157 and they fit like shit.  no better than Yamiya "no.no's."  for me, even though the HM's come from Honda, out of Honda's box, their appearance is unacceptable if i want the bike to "appear" as close to original as possible.  considerations like these put us "between a rock and a hard spot."  or, "the devil and the deep blue sea."  or, "damned if we do and damned if we don't."   

[kp]

My bad. I thought the pipes on the bike were HM300. I really didn't take much notice but if you have a new set of early HM300 that is a saving on outlays.
In relation to Steve's comment on the Yamiya no number pipes I would probably take his advice and go with Yamiya as he has much more resto work under his belt than me and also has worked with both types of pipes. If you have another project for the HM300 pipes use them for that.
Better still, find some Lettuce Root pipes and go with them. I am surprised that Yamiya's supplier doesn't make these in Stainless. Polished stainless is very close to chrome and would last a lifetime, not that I have much of that left 

It amazes me that these bikes keep cropping up. A barn in Germany we have stored a good Sandcast bike originally sold in the US. How many more are out there