Donor bike #9394 for #1767 project bike

[sandydogg]

Hi everyone,

Sorry it's been a while... last year was the year of breakdowns, had to replace the furnace and all appliances and all sorts of stuff at the house... well I am trying to get the 1767 project moving ahead. As some of you may remember, I bought K0 9394/9360 last winter for a donor bike. Honestly... I know about as much about correct sand cast donor parts as I do about women... 

I hate buying bikes over the net, without looking at them in person, which is just what I did with #9394. I am fairly disappointed with the overall finish and quality. The seat is a wreck, the chrome is pitted, the tank is so-so, the spokes are rusted, and so on. I was hoping for a much cleaner example considering what I laid out for her. The pictures on ebay sure didn't appear to be as rough as the bike is in person.

http://youtu.be/o2Dtl0blQ4w

At this point, I am just hoping that the p/o didn't swap out a lot of the correct parts for later stuff. The guy I got this from apparently deals in a lot of CB750's which may be a bad thing, for apparent reasons. Anyways, I am hopefully at the point where the sand cast and the die cast will start to come together as one. I would very much welcome your comments, observations, and suggestions regarding the use of these donor parts.

And just to refresh my project basis, #1767 was badly butchered by its p/o with a bad chopper job, the frame was totally hacked up for fat bob tanks and a king/queen chopper seat... swing pin welded to make it a rigid... exhaust pipes sawzalled off... I basically have a good running low mile (8-9k miles) motor, gauges, controls, front wheel, carbs, and a few other bits from 1767. I bought a k0 frame and swing arm (actually haven't checked them out well yet) and will have the "good" front half of frame 1767 professionally mated to the rear section of the untitled k0 donor frame I bought.

Any thoughts, good or bad, are much appreciated regarding the use of #9394 as a donor bike!!

Cheers, John

[kp]

The best advice I can offer is to check the section titled 88 Distinctions as this will tell you the differences between the various sandcast models For example had you VIN 7167 there would be very little different between it and #9394 other than the engine castings. However the earlier the VIN the more differences you will find Not all is lost and don't despair about these minor differences. Off the top of my head you have a 2 hole air-box, a slightly different tank, petcock, speedo and tacho drives, LH horn mount, support bar on the centre stand (this can be removed), top triple tree mount and a few other odds and sods. All relatively easy to change out and some will never be noticed The main stuff such as the double cut front guard, wrinkle tank, socket key, seat etc are all there. so good luck with the project
http://cb750sandcastonly.com/smf_forum/index.php?board=38.0

[Steve Swan]

John, ditto what KP said.  A number of us, myself included, have started with less.  Wish i had as much to start with when i began work on 254 and 4363 as you have with the K0 !  To me, looks like 9394's a great donor bike !

[sandydogg]

thanks KP and Steve,

I will check out the distinctions... been a while since I looked at them. I know some of you guys have amazingly sharp eyes when it comes to sand casts. hmmm I may have to live with the tank and triple clamp, at least for now.

I have most of the original air box from 1767, the speedo/tach drives, and the center stand. the horn is indeed left mount on it too. the triples were changed out for some raked ones and long tubes.

both bikes have the original recessed ignition switch with plastic dust cap key, I understand these are rare.

thanks for the input, very much appreciated!!

Steve, I wish I knew 10% of what you know about these old beasties!! hehe

[cb7504]

John:
      You have an excellent starting point with the available donor bike. The donor bike has most if not all the parts you need to make a pretty complete bike, especially some of the more hard to find parts. Your frame is going to be the most challenging item to work with. A good welder would not have any real concerns doing the cutting, welding and getting the frame back together correctly in a timely fashion.  Marty K.

[Steve Swan]

There's several other guys on this board who know more than i do.

[sandydogg]

John:
      You have an excellent starting point with the available donor bike. The donor bike has most if not all the parts you need to make a pretty complete bike, especially some of the more hard to find parts. Your frame is going to be the most challenging item to work with. A good welder would not have any real concerns doing the cutting, welding and getting the frame back together correctly in a timely fashion.  Marty K.

yeah, the frame will be professionally done. I would never try and do it myself... considering my welds look like bird poop on a stick 

thanks for the encouragement!

[sandydogg]

There's several other guys on this board who know more than i do.

that is why I would not even think of attempting this without everyone's collective wisdom 

it would literally take me years of research on my own, and I doubt if I would get it right even then... you guys blow me away with the eye for detail, to be able to look at a hub or an exhaust pipe and know instantly if it is correct or not!

oh... don't let it get out... but I am actually a Kawasaki guy deep down  the sand cast is an incredible piece of history, I have much love of vintage and historical bikes for sure... just to be able to say that I was responsible for the rebirth of this dusty old jewel will forever be something very very special to me... I hope the old girl will survive many years after I am gone from this earth... it's just something incredibly great to be doing this.

but... well... for something of a daily driver I just bought a nomad 1500 bagger a few weeks ago... 

http://youtu.be/XW9DIj08nU4

my love of bikes runs deep and true. I left my career as an electrical foreman to be in the motosport industry!! I am surrounded by bikes and bike parts all day, and at night I still dream of them... no joke... I am seriously a bike junkie... I guess I have maybe 30 bikes now... haven't counted in a while! most are vintage, I have many driver dirt bikes and dual sports... a silverwing interstate gl650i with sidecar... two strokes, four strokes, big 'uns and little 'uns... but the sand cast is something very special to me. I want to do my best to get it as correct as I can, without breaking the bank of course.

[Marcello Tha]

Dear John;

Diecast #9394 must have the same cam/rocker cover of my #6457/#E7083
The cam cover is the same up to #E10338.
See http://cb750sandcastonly.com/smf_forum/index.php?topic=408.0
I would like to buy the cover from you. Are you interested?
My e-mail is marcellotha@brturbo.com.br
You have a great donor byke.

Good luck.

Marcello

[sandydogg]

hi Marcello,

I will soon put the entire engine up for sale. if it does not sell within about 3 months time then I will take it apart and you can have first pick on the valve cover.

 am just today pulling the engine from the donor bike. once again I had many delays, my 4wd truck had front axle failure and I do not really trust other people to work on my vehicles so I did all the repairs myself. it was dirty, tedious, and not very much fun... but I know now it has been repaired properly. the mechanics charge too much money and who knows what kind of work they do since it is all hidden! but I am slowly moving ahead on the sand cast project.

I will let you know if I take the engine apart and sell the pieces.

regards, john