Vic World selling Pre-Production Bike

[Steve Swan]

Hi Ray !  Great to hear from you !  Yes, there was a drum braked machine.  we don't have much info about it.  as far as i know, this machine did precede the early and late pp bikes.  beyond that, i don't know enough about it to have much of an informed opinion about it...........

on another note....  can you still produce on dvd the recording you made of Bob H's and Bob J's presentation ?  Chris Rushton recently asked me about  the possibility of obtaining a few copies.....

[myhondas]

I can probably make some copies of the master dvd's that I have. I don't have the program that I created the dvd's with anymore...moved on to a new computer and that was some old legacy software that I had.
I 'll see what I can do for you.

ray

[ashimotok0]

At 09 VMD did Vic World give a talk on restoration and if so is there a video of it available? I am keen to find out how he treats alloy parts as detailed as attached.
Maybe its a trade secret I don't know and he may not  wish to share it with us.
One guy who should be highly commended is Marcel (Lecram) he shares all of his research, tips etc with us freely on gauge restoration.

Cheers...........AshD

[Steve Swan]

if there is a recording of Vic's presentation, i am not aware of one. 

[kp]

I think there is a Youtube video, but then maybe I imagined it.

[Riccardo]

I think is one of the pages of the Cycle magazine.

[kp]

I think is one of the pages of the Cycle magazine.

I think you are right Riccardo I seem to recall something and it is probably a written article rather than a video. Any one else seen anything

[ashimotok0]

The picture I posted was from a magazine article I think linked from his website. However, I thought he gave a talk on restoration in 2009 and just wondered if anyone made a video of it.
I could be wrong !!!!  My thoughts are that the acid etch he useds is some kind of chromate treatment because a friend worked at British Aerospace near me and they used chromate treatment to etch aircraft alloy to allow clearcoat the adhere. Also keen to know how to replicate the aluminium surface finish that Honda did.
Hope I am not hijacking this thread !!

Cheers   ... AshD

[Steve Swan]

back on track......  CB750-2113  IS the holy grail of things sandcast CB750. whatever the final bid brings, the price will be a bargain. it's value will only increase over time. as far as historical value goes, it is priceless and belongs in the Collection Hall of Honda Japan.

[magpie]

Steve, a little off topic but this pic id from an August 1968 Cycle World. Cliff.

[Steve Swan]

as i understand it, this bike was an early test mule as evidenced by the drum ft.brake and chrome panel tank.  Honda had not yet produced chassis ancillaries for any 750 in those early days.  Bob Jameson said there were quite a number of test mules, at least 20 or even more.  i remember this article when it came out; made for VERY EXCITING reading.  likely, the pic was taken 2 or 3 months earlier; it took news a while to come from Japan to America.  Fueled high hopes a reliable and affordable 4 cyl.would come on the market.  if i recall correctly, this article was under the "News from Japan" section, typically towards the back of the magazine.  i think the article stated the machine turned 10k rpm and made 80hp.  and, if i recall correctly, the Munch Mammut had made it's debut some months earlier and the price then was around $4k, available by special order.  Floyd Clymer invested in the Munch and was romored to bring the Mammut to America and market it as an Indian 4.  not to happen, Floyd died.

[Steve Swan]

so, in his ad, here's Vic's explanation about pre-prod serial numbering............

"Hi, Thanks. This Frame is CB750-2113, with engine CB750E-2113 It was common for Honda GP race bikes and prototypes of the 1960s to have the same numbers. The very first prototype CB750 (a few months earlier than my bike) which was shown at the 1968 Tokyo Motor Show had Frame/Engine numbers CB750-1101. The first "1" means "first series" produced of the proto, the next numbers (10) means nothing, and the last number (1) means first bike made of that first series. That bike never left Japan, and nobody has seen it since. The second series (the 4 bikes that came over together for the Las Vegas Show) were numbered........ 2110 (Gold Bike)....... 2111 -?color (Red or Dk. Green)........ 2112 -? color (Dk. Green or Red)..... 2113 (my Blue/Green Bike).......... The first number (2) means "second series" of protos, the next 2 numbers means nothing, and the last number (0,1,2,or 3) is the sequential number assigned to that color bike. (Actually, the 3rd number in each of the 2 series is a check number, but you get what I mean). Thanks again, Vic"

wonder how he knows some of the numbers "means nothing?"

[hondasan]

I always thought that one of the Tokyo show style bikes (first series pre-production / prototype) DID go to the US. Featured in Cycle Guide, March'69, with a picture of it being ridden with what look like American cars in the background. If the Tokyo show bike was 1101 (first series, first bike), maybe the one that seems to have gone to the US was 1102? Now what became of that one?
Of course maybe there were more of each series (was the drum brake one of the first series, or something else?).

lots of maybe's.

Somebody knows, or knew.

Chris R.

[magpie]

Just for fun:

[Steve Swan]

Just for fun:

great pics !

yes, that bike was featured and road tested in a number of US magazines before the later units came out.  right now i'm looking at a 2 page fold out magazine ad, featuring that very motorcycle, "Sooner or later, you knew Honda would do it."  the rider is wearing a white 3/4 helmet with an light amber tinted face shield and a red wind breaker.  And, that bike bike was pictured being road tested by Bob Greene in the May 69 Hot Rod magazine.

the rider on the cover of Cycle Guide is Bob Young.  in other articles, he's wearing the same jacket and his name is embroidered on the right chest area of the jacket.  he's still alive and lives somewhere in So.Cal.  i'm sure Vic knows him.  He and Bob Jameson were in Japan together prior to the 1st prod.bike being finished.  Bob Y stayed in Japan for about another month after Bob J returned to the US.