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TIPS AND TRICKS
Tired of pulling ya hair out?
Tasty Tips, to help ya Gray Matter.
OK Gang
I am going to try and add some info on here as I go along, to try and answer a few questions I get asked on a regular day.
Lets see, some will say “That’s not right” But ya know what, I stick by my guns, and if it has worked as a correct formula for me, then there is no reason why it wont for you.
A lot of people email me asking for advise, and of which I am more than happy to help out, or, at least point them in the right direction.
But, these are my personal views and may not be the ones you would go with, although seeing I have had over 600 CB750’s over the years, I have a pretty good idea of what’s what in these 500 pounders.
” What years are the best to Cafe for SOHC?”
Well lets see, stay away from the real early years such as Sand-cast and die cast models, you pay a small fortune for the parts and the restorers will be sending you hate mail.
Stick with 1973/74/75 and 76 CB750K models, as there are many interchangeable parts still around and these models are still quite common compared to the early years.
The 1975-1978 F models – i.e. Super Sport etc.
Well they are cool and the 78 has the best engine as the head is far better designed etc, but parts are harder to locate for them.
The 1977 and 1978 CB750K is a great bike, ugly as a Bruise on your arse, but a strong motor, they have a longer frame and the gas tank really is as bulbous as a Jenny Craig fan.
So there you go, personally I would stick to the mi 1970’s K series SOHC bikes simply for parts and more commonly available, although all are becoming scarce these days.
Just click on the READ more below to check my tips out.
Just SOME of the crap we all have to deal with with these 40 year old Bikes.
This is how I make sure my intakes are level to fit the carbs, simple but effective.
To fit New fork seals, I use a 2″ piece of Plumbing Pipe from Home depot, and use a rubber mallet, I slide the seal on and then I slide the pipe over fork tube and simply tap the plastic pipe install the seal is snug in its seating, then remove pipe, add snap ring and there you go.
HOW TO REMOVE YOUR GAUGE NEEDLE
To get that needle off of your Gauge, simply Vee groove an old Screwdriver.
Look under the face plate and you will see the base collar of the needle, that is where you need to fit the screwdriverm the Vee will fit snug around the pin shaft.
This is how I do my ones and it works great.
Once you slowly pry this up, the needle will come off, if you have a speedo that the bridge under the plate is hard to get too, simply undo the 2 screws on the plate and lift the face plate up a little.
STOP SWING ARM CORROSION
This is the NON maintenance battery I use, no more corroded swing arms, as the old battery has a overflow/breather pipe that usually drips onto the swing arm.
Tasty Tips, to help ya Gray Matter.
Some tips to try and help ya out.
Alright people
Many of you ask me a few things and, to save a wee bit of time on my poor fingers from typing, I am going to bung some informative stuff down here for you, this may or may not help you, but I am certain one of these issues may crop up at some point in time.
I have only just started this page , so I shall add more as I go along.
OK, here we go with some useful information that many ask me , and I am sure that some of these tips may help you out of your Clymer handbook ends up shit canned.
What is the best Jet size for my carbs if I use pod filters and a 4 into1 system?
Well, the majority of the motors that people are playing with are stock. so when you add the exhaust and the pods, there is plenty of air, but no enough fuel.
Increase the main jet size by at least 2 sizes of the stock one that’s in there.
Traditionally 2 will do it, but remember these main jets only go up in .5 increments, so if you have say a 105 Jet for the main.
You need to jump to a 115 jet.
If the motor still falls flat when you open the throttle, then you need to go bigger on the main, as she is starving for fuel.
I leave the needle clip in the middle position and fairly rarely do I need to change that, unless your elevation changes dramatically.
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What’s the Biggest tire I can use on my 750 Honda?
Ok I always run a 110X90X19 on the front and on the rear I run a 130X90X16 or 18″.
You have to take into account the stress of the frame when you are in corners etc, as too wide a tire may look cool, but when the frame flexes a little bit, it will rub the shock spring.
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How can I fit my own Front fork seals?
Easily, if you have removed your seals, what I would do is go to home Depot, or to your ACE hardware store and buy a 1″7/8″ piece of plumbing plastic pipe about 3 feet in length.
Simply drop the seal over the fork tube, then slide the plastic tube over your fork tube and tap with a rubber mallet, this will fit smoothly and evenly and will not damage your seal.
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How Can I route my wiring for Clubman handlebars?
Well, as you know, the stock bars have the wiring inside the bars and that’s a real pain in the dirt box to pull out, now, you can drill the clubman’s and feed them through, but incase you want to remove the bars, you will be in the same position again with removing all the wires.
The easy solution is to “C” notch the switches, to allow the wires not to get squashed or pinched when you tighten the switches.
then simply route them under the bars and you are all good to go and no frustration.
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My Oil pressure light stays on.
This is a common fault, the old switch that is actually by your starter cover on the right hand side, is most probably buggered up and the ball check valve is seized, Simply remove and purchase another from Honda.
They are still available.
But what I do is actually fit one of my OIL PRESSURE GAUGES on the side of the motor above where your points cover is, that way, this gives you a true reading of whats going on inside your motor at all times when the engine is running.
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My front brake is stuck on and I cant move the bike.
OK, this happens a lot, the longer the bike has been left unattended in storage, the more the chance that the brake fluid has gone all goopy and gelled up.
Now to free the thing temporarily, you whack the caliper body with a Rubber mallet, this will shock the piston back a bit.
Bleed the brake until fluid comes out of the bleed nipple, you know, on, off, on, off etc.
Once clear is coming out, try the brake, if it still stick, then I usually take the back of the caliper off and then with the nipple locked tight, I simply press the brake lever until the pad and piston pops out.
Keep checking fluid levels in the master cylinder though.
There is 2 ton of pressure there and this will push the piston out, make sure you have some rags over it as it can POP under pressure and get brake fluid all over the joint, and paint does not like brake fluid at all.
I then take the caliper off, remove the piston and “O” ring and I then clean it all out with lacquer thinner.
I use a Dremel Rubber wheel and hone the bore of the caliper out to get any tiny corrosion marks out and then I clean the recess out for the “O”ring.
if the piston is pitted I usually make new ones on the lathe from stainless, that way it will never rust or corrode in the body again, its the rust pitts that catch the wall or the seal and stop it from sliding back into the caliper body.
Then – I simply fit a new ring and clean the piston up and put her all back together, re-bled and there you go, a functioning brake once again. Taa Daaaar! –
So, l am going to try and add some more on here as I go along, hopefully one of these questions will crop up for you at home?
A lot of people email me asking for advise, and of which I am more than happy to help out, or, at least point them in the right direction.
But, these are my personal views and may not be the ones you would go with, although seeing I have had over 600 CB750’s over the years, I have a pretty good idea of what’s what in these 500 pounders.
*************************************************************
” What years are the best to Cafe for SOHC?”
Well lets see, stay away from the real early years such as Sand-cast and die cast models, you pay a small fortune for the parts and the restorers will be sending you hate mail.
Stick with 1973/74/75 and 76 CB750K models, as there are many interchangeable parts still around and these models are still quite common compared to the early years.
The 1975-1978 F models – i.e. Super Sport etc.
Well they are cool and the 78 has the best engine as the head is far better designed etc, but parts are harder to locate for them.
The 1977 and 1978 CB750K is a great bike, ugly as a Bruise on your arse, but a strong motor, they have a longer frame and the gas tank really is as bulbous as a Jenny Craig fan.
So there you go, personally I would stick to the mid 1970’s K series SOHC bikes simply for parts and more commonly available, although all are becoming scarce these days.
Ok lets see.
“How can I stop my handlebars hitting the gas tank?”
Well, there is quite an easy solution to this, simply weld a blob of weld on the bottom of the steering stops under your frame, maybe an 1/8th inch, check it and turn the bars to see how close you like it.
This is real easy to do, make sure you unplug the ground from your battery though as you can weld your points shut.
Alternatively, you can drill a hole and thread it in the lower triple tree, as that has steering stop lugs, then you can attach an M3 or M4 bolt and that can be adjustable for steering.
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The Screwheads are buggered up on my Motor and cant shift them.
This is as common as White Honda Civic Hatchbacks.
OK, Most of the screw heads are softer than a stamp collectors hands and the things will just get chewed up like cheap bubble gum.
The best bet to get the screws undone is to get ya self a cheap impact screwdriver, I bought mine from harbor freight.
Then I basically use the phillips fitting on the screwhead, then bash the balls out of the impact and the screw will come undone.
Once they are out and you want to replace them, I use stainless metric Allen head bolts.
These will last bloody years and come undone so much easier years down the line.
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My throttle cables stick like a fried egg to a burnt frying pan.
Well, i get this question all the time.
You can make shorter cables and thats not cheap these days. the 750 honda does not have solder removable nipples, so, what I do if I use Clubman bars, is I simply re-route them.
I fit the cables on the throttle and then they face out and I route them to the front of the bike, I thread them in front of the forks and then above the lower tree.
I make sure that the cables fit nice on the left side of the triple tree by the brake switch, then hug to the frame, under the coils and onto the carbs. I fit the lower cable forst and the top last, just easier to handle.
Unless you have hands of a four year old.
You have some adjustment on the cables ends by the carb too, check that as well, as you will be suprised as to how much you can get the cables to be really responsive by adjusting the 10mm nuts there.
I also add a dab of Lithium grease to the slide rods too.
Let me see, ok, here is another little bit of info that may interest you.
I am sure some of these you will know but maybe one of the tips will help ya out in a time of need.