Just got one for a steal then. It needs a new front tire, the tank cleaned, and a battery, but it runs and drives based on a video of it (also with original pipes!) Any advice as I get ready to go over it with a fine toothed comb?
My first real bike was a Honda CB 750 K1. I bought it new for $1395 in high school right after I got my license. I ride it everywhere and put 37k trouble free miles on it the next three years before I traded it. My two buddies bought new 72 & 74 CB 750’s, but they could not match the sound and performance of my 71. IMO, the K1 is the best year for the CB750. I have been looking this past year for another one. Most are overpriced with missing pipes, parts, dented tanks and have been neglected for years and in need of serious restoration. Still looking, but in the mean-time I bought a one-owner 84 NightHawk for a reasonable price that looks and runs like new. I also ride a 22 GROM & a 22 R1. I’m not rich, but I’m 70 and answer to no one.
All true, and especially important is what you said about carburetion and the air box. But one thing you omitted is the gearing. Earliest ones had 17,48 sprocket teeth, '70 to '76 K models had 18,48. The '75, '76 supersports went back to 17,48. The '77, '78 were a special case because they had #630 chain instead of #530, so fewer teeth. The '77-78 K models were 15,41, and the F2 models were 14,43. Those F2 models also had larger carburetors, intake snorkels, and intake valves. Hence could breath to higher rpm and had 9500 red line. For that to be possible, they also had stiffer valve springs.
I owned two K7's here in the UK. In my opinion the greatest motorcycle ever made (of it's time). Did you know that during the R & D of the engine Honda ran it on a test bed and red lined it for 20 hours non stop, not one blew up, absolutely bullet proof. Love these bikes but I just can't afford to buy one these days.
@@aaa84gt It depends who you ask. But they are good bikes just the things I said in this video really only apply to the gen 1 cb750 which is from 69-78. In 96 they were completely different bikes and I would look up nighthawk as thats what they were called and you'll get better more accurate information for the bike you are in search of.
I run two 1970 K0s a UK and a USA bike, Incredible bikes. The UK bike Ive had for 40 years got the US bike as a low miles cosmetic wreck but both engines healthily. Definitely run the stock air box. BIG BIG hint here....The advance retard springs WILL be tired after 30 to 40 years and weak so when you set the timing the advance will be WRONG use a timing light to see when the advance happens. You can bend the ends the springs back to get the advance and retard correct or buy new springs. The reason you cannot get a tickover and snappy throttle is the advance and return is wrong and the reason its getting worse is the new Ethnol fuel needs the correct advance more than the old fuels, seems like its the carbs but its not....sort that advance oh and fit electronic ignition and new plugs for +10% power and enjoy!
I always recognized that the Honda 750 is the undisputed original 4 cylinder superbike, but when I graduated high school in 1980, I ended up on different brand 750. 😞
IMO the best CB750 was the 1991-2003 Nighthawk. Electronic ignition, DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder, HYDRAULIC VALVE LIFTERS!, 77hp, spin on automotive-style external oil filter, 4 into 2 exhaust, cast alloy wheels. All that was 'missing' was fuel injection.
@@navscycles Ah yes, the classic feel of having to manually check/set valve lash on all of the intake/exhaust valves, the classic feel of having to mess with the points/condenser and set points gap and set timing with a timing light, the classic feel of having to adjust the cam chain tensioner, the classic feel of having less hp than the Nighthawk's 77. I could go on...
@@doughoffman9463 If you dont get it you dont get it. The nighthawk will perform better but they look like shit. The original cb750 sohc will only go up in value the nighthawk will be scraped
Wrong!!!! 1971-76 was. Newer does not mean better. The bike you're talking about first of all was ugly had no backup kick start and hydraulic lifters wore out requiring tearing down half the engine to replace them where on the old CB you could just adjust them old CB was superior to a bike you're talking about. Simpler is better!
My 1978 cb750K has 15,000 miles, original everything except the front brake master cylinder and braided line to front brake. I wanted MORE front brake, so a larger master cylinder and single line does it. Looks like brand new, even the side covers.
would be good to also put down what part of the world you are in . As prices vary for different parts of the world . as if this is a USA person . it would be different for Australia
Its been hyped to hell and back... If you want trouble free and fun canyon carving riding, get a 2nd hand sv650... same looks much more modern rims, frame and brakes.
There’s a reason why. Trouble free canyon riding isn’t the reason. The cb750 yes hyped up but it deserves it. Especially given most were destroyed over the years.
You really don't understand Classic bikes..... And that is ok. But your sv650, although a better bike in All ways and forms, will never have the same impact on the world wide motorcycle industry as the cb750 did in 1969. If you have the chance to ride a early 750, you would be amazed how good it still drives after all these years. Apart from the brakes, but that is in the time period.
I didn’t watch the video, but I will comment on the suggestive headline The CB 750 Honda was the dawn of reliable motorcycles that would last 100,000 miles with basic maintenance without leaking oil everywhere. You could make it to your destination without a breakdown. The only model I have ever heard of when I was a motorcycle mechanic at a Honda dealership was the 1977 CB 750 F. Suzuki had just introduced their four cylinder, 4 Stroke St. bikes which were better, faster, better handling than the Hondas, especially better than the Yamaha triple with its made of butter, second gear, and the Kawasaki 750 twin, don’t waste your money .. Yamaha also had the TX 750 twin, another machine, don’t waste your money. but the 1977 Honda, CB 752 valve single cam was not as fast as the suzuki. So Honda, without doing much development, installed a more aggressive camshaft with larger valves. The only problem was, the valve guides could not tolerate the larger valves and the more aggressive cam so they would drop valves unless the valve guides where are replaced under warranty.. other than that, that CB 750 Honda was the beginning of the end for British motorcycles. I never had a British motorcycle, but I have had a few Honda 750s, in fact, I had one of those 1977, CB 750 F models. I had to pull the engine and replace the valve guides before it would drop a valve. That was in 1977. I bought that bike new. It was my very first new motorcycle. I think I paid 2299 for it.. I was road racing motorcycles at that time, and the CB 750 was very common on the road race tracks in those days. They could be modified with what was called an 810 kit. That was the displacement that worked best with the valve area, the stock head had.. I rode one of these machines in a 24 hour race, four riders.. it never missed a beat.. they were reliable, and it’s direct competition when it first was introduced and 69 were the Kawasaki 500 cc triples. But everybody went for the Honda for a few hundred dollars more because everybody pretty quickly caught on to the fact that those Kawasaki triples were horrible handlers. It was not difficult to get into a tank slapper on those Kawasaki, triples.. I saw many of them at the road race tracks, at first, and they all wiggled when the Riderwood sit up to break for a corner at high speeds, they would all go into tank, slappers at the same point on the track. And to top it off, because of how wide the engine was on those Kawasaki triples, they did not survive, crashes very well. That’s why there are so few survivors of those Kawasaki, 507 50 triples, and that’s why they are so collectible and valuable today, few survivors.. One other little thing about the two strokes of those days, with the exception of suzuki. You needed to rebuild the crankshaft and replace the pistons in the two strokes because of their marginal lubrication, and because they were air cooled. The only two strokes that I knew that were capable of high mileage between bore jobs , this is suzuki, 500 twin two-stroke titan. Those things could go almost 50,000 miles on one set of pistons. Then the best two stroke of all for durability was the suzuki water, buffalo, two-stroke water cooled triple. They have been known to go over 100,000 miles on the original pistons with normal street riders.. those suzuki‘s did not have any ground clearance to be able to go to the race track, so there were very very few of them at the race tracks being raced.. as for the CB 752 valve single cam. The only problems I saw with those engines that could be common to all of them all the way up until they came out with the new version with four valves per cylinder double overhead cam in 1978 or 1979, if you adjusted your chain too tight, you could have output, shaft, bearing transmission problems. But that’s true of any motorcycle really. That’s not an engine problem, that’s an Operator problem
Holy shit I thought the idle on my 750c was not normal, but it sounds similar to your cb. If the idle is set lower than 1500rpm its super loud but when I bump it up to 1800rpm its smooth and doesnt sound like its knocking.
If you are going to buy a SOHC CB750, make sure it has the stock 4 pipe exhaust and stock seat. VERY few still have the stock 4 pipe exhaust, and IMO anyway, that is one of the most important parts of the bike. They look and sound completely different with the 4 pipe exhaust. Most of them have a 4 into 1 exhaust that looks and sounds like crap. Also make sure it still has the complete airbox and intake system. Very few things will kill a motor faster than pod air filters. And the original parts are impossible to find.
Thinking of getting the 750 Hondamatic that needs time tlc …I have the 400 Hondamatic…I’m a new rider..is it a big diff in terms of riding experience ?
The first Honda, CB750 Was just called CB750 Dream there was only 130 CB750 KO According to Honda Museum, Japan, them 136 bikes Was a Transition bike when they was using up all the old parts and mixed them with the new parts which would become the K1 To make it simple for the new parts book they started to call all the Early bikes K0 In America, If you think about it, it makes sense, because Honda did not think they was going to be making a K-1 at that time
Not bad, but a lot of your information comes from people who gave them pet names over the years. Example, this is what they were actually call at the time of release by Honda. 69: CB-750 70: CB-750K & CB-750K1 71: CB-750K1 72: CB-750K2 73: CB-750K3 74: CB-750K4 75: CB-750K5 76: CB-750K6, 77: CB750K7 2nd Generation 76: CB750F1, CB750A, 77: CB750F2, CB750A1 78: CB750K8, CB750F3, CB750A2. There was NEVER officially a K0! These are US models. They were different throughout the world. In Australia the K2 started in 1972 and went through until 1975, with no K3, K4 or K5! The Sandcast being faster and more powerful is a myth, they had exactly the same horse power as the others, just a different emission system. My favorite models are the K1 & K2.. I have almost completed a 3 year $40'000.00 Resto-Mod K2. It has an 1100cc BIG-BORE Engine. I've owned around 30 CB-750 Four's over the years, the one I've just built I've owned since my 17th Birthday in 1979. I have photos and videos if you are interested. Nice video and bikes. Cheers Southy
Yah I mean the k1 k2 and so on doesn’t really matter when buying them. Good to know about for sure tho. Thanks for adding your knowledge and thanks for watching! Also not sure if you were just adding that point of referencing the video about sand casting. I was referring to the motors being build faster not that they had more power.
@@FrancoM7747 I have seen some out there occasionally in the west coast. I have a handful of bikes that I am watching but I really don't need another one, they are defiantly out there. I wish you luck.
i just recently bought a cb750 custom off of my professor for $1500. It’s a 1981 and it’s all original, down to the pipes. i’m in love with
Just got one for a steal then. It needs a new front tire, the tank cleaned, and a battery, but it runs and drives based on a video of it (also with original pipes!)
Any advice as I get ready to go over it with a fine toothed comb?
hey brother, can you please tell me, from where did you bought the cb 750, it will be very help full
@@azazali3194this one kind of fell into my lap, but I’ve been looking on the east coast and mid-west for the best bikes
My first real bike was a Honda CB 750 K1. I bought it new for $1395 in high school right after I got my license. I ride it everywhere and put 37k trouble free miles on it the next three years before I traded it. My two buddies bought new 72 & 74 CB 750’s, but they could not match the sound and performance of my 71. IMO, the K1 is the best year for the CB750. I have been looking this past year for another one. Most are overpriced with missing pipes, parts, dented tanks and have been neglected for years and in need of serious restoration. Still looking, but in the mean-time I bought a one-owner 84 NightHawk for a reasonable price that looks and runs like new. I also ride a 22 GROM & a 22 R1. I’m not rich, but I’m 70 and answer to no one.
I love the Honda CB750 and plan to purchase one in retirement.
They are great bikes. I own one too many I think and am probably going to sell one.
My first bike was a '74 CB750 purchased some 30+ years ago. I do miss that bike!
That’s awesome. I would miss mine if I sold them as well.
@@navscycles I bought a K3 in 1976 and it was one of the most vile handling under braked gutless but GREAT looking and sounding road bike of all time.
All true, and especially important is what you said about carburetion and the air box. But one thing you omitted is the gearing. Earliest ones had 17,48 sprocket teeth, '70 to '76 K models had 18,48. The '75, '76 supersports went back to 17,48. The '77, '78 were a special case because they had #630 chain instead of #530, so fewer teeth. The '77-78 K models were 15,41, and the F2 models were 14,43. Those F2 models also had larger carburetors, intake snorkels, and intake valves. Hence could breath to higher rpm and had 9500 red line. For that to be possible, they also had stiffer valve springs.
I owned two K7's here in the UK. In my opinion the greatest motorcycle ever made (of it's time). Did you know that during the R & D of the engine Honda ran it on a test bed and red lined it for 20 hours non stop, not one blew up, absolutely bullet proof. Love these bikes but I just can't afford to buy one these days.
Perfect timing, there's a 1996 for sale in my neighborhood, I want to buy my first bike and I love these bike's sounds
A 96 would be a pretty different bike than the ones in the video
@@navscycles For the better or worse?
@@aaa84gt It depends who you ask. But they are good bikes just the things I said in this video really only apply to the gen 1 cb750 which is from 69-78. In 96 they were completely different bikes and I would look up nighthawk as thats what they were called and you'll get better more accurate information for the bike you are in search of.
I run two 1970 K0s a UK and a USA bike, Incredible bikes. The UK bike Ive had for 40 years got the US bike as a low miles cosmetic wreck but both engines healthily. Definitely run the stock air box. BIG BIG hint here....The advance retard springs WILL be tired after 30 to 40 years and weak so when you set the timing the advance will be WRONG use a timing light to see when the advance happens. You can bend the ends the springs back to get the advance and retard correct or buy new springs. The reason you cannot get a tickover and snappy throttle is the advance and return is wrong and the reason its getting worse is the new Ethnol fuel needs the correct advance more than the old fuels, seems like its the carbs but its not....sort that advance oh and fit electronic ignition and new plugs for +10% power and enjoy!
Great information. Always love to hear from other owners. Thanks for watching and sharing!
I always recognized that the Honda 750 is the undisputed original 4 cylinder superbike, but when I graduated high school in 1980, I ended up on different brand 750. 😞
IMO the best CB750 was the 1991-2003 Nighthawk. Electronic ignition, DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder, HYDRAULIC VALVE LIFTERS!, 77hp, spin on automotive-style external oil filter, 4 into 2 exhaust, cast alloy wheels. All that was 'missing' was fuel injection.
I can definitely see why you say that. For me these bikes give the classic feel that those don’t. Objectively the nighthawk definitely better.
@@navscycles Ah yes, the classic feel of having to manually check/set valve lash on all of the intake/exhaust valves, the classic feel of having to mess with the points/condenser and set points gap and set timing with a timing light, the classic feel of having to adjust the cam chain tensioner, the classic feel of having less hp than the Nighthawk's 77. I could go on...
@@doughoffman9463 If you dont get it you dont get it. The nighthawk will perform better but they look like shit. The original cb750 sohc will only go up in value the nighthawk will be scraped
They also had shaft drive.
Wrong!!!! 1971-76 was. Newer does not mean better. The bike you're talking about first of all was ugly had no backup kick start and hydraulic lifters wore out requiring tearing down half the engine to replace them where on the old CB you could just adjust them old CB was superior to a bike you're talking about.
Simpler is better!
Excellent content and presentation. Thanks!
great video. I owned a '78 Super Sport...I'm searching for one again!
I’d sell my 75 if you’d be interested
excellent info/video!
Very informative, thanks!
On my way to pick up a '77 750K. Thanks for the video!
My 1978 cb750K has 15,000 miles, original everything except the front brake master cylinder and braided line to front brake. I wanted MORE front brake, so a larger master cylinder and single line does it.
Looks like brand new, even the side covers.
would be good to also put down what part of the world you are in . As prices vary for different parts of the world . as if this is a USA person . it would be different for Australia
Just bought a 76 - 750 four super sport, looking forward to get more info from your Chanel, subbed . Thanks
Its been hyped to hell and back...
If you want trouble free and fun canyon carving riding, get a 2nd hand sv650... same looks much more modern rims, frame and brakes.
There’s a reason why. Trouble free canyon riding isn’t the reason. The cb750 yes hyped up but it deserves it. Especially given most were destroyed over the years.
You really don't understand Classic bikes.....
And that is ok. But your sv650, although a better bike in All ways and forms, will never have the same impact on the world wide motorcycle industry as the cb750 did in 1969.
If you have the chance to ride a early 750, you would be amazed how good it still drives after all these years. Apart from the brakes, but that is in the time period.
@@janzzen9095 very well said
I didn’t watch the video, but I will comment on the suggestive headline
The CB 750 Honda was the dawn of reliable motorcycles that would last 100,000 miles with basic maintenance without leaking oil everywhere. You could make it to your destination without a breakdown. The only model I have ever heard of when I was a motorcycle mechanic at a Honda dealership was the 1977 CB 750 F.
Suzuki had just introduced their four cylinder, 4 Stroke St. bikes which were better, faster, better handling than the Hondas, especially better than the Yamaha triple with its made of butter, second gear, and the Kawasaki 750 twin, don’t waste your money .. Yamaha also had the TX 750 twin, another machine, don’t waste your money.
but the 1977 Honda, CB 752 valve single cam was not as fast as the suzuki. So Honda, without doing much development, installed a more aggressive camshaft with larger valves. The only problem was, the valve guides could not tolerate the larger valves and the more aggressive cam so they would drop valves unless the valve guides where are replaced under warranty..
other than that, that CB 750 Honda was the beginning of the end for British motorcycles. I never had a British motorcycle, but I have had a few Honda 750s, in fact, I had one of those 1977, CB 750 F models. I had to pull the engine and replace the valve guides before it would drop a valve. That was in 1977. I bought that bike new. It was my very first new motorcycle. I think I paid 2299 for it..
I was road racing motorcycles at that time, and the CB 750 was very common on the road race tracks in those days. They could be modified with what was called an 810 kit. That was the displacement that worked best with the valve area, the stock head had.. I rode one of these machines in a 24 hour race, four riders.. it never missed a beat.. they were reliable, and it’s direct competition when it first was introduced and 69 were the Kawasaki 500 cc triples. But everybody went for the Honda for a few hundred dollars more because everybody pretty quickly caught on to the fact that those Kawasaki triples were horrible handlers. It was not difficult to get into a tank slapper on those Kawasaki, triples.. I saw many of them at the road race tracks, at first, and they all wiggled when the Riderwood sit up to break for a corner at high speeds, they would all go into tank, slappers at the same point on the track. And to top it off, because of how wide the engine was on those Kawasaki triples, they did not survive, crashes very well. That’s why there are so few survivors of those Kawasaki, 507 50 triples, and that’s why they are so collectible and valuable today, few survivors..
One other little thing about the two strokes of those days, with the exception of suzuki. You needed to rebuild the crankshaft and replace the pistons in the two strokes because of their marginal lubrication, and because they were air cooled. The only two strokes that I knew that were capable of high mileage between bore jobs , this is suzuki, 500 twin two-stroke titan. Those things could go almost 50,000 miles on one set of pistons. Then the best two stroke of all for durability was the suzuki water, buffalo, two-stroke water cooled triple. They have been known to go over 100,000 miles on the original pistons with normal street riders.. those suzuki‘s did not have any ground clearance to be able to go to the race track, so there were very very few of them at the race tracks being raced..
as for the CB 752 valve single cam. The only problems I saw with those engines that could be common to all of them all the way up until they came out with the new version with four valves per cylinder double overhead cam in 1978 or 1979, if you adjusted your chain too tight, you could have output, shaft, bearing transmission problems. But that’s true of any motorcycle really. That’s not an engine problem, that’s an Operator problem
Thanks for the upload. I learned a lot . You really seem to know CB750. It made me want to buy one🤔
Thanks for watching! You should buy one.
No mention of the 1969 CB 750E.?
I never hear of this model.
Built mine to, 836cc.
Holy shit I thought the idle on my 750c was not normal, but it sounds similar to your cb. If the idle is set lower than 1500rpm its super loud but when I bump it up to 1800rpm its smooth and doesnt sound like its knocking.
Sweet bikes man.
If you are going to buy a SOHC CB750, make sure it has the stock 4 pipe exhaust and stock seat. VERY few still have the stock 4 pipe exhaust, and IMO anyway, that is one of the most important parts of the bike. They look and sound completely different with the 4 pipe exhaust. Most of them have a 4 into 1 exhaust that looks and sounds like crap. Also make sure it still has the complete airbox and intake system. Very few things will kill a motor faster than pod air filters. And the original parts are impossible to find.
You can buy brand new exhaust. But yes oem airfilter is the way to go.
How to get one of these in india?
Thinking of getting the 750 Hondamatic that needs time tlc …I have the 400 Hondamatic…I’m a new rider..is it a big diff in terms of riding experience ?
Yes. The 750 is twice the bike.
The first Honda, CB750 Was just called CB750 Dream there was only 130 CB750 KO According to Honda Museum, Japan, them 136 bikes Was a Transition bike when they was using up all the old parts and mixed them with the new parts which would become the K1 To make it simple for the new parts book they started to call all the Early bikes K0 In America, If you think about it, it makes sense, because Honda did not think they was going to be making a K-1 at that time
The 1969 Honda cb750 has "cb750" on its papers.no other numbers or letters.
In the Netherlands called "cb750 niks" where niks means nothing.
How do you feel about the 1982 750SC Night hawks?
I think it’s a cool bike. I have a 81 I believe with the same dohc engine.
What is a good website to go to for parts/aftermarket parts?
The best I see is vintagecb750.com but I am yet to use them since I haven't needed anything until I tear into my bikes.
Not bad, but a lot of your information comes from people who gave them pet names over the years.
Example, this is what they were actually call at the time of release by Honda.
69: CB-750
70: CB-750K & CB-750K1
71: CB-750K1
72: CB-750K2
73: CB-750K3
74: CB-750K4
75: CB-750K5
76: CB-750K6,
77: CB750K7
2nd Generation
76: CB750F1, CB750A,
77: CB750F2, CB750A1
78: CB750K8, CB750F3, CB750A2.
There was NEVER officially a K0!
These are US models. They were different throughout the world.
In Australia the K2 started in 1972 and went through until 1975, with no K3, K4 or K5!
The Sandcast being faster and more powerful is a myth, they had exactly the same horse power as the others, just a different emission system.
My favorite models are the K1 & K2..
I have almost completed a 3 year $40'000.00 Resto-Mod K2. It has an 1100cc BIG-BORE Engine.
I've owned around 30 CB-750 Four's over the years, the one I've just built I've owned since my 17th Birthday in 1979.
I have photos and videos if you are interested.
Nice video and bikes.
Cheers
Southy
Yah I mean the k1 k2 and so on doesn’t really matter when buying them. Good to know about for sure tho. Thanks for adding your knowledge and thanks for watching!
Also not sure if you were just adding that point of referencing the video about sand casting. I was referring to the motors being build faster not that they had more power.
@@navscycles oh ok, there is a myth that those engines had more power.
I did not know that. But good to know that people think that and that it’s not true. Thanks
Great bikes maybe boring compared to others. Can't go wrong with any Honda.
Is the-cam chain tensioner still a problem on the motor ?
I believe that’s a second generation problem. Haven’t really heard of any major problems with it in the first gen.
rode one for years without a hitch or hiccup,,,
I know people who would take them cross country no problems ever.
Not looks Honda CB 750?
What?
If I could get one for under 5 figures 😐
Like I said in the video you can get a nice one for 3-6k easy.
@@navscycles Not that I've seen in AZ. Perhaps it requires expanding the search to across the country.
@@FrancoM7747 I have seen some out there occasionally in the west coast. I have a handful of bikes that I am watching but I really don't need another one, they are defiantly out there. I wish you luck.