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1978 CB750A, bringing it back..

wingedwheel

CB750 Enthusiast
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Location
Waterford, MI
Picked up a 1978 750A that has been sitting for 25yrs. PO put it away in '91 and it sat there ever since. He passed away last spring and his widow decided to clean out his garages. I was a little skeptical because of the automatic handle but after talking to a buddy that ran a bike shop for years and was a Honda specialist he assured me that they were good machines and they just didn't sell because people had the same mixed feelings that I did when i looked at it. She knew absolutely nothing about the bike so I decided to pick it up because the price was right and the engine was free. I did a 750 build some years ago and loved that bike. it was pretty dirty but it was all there and in decent shape so why not? Hondamatichome1.JPGHondamatichome2.JPG I started by removing the hideous bags and aftermarket fairing.fairingoff.JPGfairingoff2.JPG. Today I pulled the tank off and removed the spark plugs(quite the job after 25 yrs). I sprayed some oil into the cylinders to lube the rings up and I plan on trying to do a little everyday.
 

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They are just as reliable as the std bike just less power. They are dead consistent in drag racing, several of them out there.
 
dirtdigger, funny you should say that. the woman I bought it from showed me this pic of her late hub and my buddy actually knew him and said he was going to turn it into a drag bike before an accident made him put it away where it sat for 25 yrs, this was a pic of her late hub she showed me.Cricketdrag.JPG
 
Finally getting motivated, pulled the seat and contacted my seat guy to see what he would charge me to get rid of the Saddleman style and take it to a bench seat. I was a little intimidated at first but realized it was mainly because I couldn't see anything on the bike so I sat down and started whittling away at the parts that needed to come off and began to solve the mystery of what the bike needed. The solenoid had the battery cable cut and when I hooked up a jump charger to it to see what it would do I immediately heard a "clicking" when I turned the key on.solenoid1.JPGNot sure what was going on but I'm pretty sure I have an electrical problem because I also found this.fusebox.JPG I also pulled the airboxes and carbs. They stunk pretty bad of old gas and varnish. The linkage is also froze up so that goes on the job list of things that absolutely have to be gone through totally.carbs1.JPG. I also saw this button.pbrake.JPG Can anyone tell me if it's what I think it is? Was the Hondamatic the only model with a parking brake?
 
Yes it is a park brake. Keeps the rear brake applied so if you park on a hill it wont role. Its an automatic so if you put it in gear it would still role because of the torque converter...no direct link to motor to keep it from rolling.
 
Thanks dirtdigger. I noticed it goes to the brake unit mounted on the lower right side. I'm still learning the ends and outs about this bike and appreciate any information. My Clymer manual is not the easiest thing to understand and sometimes seems a little incomplete.
 
Clymer and Haynes manuals are the worst ones on the market, many errors and inaccurate information. Get a factory Honda manual, well worth the money. You can find them online to download but I prefer factory paper manuals setting on my benches.
 
Any questions dont be afraid to ask, I dont have much experience with the auto but the basic engine is the same as the std 750.
 
Used my TOR browser and found a complete factory manual to download. Couldn't get there with my regular browser but found it on the deep web. What a difference, it shows everything, even the correct way to route the wiring and cables. This should make things a lot easier!
 
Found a set of cab kits for $50 from a seller on Ebay that I've used before. Ordered the kits from Japan, now if I could find a decent price on the accelerator pump diaphragm. That little dude is not cheap either. I found a pic of my 750 that I built back in the '80's. That engine was a '69 and bullet-proof.hondachopper.jpg
 
Thanks dd, I'm ordering one tonight. I did a pretty thorough search(or so I thought) and didn't see these. Now my only issue will be getting that linkage freed up.
 
Next issue, I'm trying to get the brake mechanism apart. Can anyone tell me if part #3 the rear brake joint is supposed to just pull off the shaft? If so mine is really stuck on there.brakediagram.JPG
 
Hard to tell what slips and what rachets there at some parts, looks like it just slips off the spline but if racheted up on the other half of it, it will not, the rachet has to be backed off in some way to let it come loose. If all rusted together it will be fits doing that, the rachet balls could be all seized up.

You might try messing with the rachet lever to see if it loosens using that or unbolt the rachet base off the brake plate to see if the whole thing comes off. Or unhook any springs and lightly drive the brake axle spindle backwards out of the plate.
 
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