I want to put spoked wheels on my 1979 CB750L what are my best options? I’ve seen new custom sets online that are super expensive. It’s really hard to find a set of used wheels with the hubs and everything else I need. Can’t find them anywhere. What should I do?
Best options for spoke wheels on 79 cb750?
- Thread starter EMM
- Start date
SenseAmidMadness
CB750 Addict
Call a motorcycle junkyard and see if they've got any 1980-82 CB750K's with complete wheels, and be prepared to make them look pretty. Trawl Ebay too and set up search alerts for when new listings pop up.
Or you find the bare hubs (Ebay or junkyards again) and build up the wheels yourself because VintageCB750 sells new OEM rims and replacement cad-plated spokes.
It took me a while to find a solution for my own 1980 K's rusty rear rim. I ended up nabbing a used rear wheel from a 1981 on Ebay the same day it was listed and rebuilt it myself with new spokes. I went from a 17 inch with a ton of flaked chrome to an 18 inch with almost all its chrome intact.
Wheelbuilding isn't a dark art, but it is tedious and requires plenty of patience.
Or you find the bare hubs (Ebay or junkyards again) and build up the wheels yourself because VintageCB750 sells new OEM rims and replacement cad-plated spokes.
It took me a while to find a solution for my own 1980 K's rusty rear rim. I ended up nabbing a used rear wheel from a 1981 on Ebay the same day it was listed and rebuilt it myself with new spokes. I went from a 17 inch with a ton of flaked chrome to an 18 inch with almost all its chrome intact.
Wheelbuilding isn't a dark art, but it is tedious and requires plenty of patience.
deeveeance
CB750 Enthusiast
Not to hijack, but I've heard that these wheels are also a direct swap for the '82 CB750C (Custom), and other bikes in that model year range. This true? If so, I have some options instead of the stars I've got.
I’ve thought about building the wheels myself. I don’t have the necessary equipment to true them myself. But I’ve seen that it’s not too expensive to have it done at a shop.
I WISH I could just get lucky and find an eBay listing for a set of them. Back in March or this year, I saw a listing for just what I needed and I didn’t have the money to buy them before they sold out. So I guess I’ll just keep scouring the web until something pops up
I WISH I could just get lucky and find an eBay listing for a set of them. Back in March or this year, I saw a listing for just what I needed and I didn’t have the money to buy them before they sold out. So I guess I’ll just keep scouring the web until something pops up
SenseAmidMadness
CB750 Addict
Truing your wheels can be done on the bike's own axles with cheap spoke wrenches if you want to spend as little as possible. Secure it on the center stand, make sure your chosen wheel is in the air, secure the bike (and steering head if doing the front wheel) in that spot, and attach a zip tie to a part near the rim pointing close to it -- and you have a "truing stand". You have to pop off the drive chain for the rear but it's not like wheel balancing where you need lower friction than the wheel bearings provide. You just have to be able to spin the wheel by hand to see the runout.
I have a dial indicator but I didn't use it until after I had trued the new wheel entirely by eye using a similar method. Just with my eyes and patience and cheap spoke wrenches from VintageCB750, I got my newly-built wheel to within .6mm of axial runout and .9mm of lateral runout. Spec is 2mm for each dimension. It surprised me how easy it was.
Ebay's search alerts have helped me find stuff I wanted pretty fast after it got listed.
I have a dial indicator but I didn't use it until after I had trued the new wheel entirely by eye using a similar method. Just with my eyes and patience and cheap spoke wrenches from VintageCB750, I got my newly-built wheel to within .6mm of axial runout and .9mm of lateral runout. Spec is 2mm for each dimension. It surprised me how easy it was.
Ebay's search alerts have helped me find stuff I wanted pretty fast after it got listed.
How much rebuild are we talking? And what are you asking for them?