New guy checking in

Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2008 7:39 pm

Howdy, howdy, howdy.

Some details about me... I'm a 34-year-old IT lackey trying to move up the corporate ladder. I've been bouncing around from one project to another (the bane of the IT world, it seems) after being laid off from my job at Ford last year, and am currently working for a small local company who's logo you probably see every time you fill up for gas. The company is growing and we may be moving up to bigger and better things.

I found your forum after searching for technical information on my 1981 CB750 Custom. I didn't realize these bikes were only available for a couple of years... I feel like I bought a DeSoto. Laughing

Found the bike on-line at a small dealership 250 miles from my home. Less than 20,000 miles on the odometer and a shiny new gas tank for under a grand. My previous bikes have all managed to be garage-kept mints... guess I'm just lucky. Bought a street-legal Honda XL250 while I was in high school, which lasted for a few summers until it had been run into enough rocks and trees to be rendered worthless.

My last motorcycle was a 1984 Honda Shadow 700 that had been immaculately stored with only 10,000 miles on it when I bought it ten years later. It was like driving a brand new motorcycle -- shaft drive is a beautiful thing on a bike. I never had a single problem with it until somebody decided to run a red light and smashed into me. I got lucky... a couple broken fingers and a quick trip over the car to the pavement on the other side. Thank God it was only a Ford Festiva.

So, in between full-time work and school, I am slowly getting this Custom back in shape. It had been sitting since last June without any storage and needs a lot of little things. It runs, but the carbs are all out of whack and the idle and pilot screws are all wrong. Give it a little gas, and it runs up to 3,000+ RMP before coming back down to idle. The brake calipers are rusted shut and need to be replaced, and some of the wiring had been cut into by the PO. Other than that, everything seems to be okay. All the lights work, with the exception of the left-side blinkers and the rear tail light (brake light works fine. go figure).

- Chris

Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2008 7:42 pm

A couple pictures. Never mind the raggedy seat.

I like the fairing. I think I may keep it.

Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2008 8:18 pm

Welcome to the site. Very Happy

Nice looking ride you have there.

Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2008 8:25 pm

I like the fairing too, what is it? I'm in the market for one

Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2008 8:28 pm

Welcome to the site Chris ... Smile

Nice lookin' bike Smile

The pilot screws should be set at 2.5 - 3.5 turns from seat .

The red running lights on your case savers may be the problem on your blinkers or possibly the switch being dirty .

There is a connection under the seat for the rear lighting . Make sure it and all others are clean and making good contact . Have you tried a different 1157 bulb ?

Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2008 8:48 pm

Welcome aboard. Cool bike.

Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2008 8:57 pm

I have no idea what kind of fairing that is. It came with the bike... I might be able to get a part number for you.

There's a pair of green wires that are unplugged under the seat. I'm assuming those are the ones that go to the tail and left signal lights. I'm a little wary about plugging them back in until I can do a circuit test because the PO cut into that circuit to attach all those lights. I haven't checked the bulbs yet.

I'm not sure where those two green wires go... I haven't found anything for them to connect to.

Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2008 9:09 pm

Welcome! Those green wires are the ground and should be hooked up.

Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2008 9:18 pm

That looks like a Maier Sport Faring. I found it at JC Whitney.

Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2008 9:19 pm

Okay... I'll have to find out where they're supposed to go.

Thanks for the welcome everyone.

Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2008 9:20 pm

stan wrote:

That looks like a Maier Sport Faring. I found it at JC Whitney.

I think you got it. Very Happy

That last owner sure was a jeanyus. But the fairing does look nice.

Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2008 11:27 pm

One thing I found that I'd like to share. I didn't find it here, but my master cylinder has a plastic fluid level window that had rotted away. I found a same-sized watch crystal (17mm x 2mm) that I was able to seal with JB Weld.

I'm glad I took the master cylinder to the jeweler. I had to have the watch crystal sanded down to fit. For ten bucks, it was a great tip.

Posted: Mon Sep 15, 2008 11:36 am

KayakTN wrote:

One thing I found that I'd like to share. I didn't find it here, but my master cylinder has a plastic fluid level window that had rotted away. I found a same-sized watch crystal (17mm x 2mm) that I was able to seal with JB Weld.

I'm glad I took the master cylinder to the jeweler. I had to have the watch crystal sanded down to fit. For ten bucks, it was a great tip.

Whodda thunk a jeweler could ever help a MC ... LOL

This might help you finger out that wiring thing :

http://cb750c.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=3631

Posted: Mon Sep 15, 2008 5:56 pm

nice bike, welcome the site

Posted: Mon Sep 15, 2008 6:42 pm

Welcome aboard! Nice ride, I wasn't aware that the 750 came with dual front brakes.

Posted: Mon Sep 15, 2008 7:05 pm

Thanks for the wiring diagram.

I am in a quandry. Both front calipers are shot... the pistons are rotten with rust and the bleeder valves are destroyed. There's no way I can use them and they will have to be replaced. I e-mailed a junkyard that has a pair of '80 750C calipers for sale but they have not called me back. I found two other sets on eBay for the same price.

The eBay sets are from a 1980 750F and a 1980 900C and both include hangers. Will either of these fit my '81 750C?

Posted: Mon Sep 15, 2008 7:30 pm

1980 750c had 1 caliper set up

yes they should fit

Posted: Mon Sep 15, 2008 8:06 pm

Thank you. I searched and searched but couldn't find a diret answer.

I just paid the man for the 750F set. Here's the link to the other pair: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Honda-CB900-Custom-CB900C-Used-Front-Brake-Calipers-BX_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ35581QQihZ005QQitemZ150291639291QQtcZphoto

Posted: Thu Sep 18, 2008 5:23 pm

pd750 wrote:

Welcome to the site Chris ... Smile

The pilot screws should be set at 2.5 - 3.5 turns from seat .

That. Worked. Perfectly.

Now I get smooth, even throttle and don't have to mess with the choke.

Posted: Thu Sep 18, 2008 8:16 pm