Restoring a 50 year old Honda motorcycle

[ralton]

I was wondering where / how I could go about finding someone to restore an old motorcycle for me?
(for a fee of course)

[Dirk]

Start here for a good referral maybe.
https://www.4x4community.co.za/forum...73324-ghouwens

[ralton]

Start here for a good referral maybe.
https://www.4x4community.co.za/forum...73324-ghouwens

Cool, thanks Dirk

[AfriqueDS]

I was wondering where / how I could go about finding someone to restore an old motorcycle for me?
(for a fee of course)

I know of a few guys who might help.
What Honda is it and how complete is it.
Show some pics

[mygoggie]

I was wondering where / how I could go about finding someone to restore an old motorcycle for me?
(for a fee of course)

@ralton pls PM me your details.

[ralton]

Honda 750 Four:

[Dirk]

If you need mechanical work done then I can recommend Chad from CB Motorcycles in Framesby.

[mygoggie]

Honda 750 Four:

Very nice old lady!

She is going to require a lot of work. I am still busy with my 1975 Goldwing so I guess I know what I am talking about.

I got your PM. Will chat to you.

[Dirk]

Very nice old lady!

She is going to require a lot of work. I am still busy with my 1975 Goldwing so I guess I know what I am talking about.

Don't brag show some photos!

[DouglasN]

That looks like the CB750C, I had one for a while like in the pic below

[Imvubu]

I had the exact same bike, more years ago than I'd like to admit.

That looks like the CB750C, I had one for a while like in the pic below

[ralton]

That looks like the CB750C, I had one for a while like in the pic below

So am i correct in assuming the 750C is not a 70's SOHC but rather an early 80's DOHC?

[ghouwens]

I don't want to dishearten you or 'rain on your parade', but quite honestly, if you want someone who works on bikes for a living to do your restoration, you better have a healthy bank balance.

Personally, I wouldn't touch it for a number of reasons.

1. Availability of parts. I currently have 2 bikes in my workshop that have been standing here for months waiting for parts. And these are bikes that are current, with so called "over the counter" parts. Many of the older bikes no longer have parts available, so you may have to resort to 2nd hand parts, and unfortunately you don't always get what you expected or what was advertised.

2. Time. When I do a restoration, it is exactly that, restored. I do not take shortcuts and the bike will be better than new when it is done. The bike will be completely stripped (and I mean COMPLETELY) and rebuilt from the ground up. Since time is money ... well the old adage applies - "I don't have the time, and you don't have the money" A proper restoration can easily take a year to complete, if you spend 100% of your time on it and throw buckets of money at it. My Triumph GT6 MKIII took me 4 days short of 5 years to complete, and that was working on it EVERY weekend and virtually every week evening after work.

Someone recently begged me to restore a 1977 BMW R100RS. Eventually I relented and said "Fine, I will do it. Drop the bike off tomorrow with R100k cash and I will start on it. When the R100k is finished, I will give you a call and you can bring another R100k." For some strange reason he never brought the bike.

My advice to you would be to consider this a project, your own personal one. Get a decent service/repair manual and do it yourself. Yes, it may take longer, but you will have the benefit of knowing the bike inside out, of having a bike that you restored yourself and can be proud of. You will also have saved yourself a bucket of money! I can refer you to people that can do things like painting, upholstery, powder coating, etc, etc.

However, do not think for one moment that running and older bike like that is cheap. On the contrary, it will be more expensive to run than a much newer/current bike. I have a notice on the board in my workshop. "OLD - CHEAP - RELIABLE, choose any 2" If you are wanting a bike to run around on, this is not it. Even for the odd outing/breakfast run out of town, make sure you have someone on standby to collect you.

[Alansut]

On facebook take a look at Classic Honda South Africa

[AfriqueDS]

I agree with GHouwens.
It would be Hellishly expensive. That Honda is also not really a sought after classic. certain bikes are worth a lot of money so worth restoring. I dont think this one is.
Do it yourself - even if it takes years to complete.

[Skylark]

The bike still looks fairly decent and complete, just give it a thorough detailing and it'll look eons better, if not amazing.

On the mechanical side I wouldn't bother taking it too far, as others mentioned spares are a nightmare to find and hellish expensive. If it currently runs decently then do any outstanding service maintenance and leave it at that.

Then if you actually are wanting a bike to ride sell it for what will no doubt be a fairly decent amount to a collector and buy something more modern and cheaper to maintain.

[DouglasN]

So am i correct in assuming the 750C is not a 70's SOHC but rather an early 80's DOHC?

if I remember correctly the 750C had the same base chassis and engine as the CB750F and came out in 1980. The front end was changed and it weighed a bit more. Engine was definitely a DOHC.

had a closer look at your engine, not nearly the same.

[Vuurmaker]

Ralton

Good luck with your rebuild

As many said, diy is possibly the way to go, depending on how much you are willing to spend and what you need to do to the bike

Sadly many cowboy "mechanics" in PE, beware

Give us a list of what you need done and can possibly direct you in a direction

For interest sake picture below of me and Swambo with my son taken around 1996 coming back from the Springbok Rally on my Boet's 750k

My Boet is slowly refurbing the bike after its been standing since around 2002

[ralton]

... interest sake picture below of me and Swambo with my son taken around 1996 coming back from the Springbok Rally ...

Springbok '96... That was De Hoek yes? the memory is so faded...

[Vuurmaker]

De Hoek for sure, freezing cold in September..... luckilly we had OB's for anti freeze