Drem - Honda CB750F Restomod

Not Because it is Easy

My 1978 Honda CB750 Supersport has probably enjoyed hundreds of hours of attention over the past few years. In return, it rewarded me with thousands (5,000 to be exact) of miles this past summer in a once-in-a-lifetime trek from Atlanta, GA to Seattle, WA. But the road to Seattle was not easy, either before or during the trip. Nor was it supposed to be.

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Much of this project was run-of-the-mill motorcycle maintenance. No engineering education required. But in keeping with the theme of using a 40+ year old bike as a cross country tourer, I elected at several points to inject some unnecessary difficulty, in the form of high-powered over-engineered concepts into the project. The speedometer mount was CNC'd out of aluminum on a 3 axis Emgo mill. That is, after mockups were 3D printed and revised several times. The 3D printer did more work with the ignition switch mount, which was relocated when the GPS driven speedo went in. Mounts and braces for a luggage rack were cut on an OMAX waterjet. The wiring was pulled out and a simplified harness was designed, installed, waterproofed, and wrapped in durable 'snakeskin' wrap. 

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 In addition, not including the first year of ownership, the tasks required to restore the bike to cross-country-worthy condition included:

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• An Engine Rebuild - Top and Bottom End

• A brand new exhaust system to replace the old rusted unit

• Re-jetted carburetors to accompany the new exhaust

• The GPS Speedometer

• The

  re-vamped wiring harness, simplified and protected with modern electrical components

• Custom-made luggage racks for side and top bags

• Electronic ignition to replace to old points

• Countless new components to replace failing old ones (ignition coils, tail lights, headlights, turn signals, switches, fuse box, etc)

• And of course, a fresh coat of paint.

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All things considered, I won't reccomend the CB750 as a top contender for a trip of this nature. That is, unless you're willing to know the work that will be required to pull it off, willing to fail and continue to persist, willing to learn without stopping, and willing to sit back with pride when it's done, knowing that you did something that wasn't easy, but was rewarding nonetheless.

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