MISTY MOUNTAIN HOP
I bought Classic Bike for the first time yesterday – the same day I took the first tentative steps to restoring my 1970 CB750 K0. After getting home, I opened the mag at the page with an article on this classic model – it must be a sign! I bought mine in 1975 and rode it everywhere, including to several endurance races. On the Col d’aubisque in the Pyrenees, I bumped into another CB750 (see photo on the right). Both of our bikes had crash bars, which were very popular at the time. His chain had broken and smashed the crankcases, so he’d filled the hole by welding the crankcases together!
My bike needed a rebuild in 1976 to remove a stuck spark plug and fit a helicoil to the head. I powder-coated the frame and did every nut and bolt, ruining a kitchen table in the process. I learned that it’s best to degrease the engine before you bring it into the house. It served me faithfully through tricky times, and I last rode it in 1979. For 40 years it has been patiently waiting for some TLC. If I ever finish it, it won’t be polished to better-than-new. It will be as I rode it back in the day – rear carrier, crash bars, Motad exhaust, rear mudflap, front numberplate, and full chain case (which worked really well, removing the need to lube or adjust the chain). David Robertshaw