1st road trip on cb750f

[Rockwork]

Hey friends, please provide counsel to prepare for my first road trip on my 1978 cb750f. The trip will be 450 mi from NYC to Lynchburg, VA, and back again, at the beginning of May. My bike's running great, but what checks and maintenance should I perform ahead of time?

Also, I've been comfortable with the wind cruising at 50 - 55 mph, but wondering if I should install a windshield to sustain riding at higher speeds for this trip. Any suggestions?

Thanks.

[TOOLS1]

Toothbrush, and change of underwear, and you should be good to go. Just watch out for those hillbillies in VA.
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[shinyribs]

Get a small can of chain lube to carry. And if you ride with a helmet that has a visor,get some cleaning cloths for that. Walmart sell little alcohol pads in the area for the diabetes suppply that are meant for swabbing an area clean before injections. They are individually wrapped and a box of 100 is like... a dollar,I think?

I'm 45 minutes from Lynchburg.

[sgtslag]

Lemon Pledge is fantastic as a cleaner, with a microfiber cloth:  safe for all surfaces, however, it will remove wax, as well as bugs!   Use it on my bike, all over, when touring -- never tour without it.

With regards to a windshield...  For touring (riding 4+ hours each day), it will relieve you from the 55-70 MPH wind pushing on your chest while you ride.  This wind will tire you out, the more so the longer you ride.  Back in the 70's, Craig Vetter made millions of dollars selling his iconic Windjammer fairings -- for very good reasons!  The Windjammer will keep the wind off of you; it is attached to the bike's frame, as opposed to your handlebars, so the wind will have to push against the entire weight of the bike + rider; with handlebar mounted windshields, the wind will twist your forks, and you will have to use arm strength to fight it -- it saps your strength if you ride in windy conditions for very long.  A Windjammer will create a cocoon of fairly still air for the driver -- both good, and bad:  you won't be hit with wind, or rain, or bugs/debris; you won't get much cooling air on hot days, either -- the pop-out vents help, a little.  With a Windjammer (windshield, to a much lesser extent), you can ride longer/farther, as you won't be fighting the wind, and you will be very well protected.

If you plan on touring on a regular basis, a Windjammer would be a great investment.  They are not easy, or quick, to mount/dismount, though.  They are meant to be permanent.  They are thought to be "ugly", by most modern riders, but after riding with one for a long trip, your attitude will likely change.  Lowers, which covered the shins, are rare as hen's teeth for the CB750's, but GoldWing model Lowers can be adapted/cut to fit (that's what I did, loved them!).

Run SeaFoam through the gas tank before/during the trip:  it will absorb any water in the fuel system; it will scrub/dissolve any small varnish deposits within the fuel system; it's a good preventative maintenance item.  Make sure your tires have plenty of tread depth, no cracks, no rotting.  Check the bike for any maintenance items which might hit the needed mileage during the trip, and do them before you leave:  air filter, check/replace any fluids which are old (engine oil, fork fluid, brake fluid).  How old are your light bulbs?  Check/replace any that are old, look like they are dimming/dimmer than others (sign they are near their end-of-life).  Make sure the carbs are balanced, as this affects mileage, and more.

Load up your bike with all of your gear, and take it for a test run, to ensure it is balanced, and not too top-heavy, the way you loaded it.  This is very important, as the bike will become unbalanced, and difficult to handle, if you get it top-heavy.

Make sure you have proper gear:  rain suit (Frog Toggs are great, IMO); layers of clothing to allow you to be comfortable in weather from the 50's to the 80's; a good, waterproof, armored/vented jacket (even the $70 jackets are quite effective protection in a low-side); good leather bike gloves; good boots; chaps are fantastic protection, at an affordable price ($70+).  Apply Mink Oil to any leather, prior to departure:  it will soften the leather, as well as make it waterproof, but it will still breathe -- silicone sprays will repel water, but the leather will never breathe properly, again.

If you don't wear earplugs, get some foamies (30+ dB is best), and try riding with them.  Wind noise, alone, at 55 MPH, will cause permanent hearing loss.  For long trips, custom ear plugs can be worn for 4+ hours without hurting; foamies will begin to ache after 2 or 3 hours, typically.  Custom ear plugs can take weeks to arrive, after the castings are made, so plan accordingly.  Cheers!

[Beekeeper]

I would recommend you bring several layers of clothing, even if you don't immediately need them.  I've made the ride from Salt Lake to Vegas several times.  The last time, I went down in shirtsleeve weather.  Three days later, came back and hit rain.  3 hours from home, changed to snow.  Empty gut and a cold wet butt is no way to enjoy a ride.

[sgtslag]

By the way, my wife and I circled Lake Superior, 1,935 miles, in 2009, on our '79 K model, two-up.  Bike ran flawlessly.  It was our first serious tour, nine days.  We've taken many tour trips since, but that one is at the top of our list of the great's.  Your bike, if well maintained, can handle the trip without issue.  A 750 is more than big enough to tour on, especially one-up.

To really transform your ride, and turn it into a modern ride, upgrade the Fork Springs, and the Rear Shocks, with Progressive brand parts.  This is not just a comfort upgrade, it will improve the handling as well.  This will give it dual-rate springs, which will help the wheels track the road surface much better, as well as providing a big comfort improvement to the rider/passenger.  Get the Standard Duty Springs, for the rear shocks, though, as the Heavy Duty Springs, are v-e-r-y strong, and pretty much overkill, even two-up, with full saddlebags, and trunk!  Did it on our K model (w. Heavy Duty Springs...), and the difference in handling was amazing.  Cheers!

[Rockwork]

What a great check list, Sarge. Thank you. Gives me a long to-do list for the next few weeks.

Are there alternatives to the Windjammer that mount to the frame, but aren't so permanent? I will seriously look for options.

Motorcycle Superstore has Progressive fork springs, that fit the cb750. Sounds like a good idea, since mine have likely never been changed.

I've not checked/changed valve clearance before and I've not seen it mentioned here before. Is this recommended?

Thanks for the input everybody.

[sgtslag]

About the only frame-mount fairing, which I would recommend, is a Vetter.  There were knock-off's made, which even recommended using Vetter mounting brackets(!), but they are generally of lesser quality.  The only modern windshields I've seen, are fork mounted.

Vetter Windjammers can be found on Craigslist, typically.  Mounting brackets were designed for each specific bike model, and year, as the front ends changed frequently.  If you have the skills, you could construct your own bracket (I don't, so I had to find them).  Another source, is e-Bay, but shipping will kill your wallet, as they are quite large; replacement windshields are still available, by the way, as are pop vents, but order a new shield, with the holes -- I broke one trying to cut holes into it...  The fairings are universal fit for the brackets, as only the bracket changed for each bike.  Check local bike junkyards, as they often have Vetters for sale, too.

Don't forget to adjust your rear shocks' spring tension, after you load it.  Ideally, you want to be sitting on the bike, and have a friend help you ensure it is adjusted properly:  should sit in the middle of travel range, to allow max. up/down motion, to keep your wheels in contact with the roadway, as much as possible.

The prep work will help take your mind off of the bike, so that you can enjoy the ride.  It really makes a difference, mentally, when you know that everything has been done to get the bike ready.  Cheers!

[TOOLS1]

Here I just put 4 Vetter farings out on the curb. Took 4 days for someone to finely haul them off. Back when Vetter was selling the crap out of these things, the speed limit was 55 mph. At that speed  a CB 750 could push these big sails through the wind, but at today's speed limits of 70 mph a CB 750 is pulling it's guts out trying to push that big sail along. If you do not want the wind on you, I would suggest a bigger bike like a Gold Wing that has the power to push a big sail through the air at 70 mph.
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[Rockwork]

Sarge, just installed the progressive fork springs -- what an incredible difference it makes! Lowering my tire pressure to around 30 PSI might also be part of the difference. I'll probably look into replacing the shocks with progressives as well after I return from my trip. Thank you for the advice.

[sgtslag]

Congratulations!  Ride safe, and be sure to stop and smell the roses...  Touring is all about taking the time to take in all the surroundings.  Cheers!