First steps for my new bike and introduction!

[ETFerguson]

Hi everyone , I've been lurking for awhile and I've gotta say that there are some inspirational builds on here. My name is Elliot but many call me "ET." I'm new(ish) to the mechanical side of bikes as I've only really ridden dirt bikes in the past. My most recent purchase is of a very clean 1982 CB750k, a bike I'm sure you're all familiar with.


I have a couple questions to get me started:

- I'm not very tall at 5' 7" and right now I'm on the balls of my feet riding. I want to bring her down 2-3 inches if possible and I'm planning on lowering the front end 1" over the winter but just want to get it ride-able for now. My plan was to either buy shorter rear shocks or shave the huuuge seat down to be cost-efficient as I'm buying a new one over the winter as well. What length of shock can I get away with in the back and not bottom out? I think the shocks I have now are about 13" or so but I'll have to double check once I pick the bike up in a few days. I've been searching online to find the exact size but I'm having trouble.
- Is shaving the seat down with say a saw blade like I've seen on "Screwtube" the best idea? I'm pretty handy but it just seems too simple: remove staples from seat cover, shave the foam down 2", replace cover, staple and remove excess leather?

Any help is appreciated, I'm not new to the forum scene so believe me I've searched through alot of threads on here looking for my specific answers but haven't found the specifics I'm looking for so bear with me

[ETFerguson]

Oh sorry and I was also wondering what style of bars these were? I very much like this as a compromise between clip-ons and regular stock bars as they are a little more user friendly than clip-ons or clubmans it looks like.


Thanks!

[TOOLS1]

Love the "Punisher" Skull on the tank!!!!!
Those are Superbike bars on your bike. For lowering your bike, shorter shocks would be the most comfortable way to do it, and you would not butcher up a good seat. You can get "shorty" shocks, they are usually 11" long. Or just look around for shocks off a smaller Honda, like a CB 450/350. They are a little shorter. Another way would be to weld tabs onto the swingarm a few inches to the rear. I have done this on a few bikes, and it works nicely. For the front, you can just loosen the triple trees, and let them slide down on the fork tubes an inch, or two. However I have a writeup on shortening forks in the tips, and tricks section.
TOOLS  

[ETFerguson]

Thanks Tools! I'm glad you replied as there are some great tips from you on here. The shorty shocks are an option, it'll just suck having to be on my tip toes for a couple weeks until they get delivered.  I'm going to pull the seat off and just have a look. I'm going to get a new seat anyways so I don't mind if I do a half assed job of shaving some height off of it. 

So would the 11" shocks be ok on my bike and not let me bottom out? I may have a passenger on the bike in the future but I only weigh 160 pounds myself so maybe it would be okay. I don't want to spend money on a fix if I'll have to redo another time. 

By sliding the forks down, do you mean like the tutorials on taking them apart, cutting the springs and inserting spacers then reassembling them? Or is this an easier way you're talking about?

Thanks again!

Sent from my iPhone

On May 21, 2014, at 12:02 AM, "TOOLS1 [via Honda CB750'S]" <[hidden email]> wrote:

Love the "Punisher" Skull on the tank!!!!!
Those are Superbike bars on your bike. For lowering your bike, shorter shocks would be the most comfortable way to do it, and you would not butcher up a good seat. You can get "shorty" shocks, they are usually 11" long. Or just look around for shocks off a smaller Honda, like a CB 450/350. They are a little shorter. Another way would be to weld tabs onto the swingarm a few inches to the rear. I have done this on a few bikes, and it works nicely. For the front, you can just loosen the triple trees, and let them slide down on the fork tubes an inch, or two. However I have a writeup on shortening forks in the tips, and tricks section.
TOOLS  

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NAML

[TOOLS1]

The Shorty shocks should not bottom out. People have been using them for decades, so they must be working. As for shaving the seat, nothing like riding/sitting on thin foam over a hard steel pan. Just sliding the fork tubes up in the triple trees does not require disassembling the front end. However the down side to doing it this way is that if the front end does bottom out, the front fender could come up, and hit the bottom of the triple tree.
TOOLS  

[ETFerguson]

Okay well I will definitely pick up the shocks then on the net! are there any specific ones out there you can think of that are decently prices and of some quality? I've found several and seen several on the board here but no mention of brands really. There are some without a brand description on ebay in black and gold for like $70-$80 I think. 

I'll try the fork adjustment this weekend and leave the seat for now. Looking at my bike in that picture it seems I have quite a bit of room between the fender and the bottom of the triple tree so I hope I'm not being naive in thinking two inches will not make a difference. I've seen some bikes with way smaller gaps than mine riding in my city which is full of ba roads :D

On Wednesday, May 21, 2014, TOOLS1 [via Honda CB750'S] <[hidden email]> wrote:

The Shorty shocks should not bottom out. People have been using them for decades, so they must be working. As for shaving the seat, nothing like riding/sitting on thin foam over a hard steel pan. Just sliding the fork tubes up in the triple trees does not require disassembling the front end. However the down side to doing it this way is that if the front end does bottom out, the front fender could come up, and hit the bottom of the triple tree.
TOOLS  

Life is not about the number of breaths, you take, but the moments that take your breath away.
I don't have an anger problem. I have an idiot problem. Hank Hill
Never confuse education for intelligence.
Happiness is a belt fed weapon.
I just can't imagine what could go wrong.
No fire? No explosions? So whats the point of your story?
Those who are too smart to engage in politics are punished by being governed by those who are dumber. ~Plato
It couldn't be done, but the darn fool didn't know it, and did it anyway.
We all got problems. Ksharp
I like vintage bikes because they take me away from the clutter of technology that I work with everyday and back to a simpler time of mechanical elegance and simplicity.. "ninadm"

1976 CB 750-A X 2
1977 CB 750-A X 2
1977 CB 750-K X 2
1976 CB 750 F
1981 CB 750
1966 Kawasaki SG 250
1981 KZ 750 LTD
1973 CB 350
1979 CM 185 Twinstar
1982 Honda XL 80
South of Eden (Kansas City MO)

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[TOOLS1]

Here http://www.cyclexchange.net/Frame%20Page.htm Just scroll down a little, and you will see the shocks.
TOOLS

[ETFerguson]

Thank you sir! I saw that site but wasn't sure if it was used by many members here. I will update this weekend!

On Wednesday, May 21, 2014, TOOLS1 [via Honda CB750'S] <[hidden email]> wrote:

Here http://www.cyclexchange.net/Frame%20Page.htm Just scroll down a little, and you will see the shocks.
TOOLS

Life is not about the number of breaths, you take, but the moments that take your breath away.
I don't have an anger problem. I have an idiot problem. Hank Hill
Never confuse education for intelligence.
Happiness is a belt fed weapon.
I just can't imagine what could go wrong.
No fire? No explosions? So whats the point of your story?
Those who are too smart to engage in politics are punished by being governed by those who are dumber. ~Plato
It couldn't be done, but the darn fool didn't know it, and did it anyway.
We all got problems. Ksharp
I like vintage bikes because they take me away from the clutter of technology that I work with everyday and back to a simpler time of mechanical elegance and simplicity.. "ninadm"

1976 CB 750-A X 2
1977 CB 750-A X 2
1977 CB 750-K X 2
1976 CB 750 F
1981 CB 750
1966 Kawasaki SG 250
1981 KZ 750 LTD
1973 CB 350
1979 CM 185 Twinstar
1982 Honda XL 80
South of Eden (Kansas City MO)

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If you reply to this email, your message will be added to the discussion below:

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To unsubscribe from First steps for my new bike and introduction!, click here.
NAML

[TOOLS1]

Everybody with a CB 750 uses that site. They are the best!
TOOLS

[ETFerguson]

Hallelujah I think I've just found a solution to the clubman issue I've seen many run into. For a little more money and with pics to provide seemingly decent proof this maker is offering "wider" clubmans that don't hit the tank on a full turn. I'm going to message him to confirm my model will work but I think I may try these out. What do you think Tools? Here's the link

[TOOLS1]

They don't look any wider then any other clubman handle bars I have seen, and I have seen a lot of them.
TOOLS

[ETFerguson]

Hmm strange check out this short video about them Tools: videovideo

[ETFerguson]

I think I see the difference in these from others: the center portion before the bend occurs is 7.34" on his where as others I've seen are 6.25" which would mean his have just over an inch more width before the bend starts to occur which seems like it keeps the end of the clubmans at least that further away from the tank.

[6Blackie6]

Try what I did. I drilled and tapped small (12-24) machine screws into the 2 little tabs (steering stops) at the bottom of the head tube and put a nut on too for adjustment. This will stop any interference with the tank. I have clip-on bars but same same for the clubman bars.


Check out my Blog for more pics and info at:
http://www.killerfabrication.net/#!rat-city-bikes/c1ogs

[TOOLS1]

OK Bblackie6. We get the idea. You modified your fork stops.
TOOLS

[shinyribs]

It's a good solution.

 Be careful allowing your bars to come that close (looks like 1/8'') to your tank. When you are in a parking lot situation and you feel your hand get pinched between the bar and the tank (it's gonna happen), instinct will take over and you are going to automatically jerk your hand off the bar. Human nature: save your fingers. It's gonna happen. Then...  lol. Be careful.

[6Blackie6]

Haha Thanks, will be aware of that! I'll have a sore thumb and a nice dent free tank... I guess I'm not old enough that my hand will still heal easier than the tank will.
P.S. With the nuts on there, you could always adjust them out more too... maybe I will look at that option.