First thing to do for a bike that has been sitting for years

[tdrake2406]

Hello all!!  I have just received a cb750k from a good friend of mine who went through a mid life crysis a few years back and bought this motorcycle.  After a year he decided that he did not want it any longer.  The bike has been sitting in his back yard with a tarp over it for about 5 years.  I was wondering what the first few things you guys would recommend that i do to it?  I think i have somewhat of a short list of things to do which would be to change out the battery, drain out all of the oil, replace it with new oil, drain the gas tank, and check the condition of the gas tank.  I'm sure i am missing a few things here so i figured i'd ask the experts.  Let me know what you guys think and thanks in advance

[Half-Caf]

Not that I'm any expert, but one of the most important things will be cleaning out your carbs. they need to be squeaky clean and then kept that way! After the carbs and gas tank are lookin good, a decent fuel filter should be added for insurance. Here's a pic of the one I went with:



I'm sure other people will have more tips for you. And don't be afraid to ask lots of questions!
Welcome to the forum -looking forward to seeing your progress

[tdrake2406]

Thanks so much I will do that.  Where did you get your filter from if i may ask?  

[Half-Caf]

I just got mine at a local powersports dealer. I think it looks a lot better than the crappy beige ones. I found this exact model on ebay pretty cheap: http://www.ebay.com/itm/LOT-3-NEW-ITW-FASTEX-VISU-FILTER-FF-701C-QTY-3-CONE-295S-/120808589670?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&vxp=mtr&hash=item1c20c0c966#ht_694wt_988

Also, if you don't already know, the 750's came with a variety of carbs depending on the model and year. If you could provide some more details as well as a picture I'm sure it would help.

[TOOLS1]

Welcome to the forum. The first thing to do, is to download the free manual from our manual section.
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[Re-run]

Yup, first thing is the manual.
After that, follow the full tune-up procedure.
As another already said, get them carbs super clean. I tell people to clean them till you would drink through them.
I would also go through all electrical connections and clean them up really well. If a connector is cracked or damaged, replace it or solder the wiring.
I would also rebuild and thoroughly clean your front brake and check the rear if it is drum. If the rear is disk, clean and rebuild that too. This includes the master.
Replace the tires. Shinko 712s work well on the 69-78 K bikes and I think they have sizes for the F and 79+ bikes.
Lube your cables is anything binds.
I guess a lot depends on how long things have been sitting and the overall condition of the bike.

[sgtslag]

Change out all of the fluids:  oil, brake fluid, and ATF fluid in the front forks.  I would suggest using SeaFoam in the oil crankcase:  add 1-1/2 oz. per quart, or 5-1/2 oz. (3.7 quarts of oil), run it for five minutes, idling, shifting through all five gears, to circulate it through the transmission.  This will allow it to warm up to 180 F, operating temperature.  This will dissolve gum, varnish, and carbon deposits.  Drain the oil, change the filter (most of this crud will be caught in the filter), and add in fresh oil of your choice.  I recommend Shell Rotella T6 5W-40:  it is diesel, but rated SL for cars; it is highly detergent, so it will keep your engine clean forever.  It will also go 10,000 miles between changes.

Add some SeaFoam to the forks, before draining the fluid.  You will need to compress the forks afterwards, 5-10 times to dissolve deposits within them.  Then drain the old, and fill with fresh Dexron IV/V ATF ($3/quart, versus $15/quart for Fork Oil).  ATF is thermally stable -- it won't change viscosity when its temperature changes, which is exactly what Fork Oil does.  ATF works the same as Fork Oil, at 1/5 the cost.

Add 1 oz. of SeaFoam per gallon of gas, to the tank:  it will dissolve varnish in the tank, and the entire fuel system.  Run it  as long as possible, before re-filling with fresh gas.

Do NOT use SeaFoam in the brake system!  Put fresh fluid of the correct type in the system, and flush it/bleed it.  I would recommend SpeedBleeder's as they make it a simple, one-man job:  www.speedbleeder.com.  Cheers!

[Cabreco]

Definitely SEAFOAM

What I did was fed a 50/50 mix into the carbs & let it sit overnight. Cleared EVERYTHING!
You could us 100% seafoam but the restarting her the next day is a real PITA!

[tdrake2406]

So i finally got my cb750 to my house and started dismantalling it for cleaning and a tuneup of course.  A few things to note I can say carb cleaner works extremely well.  Another thing is what is the best place to buy a carb rebuild kit for my 81 cb750k?  Is the price any different for bigger jets than the standard jets?  Thanks again guys.


-Tony

[cdaiscool]

Here's what I'm going to go with when I do mine. I've got a 1981 K as well.

http://www.randakks.com/DOHC%20Four%20Page.htm

[TOOLS1]

I have bought carb kits from vintagecb750.com, and jerryscycles.com as, for larger jets, you will have to buy them separate.
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