New to this forum - CB750L

[Maz]

Hi all,

I'm new to this forum but have been riding bikes here in the UK for 36 years. I've had many but now, in my 50's and having calmed down a bit, I've settled on vintage Japanese machines. I am a member of the Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Club (VJMC) and, at present own a '76 CB500T, '75 GL1000, '79 CB750L and a '90 Yamaha FJ1200 (not sure how that one crept in!).
The CB750L is pretty rare on these shores - I've owned it for 7 years and haven't seen another on the road here (although there is currently one for sale on ebay which looks pretty damn good). Mine was imported in 1990 and when I purchased it in 2007, it was a bit of a dog. I paid £430 for it and it was fitted with a huge Vetter Windjammer fairing with matching luggage box and side cases. I removed all of that cr*p and sold them separately on ebay for £500!!
I've included a picture of the bike as it is now (except in the picture it doesn't have the correct chrome chainguard fitted) and a small picture of how it looked when I bought it.
I couldn't find (or afford!) the correct 4-4 exhaust system for it so I fitted a 4-4 from a CB900 custom which I think looks ok.
I hope you find it interesting and I look forward to checking out the rest of the info on here.

Ride safe.
Maz

[Re-run]

I have the next model of vetter for my bike, about the only difference is I have a black trim ring for the headlight as opposed to the chrome ring. Vetters are nice for wind protection but kinda ugly and very heavy!

I wouldn't fret over the exhaust, it looks perfectly fine in the pics.

[sgtslag]

The Vetter gear was installed for long-distance touring.  Without it, long-distance touring really sucks...  Regarding the "ugliness" of Vetter fairings, and saddlebags, Craig Vetter laughed all the way to the bank -- he literally sold hundred's of thousands of them.  He became a millionaire selling his fairings, trunks, and saddlebags.  What most folks, today, fail to realize is what they did for tour riding:  the fairings were frame-mounted, so all the wind that hit them, was applied to the frame of the entire bike's weight, not the handlebars, so the rider was much more at ease riding in high winds; the luggage is self-explanatory.

Touring began on 250's and other smaller bikes.  The 750 is not bad for touring, but a full-blown touring bike is designed for long distance riding, and comfort, where these were All-Purpose bikes, which were adapted to touring.  I know, we rode two-up, 1,900+ miles on our '79 K model, around Lake Superior, back in 2009.  Had poor quality gear, rode in mid-50's temp's, and rain, for all four days in Canada...  Would do it again, same conditions, in a heartbeat.  For touring, Vetter equipment set the standard, which is still in use today.  Cheers!

[Re-run]

Oh don't get me wrong, vetter stuff is great. its ugliness has more to do with todays standards. Back when it was made, there was little else out there. And being frame mounted, well there is a reason why all fairings today are still frame mounted. A windshield mounted to the bars can really make crosswinds "interesting", while a frame mount barely upsets the bike.

I still have my vetter, and someday I may mount it again for when I have the desire to go a long ways.