To rebuild or have rebuilt...that is the question

[gunman]

Ok so let me first start out by saying I am new to this page but it looks great from what i have read already........
that being said it is imposible for me to answer any imdiate questions yall may or may not post due to the fact i am deployed right now and 3,000 miles away from my bike's (it breaks my heart not to be able to ride)

now then...down to the question

I have a 1974 CB 750 that was "garage kept" but has plenty of rust (i know it is an old bike but when i bought it i didnt expect that much rust to be in it and i was so excited at the time that i bought it i didnt look) everything at the time of pickup was functional minus elec start.  i know NOTHING about rebuilding/referbishing/anything in between. however i am partialy mechanicly able. i know plenty of people to reweld anything that may need done, i have a paint guy and plenty of my buddy's are willing to give me advice

i need to decide if it would be better to rebuild myself or to have it done? which parts should i assume are crap and how accessable are part's that i cant fix? i will leave other questions for after these most importint questions are figured out i reckon.....

i love to ride and i want to bring a clasic back and put it on the road...for all the world to see and apreciate.

any advice is apreciated

[robs750]

To have someone else such as a shop "rebuild" the bike,it could cost way more than what the bike is worth depending on what you want done to it.

[katman]

Do it yourself. Look at my rebuild in the members rebuild forum(Katmans 75 rebuild)
It's not hard and far more satisifing.

[icerigger]

And you will have the added confidence of knowing it was done right.

It will also help doing minor repairs if you know every inch of the bike.

It's not a hard process if you are methodical and don't try to rush it. You've got the two toughest parts covered, paint and welding. Everything else is just examine, clean and/or replace.

[Lucky 1]

What it really needs is a complete restoration if you want it right.

Here is what needs to happen:

Completely disassemble the motorcycle.
Remove the engine last after all other parts are removed
by laying the frame on its side and lift the frame off of the engine.
Make a place, shelves and workbench are a must.

Then get the frame sandblasted and powder coated.
Or get it painted.

Next rebuild the engine. You will need a workshop manual.

Working on the bike will give you a lot of satisfaction.
When you restore the bike it will do much more for it than just riding it.

[Hoosier Daddy]

icerigger said my answer. There is no better way to learn to perform normal maintenance or how to work on you bike... And part of being a classic motorcycle entusiest is the constant tinkering to keep them on the road.  Unless you want to take it to the shop to get it's nose wiped everytime it sneezes.
 If you can follow a (factory) service manuals easy step by step directions... you can do anything needed to rebuild these old bikes.

[shinyribs]

Gunman,welcome to the forum,and thank you for your service.

And I'm with Ice rigger and Hoosier. These bikes are super easy to work on,not hard to tune and I havent found a part yet that is not available.

Be safe out there.

[TOOLS1]

First determine if, and what needs rebuilt on the bike. Do a compression test on the engine. If the compression test is good, just replace gaskets, and seals.
TOOLS

[gunman]

well, yall have convinced me....didnt take much as i already lean that way. anyhow the next question that follows is to remove the rust by hand (batt box most of the stuff under the seat and such) or buy new old stock or buy aftermarket parts

if it is buying new parts where is the place to go?

the only other issue i was having before was wiring up the handle bar's was running into an issue with wiring the controlls (big hands and small parts dont mix) any suggestions?