advice on a 1979 Honda CB750K

[wnbasac]

i have an opportunity to purchase a 1979 Honda CB750K thats been sitting for 10 years. then owner told me he started the bike about 2 years ago and noticed smoke form one of the cylinders?

it has the standard rust in tank from sitting and i'm sure the carbs need to be cleaned.and the disc brake is locked up.bikes in excellent condition as its been garage kept

now not sure what the costs involved with fixing the cylinder and if its taken apart it would be better to rebuild it now that its apart... Cost of bike $500.00

or am i better off spending more for a running bike with cosmetic problems as appose to engine problems???

Bite or no Bite??????

[motogrady]

I dunno, I'd be thinking not so good things about that one cylinder smoking.
Hard to fix a leaking valve guide or stuck rings if you're not a motor guy.

But, if the bike is in excellent condition.........on ebay up and running 1500 to 3 grand.

If you wanna ride this year, I'd look for a runner................but 500 is a good price...........................let us know what you get.

[cdaiscool]

I'd personally say $500 is probably top end pricing for a potentially bad cylinder, but it's ultimately a choice you'll have to make.

If you don't have much experience with mechanics, and don't have any tools, then you'll need to factor in time and purchasing tools, if you can handle the frustrations that come with it, etc. If you're mechanically inclined but just never worked on a motorcycle and want to learn how, then this could easily be the right bike for you. Especially if he's asking $500, then you can probably work him down some more.

Personally, if I had the room, I'd probably go for it. But then again, engine work doesn't scare me.

[seestheday]

Location is also huge.  How much are running bikes going for in your area?

I would buy that bike for $500 in a heartbeat (if I had the room), but bikes that are literally parts in boxes go for $1,200 where I am.

That said, I already have a daily rider and would expect to work on it for a while before it was running, and engine work doesn't scare me.

[SoonerRon]

I found myself in a very similar situation a couple years back. I bought a non-running 79 750K in good shape for cheap. I was told the usual story about the carbs needing cleaning and no other issues. $2K and a complete bottom up engine rebuild later I have a great running bike! Granted, that was probably near the worst case senario. Despite the cost the project was one of the most rewarding I've done and I thoroughly enjoyed it! My only point here is let you know that getting these old bikes back in shape can be quite expensive depending on what you find.

[seestheday]

Sooner, was that $2K with you doing the work or including mechanics hours?  I'm assuming mechanics hours because of the cost.

[SoonerRon]

No, I performed all the work myself. However, it does include the cost of specialized tools I purchased in order to do the job right. It also includes the cost of new rings, main bearings, rod bearings, used crankshaft/rods/pistons, intake and exhaust valves, flex hone, gasket set, carb kits and cleaning suppies, 50 lbs baking soda for blasting... that number does not include the $300 air compressor I bought for soda blasting the entire engine. New sprockets and chain as well as some cosmetic pieces are in there also (used boat tail).