Lee,
It looks great! And I'm glad to see your taste in helmet style has improved over the years :)
Gunner
cb-77 restoration
thanks for commentsThanks guys, I'm havin' a blast. I noticed I was promoted to "h-305 rider" recently, a little premature at the time, but I'm definitely a "rider" now. Thanks to the unseen hand(s) responsible.
I bought that old helmet in '63 pic for $5 at a pawn shop so I could ride my moped on Keesler AFB where my dad was stationed when I came home for summer. Didn't wear it much in Texas, but the bubble shield was nice on the highway. I once wore it to deliver an Austin-Healey 100-6 that didn't have a windshield to Houston. Must have looked interesting going down the road. New helmet was a $20 Craigslist bargain, sufficiently retro to go with the bike, I think. I got one very much like it in late 60's to comply with Texas' new helmet law, old one was definitely not DOT certified. Working on getting title right, bike was registered to me and my dad for insurance purposes, he died in 1966. Luckily my brother and sister are right here, got "affadavit of heirship" signed and notarized yesterday, on to next step today. I still need to get a motorcycle endorsement on drivers license too, never had one before. Plus MVI inspection. Details, details. Thanks for your support. --Lee
Hold on there, cowpokeLee, you ARE a rider...and ya got the pitchers to prove it!
here it is...OK, here it is. A few rainy days, but I finally got it out for fourth and fifth rides last week, several more since then. Staying close to home, still not strictly legal. I did get license plate and insurance so I’ll only get two tickets if stopped at this point, for no inspection (pending) and no motorcycle driver’s license. (Somehow I never got one back in the day. Oh, I remember, I failed driving test twice. I’d had the bike for five years at that point, examiner didn’t like my riding style. Or longish hair? Once I neglected to put my foot down at stop sign, next time went almost 30 in a 25 mph zone. Can’t commit those moving violations and expect to pass. So I blew it off.)
Luckily there’s a several-mile loop with lots of twisties nearby, so I’m working on relearning to choose a line, lean, apply throttle til rear wheel bites, and zip around curves fast enough to generate a little of that ol’ adrenaline we love so well. What a rush, it really is all coming back. Feels great. Bike runs really well, wants to go faster. Accidentally hit 7000 rpm in first and second once today. Trying to keep it under 6k for awhile, but it really wants to go. Still undecided about the 32-tooth rear sprocket we put on in place of 30-tooth original. Feels like maybe bike could use another gear. Very peppy, though. We'll see. Bike is essentially done for now, problem with speedo drive pending. Making do for now with old rear brake cable. Kickstarter no longer hits rotor cover, but still too bent to be real functional. Still some cosmetic issues for phase two if I ever get to phase two. Right now I just want to ride, ride, ride. I think dull aluminum on bad chrome and exhaust pipes looks pretty good. Keeping my eyes out for good buy on better tank panels. I know a guy who can rebuild stainless steel mufflers like new if I ever come across any. My dented ones will do for now as long as brazing on cracks near mounting bracket holds out. So, for around six times what bike originally sold for, I’ve got an essentially mechanically new CB77…rebuilt engine, transmission, carbs, brakes, front forks, rear shocks, seat (a little lumpy looking but sits good), greasy wheel bearings, fork bearings with three new races, lots of new ball bearings to replace those that ended up under porch. New sprockets. New handlebars and levers. More or less trued and well balanced wheels. New tires and battery. Plus a shiny paint job that looks better than when I bought the bike at one year old. I’m so happy. Here's a link to first ride video. You knew there had to be one. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8mRJwI215Q Infinite thanks to LM who did all the hard parts and talked me though a lot of the easy (to him) parts. And for supplying many of the right pieces at a very fair price. And for, not to get sentimental about it, turning into a friend. See you soon I hope, Ed, to take that ride. Thanks to all you forum guys, too. Haven't had to pose to many questions here, but many comments have been helpful. Not to mention the inspiration factor; I lurked here a year or more before deciding the project really was possible. When you double click on pics and zoom in to check bike out, please keep in mind, “It’s a rider.” So, thanks again for your support. --Lee
Last edited by jleewebb on Thu Apr 23, 2009 5:28 pm, edited 2 times in total.
'62 CB77. "It's a rider."
Re: here it is...LOOKS GOOD LEE. LET ME KNOW WHEN YA THINK YOU'LL COME RIDE SO I CAN GET THE 63 READY. ............................LM
RIDE IT DON'T HIDE IT!
The payoffSo here's the payoff...getting to ride, ride, ride... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EN9C-5pOZ5M
Tip of the hat to Mr. Lupo for inspiration... Wide angle lens makes it look like we're really flying. Actually just cruisin' along. Sound's a little funky, a hunk of foam over microphone helped with wind noise, but there's some other "washing machine full of bolts on spin cycle" noises in there from vibration or ??? It's not the valves, though they're in there too. To get more pipes, less valves, I think I need to get a remote microphone and bungee it to seat behind me... Still wanting to get down to Kerrville for ride with LM, real life and record heat kinda busting my gumption right now. Thanks for lookin'. Lee
'62 CB77. "It's a rider."
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