Ok, so it all started with me watching Serpico about a month ago. The second I saw Pacino ride off with the CB77 I had to figure out what bike it was and if there were any for sale :D
Fortunately, I happened upon an awesome deal two states away. I made a day trip to pick up this resto job for $800. First the pics, then I'll go on with a bit of commentary and a few questions...
Ok, now for the details. I'm supposedly the third owner. The original owner bought it in Mass and it was then sent to Connecticut in 74. It was held on to by the same owner until he died recently and his friend ended up selling it to me. The bike looks black/grey in the pics but you can see the red frame and bodywork underneath the flaking paint I even see a bit of the tank that use to be a red metallic. However, the '74 title says black/grey so I assume it was repainted early on. I've tried to do my homework on this bike as much as I could but there are a number of questions that seem to puzzle me so here goes. I apologize if they've been covered in length previously, I wasn't able to dig them up with the search.
1. I'm guessing the speedo is from a different model bike (CB450 maybe?). Are there any calibration issues when using one like that or does it all work the same?
2. Blinkers were retrofitted to the bike. The owner used the dimmer switch on the left handlebar as the blinker activator. I'm not sure what the original function of the switch was though. I didn't even know it was altered until I did some research on blinker upgrades on the forum. So, what does the dimmer do?
3. Most of the pics I see of the headlight bucket have a big switch on them. Mine has a blue light and a big red light that looks aftermarket. The blue light is suppose to signify neutral but rarely works correctly. The red light blinks when the blinkers are on (kind of stupid IMO as you can clearly see the blinkers working). I don't know what the previous owner was trying to accomplish with that but my main concern is that I'm missing something that is suppose to be there. I heard that it's the on/off switch for the lights but my right handlebar has a three position switch (off/low/high) for the lights.
4. The tires are probably still from the 70's and are all cracking. I want to upgrade to a more streetable tire rather than sticking with the vintage look but am having tough time finding front and rear in suitable sizes. I've read tons of posts on this forum that have helped for the most part but I can't seem to find one answer...can I use two front tires or do I have to find one that's angled for the rear? I see other CB owners buying two fronts but I'm not sure how that handles or if it's better to search around and try to find a front and rear. Most of the tires available are fronts only and the ones that do have rears don't have a front size to match.
5. I had a 72 datsun 620 truck and relied on the Taiwan parts market for a lot of the hard to find pieces. I know their not as good as OE, japan or US parts but how do items like the exhaust compare? My left side is rusted out on the header and I see header sets on ebay for $50 a pair. I'll probably end up wrapping them with exhaust wrap for the cafe look so I'm not so concerned about those as I am the mufflers. Is it worth it for a decent replacement? Any good sources here for alternate exhaust options (i.e. megaphone).
That is all for now :D Thanks in advance for any help. This looks to be a great forum for info.
For those interested, I'll probably just fix it up enough so it's safe to ride for the summer and do a full restoration this winter. I'll more than likely go full black except for the chrome or black and a very dark metallic grey. I'm still up in the air on that.
-Joe
