Looking for an early CB72 front fender
Ive started the restoration process after much thought and all your enthusiasm over this year and model has swayed me immensely. Toby's picture of his brothers restored CB77 did not help matters at all! Why RED man! Thats one of the most gorgeous motorcycles I have ever seen!
The first step was ordering a pair of Rays reproduction tank badges. I didnt want to risk not being able to get a set of those so I got some coming. Next is a seat. Ive heard there is one from overseas that is a quality seat and not expensive. Anyone know a good source? I talked to the previous owner of the bike. He bought it from a serviceman (about 40 years ago) who brought the bike from Arizona. PO said the serviceman rode the bike 45 miles to work every day until he got transferred. The engine was overhauled by the previous owner (about 30 years ago) and he said it never ran right since then, hence the reason it sat in his barn all those years. He said the engine was racing and swapped the carbs around to try to remedy it (?). He told me to switch them back and it should be ok, lol. Anyway, good compression, no damage noted so far. Looking forward to dismantling it somewhat to inspect the important functions of the engine and I will be taking the carbs apart for inspection also. Im still looking for a front fender, period correct, and I need side covers. Im also looking for some nice chrome tank panels and a set of mufflers. Thanks. More pics coming. Scott
SW Iowa 65 CB160 Sport 63 C105 55cc
Thanks for these pics.
Looks like ya do have a first issue speedo for sure. The parts are correct to that frame and not the common ones which came along in later 1962. ................lm
Hi,
Yes, indeed, the speedo is the first issue, just like the right grip. The left grip is maybe from a dream. Bezel and speedo as a pair are original to the bike, as is the spring. Your left side-cover on the cylinder head (where the tacho cable comes out), is probably an early one too (flat), according to the 10 mm spark plug head. The carbs seems to be the round bowl type, with working powerjet, as you can see the extra tubes running to the air filter. The left air filter has one extra pipe (one for the powerjet), the right air filter has two extra pipes (one for the powerjet and one for the Y-tube from the cylinder head pipes (coming from below the valve covers). be careful with these air filters, there are not so many for sale of this type. What bothers me is that the CB72 engine has a 10 mm spark plug hole cylinder head, but doesn't have the breather tower. until this moment I was (almost) certain that the 10 mm spark plug hole head was ALWAYS mounted on the CB72 engines with the breather tower, but if this combination is original, I have to accept that it was not always the case. I have several engines with a 10 mm head and they all are on a CB72 engine with a breather tower. The CB77 is a different story, I've seen several combinations in different setup's. At the time that you are pulling the head (if necessary), please make pictures of the pistons, and other internal components. This bike is an original mix up of parts in the beginning of the start of the 1962 production. A few parts are logical, but a few parts are puzzling me. I'm very, very interested in bikes in this era (1959 to 1962). Honda did not jet have everything worked out (like the frame that Ed Moore describes). You will be able to find earlier bikes with later parts in this era, also the other way around (later bikes with very early parts). Sometimes it's a later swap, but I've seen also very early bikes, where the owner claims the originality. Your bike fits this description. It has the early grip, but the later engine, it has the early bands around the air tubes, but the later frame. It has the first issue speedo, but the later engine. The engine is however original to the later early frame. It makes me wonder if the very early parts belong to this bike. I think they are, but do introduce some questions according to the frame numbers of bikes I found. I found earlier frames with the later headlight shells, and the other way around. It's puzzling me, Jensen assembly of Japanese motorcycles requires great peace of mind (Pirsig)
I may have missed it.
What is the engine number?. .......lm
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