I’ve got a third motorcycle coming to the garage and I am genuinely pumped about it. It’s a 1976 Honda CB750F Restoration Project and it came from my family, which makes it a whole different kind of project. This is the story of how it happened and where things stand right now. The video is down below if you want to hear me talk through it, but everything you need is right here.
Table of Contents
How I Landed on a Vintage Honda
If you’ve been following along, you know I’ve been going back and forth on what to add to the garage as a third bike. I’ve already got a 2022 Yamaha MT-09 SP and a 2023 Kawasaki Ninja 400, and I wanted something completely different. I landed on a vintage bike. Specifically a late 70s or early 80s Honda CB of some kind. If that didn’t pan out, my backup was a late 70s or early 80s Suzuki GS. But the CB was always the first choice.
Once I made that decision I started digging around on Facebook Marketplace, and honestly I was surprised by what’s out there. Because I look at motorcycles constantly, the algorithm pretty much fills my feed with them already. But when I went deeper and started searching for specific things, it really opened up. There are some solid bikes with real potential not that far from home. I bookmarked a few that I want to consider.
The Chat With My Dad
While I was browsing, I reached out to my dad. I explained what I was trying to do and asked if any of his bikes were in good enough shape to become a project without requiring a massive effort just to get started. He said he’d take a look and get back to me.
A little while later he came back with a question. He wanted to know whether I was looking to just get something running quickly or if I actually wanted a full restoration project. Because that changes everything about which direction to go. I told him I was in it for the project. Time isn’t really a factor right now since I’ve got two other bikes I can ride. If this one sits for a few weeks or even a few months between work sessions, that’s fine. If anything it gives me something to do over the winter when I can’t be out riding.
I also told him I wasn’t concerned about keeping everything original. If parts for a 50-year-old motorcycle are hard to find or super expensive, I’m okay going aftermarket. But ideally I’d like to keep it as close to stock as possible. Just to keep the scope of the project manageable.
He said that made the decision pretty easy. He had a 1976 Honda CB750F that was mostly stock, needed some work, and fit exactly what I was describing.
What I Know About the Bike So Far
I’ve done a little research on the CB750F but I’m intentionally not going too deep yet. I don’t want to get fully wound up about it until it’s actually sitting in my garage. What I do know is that it was a big deal when it came out. It was a super sport bike in its day and it’s got that classic look that just holds up.
As for the condition, the motor and transmission are both out of the bike. It was pulled apart because there were some gasket issues and a blown second gear. My dad actually already bought the replacement gear at some point, so it’s been sitting there waiting to go back in. A lot of the parts and troubleshooting are essentially already done. The bike is mostly together otherwise. It’s not in a million pieces. It’s more like a bike with its engine pulled, which I’m actually thinking might make it easier to learn on rather than harder. Instead of figuring out how to disassemble everything, I’m putting it back together, which feels like a better way to understand how it all works.
The Title Situation
Here’s a small wrinkle. There’s no title. The bike was in my grandfather’s name and he’s passed, so we’ll need to track down a death certificate through my grandmother to work out the title transfer. Normally I wouldn’t go near a bike without a title, especially off Facebook Marketplace. Getting a title sorted in Pennsylvania without a clear chain of ownership is a headache I don’t want. But in this case I know exactly where it came from, and I won’t need the title for several months anyway. So I’m not losing sleep over it.
A Story I Didn’t Know
Here’s the part that genuinely caught me off guard. I always assumed this was my dad’s bike. But it turns out it was in my grandfather’s name, which means there’s a real chance it was his bike. And knowing my grandfather, if he bought something, he bought exactly what he wanted. He wasn’t the type to settle for something because it was cheaper or more available. He’d just keep saving until he could get the right thing. So there’s a solid chance this is a one-owner bike that my grandfather bought brand new from a Honda dealer in 1976.
I want to do a video where my dad tells that story properly. I don’t want to get too far ahead of it here because I don’t have all the details yet and I want to get them right.
Getting the Garage Ready
Before the bike shows up I need to sort out the garage. It’s a mess right now. I’m going to spend some time cleaning it up, getting organized, and making room for a motorcycle lift so I’ve got a real place to work. Somewhere I can set up comfortably and actually record the restoration process as it goes.
This 1976 Honda CB750 restoration is going to play out over time and I plan to bring you along for all of it. Stay tuned.
Ride With Me
If you want to follow the CB750 build as it happens, hit subscribe on the WaltInPA YouTube channel
so you don’t miss an update.
Know somebody who’d be into a vintage Honda restoration project? Send this post their way.
And if you want to talk bikes, wrenching, or anything else, come hang out in the WaltInPA Discord. Good people in there.
Recent Posts
It was 96 degrees and humid and I was looking for an easy win. That is the honest framing for this session. The CB750F chain guard cleaning was supposed to be low effort, high reward. Get in, get...
You ever tell yourself you have five minutes and you are just going to knock out one quick thing? That was me this session. I had been painting on the other side of the garage, waiting for it to dry,...