sohc 750 chop

[gooseneck]

I picked this up a few weeks back, still not decided yet to keep it or tidy it& shift it on, once I get to ride it I will know.
Just bought new carb floats etc, it wants a few bits sorting, so any ideas welcome, especially on the exhausts, I can fabricate them in house, but I need some spark of inspiration!
Nice alloy Akront rims, twin front disks, weird forks, nice motor, hmm.
I posted it on another forum, so you might have seen it before, but if you have seen the bike elsewhere give me a nudge, trying to find out what I can about the thing, I'm thick skinned so don't hold back!

Untitled by geoff321, on Flickr

Untitled by geoff321, on Flickr

Untitled by geoff321, on Flickr

[John Hopkins]

If I saw it on the road I would have to say 'nice bike'

John.

[scanner]

me too ,like the colour

[BikerGran]

Can't see anything weird about the forks!

It's lovely!

[gooseneck]

I'm feeling better about the bike already, thanks!

I saw it as a potential tidy up, change the awkwardly set up forward controls, exhausts extending or refab in stainless, no major changes.

I do like the paint, plain but it works for me.

[BikerGran]

Plain paint and a simple bike with nothing there that doesn't need to be there - don't see that very often, builders get carried away 'because they can' !

I should say I know nothing about the actual building but I love taking photographs and so I like to think I have an 'eye' for a good-looking bike, trike or other custom vehicle.

[gooseneck]

That is what appeals to me, I do like a form that can 'stand on it's own', not knocking the fine artwork that is out there, just my taste in things.

[strima]

Apart from the forwards and the exhaust I would leave exactly as is.

[gooseneck]

That is sort of where I want to go with it Strima, I did think of a tank change, but changed my mind on that.
Exhausts are my brain puzzle, follow the bottom rails, or kick them up a bit, the carbs are off for a refurb, just waiting on floats, in my experience these motors are carb sensitive, set up right they run good, otherwise they sound like a bag of nails with clutch chatter on tickover.
The chrome heat guards on the cylinder fins might have to go, & the forwards need to be dealt with in some way, they are pug ugly, & not best suited to the wide motor.

[critch]

think thats right tidy, id keep it as is. frame looks very similar to my mates trikeopaths, hes posted his one on brit chopper too

[gooseneck]

Thanks Critch,

I always wanted a sohc 750 chop, I love the motors, did the best part of 100k miles on one back in the late 70's, and here is another in my shed ready for the off.
Here's a pic of my old one from the pyranees mountains.

img008 by geoff321, on Flickr

750four by geoff321, on Flickr

[matthewmosse]

I think that is really nice, I do like my sohc Hondas though. I did once have a cb550 chop project, similar lines but dubious welding on mine so never finished it. I think if changng the pipes I'd kick the rear up to follow the frame line. Other than that I'd keep that as it is. Simplicity in desighn and paintwork is in my oppinion the best match for a sohc Honda.

[gooseneck]

Originally Posted by matthewmosse

I think that is really nice, I do like my sohc Hondas though. I did once have a cb550 chop project, similar lines but dubious welding on mine so never finished it. I think if changng the pipes I'd kick the rear up to follow the frame line. Other than that I'd keep that as it is. Simplicity in desighn and paintwork is in my oppinion the best match for a sohc Honda.

I'm thinking down these lines, thanks for the suggestion, working on a design/ style for the kick ups, as I want to get the look & sound right, I'm not into loud crackly pipes, so am looking into my options on keeping the noise down a bit.

[Rockabillygoaty]

Verrrrry nice!

Cool colour!

Girder forks do suit it as well, I've just bought a set of springers for my bike.

Don't spoil it by doing too much, just put your own stamp on it!

The Goat:

[mickthecrane]

after the triumph engines, the 750/4 is the only other motor for me in a chop frame, ace. log in to hondachopper.com. great ideas there on a great forum for the next cult bike in the states after the harley.

[gooseneck]

Thanks, the bike is growing on me, & I'm getting some idea of what to do with the exhaust, basically it's going to follow the line of the lower frame tube, with some sort of slim silencer on it.
I'm fetching it into my workshop, ( front room), shortly to start on the bike, & will get some shots & ask for opinions, I want the exhaust right for the bike.

[SS2]

I like it and would happily ride it as is but if it were mine I'd be sorting the radius on the rear guard to follow the lines of the tyre, fiddling with the exhaust a bit, mebbe have it following the lines of the frames as someone suggested but adding turn outs to direct the hot gases away from the paintwork? Rework the seat, few fasteners to replace and that's it. Lubbly Jubbly!

[BikerGran]

I keep wondering if it would look good with a fishtail exhaust?? - with the line of the tube following the frame of course!

[gooseneck]

I have been pondering a fishtail end on the exhaust myself...hmm

[ChopperFXR]

Very similar style to one that I built years ago. Love those old SOHC engines.

Your bike has the same problem mine had when I first built it. Mounting the forwards on the engine mountings, makes them too high. Bloody uncomfortable after just a few miles.

I made up some new mounting brackets and welded them on to the frame lower down. Made a hell of a difference.

IMHO, your exhausts are too short. Maybe if you took them a bit further back and added a turnout it would look better. Mine had four straight through drag pipes, very loud, which I like, but to me it didn't look right. So I cut the slashed ends off the pipes and made up a collector which then ran into two upswept silencers. Little bit quieter and by using high gears and low revs round town it didn't draw too much attention from the fuzz.

The other thing I would do, would be to change the seat. Maybe using one with springs. I made mine and covered it in black tooled hide.

You have a lovely bike so please don't be offended by my comments. It is just my opinion. That front end is really cool and I do like the colour as well.

Good luck with it, hope you enjoy it.

Regards

Chopper

[gooseneck]

Thanks Chopper, your comments are much appreciated, and sage advice.

The seat is gone, good job too, there is a sight glass under there, the seat had been hot glued on...
The exhaust is in design, and intended to take the crack out of the exhaust, & mellow the tone, much in the design mentioned.
A new shock is getting ordered from Hagon's for the girders, the old one is fooked, & I think I can get away with one an inch & a half longer, with adjustable damping & spring rate, I have the 'Nitros' on my sportster, & they are superb, so something similar is the goal.
The forward controls are heading for the freeby column on here before long.
New oil lines from Earls are on their way, side cases coming off for a polish up, & a few other jobs to tidy it up without detracting from the bike's style.

I will put up some pics as I get things moving, it's not a big project, but I'm going to enjoy getting it how it should be.

[gooseneck]

Well I got a start on a few bits today, the exhaust headers are done in stainless, 4 into 2. I need to concoct a collector section, ( 2/1), & run a 1& 3/4 inch pipe through to the back pipe, which is a Paugho fishtail I got my grubby mitts on, but can interchange at will with a sportster silencer, as befits my mood.

DSCF0022 by geoff321, on Flickr

DSCF0028 by geoff321, on Flickr
DSCF0027 by geoff321, on Flickr

I ripped of the nasty sidemount light/ plate, & sorted the back end to suit my simple needs;

DSCF0004 by geoff321, on Flickr

Im quite content with the way the pipe will look on the bike, which has thinned out a fair bit, I have some stock Honda 750 footrests that will work nicely, the coils etc are going to feature behind the headstock with some funky ht leads, & I'm off to Hagons with the front shock,it's cattled, so a new one with adjustments will be fabricated a bit longer to get the fork rockers horizontal, which should pick the front up about an inch & a half, I have reasonable trail to play with so that I think will work.
Here is as it sits with the fooked shock;

DSCF0007 by geoff321, on Flickr

Any comments, brainwaves, you've f*cked it comments welcome!

[gooseneck]

Also I picked up a spare engine in good order, just in case, it's not painted, & I think it will be going in there, I like the idea of just polished metal & the purple, with maybe a bit of gold pinstripe to edge the paint.
Sound sensible?

[scanner]

yep will look good ...what about number plate illumination

[gooseneck]

Well you caught me there, I have no plate illumination on either of my chops, I can rig something up if need be.

[BikerGran]

If they have lights, they have to have all lights!

[Steve D]

"cattled" I had to think about that one.