1970 Honda CR750 Similaria

In college in 1969 I was at a local Honda dealer in Grand Rapids Michigan, getting parts for my 1966 Honda 305 (that my parents knew nothing about), when this guy was leaving the parking lot on, what would be my first glimpse of, a Honda CB750.  I remember the howl of the engine as the front wheel lifted up of the ground and remained there through third gear.  Wow, and how about those FOUR mufflers!  I decided many years later in 2003 to purchase one, a used 1974 example.

I hope you can see that many changes were made to return it into a more stock-looking version.  I also made some non-stock changes included adding a second disk brake to the front wheel (which had the challenge of mounting the right side brake caliper on its interestingly-designed carrier arm). Both disks were drilled with lightening and water-dispersing holes.

I rode it 4,739 miles.

Then I decided to make this motorcycle into a 1970 Dick Mann Daytona winning CR750 Similaria and this was the result.  

The starting point was securing that distinctive gas tank, which Bob Hanson still made, so I ordered one with a flat bottom without the fuel pick-up sump because it was going on a stock CB750 frame and I had not decided where the sump would fit. That was later figured out and I cut a hole in the bottom, made the sump, and Lyle P. welded it on.  I definitely wanted the four mufflers, but they needed to have more of a rugged racers’, look so they were ceramic coated in flat black.

Other changes were:

• Rearset footpegs were a must so I came up with a design and fabricated a pair of mounts to accept Tarozzi foot pegs.  The standard length of the aluminum gearshift foot lever was not long enough for my boots so I welded on an extension, made to look like the rest of the lever, added a lightening slot, and sand blasted the new section. 

• A fiberglass seat made from a mold.

• A tail light consisting of a 4 inch LED trailer light in a PVC drain pipe cap, supported by a Yamaha XS650 bracket.

• On the right side of the engine, custom aluminum covers were purchased and installed on the engine and clutch.  On the left side, the output shaft and sprocket area of the side cover was drilled with lightening holes. 

• Shouldered alloy wheel rims (one size wider than the stock Honda) were installed with stainless spokes. 

• A headlight bucket with fabricated supports. 

• The mount for the tach and speedo was changed, white faces were installed in both instruments, and a custom warning light cluster was created. 

• I cut the side covers to look like air scoops and installed wire screens in the openings.

• The filler neck and cap were cut off the oil tank and an aftermarket neck was welded on, with a screwed on aluminum cap.  

• Aluminum top triple clamp was purchased.

• The handlebars were made by a company called ConvertiBARS and they are infinitely adjustable, which allows the final setup to be worked out after the project is finished.

• Many changes were made to the stock wiring so I first digitally scanned the original 8 ½ x 11 black and white wiring diagram, colored each and every wire using MS Paint and saved that as the original wiring.  Then I revised it to memorialize all my wiring changes to it and saved it to a different file name. This now allows me to print a large color 24” x 36” diagram.  

When I sold the motorcycle I had ridden it 8,653 miles.