Rare Honda but not a Valkyrie

[BobB]

A close friend and riding buddy of mine has this 1969 CB 750 up on eBay.  The key words are "Sand Cast".  He is selling it for a 70+ year old woman that lost here husband a year ago.  That woman wanted a few thousand dollars for it.  She is going to get the surprise of her life when Carl hands her the check.  Carl sells items for other people for a commission.  

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Honda-CB-Rare-1969-Sandcast-Honda-CB-750-Museum-Quality-/111068053917?pt=US_motorcycles&hash=item19dc2c019d#ht_4355wt_814

Lots of pictures at:
http://s1241.photobucket.com/user/carlj8/library/1969%20Honda%20CB750%20Sandcast%20FOR%20SALE

I stopped in to Carl's shop and saw this bike in person.  It is a pristine garage find.
 

[Toledo Mark]

At the Photobucket site there is a picture of the foot peg that has ALOT of wear.  I would say more than the 4900 miles.

[PAVALKER]

At the Photobucket site there is a picture of the foot peg that has ALOT of wear.  I would say more than the 4900 miles.

If you are talking about the angled edge on the lower outside.... that is made that way I believe.

[Toledo Mark]

Talking about this picture



compared to the other side this one is worn out.

[czuch]

Youre doing a good thing for that lady.
I had a 71 and it was my first introduction to Honda power. That bike was effortless.
It was also the first one I didnt have to hide from Dad. I was in the Navy in New Mexico at the time.
What a great time that was.

[Romeo]

Is "sandcast" the color? Is it rare?

[Mr Whiskey]

I'm an old "754" head. (Still own 5 of them. The original bullet proof motor.) Honda list the "sandcast" as being in the 1000001 to 1007414 engine # range.
(Frame #'s mean nothing.)
Sure worth takin' a look at. Worth a "mint" if it's the real deal, trust me!
Good luck with the sale, wish I had the $$.
Peace, Whiskey.

[BradValk48237]

That was the first bike I ever rode on...

Dad and a friend of his bought the first 2 that came to Lansing Michigan.... was the Candy Gold version......

I think I was 5 or 6 when I got a trip around the block... later rides on the back..... and more, especially on Sundays.....

He later put a full Windjammer set up on it, bags n all..... toured all over the place...

Sold it in 1982 to by a new Wing... It still looked and ran like new ( he stored it in our heated, walk out basement every winter) I never got to ride it by myself....

I wish he had kept it as the guy who bought it did and still rides it to this day... I last saw it last about 2 years ago and still looked great....

Brad

[Moonshot_1]

Talking about this picture



compared to the other side this one is worn out.

Does make you wonder. Pretty odd looking peg for less than 5k. Gotta be a story somewhere.

[BobB]

We have come to the conclusion that the owner ground down the top of the left peg to help get his toe under the shiftier.  The right peg has no wear at all.  The owner was fairly creative.  Note the carburetor sync gauge and manifold under the left side cover.  Vacuum lines are permanently hooked up to his carburetors.  If I recall, attaching vacuum lines to the middle carburetors was very difficult and the owner found a way around that.

Sand Cast has nothing to do with color.  It has to do with how the engine was manufactured, specifically how the basic castings were made.  Early engines were cast using a mold made of sand.  Such molds produce only one part.  Later engines were die cast using molds made of steel, allowing thousands of parts to be made in them.  Closely examine the roughness of the cylinder fins on this sand cast engine.  This is what collectors will look for and why this bike will draw ten times the price of a bike that was built six months later.

[Hoser]

Guess who bought a new 1970 even when the dealer had a 1969 new leftover for  less bux.  I liked the smooth cooing fins.           Hoser

[PAVALKER]

Talking about this picture



compared to the other side this one is worn out.

I didn't notice that picture.... wow... that is odd.   As far as grinding it down..... there is a shift lever adjustment.    Oh well....

[Romeo]

We have come to the conclusion that the owner ground down the top of the left peg to help get his toe under the shiftier.  The right peg has no wear at all.  The owner was fairly creative.  Note the carburetor sync gauge and manifold under the left side cover.  Vacuum lines are permanently hooked up to his carburetors.  If I recall, attaching vacuum lines to the middle carburetors was very difficult and the owner found a way around that.

Sand Cast has nothing to do with color.  It has to do with how the engine was manufactured, specifically how the basic castings were made.  Early engines were cast using a mold made of sand.  Such molds produce only one part.  Later engines were die cast using molds made of steel, allowing thousands of parts to be made in them.  Closely examine the roughness of the cylinder fins on this sand cast engine.  This is what collectors will look for and why this bike will draw ten times the price of a bike that was built six months later.

ok, thanks for the info about the sandcasting, I didn't realize they ever did it that way. Now I have another quest.

[Stude]

That 69 sandcast should sell between $16,000.00 - $20,000.00
A friend of mine bought a basket case 69 sandcast and paid $5,000.00

[Stude]

wow was I ever off  saying 16k -20k just looked at the listing 35k 

[old2soon]

wow was I ever off  saying 16k -20k just looked at the listing 35k 

It' simple.  They ain't making anymore.  They quit in 1969.  If I wuz filthy rich I would have a bid in.  Being as I are broke and a might better off than a church mouse-I out.  RIDE SAFE.

[Toledo Mark]

Talking about this picture



compared to the other side this one is worn out.

I didn't notice that picture.... wow... that is odd.   As far as grinding it down..... there is a shift lever adjustment.    Oh well....

Even some of the screw heads look boogered up.  Look at the picture of the chrome cover near the kick starter.  Those screws have been out also.  Something just doesn't look right.

[PhredValk]

Sand casting makes for somewhat rough surfaces. Notice the difference between the chrome cover and the actual surface of the engine itself...

Fred.

[Willow]

Keeping in perspective the difference between ware due to mileage and damage done by tools, this is a past forty year-old bike we're looking at.     

[BobB]

The mucked up screws on that case may have happened when the dealer had to install a guard around the sprocket to prevent a broken chain from wrapping itself up inside the case and destroying the engine.  This was a common fix on all these engines.  Carl had chopped a '69 CB 750 and has two other 750 engines in his shop.  They also have this fix.

BTW, I am aware of all this because Carl and I talked about it just yesterday.  I am not knowledgeable on these models.  Carl has communicated with experts and has gained a great deal of specific information.  You see pictures of the horn mount because early horns were mounted toward the left side of the frame and later moved right.  You see pictures of the cables entering the instrument cans because the two cables have different nut lengths.  The diameter on the mirror arms is 10mm vs. 11mm which came later.  There is more, and all of this help identify the complete correctness of this '69.