There’s nothing like the feeling of fixing something on your bike yourself. Whether it’s the first time or the tenth time, that sense of accomplishment that you just managed to do something necessary—and that you did it correctly—is so fulfilling. It doesn’t even have to be something major, although of course your brain’s mileage may vary based on your personal experience.
For BJ over on the Brick House Builds YouTube channel, there’s an added sense of pride here because the 1974 Honda CB750 you see here is actually his, and is not a customer bike. It was a barn find that he purchased for a mere $100, and that came complete with a seized engine. Through a lot of time, patience, and hard work, he managed to get it almost to the point of running again. (You can see the entire process in a handy project playlist he’s put together on the channel, which we’ll link to in our Sources. It’s also the project where BHB walked us through using electrolysis to de-rust a fuel tank.)
The CB750 is almost ready to go here and needs just a couple of little tweaks like installation of the fuel petcock, airbox, and of course the saddle. After a small amount of time putting on the finishing touches to make it roadworthy again, it’s time for a short test ride around the block. It’s ALIVE!
It’s not perfect, of course—there are some small things that need dialing in, like a very high idle, carb syncing, and so on. Still, it’s doing (and sounding) pretty darn good, especially considering that it wasn’t running when BHB got hold of it. In a way, working on project bikes is a bit like riding—sometimes, it’s more about the journey than it is the destination.
Still, there’s nothing like that sheer, unalloyed sense of joy you get when you hop on and go. Even if it’s not completely perfect, this particular CB750 still sounds awfully good. You can instantly hear why this bike shook the motorcycling world back when it was new. I wasn’t around when that happened, but it doesn’t even matter, because that unique sound tells you all you need to know. Some vehicles are just like that, and the CB750 is definitely among them.
The journey isn’t over for this project bike—but since it’s a personal bike and not a customer bike, BHB tucks it neatly away in the warehouse after paying a visit to the local vintage bike night. It’s going to be a great rider once it’s complete, and you can tell that already by how far it’s come.
