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20mm Hex Key? Holy Hell!

4328 Views 23 Replies 13 Participants Last post by  jaimesix
Ok, so update time. Since it was only -11 today (without windchill), I decided to do some work on the bike. And the weekend is supposed to be around zero too, so should get some shit done!

Today I put on my clip-on handle bars, and the chrome headlight brackets. Very sexy. Ran into a problem though...



When I was putting on the left bar, I had to take off the left fork cap and bung the thing on with a hammer and wood block. Well it's on fine now, but I have no idea how to put the cap back on the fork, as it's pretty hard to compress the spring and turn the cap at the same time. The hex socket in the cap is 20mm, but I looked around town and no one seems to carry a 20mm hex wrench or anything!

I tried fashioning one out of an old hockey stick, and it works for fitting in the socket, but it's still very hard to get it to go in the fork.





I feel like the hugest noob in the world here :p

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Le Canuck
My Bike on Flickr
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dude, you still got the main stand on that bike, right? Put it on the main and then get something really heavy to place on the furthermost rearward frame rails. The front end of the bike should lift off the ground. Jam logs under there and you'll just crush your pipes.
quote: Dude, how did you install your clip ons?? Did you take the upper triple clamp? or did you take the forks off??
IIRC his bike is a 1979 750 L (10th anniversary edition) which means it did not have air forks at all (1981 was the first year for the air forks on the DOHC cb750). Also, I am pretty sure he brought that bike home in pieces so he probably just put the clipons on when he assembled the front end. Do a search, he has posted previous about this.
quote:
I understand, that makes sense, because taking the forks off would be the long haul.

BTW, That Canadian CB750L has the right speedometer, I have the dorky 80mph ( I wonder why??? did the US authorities go crazy?? I do not think Honda decided to install 80mph gauges in the US only...<img src=icon_smile_dead.gif border=0 align=middle> )
here is my speedo ( I am hunting for the right one, either in KPH or MPH, I want to really know what speed I travel at...) and the right kind.
My US version 80mph face.


KPH full speed face


Nice assortment of faces.


This is a european CBF gauge cluster ( on CB750, 900 and 1100 bikes)



Cafe racer DOHC CB750F

http://cardomain.com/id/jaimesix<img src=icon_smile_dead.gif border=0 align=middle>

Edited by - jaimesix on Dec 13 2006 2:16:11 PM
1979 and 1983 were the only years for the 150mph speedo in the US. The reason was that in 1980 there were some concerns raised on a federal level about the increasing speed of modern sport bikes (and sports cars) and whether they were a danger to the roads. This was also coupled with HD's attempt to regain some market share by petitioning the federal government to limit imported bikes to 700ccs by raising the tarriffs. Anyway, the thinking was that if the speedo displayed 80 mph then the operator would be less inclined to go faster.

Although legislation on this matter died (the 700cc tarrif thing didn't however) President Reagan asked the motorcycle and automobile manufacturers to voluntarily comply. Honda complied whole hearteldy with almost all of their US vehicles having 80 or 85 mph speedos. Other companies were less inclined to comply since there was no penalty imposed if they didn't and they were too busy fighting the tarriff. In 1983, honda decided that it nolonger needed to comply and began putting 120, 140, and 150mph speedos back on thier bikes. unfortunatly the only DOHC in production at the time was the cb1100f as the VFR series motors were phasing out the inline DOHCs. Honda was not actively marketing ithe cb1100f in the US in 1982 and the only official US model year is 1983. That being said, there are some 1982 cb1100F imports from canada as well as 1983 cb1100R's (never sold in the US).

A 150 mph speedo is a rare find in the US as the colors are different than 150 mph speedos in other countries. I have the one that came stock on my 79 cb750F, and one off of a 1979 cb750K for my 1982 cb900F. On ebay I have seen them trade for between $150 and $200. I got mine for $100 in perfect working order. Although the cb1100F in 83 using a different gauge housing (because of the fairing) the 1982 models have the same housing as the rest of the DOHC cb's since they were sold without a fairing.
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