'69 CB750 KO in Harrisburg

[Buffalorider_imp]

http://mecum.com/lot-detail.cfm?lot_id=PA0714-194852

This CB was at the Mecum auction in Harrisburg on Saturday.
Along with a lot of other great machines. Made me wish I could have been back on Sunday for the bikes. I am shocked at the prices s few of the Flathead Harley s brought. On second thought, maybe it's best I was NOT there.

[The Spaceman_imp]

Did it sell? When the prototype bike was in the news there was much discussion on the skyrocketing value of sandcast bikes. Aside from there simply being fewer of them, there doesn't appear to be any other differences from later models.

[Cormanus]

What's the difference between this one and the once that sold recently for nearly $150K?

[Razor]

Friend of a friend bought several bikes from a local estate sale. One was a sandcast. Pretty well aged, chain was so rusted in couldn't be moved. He sold it for $31,000. Amongst the sandcast; there are four prototypes. One of these went for just over $130,000.

I'd never pay that much... but, Beauty is the eye of the beholder

[The Spaceman_imp]

What's the difference between this one and the once that sold recently for nearly $150K?

That one was one of four, hand-built prototypes that were shipped to the US for dealer shows before the CB went into production. And apparently it's the only survivor of the four. It had many unique parts, most notable in my mind being the billet crankshaft. I never did hear who bought the damn thing, I hope it went to a museum or other owner who will display it.

I'm no expert, but I understand the sand-cast bikes were the early production models. I don't think there is any significant difference other than the production tooling between those and the later bikes.

[the Ferret]

Rumor that was circulating around was that Leno got.



[/i]

[Randy B]

Rumor that was circulating around was that Leno got.



[/i]

That would not surprise me in the least.

[Cormanus]

Thanks for the explanation, Spaceman.

The Leno rumour reached Australia.

[Damfino_imp]

This info is from the SOHC4 Owners Club website and describes it better than I can.


"The earliest CB750′s had gravity cast engine cases erroneously referred to as sandcast. The early engine cases, which were made prior to the completion of production casting dies, were actually cast using what is correctly called permanent mold casting which uses metal casting molds not sand. It is the gravity casting method and the molds that results in a rough finish to the part. The later engine cases were cast using a technique called die-casting where the metal was pressure fed into a casting die resulting in a smoother surface finish, better quality control, and a generally stronger part.

There are several distinctive characateristics of this series of engines:
•The engine cases have a distinctive rough finish that resembles the roughness of 400-600 grit sandpaper.
•The engine serial number is CB750E-1007414 or lower.
•The clutch cover is held on with 10 screws – the diecast engines have 11.

The sandcast engines were fitted only to the earliest 1969 models. The first thousand bikes were hand built, mostly in California, as Honda tested the market for this new model. Most of these bikes would have been registered prior to August 1969. A good resource for owners of these highly collectible early CB750′s is the Honda CB750 Sandcast Only Owners Club. You’ll find lots of good information there including details on changes to the bikes in the early years and photos and analysis of the early production bikes.

Use caution when buying anything designated as ‘sandcast’ since this is a label often incorrectly tacked on parts and bikes by questionable sellers seeking to drive up prices."


That '69 for $13,000 was a steal! Had he put that on eBay, he probably would have been looking at more like $30,000 - $40,000!

Rumor that was circulating around was that Leno got.



[/i]

I don't know. If that were the case, I would of expected to have seen it on 'Leno's Garage' by now. Jay has never been shy about showing off his collection.

[Ridem32_imp]

The blue 750 that sold on eBay was one of the first 4 handmade. The pipes was handmade beat out with hammers. The tank emblems was made from sand. The blinkers was welded on not bolted. One bike went to the junk yard and got crushed and ground up they found very small parts from it. One bike got stole and never recovered. One bike is in a room took all the way apart even the motor is apart laid out nice! The owner of it says he will never sell it but might have honda put it back together all parts like new! So it's 2 bikes left of the 4. I got a friend from the cbx forum that went to jay Leno garage about 2 months ago. I will ask him if he saw the bike there
Damfino all 69 was sandcast and the first few 70 models was sandcast I think I could be wrong. But I think the motor #s made it to the first few 70 models. The 69 & 70 was both KO bikes with 71 being the K1