I know I still owe you my recap of this year’s Quail (I promise I’m working on it!), but today I want to focus on just one of the motorcycles that was in the show – Clay Baker’s 1972 Honda CB750, which won first place in the Japanese category. He kindly sent over some photos of the restoration process, and I always find these kind of picture galleries fascinating.
Clay pulls up to victory lane.
Clay has shared a tale on Bike-urious before, but this time we’ll let the photos do most of the talking. The short version is that Clay found a ’72 CB750 for sale outside of his dorm in Montana State University for $500, so he “financed it the Montana way (2 hunting rifles at a pawn shop)” and used it to enjoy the local sights.
Clay with his 1972 CB in 1986.
Clay has another great anecdote about being a young broke motorcyclist: “When the weather was good I had my classes scheduled around riding to Yellowstone Park, just 89 miles away through the Gallatin canyon to West Yellowstone, 3-4 days a week. The bike didn’t have a chain guard so it spewed oil on my left back and shoulder. I couldn’t get the part or afford it anyway so I put strips of duct tape on my back to collect the sprayed oil. When I pulled into a gas station I’d say fill the oil and check the gas. That’s when anyone would assist a long hair in Montana. Lots of great memories riding that bike. On one trip coming home in a rain storm the water collected in the spark plug recesses and was shorting out. The cracks in the plug wires didn’t help. For whatever reason I reached down to wiggle the wires and the shock blew me back. Needless to say I ended up in the ditch with my friends laughing they’re asses off.”
At the Quail Motorcycle Gathering in 2016, Clay saw that Don Stockett of Vintage Motorcycle Rescue had won the Japanese class with a Candy Red CB750. In Clay’s words, “I didn’t know those bikes had become collectible and that was the inspiration.” He found a project in a barn in North Carolina and began the restoration process with Don.
How he picked it up/the dismantling process:
Restoration Photos. Clay says, “the bikes I collect all have the same vision; make them as they were when delivered to the dealership. I strive to make every bike I restore accurate in every detail so that another restorer can use them as reference material for their own restorations.”
“Valve covers on these bikes are often chromed or machine polished to almost chrome look. That’s a mistake as detracts from the bikes overall appearance. The factory gave a mild polish and lacquered the valve covers. In this restoration we chose to simply hand polish the valve cover to the correct sheen and not lacquer the metal because eventually the finish yellows and cracks. Honda stopped the practice as well.”
“The seat is new old stock, remarkably the foam, which can be seen from underneath was still white and due to being out of the sunlight the logo was perfect.”
“The tank and side panels are original Honda parts, still in the box when received. The paint is original, 1972 factory paint, we did not repaint those parts. We believe one other set exists. If there are more none of the collectors I know are talking about them and I would certainly be interested if they can prove their original.”
“Every screw, nut, washer and detail, right down to the owners manual and tool kit under the seat were researched and made exactly as they were from the factory.”
“The exhaust pipes are new old stock, still in the factory packaging when received. Chrome was perfect, just required a little polishing.”
This is how it ended up, right before winning at the Quail!
For an album with more photos, click here! Clay told me that his “vision for this bike was always to build a bike that could compete at The Quail”, and he’s clearly done well on that front – congratulations to Clay on his beautiful CB and his victory at the Quail!