My building back ground is really with backyard built bikes, not rat rods. So this is more what I do in the ole hobby shop, not the attempt at the rat rod I am starting. lol
Yes, it has six carbs. Yes you have to have six sync gauges. Yes, it can be a tad time consuming. A good bench sync helps quite a bit in the beginning. Right around 105hp stock is quite accurate. Honda only made the six cylinder 79'-82'. I'm a cb750 guy actually and all of my builds except the two CBX builds have been such. The CBX was born from this motor, the inline four. The smooth aggressive never ending pull the six cylinder produces seems endless. Quite like the initial impression a big block makes in someone the first time they switch from small to big block. Hence my mentality when I built the first one. "Try building a big block chop!"
The long bike was a custom built frame myself and a friend built. The trike frame started as an original vintage Corbin-Gentry trike from the 70's originally built for a cb750. Because the cbx motor is quite a bit longer front to back it would not easily work in the stock configuration. I really wasn't interested in changing the frame shape or look much nor did I want to raise the neck height or increase the rake. So I stretched the frame along the lower frame rails under the motor 5 inches. When I did that it obviously moved the neck forward. In order to reach that new distance I would have to lower the back bone angle OR raise the neck height if progressing on the same line and angle further forward. I really didn't want to change the angle of the back bone to a lower angle (changing the look of the bike). So what I chose to do was run a new larger back bone at the same angle as the original and then just after the tank position create a bend to reach back down to the neck's original height but in the new 5 inches forward position.
On my bike forums we often talk about the cb750 really being under powered to push trikes with any amount of excitement. Yeah, there are plenty of cb750 trikes and I have ridden a few but they were not real powerful. So when I decided to build a trike for family fun and for my Dad who is starting to get a little old for two wheel riding, the idea of selling the long chop as a roller and keep the motor for a trike build seemed smart. I'm not sure if you guys follow bikes but I'm a real regular on hondachopper.com and thechopperunderground.com. Hondachopper is for sohc cb750's ONLY. So although I acquired the trike from a member there I cannot post its progress there. I do however post its progress on thechopperunderground since all motor types are welcome there. I will post the photobucket file link to the trike if you are interested in seeing the rest of the build pics. Try not to judge to harshly, I'm a professional chef, not a metal fabricator by trade! lol
The rear end is the standard best aftermarket one most backyard builders use. Its a DNA rear with discs. I am using Performance Machine calipers and a Wilwood hot rod caliper to drive them.
http://s287.photobucket.com/user/jpswino2/library/The Trike?sort=3&page=1
I'm just hoping I can get a thread started with my rat rod build here and learn something new from you guys that will get me to the finish line and perhaps take some of that new skill/knowledge back to my bike building! [cl
