Latest project (Early CT70K3)

hornetgod

Well-Known Member
I traded an original KO/HKO Headlight assembly for a sun bleached matching frame and non-running engine. I rebuilt the engine and ended up replacing the head with another from the same model year. All other parts have been gathered from lilhonda members or Ebay. It's taken nearly a year to get it put together. It runs and functions perfectly. I intend to eventually tear it down, blast, and paint it Candy Riveria Blue. Unlike my Wife's K3, it has both front and rear brake hand levers.












Walk around video while running..........
[video=youtube_share;DKkYUQVsA8w]http://youtu.be/DKkYUQVsA8w[/video]
 
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johnsgm

Member
engine sounds good . . .
what kept you from putting a finish on the frame ?
Seems a shame to have to tear it all back down now after you put in all that work.
 

hornetgod

Well-Known Member
engine sounds good . . .
what kept you from putting a finish on the frame ?
Seems a shame to have to tear it all back down now after you put in all that work.

The engine is strong! I took it out on the main streets today to open it up. It lugged my 240 pound frame up to 42 MPH on a level grade with no tail wind. I'm holding off on the painting for now since this is a low budget restoration. I wanted to get it together and ensure it works/runs well before spending a large chunk of cash on paint and/or a painter. All the parts are used and have taken a while to round up. The early K3 handlebars are straight and were the hardest thing to find. The turn signals were another tough one to find too.
 

hornetgod

Well-Known Member
I have used powder coating in the past on the black parts. I would consider powder coating the frame and other parts if the color matching was close. I have to weigh all the options. The painting or powder coating could be months off.
 

hornetgod

Well-Known Member
Updated pictures below. Installed an reproduction seat and OEM handlebar switches. I plan a tear down, blasting, and painting once I tackle the DMV title and street registration nightmare. Candy Riviera Blue is the color I'm going with. The pictures were taken along side of the Wife's late production K3 (notice one has the left side handle bar lever where the other doesn't).
 
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hornetgod

Well-Known Member
I know aquiring all the correct parts can be a mission....looks great.

Oh, I know! Original K3 parts are harder to source than KO, HKO, and HK1 parts. The handle bars, turn signals, fork ears, matching switches, and tail light bracket were the hardest to find. Several members of this fine website helped me out tremendously.
I have an original exhaust guard that needs painted and installed too. Besides the K3 reproduction seat, all other parts are genuine Honda.
 
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69ST

Well-Known Member
Bill, you've made this much progress collecting the unobtainium K3 pieces. You've gotta snag a vintage "holes & slots" muffler guard to cap-off this project. FWIW, in your shoes, I'd have chosen CRB, as well.
 

hornetgod

Well-Known Member
Bill, you've made this much progress collecting the unobtainium K3 pieces. You've gotta snag a vintage "holes & slots" muffler guard to cap-off this project. FWIW, in your shoes, I'd have chosen CRB, as well.

You must have missed what I wrote in my response in post #13.

I have an original exhaust guard that needs painted and installed too. Besides the K3 reproduction seat, all other parts are genuine Honda.



Picture below is with it installed. I'll paint it when I paint the bike.
 
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ez50

Well-Known Member
I'm curious HG, did you pick up some NOS bars? I've got an early K3 as well with some deep scratches in the bars. My CRB had been a parade bike it's whole life with 2100 easy miles. It had a windshield clamped to the bars with an Elks Lodge emblem and stickers. Looked like a time machine that came strait from the mid 70's :usa:. I've been able to pick up a single bar at a time but they don't match. The K3 bars with the lever/ mirror perches have got to be the hardest parts to locate.
All you own is stock, is it time for an 88 or 108-117 maybe?:15:
 

hornetgod

Well-Known Member
The handlebars I bought from a member here on the site. He was parting out a K3. The handlebars are straight and the chrome is in excellent condition. I tried to talk him down from $125.00 but he wouldn't budge. I went ahead a paid him because I didn't want them slipping away. Good straight K3 bars are near impossible to find.
I always buy handlebars as sets. Bends differ if purchased separately.
I try to keep my Trail 70's as close to stock as possible. I am guilty of dressing (polishing) them up a bit but, other than that I like to keep them as close to the way I remember them back in the 70's. I own bigger bikes that I drive faster on.
 

hornetgod

Well-Known Member
I finally got it titled and California registered. All it took was 6 hours time, $131.00, three trips to two different DMV's, a visit with a local CHP office, a mountain of paperwork, and six Advil.
The last major hurdle is the tear down, blasting, and painting. I have all the correct K3 replacement decals and stickers. I'm going to wait until after my move to El Centro before tackling that.
 
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bc17a

Well-Known Member
I'm going to wait until after my move to El Centro before tackling that.

Bill,

You'll be down in my neck of the woods then. I'm in Beaumont so when you get ready to finish the bike bring it up here and we'll paint it for the cost of the materials and a few cold silver bullets.
 
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