John V
04-08-2015, 07:58 AM
It's spring - who wants a nice motorcycle to tool around on?
10,000 RPM redline, 400cc, a Honda-slick 6-speed transmission, and less than 400lbs. Not a rocketship by any means, but it makes great noises and looks killer. This one has 10,000 miles on it, original paint and stickers and most importantly, the frame hasn't been cut to make it a cafe wannabe. :)
I picked up this one a couple of years ago, mostly because I always loved the way they looked and I wanted to have one in my garage. It was in fair condition at the time; the previous owner had put an aftermarket pipe on it and pod filters and it ran very badly. The carbs had been leaking for years as well as the petcock so the engine had varnish stains all over it. The cam chain tensioner had broken so the chain was making an awful racket and slapping against the internal engine case. The front brake didn't work (even worse than when it was new :lol:).
I'm asking $3,700 for it which I think is reasonable but I'll entertain offers. I have more than that into it, but isn't that how this kind of thing goes? :)
Here's what's been done:
Engine and exhaust
Painted the cases silver and replaced all the hardware with stainless allen cap-head fasteners
Pulled the oil pan and cleaned the pickup and the sludge from the bottom (it had sat for about 20 years before the PO bought it)
Replaced the timing chain tensioner and spring and readjusted per the Honda procedure
Adjusted the valves
Installed Dyna coils (originals had split open)
Installed a transistorized ignition system
Replaced the spark plugs and wires
Sourced and installed an original air box, breather assembly, new air filter and snorkel to return the bike to stock
Cleaned and rebuilt the carbs, including new jets. They're synchronized properly and work very well.
Sent the header, collector and muffler to Jet-Hot to get coated. The header was nice when I started but they're not known for lasting a long time in stock form
Replaced all the exhaust gaskets
Fuel tank was coated by previous owner. I replaced the petcock and didn't see any issues with the coating. It was a non-rusty tank to start with.
Frame, Suspension and Wheels
Prepped and painted frame and swingarm black, preserving the original Honda stickers
Restored the front forks inside and out - new seals, oil, dust caps, and added adjustable preload spring caps
Replaced the rear shocks with Progressive brand units (I have the originals - they're blown and rusty, but I have them)
Installed a tapered bearing kit for the steering head. Big improvement in stability of the front fork.
Wheels are aluminum stock-sized replacements that came with the bike, laced with stainless spokes
Tires are modern Avons, with new tubes and rim strips.
Front fender has been removed (but the fork brace remains). I have the front fender, but I liked the look with it deleted.
Centerstand has been removed. I have it.
Passenger foot pegs have been removed. I have them.
Electrics
Replaced the battery with a lightweight (2 pound) Lithium unit
Replaced the fuse box with one using standard automotive blade fuses
Replaced the turn signal relay
Installed a light from a CB750 (much larger than the CB400F light - I don't have the original, it didn't come with the bike)
The turn signals and taillight are smaller "cafe" style parts. They came with the bike, but I liked the look so they stayed. I have the originals.
Brakes
Installed a modern master cylinder with the right bore size
Replaced the (rotten) front brake line with a braided SS unit
Honed the brake caliper bore, replaced the seal and installed a new SS piston
Installed modern sintered brake pads so it actually stops. Previous owner had the disc drilled.
I think that's pretty much it. I'll grab some more pictures this weekend but I wanted to toss this out there to gain interest. These are hard to find in nice shape and this is a really nice example. I've put a few hundred miles on it and it runs flawlessly as you'd expect of an old Honda. All the electrics work and it has enough power to keep up with traffic so long as you stay off the freeways. It can do freeway speeds, but that sort of defeats the purpose of a machine like this. I had my fun and now it's time for someone else to enjoy it so I can move onto my next project. :)
http://i368.photobucket.com/albums/oo126/vitamvauser/Mobile%20Uploads/20141004_172434_zpsjplz4ncn.jpg (http://s368.photobucket.com/user/vitamvauser/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20141004_172434_zpsjplz4ncn.jpg.html)
http://i368.photobucket.com/albums/oo126/vitamvauser/Mobile%20Uploads/20150404_201706_zpsfuqu9uqm.jpg (http://s368.photobucket.com/user/vitamvauser/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20150404_201706_zpsfuqu9uqm.jpg.html)
10,000 RPM redline, 400cc, a Honda-slick 6-speed transmission, and less than 400lbs. Not a rocketship by any means, but it makes great noises and looks killer. This one has 10,000 miles on it, original paint and stickers and most importantly, the frame hasn't been cut to make it a cafe wannabe. :)
I picked up this one a couple of years ago, mostly because I always loved the way they looked and I wanted to have one in my garage. It was in fair condition at the time; the previous owner had put an aftermarket pipe on it and pod filters and it ran very badly. The carbs had been leaking for years as well as the petcock so the engine had varnish stains all over it. The cam chain tensioner had broken so the chain was making an awful racket and slapping against the internal engine case. The front brake didn't work (even worse than when it was new :lol:).
I'm asking $3,700 for it which I think is reasonable but I'll entertain offers. I have more than that into it, but isn't that how this kind of thing goes? :)
Here's what's been done:
Engine and exhaust
Painted the cases silver and replaced all the hardware with stainless allen cap-head fasteners
Pulled the oil pan and cleaned the pickup and the sludge from the bottom (it had sat for about 20 years before the PO bought it)
Replaced the timing chain tensioner and spring and readjusted per the Honda procedure
Adjusted the valves
Installed Dyna coils (originals had split open)
Installed a transistorized ignition system
Replaced the spark plugs and wires
Sourced and installed an original air box, breather assembly, new air filter and snorkel to return the bike to stock
Cleaned and rebuilt the carbs, including new jets. They're synchronized properly and work very well.
Sent the header, collector and muffler to Jet-Hot to get coated. The header was nice when I started but they're not known for lasting a long time in stock form
Replaced all the exhaust gaskets
Fuel tank was coated by previous owner. I replaced the petcock and didn't see any issues with the coating. It was a non-rusty tank to start with.
Frame, Suspension and Wheels
Prepped and painted frame and swingarm black, preserving the original Honda stickers
Restored the front forks inside and out - new seals, oil, dust caps, and added adjustable preload spring caps
Replaced the rear shocks with Progressive brand units (I have the originals - they're blown and rusty, but I have them)
Installed a tapered bearing kit for the steering head. Big improvement in stability of the front fork.
Wheels are aluminum stock-sized replacements that came with the bike, laced with stainless spokes
Tires are modern Avons, with new tubes and rim strips.
Front fender has been removed (but the fork brace remains). I have the front fender, but I liked the look with it deleted.
Centerstand has been removed. I have it.
Passenger foot pegs have been removed. I have them.
Electrics
Replaced the battery with a lightweight (2 pound) Lithium unit
Replaced the fuse box with one using standard automotive blade fuses
Replaced the turn signal relay
Installed a light from a CB750 (much larger than the CB400F light - I don't have the original, it didn't come with the bike)
The turn signals and taillight are smaller "cafe" style parts. They came with the bike, but I liked the look so they stayed. I have the originals.
Brakes
Installed a modern master cylinder with the right bore size
Replaced the (rotten) front brake line with a braided SS unit
Honed the brake caliper bore, replaced the seal and installed a new SS piston
Installed modern sintered brake pads so it actually stops. Previous owner had the disc drilled.
I think that's pretty much it. I'll grab some more pictures this weekend but I wanted to toss this out there to gain interest. These are hard to find in nice shape and this is a really nice example. I've put a few hundred miles on it and it runs flawlessly as you'd expect of an old Honda. All the electrics work and it has enough power to keep up with traffic so long as you stay off the freeways. It can do freeway speeds, but that sort of defeats the purpose of a machine like this. I had my fun and now it's time for someone else to enjoy it so I can move onto my next project. :)
http://i368.photobucket.com/albums/oo126/vitamvauser/Mobile%20Uploads/20141004_172434_zpsjplz4ncn.jpg (http://s368.photobucket.com/user/vitamvauser/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20141004_172434_zpsjplz4ncn.jpg.html)
http://i368.photobucket.com/albums/oo126/vitamvauser/Mobile%20Uploads/20150404_201706_zpsfuqu9uqm.jpg (http://s368.photobucket.com/user/vitamvauser/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20150404_201706_zpsfuqu9uqm.jpg.html)