PROJECT "SPEEDHoLE"-1974 HONDA CB450 HARDTAIL/RACER BUILD-LAST UPDATED 1/28/08

ProTeal55

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PROJECT "SPEEDHoLE" - 1974 CB450 CAFE/RACER PROJECT
I am picking up the new project bike in a few weeks, so I thought I would start another build thread to document my progress..Please let me introduce you all to Project "Speed Hole" --->
CB450-1.jpg
The starting point is a super clean 1974 Honda CB450 I picked up from fellow 1/2 Faster Indy John.
The bike is super clean, complete, and has 13,000 original miles on the clock.
CB450-2-1.jpg
The plan is to strip the bike down and remove/get rid of/toss EVERYTHING that doesn't need to be their. I want to make this bike as light (and light looking) as possible to go with the whole hardcore cafe/racer look I have in my head. If you think Project "Slim" was stripped, just wait till u see this bike when I am done with it ! Their will be a heavy use of Speed holes on this project (much more than the last). I also have some really cool ideas I am gonna use on this project that I don't wanna give away (until they are actually done on the scoot)..
CB450-3-1.jpg
As on my last two bikes, I plan to keep this thread updated as much as I can, and as always will answer whatever questions may come up..

Stay tuned (this should get interesting)....
 
Re: PROJECT "SPEED HOLE" - 1973 HONDA CB/CL/CR450 CAFE/RACER DEAL-E-O

nice... Cant wait to see them...
 
Re: PROJECT "SPEED HOLE" - 1973 HONDA CB/CL/CR450 CAFE/RACER DEAL-E-O

ProTeal55 said:
See above ;D

Mabe its just the photograph, but the front forks look bent inwards a bit towards the motor....It doesn't look straight....
 
Re: PROJECT "SPEED HOLE" - 1973 HONDA CB/CL/CR450 CAFE/RACER DEAL-E-O

locO leoN said:
Mabe its just the photograph, but the front forks look bent inwards a bit towards the motor....It doesn't look straight....
It's just the pic.
The gators are old and soggy (for a better term), so they make the front end look like it is bent/cocked...
 
Re: PROJECT "SPEEDHoLE" - 1974 HONDA CB/CL/CR450 CAFE/RACER DEAL-E-O

I wish I could find nice bikes like that to start with,but really clean ones ain't too cheap in the rust belt. ;)
You can find nice ones,but man you would think they were made out of gold or something.
Nice(as in NOT junk,titled and RUNS good) examples of just about any CB will start at around $500.00-600 and go up from there.
I miss the days when you could easily find a sweet ass CB/KZ 750 for $750-800.00 that only needed polished up and gas!
 
Re: PROJECT "SPEEDHoLE" - 1974 HONDA CB/CL/CR450 CAFE/RACER DEAL-E-O

Living in Chicago makes finding these bikes quite easy. Allot of urban dwellers use these kinda bikes for daily transport, so coming across them in perfect running shape isnt rare. Plus the vintage motorcycle
"community" is pretty tight, so really all you need to do is put the word out and you usually
find what you are looking for in no time...
 
Re: PROJECT "SPEEDHoLE" - 1974 HONDA CB/CL/CR450 CAFE/RACER DEAL-E-O

coolatula said:
Nice(as in NOT junk,titled and RUNS good) examples of just about any CB will start at around $500.00-600 and go up from there.
I miss the days when you could easily find a sweet ass CB/KZ 750 for $750-800.00 that only needed polished up and gas!

are you serious? running projects in Cali are usually 1000-1500$ for 500$ you can get a titled(maybe) pile of parts
 
Re: PROJECT "SPEEDHoLE" - 1974 HONDA CB/CL/CR450 CAFE/RACER DEAL-E-O

xcaptainxbloodx said:
are you serious? running projects in Cali are usually 1000-1500$ for 500$ you can get a titled(maybe) pile of parts

Yes,but a $80,000 house here would cost $280,000 out there so it's all about economy of scale.
 
Re: PROJECT "SPEEDHoLE" - 1974 HONDA CB/CL/CR450 CAFE/RACER DEAL-E-O

i would love one of those... but dint think they came to the uk in that style.... bet it will look cool when finished. ;D
 
Re: PROJECT "SPEEDHoLE" - 1974 HONDA CB/CL/CR450 CAFE/RACER DEAL-E-O

$80K house? Shoot. Average price here is well over $300K now.
 
Re: PROJECT "SPEEDHoLE" - 1974 HONDA CB/CL/CR450 CAFE/RACER DEAL-E-O

miss alliekat said:
i would love one of those... but dint think they came to the uk in that style.... bet it will look cool when finished. ;D
I def. have a "look" in my head for how I want this project to turnout, now I just have to make it happen...
It is def. gonna follow the same lines as my other CB450 I built --->
450-71.jpg
But I want this one to be even more stripped down/and give off more of a "racer" feel...
 
Re: PROJECT "SPEEDHoLE" - 1974 HONDA CB450 CAFE/RACER DEAL-E-O

PROJECT UPDATE 1/01/08

Happy New Years !
I figured I would update this alittle to keep an accurate log of this build..

I had been tossing the idea around of making this bike a hardtail, and after seeing a mockup pic of another users 350 project I was/am sold (see below) -->
350BOBBER.jpg
So now the plans for the brown CB450 are gonna be a badass little racer/bobber deal.
Not like it is a change from how my other bikes have rode (with being so low to the ground), but no matter what you do you cant beat the look of a hardtail..Plus with me living in the city come spring this will be the perfect bar hopper. And if I ever need to actually put some miles on a bike I always have the Monster...

So the plans are to hardtail the the thing, prob. do a 21'' front and 19'' rear (or something along those lines), and do another funky routed exhaust as I did on the green CB450. Besides the major changes, I am going to go as simple as possibile on this build (atleast to get it rideable). All switches will be tucked away in the headlight bucket, as I want the bike to be as clean as possibile. I plan to run a small solo/spring seat with some sort of ribbed rear fender (no front of course) to keep the "bobber" look going. I am going to keep the electric start becasue I know how I am, and dont see myself ever owning a kick only bike (don't have the patience nor the back for that)..So a small battery box will have to be built and tucked somewhere on the rear section.

I will post some pics once I pickup the bike, and we get the thing torn down.
 
Re: PROJECT "SPEEDHoLE" - 1974 HONDA CB450 CAFE/RACER DEAL-E-O

Can't wait to see it! Once my cafe KZ is done, I think I'm also going to build a bobber/hard tail, but we'll see.
 
Re: PROJECT "SPEEDHoLE" - 1974 HONDA CB450 CAFE/RACER DEAL-E-O

Proteal,i love your CB450,can't wait to see this..hope to bobber a CB myself this year..post a lot of details please. :)
 
Re: PROJECT "SPEEDHoLE" - 1974 HONDA CB450 CAFE/RACER DEAL-E-O

I have a Harley 883 hardtail Pro-Street project I HAVE to get done by next summer.
It's a low mileage(1,600mi.) 2005 883 XL standard,rubber mount engine and a Red Barron 200 Weapon frame(I plan to run a 180 section tire on it).

I really like the look of the bobbers and pro-street style bikes.
Choppers are cool,but as I see it just aren't as ridable or handle as well as they need to to make them enjoyable. I want a bike that will actually TURN!
I'm building mine to be as practical as a hard tail style bike can be(raked,but stock length forks,rubber mounted engine.spring seat,180mm rear tire etc.)
Yeah,I KNOW the words hard tail and practical shouldn't be used in the same sentence!
 
Re: PROJECT "SPEEDHoLE" - 1974 HONDA CB450 CAFE/RACER DEAL-E-O

The first of many purchases for the new project --->
21.jpg
The 21'' wheel/dual disc setup is gonna go nice with the whole speedster/racer look I am going after.
Either going to stick with the stock 18'' out back, or relace the 19'' from the front for the rear (not sure as of yet). Once I get the hardtail rear section on the bike I can mock everything up and see how it looks.

Going to start ordering parts for the build, and as usual will document my progress..
Stay tuned...
 
Re: PROJECT "SPEEDHoLE" - 1974 HONDA CB450 CAFE/RACER DEAL-E-O

Nice. What is it? a custom setup?
 
Re: PROJECT "SPEEDHoLE" - 1974 HONDA CB450 CAFE/RACER DEAL-E-O

Said to be a 21'' wheel laced to a Honda hub, with dual discs.
We shall see if it is when I recieve it (if not I can always sell it - I got it for a killer price)..
 
Re: PROJECT "SPEEDHoLE" - 1974 HONDA CB450 CAFE/RACER DEAL-E-O

ProTeal55 said:
Said to be a 21'' wheel laced to a Honda hub, with dual discs.
We shall see if it is when I recieve it (if not I can always sell it - I got it for a killer price)..

Isn't it amazing what you can get if you simply ask in the right places or know the right people???...

Geezzz... There's a rumor buzzin around that someone on this board got a cb450 frame w/ papers, forks, wheels, seat, motor, carbs, electricals, OEM mufflers, headlight, tail light, fenders,etc..etc... pretty much an 80% complete bike but in parts for $200!!!... WOW... what a deal!!.. LOL!!!... ;D
 
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