1971 HONDA CL450 cafe build

mark13018

"In the age of information, ignorance is a choice
Alright. Finally I'm going to post some of my latest cafe project.. It's winter here in Indiana and slow moving for everything. I don't know how much I'll be able to load a lot of pictures for sure but I'll try to keep updates in here and hopefully can upload a lot of pics.

This first picture is what I started with. Picked it up from someone who got it from their dad and it had sat for 30 years or so and the engine was still free. It has 6800 miles or so on it. It was really what I wanted for my own personal cafe since I had a cb200, cb550 four, and cb750 and I had a cb450 that I rode and liked the best out of the mix of Honda's I've ridden but I like the high pipes so I sold the cb450 to my brother for his cafe and found me this cl450. I'm a little guy at only 5'3" and this bike is a perfect fit for me and a perfect mix in my opinion of power to weight.

Feel free to comment and watch. I accept criticism well and would love feedback and tips if you have any. Thanks for looking!
 

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Here is how it is currently. A huge pile of parts on the floor and some stuff waiting for parts. I bought a cb450 triple tree so I can lower the front end. Rebuilding forks and using new style steering bearings. The one fork boot was ruined and I'm unsure if I'll be putting fork boots back on or leaving them off. I've heard mixed ideas either way.

I have mikuni carbs, k&n air filters, pirelli sport demon tires, the tank and seat are from legendary motorcycles, h4 headlight with led turn signals built in, cool retro bikes slim mufflers, gsxr750 rearsets, and some other things I may be forgetting.

Let me know what you think.
 

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Looking good from here Mark, I have checked out those Legendary tanks and seats myself, you like the quality? Is the tank lined for ethanol?
Let me know if you need any parts I have a nasty 72 CB450 and may be able to help out.
Where abouts in Hoosier land are you?
 
I'm in a small town Leo its just north of fort Wayne. I may still need some cb450 parts bit I mostly need a set of those pipes.
 
Nice tank, you looking for CB or CL headers? I have a set of CB headers that I didn't use for sale.
 
Yeah, what pipes are you wanting? The first pic of your bike has the CL headers that look really nice... what's wrong with those? I've got none, just curious.
Leo is not too far, I am a little over 25 miles in Kendallville... and Jeezusfreak lives in Huntertown but I don't think we have heard from him in a while.
You ever go to D&A in Decatur?
 
Looking for another set of the same pipes. Nothing is wrong with ones I have but that's the problem. They are almost perfect and I'd hate to cut into them... I love the legendary products. Made amazingly and I'm sure will hold up to a lot of abuse... I want the high pipes and I think someone on here said they had some at one point but I don't remember who it is... I was just in kendallville yesterday and picked up two bikes from a guy.. huntertown is really close.... went to d a once and the 90 yr old guy is a douchebag and a lot of the stuff there isn't even for sale.. I've checked with marley motorsports in columbia city before. He's good and has tons of shit.
 
Yes, please do not cut up those pipes. They are highly sought after....well you won't get rich, they are Honda parts after all, but they are relatively rare.
 
Hahaha. Yeah, I know but I'd like to get some other nasty cl450 pipes to cut up and sell these. Should be able to come out ahead with positive funds from a transaction like that. Just need someone to sell me a set if pipes cheap. ;)
 
The part fairy came today. Also won an ebay auction of some pipes to cut up... still waiting on a couple more parts and will post more pics as I progress.. I did get an engine rebuild kit but I'm waiting to do that til next winter but being in the middle of something and not have the parts sucks.
 

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Last night worked a little more on it. I put on the new rear tire and immediately remembered why I hate installing tires.. anyways ot was worth the struggle and it looks damn sexy!!. Just mocked it up as I'm still waiting on the new rear sprocket. Coming along fine... picked up a 88 fzr1000 the other day and snagged the chin fairing off to fab to mine. I'm just using the fzr for parts for this and future builds... I do have a question if anyone knows. The front end of the cl450 is not meant to be lowered so I tried to put a cb450 triple tree on it bit the fork spacing is slightly wider. So I bought a whole cb450 triple tree set up and am installing it this weekend but will the axle I have still make the stretch? I know I'll have to make some spacers and will fumble through ot myself anyways bit of someone else has already done this any tips or pointers would be helpful. Here's some pics. Enjoy!
 
I'll have to post pics when I get home. Doing it from my phone sucks and I think is impossible.
 
http://www.flickr.com/photos/92798824@N07/8434455201/in/photostream

http://www.flickr.com/photos/92798824@N07/8435591676/in/photostream


Ok so it seems as though I'm still too new to post images properly. These are the links to them. Unaware of how to load an image so the actual image shows up instead of the link. Sorry.
 
You can use the image button in the reply form, or you just put the url of the image inbetween "[ img][/img]" tags. The image button just puts the tags in for you. I haven't found a good way to get image urls on my phone so I normally wait to post pics from my computer.

8434455201_49d95af6e8_c.jpg


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BTW, Looking good.

Oh, and I had those clipons as well. Watch out for the bolts hitting your tank. They put the bolts in probably the dumbest spot. You may want to try and find different hardware if you have problems with them. Otherwise they were fine.
 
Sorry, take the space out of the first tag, I had to put that in there or it wouldn't show up.
 
Tried adding the xxxddf [img] . that didn't work. What did I do wrong?

thanks, for the complements on the bike. I'm working to complete mine and by brother is doing a cb450 I sold him last year. His is much further along than mine. He post on instagram and facebook but I don't know if he's ever even been on here so I'll post a pic of his.
 
alright figuring pictures aside... What do you guys think about the tire? answers on the triple tree issue? Overall look? opinions? Thanks,
 
Here is the rear rim cleaned up. I used the stock wheel and just cleaned it up. What I did and worked well for me was wd40 and 0000 ultra fine steel wool then I took turtle wax bug and tar remover and a tooth brush and about a hour of elbow grease I got everything off of it but some rust. It was an great way to clean a stock rim to get it to look good.

 
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