So you bought a CM400 / CB400T, now what...(50+ Build Links!)

Re: So you bought a CM400 / CB400T, now what...

Yayuppp, I added "Lucy" to the list, so keep up the contributions in your thread.

If you are going with a very simple stripped bike, then I say do a basic wiring harness & forget the keyed ignition and hide a simple toggle somewhere.

yayuppp said:
I'm making a cafe, but right now I have to get it running. The previous owner threw away the ignition coil and it didn't come with an igntion switch. Money is tight right now so it's moving realllllllllllly slow. Still rebuilding the carbs. The primary main jet was siezed in one carb so I drilled it out. I've had the second soaking in pentrating oil for some time now. This site is great for getting ideas and inspiration. I have a thread floating around here somewhere... http://www.dotheton.com/forum/index.php?topic=24308.0 I'll update it.
 
Re: So you bought a CM400 / CB400T, now what...

Ya, I'm trying my best. Slowly but surly...
Without using a key switch; I'm worried about it getting stolen. I'm going to tuck the key switch somewhere, maybe under the tank somewhere?
 
Re: So you bought a CM400 / CB400T, now what...

Frankenfe said:
Devon, Start taking pics now, if you are like me before you know it it won't be recognizable. Have you decided what direction you are going to go?


Hey Frankenfe, I'm definitely gonna start taking pics. I already wish I had taken pics when I first got it with the HILARIOUS fairing that was on it (three feet tall! LOL) I Might have to put it back on just so I can show you guys.


It's running really well right now, I picked it up for 8 bones to use as a commuter this summer. I really wanted a 750 but they're selling for 3k+ in half decent condition in my area (Edmonton, AB. we only get to ride 1 month a year, the rest of the time we take our dogsleds :eek: jk)


It's gonna be fun, I've got a "I'm gonna do some unique mods to make it look really good, but I'm not really worried if I break it cuz it only cost 800 bucks and if it gets me to work for the month of July then it's paid for itself" attitude ;D


I just love the cafe racer bikes, and love this site!


Thanks for putting this together, there's a ton of useful information here.


Devon 8)
 
Re: So you bought a CM400 / CB400T, now what...

btw, I've got the unique CB400T1 model with the spoked wheels and no tach. Anyone else on here have one of these?


I really want to put a tach on it but where the tach cable should go there's an aluminum cover. Not sure if I can just open up the clutch cover pop that cover out and insert the cable.


Does anyone know if that's possible? I'd just open it and check but the exhaust connections are rusty and if i take the exhaust off to get the clutch cover off then I'll have to either
a) order a new exhaust ($350+ (half the cost of the bike!)) or
b)make my own ugly ass exhaust and header wrap it, but then I'll have to learn how to rejet for the different airflow :eek: or
c)tack this pos exhaust back together which means ill have to. beg/borrow/steal a welder, watch a couple hundred youtube videos, read a half a dozen books and then practice for hours which I'd love to do but c'mon it's summer I'd rather be riding. I think I'll just learn how to weld in the fall and make something pretty ;D I can learn how to rejet as well during our 11 month long winter ;)


Devon 8)
 
Re: So you bought a CM400 / CB400T, now what...

Devon,
It is funny how many CM/Cafe guys want to change the reverse comstars to spokes, so you have a jump on it with your CB. Mine was as much about getting a larger rear wheel, since the Rev/Com was a 16" and I wanted 18". What size rear is your spoke?

There is a similar stripped CM version (The CM400e "Economy") If I remeber correctly, it came with spokes & no tach, drum front vs disc, and had a steel plate type upper triple tree vs a cast one. If you look at my early pics of my bike it has CM400E forks and tripple tree (including the steel plate upper). I do plan to keep the Drum and Drum mount forks (CM400e) but use a CM400T cast upper tree (with gauge mount tabs cut/ground off and CM400T fork caps.

Post a pic of the engine cover where the tach would go in. Is it casted closed or is it have a removble plug? my 79 cm400 has a kick start, the 80 does not, the engine cover is molded cast closed. If you decide to go with newer gauges you could use an electronic Tach.

AND I VOTE "B" since that is what building a Cafe is all about. Just try and leave the ugly ass part out.
 
Re: So you bought a CM400 / CB400T, now what...

Hey, I just thought to ask, what's everybody doing for cables after the switch to lower bars? I know of a couple that made custom ones, but it would be nice if someone with acres to similar bikes with shorter cables had come up with an easy, off-the-shelf setup since most of us are new to this whole thing. I'm going to order custom Motion Pros if nothing else.
 
Re: So you bought a CM400 / CB400T, now what...

I haven't gotten around to shortening or finding shorter cables. I just re-routed to take up slack where I could. I only went to a superbike style bar so the stock cables aren;t bad, but if/when I go to clipons, I will need t shorter throttle cables fro sure.
 
Re: So you bought a CM400 / CB400T, now what...

Mine are the European style bars, and I did reroute them, but I'be got more slack than I can stuff anywhere without binding. More of an aesthetic thing, now.
 
Re: So you bought a CM400 / CB400T, now what...

i rerouted mine with clubmans without binding issues.

as far as adding a tach goes, i was thinking about loosing mine and going with an electronic tach to slim down my dashboard. haven't decided what i'll do yet as i'd kinda like to go kickstart too.


one of you guys started this wiki...i forget who
http://motorcycles.wikia.com/wiki/CM400
 
So you bought a CM400 / CB400T, now what...

Hey frankenfe, I might just do b looks like I got a leaky gasket anyways.

Reading the wiki just posted here that guy did not require any rejetting when making his own exhaust similar to what I was thinking.

Here's a pic of the port where the tach cable should go. Would an electronic tach be easy to add or does it require use of the same port?

4ac696a6-2b08-e0dc.jpg


Thanks,
Devon
 
Re: So you bought a CM400 / CB400T, now what...

electronic just wraps around one of the spark plug wires and interprets the pulses into rpm.
 
Re: So you bought a CM400 / CB400T, now what...


I wish there was a list or table like I have seen for stem and axle bearings and fork sizes etc.

coldfuzion76 said:
Hey, I just thought to ask, what's everybody doing for cables after the switch to lower bars? I know of a couple that made custom ones, but it would be nice if someone with acres to similar bikes with shorter cables had come up with an easy, off-the-shelf setup since most of us are new to this whole thing. I'm going to order custom Motion Pros if nothing else.
 
Re: So you bought a CM400 / CB400T, now what...

Hey Silverstone glad you found this over here. I hope you don't mind I listed you and the bike named as "WTF".

Before I stumbled on your bike at Street Fighters I had done a crude photo cut and paste of a Hawk much like your bike. It begged to be done.
 
Re: So you bought a CM400 / CB400T, now what...

Devon,

Your cover looks like mine without the Kick Start, the hole where it would be is just molded in. Your situation is easier because you have the option of an electronic tach, Very easy install/hook-up, just expensive on a budget build.

I have 2 engines a '79 with kick start (never run by me but appears good) and a 80 no kick start that runs great. I would like to just install the kick with internals and cover from the 79 in the 80 but I haven't taken the cover off to see how much, if any, of the internals are there. I would hope there would be machined areas ready to accept the internals and just change the cover.
 
Re: So you bought a CM400 / CB400T, now what...

Hey Frankenfe, glad to know it can be done easily.

In regards to budget. Today, I have a budget because today it is my awesome little commuter.

When I do my build this fall I'm gonna spend some money on it. It's not a big deal I guess, I just don't want to spend a few hundred today and then be either a) building around the exhaust I picked up today or b) replacing a three month old exhaust.

In regards to the tach, would something like this work?
http://www.dimecitycycles.com/vintage-cafe-racer-caferacer-bobber-brat-chopper-custom-motorcycle-electronic-parts-mini-chrome-electronic-tach-tachometer-49-3374.html

How the HECK does that work?!

Devon 8)
 
Re: So you bought a CM400 / CB400T, now what...

Devon,
Yep, that's like what you need. If I have it right........Think of it like a mini computer that has a wire that you run to one of your High Voltage ignition wires and wrap it around it like a spring. That wire sends a signal back every time it detects voltage surge through the ignition wire it is wrapped around. This tells the computer that one of 2 cylinders has fired and it calculates the RPM and then displays it. Be sure you do get one that works with a 2 cylinder engine.
 
Re: So you bought a CM400 / CB400T, now what...

Awesome man, loving this thread.

For some more info, here is another of the bike you posted as a barely recognizable CB. It is my brothers buddies bike, name of Phil Davies. He built it for Autorama, had to have one after riding ours when it was stock. Now of course, ours looks blah because he is so over the top:

250207_10100864905025214_2332510_72898574_2309677_n.jpg


He custom machined everything, the rearsets, the wheel spacers, the clip-ons, even the rear stand, although he may have sent out the triples, but he designed them. The tank and seat were hand-shaped, and he planned on building a complete carbon fiber tank eventually.
 
Re: So you bought a CM400 / CB400T, now what...

Silverstone, Is there a build thread on the CB400? I would really like to see more photos and details. In particlar would like to see how he handled the frame from the loop back, the Mono Shock and Seat Support.

******I found Phil's Website, Not much there on the bike so I emailed him.

silverstonepgt said:
Awesome man, loving this thread.

For some more info, here is another of the bike you posted as a barely recognizable CB. It is my brothers buddies bike, name of Phil Davies. He built it for Autorama, had to have one after riding ours when it was stock. Now of course, ours looks blah because he is so over the top:

He custom machined everything, the rearsets, the wheel spacers, the clip-ons, even the rear stand, although he may have sent out the triples, but he designed them. The tank and seat were hand-shaped, and he planned on building a complete carbon fiber tank eventually.
 
Re: So you bought a CM400 / CB400T, now what...

Frankenfe said:
Devon,
Yep, that's like what you need. If I have it right........Think of it like a mini computer that has a wire that you run to one of your High Voltage ignition wires and wrap it around it like a spring. That wire sends a signal back every time it detects voltage surge through the ignition wire it is wrapped around. This tells the computer that one of 2 cylinders has fired and it calculates the RPM and then displays it. Be sure you do get one that works with a 2 cylinder engine.

i could be wrong, but it shouldn't matter how many cylinders since it only detects the firing on one cylinder. what's important is 2-stroke vs. 4, since any given cylinder fires twice as often per rotation on a two-stroke. feel free to teach me more if i'm wrong here
 
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