CL450

surffly

Over 1,000 Posts
A few years ago I wrapped up a CB450. Rode it for a while and got ride of it. I REALLY enjoyed that bike.
It seemed to be the perfect sized vintage bike for me.
DSCN0994.jpg

My old CB

Personally I prefer the CL versions of almost all of Honda's 70s bikes.
Last week I picked up a CL450 and plan to make a few small touches to it and ride the wheels off it this summer!
Plan document the day to day type work on DriveTribe. Would love to see some members here follow along and show some of the stuff they are wrenching on too. https://drivetribe.com/t/EEze9CuhQMWRlLEaEYP7bQ/apCj301wRxqsebN2Zfv5xA

Here she is in all her glory!
I have not gotten a chance to wash or clean the bike up yet, but it already looks nice.
8A601D5C-73FD-4E78-8AB9-F61545F89813_zps5vckplis.jpg

557D701E-08BB-4A18-AD42-97B2F12DFC7C_zpsjagvxkho.jpg

EB853859-9A81-4F03-AF0A-1C45195BD4D0_zpsmwycew5w.jpg

0BA816BC-2E4D-4ED8-A956-D676746EE6BF_zpsyvyte9jl.jpg

7F2BB391-89EC-44A7-8FAE-ED68BCB915A6_zps3nigxqqe.jpg

B52B28FB-F3B5-4D34-9AEA-E2D216910DD9_zps2ftpcyep.jpg

66531E0A-6E16-4D5C-9407-361E6E7BD650_zpsp9ztod5x.jpg

12695D47-4211-41FC-A662-DB6BE1ACA7B1_zps9vtil5ow.jpg


Basic plan is to get the bike running first.
Should not be that hard has it has a 2011 inspection sticker...
Will polish the engine cases, find a rear bar or better yet a beer rack, install some overkill tires, smaller headlight ect ect.

Bike is WAY to nice to cut up or anything like that so all modifications will just be bolt on and reversible. Will even keep the stock parts encase I actually decide to go back to stock.
 
So boys and girls, what is step one to waking up a Honda that has been sleeping since at least 2011?
THAT IS RIGHT!

Polish junk.....

6E68144B-B922-45C0-835E-14F1EF96C889_zps63bkd7fg.jpg

2AAAAA93-9061-4170-B790-F3FEDE975491_zpswz8zq34f.jpg

Bike really does clean up well.

0E297C6D-8A93-4BC6-A2A3-5A09D5F390FE_zpsloqjp0ez.jpg

NYS must have changed the plates, now only 2 out of the four holes line up, and the regi sticker is in the top center of the plate.

672B24D3-32D0-4B5D-A3E0-C207EEF00044_zpsnij2zhuu.jpg

Already upgraded coils.
Love how anal the PO was about things. Check out the silicon job!

Started the day by charging the new battery I bought.
After that I pulled the bowls of the carbs. They were minty clean, so I assume that the bike has been stored without fuel. This makes sense because the PO had it in his living room, and knew it would not be run for a while.

Once the battery was charged I confirmed that the bike has spark, so I installed the tank and new fuel lines.
Can someone please explain the point of that stupid cross over pipe at the rear of the tank? SUCH A PAIN IN THE ASS to deal with.

2.5 gallons of fresh fuel latter and she was ready to start.

This part is 100% true.......
Opened the petcock, bowls filled with fuel as they should.
Choke full on.
Pushed the button
Idling within 2 seconds!

Normally it takes a few shots, but this started right up.
Heck I have bikes I used regulatory that don't start this fast!

Weather prevented me from taking the bike for a spin.
CF71508B-39E5-4E12-8632-053A8BE50AD4_zpslxgnpfam.jpg


Could not be happier that the bike runs so well.
Really looking forward to the summer with this thing.
 
Great looking bike! You can eliminate the crossover tube if you only want to use half of your tank's capacity


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Fit a quick disconnect - the type that closes both sides when opened - if you know what I mean
 
That's the one, but I think there's a 1/4" version. If not, use new soft tube and warm it and wet the with a little fuel to ease insertion.
 
teazer said:
That's the one, but I think there's a 1/4" version. If not, use new soft tube and warm it and wet the with a little fuel to ease insertion.
Yep, comes in different diameters.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Have a question.

The front wheel does not look centered in the forks. Probably half and inch offset to one side.

The brake stay has a bow in it too.
DA90AEBC-C08E-41D5-8D5C-F7B80F87C9CE_zps4pwl7sjc.jpg

B533332A-5E3F-42E9-ABC7-726E4861B34B_zpshwao3dze.jpg


Have not messed with anything yet. Does anything jump out as wrong?
A6BD26E3-C2E3-45E3-97A2-6973406A58D8_zpslt4keccm.jpg


Offset.
07AC501E-6457-4206-AB30-48B6F6E6E619_zpstu5kgz6f.jpg
 
Donno if its a coincidence but on the parts fiche the axle is put in the other way, looks like its backwards on yours

F13346S0701.gif



Nice find BTW!
 
That's the issue. The axle has what's basically a built in spacer and it's on the wrong side. The wheel should self center when the axle nut is tightened.
 
Yeah that looks to be the issue.

Figured that it had all the correct parts and the issue was how they were put together.
Kind of shocked because the PO was a very anal person, would have thought he would have noticed.
 
Rode the bike around the block the other day!


But it ran like crap....so I guess I will actually have to do some real work like clean the carbs and set the points......
With how well it started I thought I would get lucky and this was a true "install fresh gas and a new battery" bike....lol
 
Those are very rare, but a quick carb clean and point setting should be all it needs from the sounds of things
 
Yeah it was more wishful thinking then anything else.

It makes good power, just breaks up.
I shouldn't have been lazy and just started with the cleaning.
 
Hey, at least it runs ! Gonna be digging mine out hopefully this weekend since the weather has finally made up its mind to warm up a bit.
 
Broke down and did the right thing,....I cleaned the jets.
Should have started there, but was lazy.

Look how clean the carbs are though!
E71BE2E6-A6E8-4EE4-A6A9-7346B110A353_zpsi3sytry4.jpg

D4FC0487-2DAC-449D-ABCB-94996120E441_zpseeghhrbm.jpg


Good thing I did because the idle was set REALLY high for some reason.
Sat for a few minutes and set everything to a reasonable baseline.

KEEP THE AIR BOX KIDS!
6211FDF3-7491-4364-B5FA-89537853B8BA_zpsilvtk8cs.jpg


Bike runs like a champ!
Even though it was VERY cold I could not help but want to take it for a ride.
Only put about ten miles on it, but had a chance to get it on a highway and cruise at 70+MPH and play on a small back road.
Even took a tiny trail down to the edge of the Hudson to check out the waterfall.
010EF95B-7891-4D82-8101-43511F5F56D1_zpsw4kyj9y0.jpg

A31A52AF-CD56-448C-A9EF-BF7AB681C949_zpsdzwkcvdf.jpg


I think the bike will need a clutch, but might be just out of adjustment.
All and all the bike is ready for the road as is.

Still trying to find a "direction" for what I actually want to do with it.
For now it is just nice to have a good running scrambler in the fleet.
 
So the CL450 needs some tires.
Front is a 3.25X19
Rear is a 4.00X18

I assume 90/90-19 and 110/90-18 should work for modern metric sizes.

Would like to mount something mildly aggressive and off road.
Not knobbies though.

Something fitting the "scrambler" bit.
While the bike will live on the road and be used on the road I would like the option to do some "fire road" exploring.

What have you guys used?
What have you liked?
 
Back
Top Bottom