ON THE ROAD!!!!! Project two---a CB400F

Re: Project two---a CB400F

The longer your pipe is, the more torque your bike will make, FYI... Due to the exhaust scavenging effect. So a reverse cone type shorty muffler with no mid-pipe will effectively make your bike have slightly less torque in the crucial street riding range where it counts the most. Considering the amount of back pressure created is equal,
Longer pipes are definitely better.
Yours isn't a MASSIVE difference, but every little bit counts.
The hipster art project cafe builds (esp. West Coast USA - even $7,000+ "pro-built" bikes) make me cringe due to their use of the shortest weakest power producing exhausts possible, and complete lack of calculating suspension height / triple clamp offset and front tire radius/shock height into the "looks trendy & hip" equation... no, just a "stem swap" does not make a triple a proper fit for a bike...
Sorry to rant, long week...!

Not saying yours falls into this category, your bike rules, just pointing out a useful power producing detail...
if you left it at a 4 inch long mid pipe dump and no muffler at all, then we might be talking on those terms...
 
Re: Project two---a CB400F

hmmmm...maybe adding in a couple of inches of mid pipe tubing might be thing then?

Thanks chuck
 
Re: Project two---a CB400F

Tires on....

enhance


And rotors on...

enhance
 
Re: Project two---a CB400F

CrabsAndCylinders said:
Those wheels look damn sweet!


Yup....
Darn sexy rotors, too!
Are those aftermarket? Or just drilled OEM 550 rotors?
 
Re: Project two---a CB400F

....and then this roller is bearing the weight of an engine...

enhance


enhance


Yippee!
 
Re: Project two---a CB400F

Any progress on this Rod? Hope all is well with you, it's been quiet on here for a few months!
AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days weekend is in 6 days! Hope u can make it down from the north!
 
Re: Project two---a CB400F

I've been lazy....especially with posting here! Thanks for the prod Chuck.

I've got lots of pics, but I'll try to be brief.


Since the last post, shoved most of the original wiring harness back onto the bike...the original fusebox was sketchy, so ended up replacing that with three "in line" blade fuses. Also installed a combo rectifier/regulator unit.

I had bought extra header pipes (the removable ones) and cleaned up the headers as best as I could....bought new gaskets, installed that.
enhance


Knew that I wanted a different tailpipe (the one that was on the bike was a aftermarket replica of the OEM), something a little shorter, but not necessarily louder/more open, stumbled on an ad for a pair of these---OEM take offs from a certain American bike manufacturer. We'll see....
enhance


Front fender: an 18" CB400 Four front wheel on CB500Four forks meant for a 19" wheel results in quite a gap between tire and fender.....so figured I'd experiment a bit. Separated the 400F fender from the mount, modified the mount to clear the second caliper arm, bobbed the fender a bit, and test fitted. The fender is now gloss black, and the mount is Buell XB silver frame paint (matches the caliper arms)----Yes---there's a gap between mount and fender---I figure let's make it obvious, and not try to hide it. If I grow tired of it....I'll try something else.
enhance

enhance

enhance


Headlight bucket got repaired (small hairline crack) and painted in gloss black. The plan is to run an N and oil LED lights in the bucket, visible between the gauges.
enhance


Then I got word that my seat was ready. Brief history (see previous posts for more deet's) spare 400F seat pan/foam sourced, shaved about two inches off the back of both, and reshaped seat foam. Sanded down and repainted the seat pan, installed a new rubber strip around the bottom perimeter. Bought a DSS replica 400F seat cover, and took the pile of parts to the guy who made my T500 seat. The goal was to use the 400F seat top, and replace the rest with another piece to fit the reshaped seat. It's got a couple of little igglies in it, but it is pretty darn close to what I was going for.
And the tank decals came in, so we got those on, and test fitted all that.
enhance


Last major bit to get done was the sorting of the tail section. Bobbed and painted 400F rear fender, Ducati 620 Monster signals lights, and one of a handful of tail lights that I have....seems to work the best. Again---I'll need to stare a bit to decide if it's really the one. Tail light and license plate all mounts to a homemade bracket including some of another bike's tail light bracket...that bolts into two existing threaded holes in the fender, most of it hidden under the closed seat, but left some chrome (that cleaned up quite nicely) that is subtley visible from certain angles.
enhance

enhance


In other news.....this little baby fires fires right up and sounds pretty darn good!!! That...I am excited about!

So, I think I'm getting close. Still gotta install and sort out front brakes, finalize the headlight/front signals install, get the front fender on, fit a chain, install front sprocket cover and LHS rearset.....getting there!!
 
Re: Project two---a CB400F

Thanks!!

Feels like I'm getting SOOOOO close!!

Chain, sprocket cover and LHS rearset are on

enhance


Rearsets are from TTR400, available from 4into1.com. I see that TTR400 now have newly designed units from the 400F....mine are the older ones, bought off kijiji about a year ago.

Also started assembling the front brake stuff.....calipers assembled and on, and some brake line HW bits are due in tomorrow....

enhance

enhance


Also did some random bolt torquing, and cleaned up some cable routing.
 
Well, it's been a quick but in some ways slow couple of weeks.

Lots of trial and error on the front brakes....I think I still have some work to do here....BUT, she's licensed, insured, and on the road!!

enhance

enhance


Still certainly recognizable as a 400F (which was the goal) just tweaked a little!!

Took it for a quick shakedown run to the gas bar this afternoon, then again this evening to a buddy's house.

Will get out sometime soon with the more expert photographer daughter and hopefully get some better pics.

Thanks to all here for the help, advice, encouragement!!
 
Back
Top Bottom