1971 CL450 build. (not fancy, but complete...)

Glad I could help you out with the cable. Thanks for the info and I will updating the listing to show fitment of the CL450 also. This may be a case where the CL cable was an inch longer or shorter than the CB cable so Honda used a new part number.

For anyone else looking you can also find them in my online store.
http://scramblercycle.mybigcommerce.com/honda-cl77-cl72-cl160-cb160-cb450-cl450-speedometer-cable-44830-346-750-new-reproduction/

Nice build build by the way.
 
Funny little thing about Honda's, lots of the smaller assemblies fit across many of the bikes for many years because it makes perfect sense to design and build around parts you already have and have tooling for. Lots of cables fit across many of the bikes of the same general years.

Looks good BTW. ;)

Hahnda, that's a good price on that cable, I know some guys that are hunting for stuff like that, I will let them know.
 
man, does time fly…

last post was almost a month ago. havnt been sitting idle or neglectful- just got bogged down. other projects, and the bike in particular hit what i call the "Demoralizing Phase".

What is the "DP"? its when the project goes from a very linear and logical assembly of big parts to exploding into 1000 little details, each one having to be figured out before something else could continue.

and almost everything had to wait until the wiring harness showed up. (Queue harness from Sparck!)

so harness shows up and I've a long weekend so the project gets some fire in her once again.

first thing to do is to get a handle on all the tiny little bullshit details (that are in no way bullshit!) by making a list…

is this process familiar to any other builders out there?



things like mount kick stand, drill and mount buggered up shift arm…



drill hole in handlebar to mount master switch:



mount and straighten fender:



shorten/fit exhaust flanges:






fit exhaust:




etc etc etc…


you get the point.


lots of stuff to fit, finish, adjust, and think thru.

and speaking of points…..
 
set and adjusted points this afternoon…




such tiny little nuts holding the contact wires on. yeesh, I've piano fingers and was having trouble. set gap to .35mm and both them popping open right on their marks. at first, the genuine honda rocker wasn't making contact at all. needed a little sand paper between. threw me at first. some sort of packing insulator, perhaps?
 
and carbies with their new "red" air filters…




i figured with the bike all polished metal/grey/silver and black/carbon fiber-- a little color was warranted.
 
Gqxphil said:
Oh man i here yeah about those connectors. It was a pain in the a$$ to get them together with fat fingers.
Click to expand...


you've got a tiny little washer, an even smaller lock washer, a nut half the size of a popcorn kernel… and trying to load them on a cocked leaf spring, without cross threading anything- seems like a recipe for something getting shot across the room.


never to be seen again!
 
so, the wiring harness. electrons. not one of my strongest suits.


the wiring harness shows up and i give it a good look over, walk around it for almost a week, and send some emails to Sparck -who, by the way- is an absolute saint.

the guy did a great job on the harness and was amazingly helpful with even some of my stupidest questions. just go to the electrics forum and see how often he responds to peoples problems and how helpful he is with advice and guidance.

this guy is a pillar in the old bike community.

anyway- right now, the bike is a visual mess…







i had to lay everything out and make sure all the connectors were making contact (a few had pulled out) and that everything worked before i start to hard mount.

first thing to light up was the starter motor. good and strong.

second thing to check was spark- big fat and blue on the right… nothing on the left. redid a connector and left fired up.

after about an hour, i could get some pops… but nothing solid.

took a break.

came back, switched the plug wires and low and behold!..


she fired up and idled with that beautiful, mellow, small capacity twin… bup bup bup bup bup bup…


wonderful sound.

its late on a sunday night. will wrap up harness, bet tank/seat mounted and get some glamor shots up here shortly.
 
btw- did anyone catch this little gem on eGay?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Honda-Cafe-Racer-Vintage-CB450-Resto-Mod-/231275360058?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEWAX%3AIT&_trksid=p2047675.l2557&nma=true&si=qI420HpIpMBNsbWG%252BxPsxwpZ7ms%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc

holy cow, i never in a thousand years thought something like that would breech the TEN THOUSAND DOLLAR amount. I mean, its a good clean/solid build -dont get me wrong. but it still utilizes stock foot pegs and foot controls. and no rear fender --WITH VELOCITY STACKS?!? think of all the road crap/rubber/stones and chain lube that will be thrown up and right into those intake throats?

and crinkle finish? dude- this is a bike, not an outdoor grill.


i dont know man, i just dont know....

is the market really this strong for these things?
 
so we're getting mired down. the bike runs, but has a little annoying/sharp backfire. the throttle cables are impossible to tighten down and stay synced, a whole bunch of little fit/finish details that are pecking at my constantly renewing liver.

so time for a break. pull it off the table, give the garage a good clean and get a few pics…




does anyone know of anywhere to get a longer kick stand? its the stock stand, and this is the first time I've had it off the table since i mounted it. it leans QUITE far over. i did not expect this. probably due to the longer rear shocks, and overall higher perch of basically everything.

any ideas?








also- i posted in the electrical forum about a small shock that hits you when you turn the key. thought it was a bad ground wire, re-did that. checked harness over and over… no idea. any clue?


and lastly- the backfire is really disheartening. checked ignition timing and its spot on. valves are good. exhaust is tight with new copper gaskets. intakes arnt cracked…

i'm thinking i might have to seal the gap in the pipe between the headers and the "v" (two into one) pipe. i don't know if a gap that far back would have any effect.

any discussion would be helpful.

thnx.
 
that is a fantastic looking machine very sweet
but you really need to toss those little tiny filters in the trash they wont flow enough air are gonna rob any top end power and just look stupid and out of place
 
xb33bsa said:
that is a fantastic looking machine very sweet
but you really need to toss those little tiny filters in the trash they wont flow enough air are gonna rob any top end power and just look stupid and out of place
Click to expand...

ya know- you're right. i ordered them up- kinda thinking a filter is a filter…. and when you're working on the table with it- you don't get the over-all proportions. you're too close.

stepping back, getting these photos- they look like thimbles.

any suggestions?
 
No UNI pods, sorry guys. Some proper 6" K&Ns are now in place.

Been struggling with it over the past few weeks. She'll start, runs like crap ( backfire) and wants to quit, but after it's coaxed to abt 3k, she runs AWESOME.

Here is a breakdown of my electrical woes, if anyone would car to dig in and try to help...


http://www.dotheton.com/forum/index.php?topic=61516.msg704578#msg704578
 
Stupid idea on your electrical issue: (sans the popping with your hand)

Theory: starting the bike with the starter is killing your battery: the left coil has some issues that get worked out when you start producing real power from the stator.

Test Method: Charge battery to full, Kick start bike: If it runs great - then that isolates your problem to weak battery: (or you could test battery volts once you start the thing and see if they are low:)

Again - this might be a hair brained theory.
 
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