72 cb450 Beginning

[Darwin]

Hello all,
I'm just starting my first cafe racer, on my first bike, a 1972 Honda cb450 K5. Found Do The Ton while researching, so many amazing bikes here, had to stick around. I'll put up some progress pics as I go, look forward to feedback I plan on doing all the body work myself, and a friend is helping get the bike to run cherry. Got it for $200 bucks in running condition, just needs some mechanical lovin to get it running right. And a little poking and prodding to get it looking as cherry as it'll run

 

[andyvy]

Nice bike to start on! Post your progress. Welcome!

 

[my94f2]

what he said ^^^^

 

[Darwin]

Here's my vague idea;
I'm doing this with pretty much no budget, so I'm almost strictly using parts I have already. It originally had a blue tank on it, that leaked (as in poured out profusely), so i replaced it, and now have a spare tank and sidepanel set. I'm going to chop that tank, the back section for the seat cowl, and I'm theorizing I can make a fairing out of some of whats left, the headlight being in the same area the gas cap is now, that kind of thing.. Gonna flip the handlebars, build some custom rearsets for it and move controls back, either drop or trim the rear fender(haven't decided yet). Going to use the original turn signals, but take out the spacer post and remount them tight to the frame in the original spots. And definately shrinking the ginormous taillight Gonna hit a few local junkyards, see if i can find some nice little curvy vintage taillight to mod. Want to pick up a new speedo, lose the idiot lights and tach(which doesn't work anyway, cable's broke), and make a real small, clean looking fairing to put it all in. Want to stick with the red, seat will be brown leather, maybe with red stitching, haven't decided yet. Going to keep the rims chrome, and red the spokes. also want to pull the sidepanels, or mod them, to put two air pods where the factory filters are, with a 90degree in the intake, so the ends of the pods are pointing left/right respectively, instead of straight back. kind of hard to explain, anyway. But this is all subject to change, I try not to make plans, they can't go wrong if you don't have one in the first place Anyway, will get some progress pics up soon, been working on the seat, pulled the engine guard, and started dissassembling the handlebar controls to flip them, will update soon.

 

[brokenglass]

If you get rid of that seat and the pan isn't rusted through I'd buy it off you. let me know. congrats on the 450, just got mine a couple of weeks ago