Great bike, Congratulations!! I love the lighting on it, especially the front blinkers. That's a really cool modern touch for the old girl. Love that filler cap too. A CB450 is my bike of choice if I ever get around to a build, and I'll definitely be taking some cues from your bike. How/why did you decide on the 450, out of curiosity?
72 Honda CB450 "lucky 13"
- Thread starter p71sohc
- Start date
biker_reject
Over 1,000 Posts
Love it! Lean n mean. That's how I likes 'em! 8)
Slice
Been Around the Block
I have to say, I am a HUGE fan of what you did... its so clean, you should be proud, as the bike turned out fantastic. You know when people say "if I had a CB450" i would style it something like this!" I would probably be showing them your picture... Love the colour man, grey is either done well or not, the accents everything on it is fitting. Great work bro!
Im looking forward to what you come up with next!
-Slice
Im looking forward to what you come up with next!
-Slice
bluesmoke69
Been Around the Block
Super nice build, love the look!!!
I've been out of the loop lately testing the bike and all but now that it is winter I've been thinking of fresh ideas. I am going to redesign the front end. Before I go crazy ruining something that works fine I got a front end from a cb750 and some triple trees from a cb450. Only time will tell how this one turns out.....
I guess I didn't specify enough . I am going to design and make a girder front end. I've been in touch with my buddies over at the machine shop and they said they would help out. Those pics I posted where for measurements and dimensions needed to make this thing happen. Plus the front end thats on the bike now is staying right where it is because if this LITTLE project fails to meet my expectations then the original will do just fine. Failure is not an option though,lol I want to do a girder because A. they look really cool and B. they handle much better........Just kidding, from what I read they are not very good handling but I'm not racing my bike, just having fun cruising around town.
For those of you that are not sure what a girder looks like, a real crude looking version:
Here is a drawing I did just to get the side profile idea: note - not sure that I am going to mount the handlebars directly to the suspension arm as my arms don't work well as springs.
. I am going to design and make a girder front end. I've been in touch with my buddies over at the machine shop and they said they would help out. Those pics I posted where for measurements and dimensions needed to make this thing happen. Plus the front end thats on the bike now is staying right where it is because if this LITTLE project fails to meet my expectations then the original will do just fine. Failure is not an option though,lol I want to do a girder because A. they look really cool and B. they handle much better........Just kidding, from what I read they are not very good handling but I'm not racing my bike, just having fun cruising around town. For those of you that are not sure what a girder looks like, a real crude looking version:
Here is a drawing I did just to get the side profile idea: note - not sure that I am going to mount the handlebars directly to the suspension arm as my arms don't work well as springs.
Swagger
Putting boot to ass since 1967!
Old girders were handling nightmares, a modern girder with a high quality shock should be fine, BMW's front end isn't all that far from a traditional girder design.
Of note in your drawing; you'll want to isolate the 'bars' from the girder spars. You'll be beaten to death within a short while with it setup like that.
You could easily build a mockup from plywood, including your linkage arms.
Of note in your drawing; you'll want to isolate the 'bars' from the girder spars. You'll be beaten to death within a short while with it setup like that.
You could easily build a mockup from plywood, including your linkage arms.
Swagger plywood may be just what I need! do you know of any cafe racers with a girder......Anyone see one done before? I have found plenty of 70's choppers and so on but I want to see a cafe done this way. As for the handle bars I think making a mount from the lower tree and extending around to the side will work. More drawings to come.
Swagger
Putting boot to ass since 1967!
Vincents had some tasty girders for a while there and made a nice 'cafe', and Confederate's Wraith, while nowhere near "traditional" has a rather striking girder...I think you're kinda on your own. which makes it something well worth doing.
A couple layers of 3/4" birch ply would give you plenty of mass to a mockup of the spars as well as the linkage arms.
Just be sure you've got your shock on hand....
A couple layers of 3/4" birch ply would give you plenty of mass to a mockup of the spars as well as the linkage arms.
Just be sure you've got your shock on hand....
you will not find cafes with a girder they have a flop in hard turns... (although one of my absolute fav front ends) would be the last thing i put on a cafe to be honest man. i think it would look balls! but handle like shit, if it is a bar hopper show stopper i say hell ya, if you really carve on it, i would not do it personaly
Swagger
Putting boot to ass since 1967!
It's about keeping your geometry correct. If your not accounting for the length of your linkage arms then yeah it'll flop worse than Madonna's left boob.
Simplest way to say it would be to keep your axle as close to the same position as when you had telescopic forks. If you can allow your linkages to be fairly long (look at the Confederate for reference) then you can avoid much of the choppiness associated with them.
Simplest way to say it would be to keep your axle as close to the same position as when you had telescopic forks. If you can allow your linkages to be fairly long (look at the Confederate for reference) then you can avoid much of the choppiness associated with them.
