Rip-It-Up
New Member
Well I'm finally ready to get started on a project bike. I hope I'm not jumping the gun as I don't have a bike yet, but I figured I would start a build thread on here. Figured yall could share in my search and you guys seem to be a respectful, open minded bunch on this forum. Currently I have my eyes on a titled, running, and fairly clean cb450. I'm really hoping it doesn't disapear before taxes get deposited because it's a huge steal of a deal.
Seem's that everyone around where I live either has a rocket or a Harley and I want to build something personalized and a little different from the run of the mill. Not to offend, but I'm not into pullin wheelies, stuntin it up, or buying branded overpriced costumes, So I've decided either a 450 or a 360 twin will fit the budget and my style. Call me strange but I just don't like the look of the stamped frame on the 350's and I kinda dig the way the frame wraps around the carbs on the 360's. To be honest I can't pick between one or the other (450/360) and will just have to snatch up whichever comes first. The 360's do seem to sound less rattley to me though. I'm guessing thats typical due to the different valvetrain?
As far as a backstory and inspiration on the build. I'm pretty hard set on the direction, but I'm sure some things the bike will tell me where it wants to go as the build happens. I've always been a car guy and spent my 20's working for a local engine builder, a couple speed shop's, blowing to much cash on magazines to feed my daydreaming, making weekly trips down to GIR in St Louis for test and tune, and weekends spent watching car show's on spike. My old boss at a local Corvette restoration shop I worked for probably back in like 2004 had if I remember right a Honda 400 Super Sport sitting in the front office. Me and a co-worker would stare at that thing and make comments (knowing nothing about cafe racers, and little about bikes) that if you just did this and that, that it would be a cool lookin scoot. Eventually I tripped on the cafe scene and realized what these old Honda's where capable of becoming and I've been kinda obsessed with them now.
Anyway, I have always loved the color of the project Copperhead truck from Truck's TV and the Sunset Orange Metallic (SOM) of the 4th gen Firebirds. I was watching Two Guys Garage where they where syncing the carbs on dude's 550 and thought the raw metal look he had goin would look killer with a copper colored frame. Then I stumbled on Mystic's 360 while lurking and I gotta give credit and say dude hit my vision damn near on the head! That's one wicked lookin little bike. It's going to be hard to not look like a copy cat but I'll try to mix it up a bit.
So basically the keypoints of what I'm picturing is a bare steel tank with some simple Von Dutch pinstriping on the top. Maybe some goldleaf vintage looking numbers on the sides of the tank outlined with red pinstriping to hide where the badges went.
Copper colored frame. I will have to farm out painting the frame. Can anyone ballpark me what it typically would cost to have a body shop spray a frame or if there is a powder that would match the color I'm looking for?
Some old Schwin grips with clipon's.
Wrapped CL pipes with no muffers.
Can't decide but maybe some dual sport tires to keep it looking vintage.
Pull some Hot rod Bonneville salt flat racer/aviation look into it with some tasteful speedholes. Want to speedhole and chop the balls off the levers for sure. Reminds me of my old BMX bike. On that note maybe an old bmx pedal kicker.
I want this thing to look stripped down and bare, no guages, with just a raw slightly patena'd not overdone look. You ever overbuild something only to realize it lost all it's character?
This is going to be a slow build due to limited funds and time as my wife has gone back to school as a full time student and we have 3 kid's. Also I have no workspace where we currently live. All my tools are 30 min's away setup in my Dad's garage so I'll only be able to do major work when I can travel over there, I have no access to air tools anymore. Basicaly, cost wise, everything is going to be portrayed as an e-bay $20 deal .
Look forward to posting on here and learning how to wrench on these old bikes, I hope I don't disapoint and didn't get ahead of myself starting a thread already.
Seem's that everyone around where I live either has a rocket or a Harley and I want to build something personalized and a little different from the run of the mill. Not to offend, but I'm not into pullin wheelies, stuntin it up, or buying branded overpriced costumes, So I've decided either a 450 or a 360 twin will fit the budget and my style. Call me strange but I just don't like the look of the stamped frame on the 350's and I kinda dig the way the frame wraps around the carbs on the 360's. To be honest I can't pick between one or the other (450/360) and will just have to snatch up whichever comes first. The 360's do seem to sound less rattley to me though. I'm guessing thats typical due to the different valvetrain?
As far as a backstory and inspiration on the build. I'm pretty hard set on the direction, but I'm sure some things the bike will tell me where it wants to go as the build happens. I've always been a car guy and spent my 20's working for a local engine builder, a couple speed shop's, blowing to much cash on magazines to feed my daydreaming, making weekly trips down to GIR in St Louis for test and tune, and weekends spent watching car show's on spike. My old boss at a local Corvette restoration shop I worked for probably back in like 2004 had if I remember right a Honda 400 Super Sport sitting in the front office. Me and a co-worker would stare at that thing and make comments (knowing nothing about cafe racers, and little about bikes) that if you just did this and that, that it would be a cool lookin scoot. Eventually I tripped on the cafe scene and realized what these old Honda's where capable of becoming and I've been kinda obsessed with them now.
Anyway, I have always loved the color of the project Copperhead truck from Truck's TV and the Sunset Orange Metallic (SOM) of the 4th gen Firebirds. I was watching Two Guys Garage where they where syncing the carbs on dude's 550 and thought the raw metal look he had goin would look killer with a copper colored frame. Then I stumbled on Mystic's 360 while lurking and I gotta give credit and say dude hit my vision damn near on the head! That's one wicked lookin little bike. It's going to be hard to not look like a copy cat but I'll try to mix it up a bit.
So basically the keypoints of what I'm picturing is a bare steel tank with some simple Von Dutch pinstriping on the top. Maybe some goldleaf vintage looking numbers on the sides of the tank outlined with red pinstriping to hide where the badges went.
Copper colored frame. I will have to farm out painting the frame. Can anyone ballpark me what it typically would cost to have a body shop spray a frame or if there is a powder that would match the color I'm looking for?
Some old Schwin grips with clipon's.
Wrapped CL pipes with no muffers.
Can't decide but maybe some dual sport tires to keep it looking vintage.
Pull some Hot rod Bonneville salt flat racer/aviation look into it with some tasteful speedholes. Want to speedhole and chop the balls off the levers for sure. Reminds me of my old BMX bike. On that note maybe an old bmx pedal kicker.
I want this thing to look stripped down and bare, no guages, with just a raw slightly patena'd not overdone look. You ever overbuild something only to realize it lost all it's character?
This is going to be a slow build due to limited funds and time as my wife has gone back to school as a full time student and we have 3 kid's. Also I have no workspace where we currently live. All my tools are 30 min's away setup in my Dad's garage so I'll only be able to do major work when I can travel over there, I have no access to air tools anymore. Basicaly, cost wise, everything is going to be portrayed as an e-bay $20 deal .
Look forward to posting on here and learning how to wrench on these old bikes, I hope I don't disapoint and didn't get ahead of myself starting a thread already.