I've contracted cafe racer disease and may need help.

[work9to5]

Ok, I've been riding motorcycles for awhile now. Nothing fancy just cheap sport bikes for the most part. And have taken some of them apart for maintance by necessity (i'm cheap) or curiousity. Just moved from Hawaii back to Buffalo, NY and sold both my motorcycles before leaving. Don't ask why i moved back, it's not understandable to normal people . So I've endured the long winter, craving the whole time just to be back on a bike. But it wasn't just the "normal" craving this time. This time I was looking at adds for older bikes, I MEAN BIKES AS OLD AS MYSELF, not shiny new ones or fast as they come, blow ur teeth back in your head bikes. I mean real pieces of shit, rusty barn finds. Things you had to scrape the rust off the frames just to find the fucking vin number. And then it dawned on me I'VE GOT CAFE RACERS SYNDROME. So anyways since then I've found myself in pocession of a new/old bike. And I'm going to try to keep posting about it and asking questions throughout the way on this build. This seems to be the only decent support group for people like me, and prolly you too since your reading this. So fire away, any questions or comments welcome.
The bike I picked up is a 1973 Honda cb450. Ill attach pictures below. Bought it from some hipster kid with dreads, that I could tell was in way over his head and just wanted to be rid of the thing. Picked it up for the price $225! Bike actually started up on the first try (right after I jumped it of course, kid had killed the battery right after he bought a new one for it a week ago). Over all it was in decent shape. A little rust, nothing that couldn't have been cleaned up. And a couple other minor things. Like some idiot had put a sticker right on the side of the gas tank! Or a couple of weird "that screw souldn't be there" like someone had used dry wall screws to mount the tank, spedometer and create space in the forks, for some reason. There was one big problem though, THE BIKE HAD NO SECOND GEAR. Now when I found that out I almost just left, right there and then. But then I took it for a test ride. The thing was a blast! Even without 2end gear and some dirty carbs, it was fun to ride and I knew when I stepped off it I probably wasn't gonna leave without it.
So I brought it home yesterday. I was hoping for a little advice. Missing second gear, what's the probabilty that it's a clutch problem compared to a promblem with transmission/shifter forks? Should I just drop the engine and tear this puppy apart to get to the transmission in the bottom end? Or should I replace the clutch plates and springs and see if that fixes her? Is there a way to tell which problem it is before I start taking things apart? What do you guy's think?

 

[frogman]

Does it make a nasty noise when you try to shift it into 2nd or is it not there or does it miss it all together?

450's had issues with second gear, heck the bike I am restoring now had the 4-5 gear slider in about 4 pieces and the fork for it was chewed to pieces. Sometimes its just the stop for the shifter lever on the clutch side being worn out, and it will just skip gears. The stop rollers are getting harder to find though.

If the rest of the engine is OK, you can pull it and take the bottom case off without taking the rest of the top end apart. The side covers need to come off, and there a few bolts in the top of the tranny case that have to come out. Then flip it over on its head and pull all the other case bolts. Trany gears will usually stay in the top side. Should be able to find the parts you need on eBay for cheap, I would wait till you got in there before counting chickens.

Like I said, I'm building one from the ground up and I'm about back to the putting all the big pieces back together to make a bike stage I've prolly just been there if you need a question answered.

 

[work9to5]

It makes no noise at all when shifting through 2end. It's like it has two neutrals and then I get to third and the bike flys fine. What's the no noise or resistance imply? My thoughts on taking down engine is if I,ve gotta go that far into the case I may as well go all the way and replace all the gaskets at least and do it the "right way". My only resistance to doing that tho is summers coming and I'd like to ride the engine as is until winter, if possible. Another note that may help with diagnosis is the kick start is not working. Makes no sound or affect, does have the usual resistance in the bottom of the kick. I appreciate the advice Frogman! No matter what I do going to keep posting pictures (lots) and asking questions through out. Thx

 

[SONICJK]

I was all for tearing It down until I heard the kickstarter thing.

Check your clutch adjustment, then check your clutch plates. If that doesn't do it THEN tear it down.

If the kicker doesn't have resistance, or it has a little then slips, your clutch isn't working right. (or the mechanism is trashed inside the cases, in which case you have to tear it down anyway)
When you hit the kicker with the bike in gear does it turn the sprocket?

 

[frogman]

You are not holding the clutch in when you kick are you?

Here's why I would get after that gear, this is what mine looked like. Mine didn't shift into 5th, nothing there.

Some how the ears/dogs on that slider broke off.
The 2nd gear slider is 2 up from the bottom and has the same ears/dogs on it.

Also might be why the kicker won't work if some of the parts got hung up in it.

If that is the case the stuff shows up on eBay now then, or you can take chances with the one I have if you like. I bought an entire bottom end complete with all the parts I needed.

 

[work9to5]

I think that's what I'm gonna do. Take apart the clutch and service the carbs next weekend, then if i have to get in the engine. When i kick it i dont believe it turns the sprocket, but will have to double check in the morning.

 

[Nitsuj]

Your problem isn't clutch. You either have a bent shift fork, or work or broken gear dogs.