tight budget rattle can 78/81 cb400t

[seth.sundquist]

hi all, i've been lurking for a while. ever since i bought this junker and started to rebuild her. i figured i post some build pics and see what you all thought. bought the bike for 200 and have between 600 and 700 totally invested.

before:

during:

now:

what y'all think and what can i do to improve this bike on an extremely limited budget

 

[BigBSBusa]

Nice job! Where are you at in Kansas?

 

[seth.sundquist]

thanks man, i'm in olathe ks

 

[Maritime]

Nice job, better than my budget CM/CB 400T!

 

[kioskguy]

With that nice big backend on your seat, why don't you move your battery up there? Clean up some of the middle.

 

[seth.sundquist]

yah this is my first bike build and now that it is done kinda thats the no 1 thing i look back on and regret. there is plenty of space there for the battery and fuses and stuff. when i started i just wanted it to run so i kept the factory air box. i think my next move is to move all the junk under the seat and pod out the intake. any idea what jets to run with pods, the motor is an 81 - carb is off a 78

 

[famousseajay]

Great looking build! Looks damn good for rattle can bling. Running just the fiberglass seat pan? No padding? That could get uncomfortable quick.

 

[seth.sundquist]

yah i bought some foam for the seat but love the way it looks as is. i ride it to work and its only 4 miles so it's not bad for that ride. there is some padding under the seat to give it some spring and i have a seat saver i use for longer rides

 

[kioskguy]

I agree, pad that seat!


I removed my airboxes and used Velocity stacks. There are lots of discussions around her on rejetting. Some say you don't need to rejet, others protest and say you do. If you do, there is no formula, you have to test and see what size is right. Mine didn't seem to need rejetting. So I say give it a try and see how it runs, adjust accordingly.

 

[hond cb350e]

dont get any gas on that rattle can paint it will come off straight away, you may find out you have wasted your time spraying it that way

 

[BigBSBusa]

thanks man, i'm in olathe ks

I used to live in Leavenworth.

 

[seth.sundquist]

funny you should say that. i've unfortunately found that out the hard way and already repainted the tank. now im pretty anal with the paper towels at the gas station

 

[Reddy]

Very nice job. I would never guess "low budget" by looking.

 

[seth.sundquist]

thanks man, really it would have been well under five except i didn't get a bike with a title so i spent 100 on a frame with one, i had a stuck main jet that i shelled the whole carb trying to remove so i spent 100 on new carbs and the tank that came with the bike was pretty much rusted through so i got a new one for 50. other wise the hole build is bought in polishing, welding, painting, and fiberglassing. i did cut a 50 dollar corner though and welded those clubmans out of the stock bars

 

[seth.sundquist]

by the way the ducati is sick!

 

[tsbigdog]

Nice job. I love the way your seat follows the frame rails. Definitely get some padding on the seat, it will protect the paint and make your buttocks happy.


If you're having issues with gas destroying the paint, try covering it with a urethane clear coat with a hardner. Spraymax makes a 2K clear for about 20 bucks a can. You should do some testing with it on some scrap to make sure it's compatible with your base coat and also verify that it protects from gas spillage. One thing though, you have to use the whole can within a certain amount of time (I believe 24 hours) or the paint will solidify in the can.


Make sure you use proper protection when you spray. If you don't have it then take it to a shop and have them spray the clear for you.

 

[dean owens]

looks great. i too like how you followed the lines of the frame. i think people make a mistake when they try to force a bike to be something it's not and ignore the lines. work with them, not against them.

 

[jayfromjay]

Great job man! I hope mine comes out as well as yours! Are you running the stock seat pan or did you make one?

 

[seth.sundquist]

thanks for the paint tip i need to do something or ill ruin that paint before i hit 1000 miles and be doing it again. as for the seat there's no seat pan here's my seat build pics

no seat pan just 3 layers of fiberglass, then i went back and did 3 more layers on the inside where your butt actually resides

 

[dean owens]

looking at the seat build i would have thought it'd sit lower. did you build it up off the frame a bit?