1972 Honda CL450 Scrambler Refurb
- Thread starter Flugtechnik
- Start date
Flugtechnik
My bike is not transportation, it is a respite
I have been MIA from this site for awhile. Life got busy and there was a pandemic, but I am still working on my 450. I plan to start posting some more about what I have done and what I am doing to the bike. Since I last posted I have ridden it quite a bit, updated most of the electrical system and changed out the stock carbs for Mikunis. More on that later.
How she looked a few months ago:
Right now I am in the process of refurbishing the wheels and the forks. The rims were starting to rust through and a couple of the spokes were broken. I have stripped the wheels down to the hubs which have been repainted. They have a brushed finish with a clearcoat over that. The first time I painted them, I used a standard clear enamel rattlecan. Over time this turned yellow and most of it flaked off. This time I used the Spraymax 2K clear. Hopefully that holds up better. Next week I will be sending the hubs and some new tires and tubes to Buchanan's to get new aluminum Excel rims along with new spokes and nipples installed.
Since I have the wheels off I am also rebuilding the forks. The old fork tubes had some rust spots in the fork seal zone so they leaked over time. I sourced some new Japanese fork tubes from Germany and refinished the fork lowers along with the wheel hubs. I purchased some new Ikon springs from Common Motor but they turned out to be the wrong size. The guys at CM were kind enough to pay to ship them back and refund my money. The old springs will be going back in for now.
More to follow....
How she looked a few months ago:
Right now I am in the process of refurbishing the wheels and the forks. The rims were starting to rust through and a couple of the spokes were broken. I have stripped the wheels down to the hubs which have been repainted. They have a brushed finish with a clearcoat over that. The first time I painted them, I used a standard clear enamel rattlecan. Over time this turned yellow and most of it flaked off. This time I used the Spraymax 2K clear. Hopefully that holds up better. Next week I will be sending the hubs and some new tires and tubes to Buchanan's to get new aluminum Excel rims along with new spokes and nipples installed.
Since I have the wheels off I am also rebuilding the forks. The old fork tubes had some rust spots in the fork seal zone so they leaked over time. I sourced some new Japanese fork tubes from Germany and refinished the fork lowers along with the wheel hubs. I purchased some new Ikon springs from Common Motor but they turned out to be the wrong size. The guys at CM were kind enough to pay to ship them back and refund my money. The old springs will be going back in for now.
More to follow....
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Been too long, my dude.
chesterburnet
Been Around the Block
I got springs from Race Tech. Getting the correct springs for your weight will make a huge difference. I also added cartridge emulators and preload adjustable fork caps. I also bought Hagon rear shock for my weight and the length I wanted from Bella Course. Your forks look identical to my CB550F. My build started as a cafe racer but I switch to a traker style.
Flugtechnik
My bike is not transportation, it is a respite
I got the forks reassembled, filled with fresh oil and reinstalled on the bike.
Brand new fork tubes, new fork caps, new seals, new fork gators, new drain plug bolts and seals.
Brand new fork tubes, new fork caps, new seals, new fork gators, new drain plug bolts and seals.
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Flugtechnik
My bike is not transportation, it is a respite
Thanks for the welcome back guys. I will try and get some more of the other changes documented.
Flugtechnik
My bike is not transportation, it is a respite
Thank you. I actually upholstered it myself using the leather from my old riding jacket.
Someone made the seat pan for me. I documented it in the last build thread starting here:
https://www.dotheton.com/index.php?threads/dtt-barber-build-2012.36857/post-657053
The handlebar pad is also wrapped in the leather, there is a tool roll strapped to the other side of the bike made from it, and the battery hold down strap is made from one of the waist straps.
I seal the leather about every 5 years with Sno-Seal. It has held up pretty well. If I had to do it over again, I would put more padding in the seat. It is a bit hard.
Flugtechnik
My bike is not transportation, it is a respite
Just got the wheels back from Buchanan's and WOW! they killed it. I can't wait to get these back on the bike.
Wheels look like a million bucks, which is probably close to what they cost 
They will make the whole bike look better.
Fork internals are interesting. They are basically an early version of a cartridge but without modern adjustability or valve design. I suspect that you could swap in a pair of modern cartridges if you could machine up adjustable top nuts and modify the lower legs to take an adjuster.
They will make the whole bike look better.Fork internals are interesting. They are basically an early version of a cartridge but without modern adjustability or valve design. I suspect that you could swap in a pair of modern cartridges if you could machine up adjustable top nuts and modify the lower legs to take an adjuster.
Flugtechnik
My bike is not transportation, it is a respite
Ha! You are correct. Having those two wheels built cost more than double what I originally paid for the bike (which actually wasn't that much).
Flugtechnik
My bike is not transportation, it is a respite
Got the bike all back together and looking fresh. While I was refreshing the wheels and shocks, I also put in new brake pads, front and rear sprockets and a new chain.
Looking great.
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Sent from my iPhone using DO THE TON
