Cb400n hardtail build from the uk.

[Gissmo50]

So ive been lurking in the back ground for a while now maybe even a year or two and i still haven't started a build thread of my own although i quite a way into my build of a 1970 cb400 superdream hardtail bobber.

This is how she looked the day i got her about 2 years ago



she didn't run very well the front brakes where binding on and she was a 60 a day smoker.

The original plan was to build a cafe racer from her and i stripped her down and started building along that route realising after a month or so that the frame was gonna cause me all types of trouble and i would never achieve the true look that i could see in my head and the bike sat in the garage for 6 months with nothing being done to it.

Until i went to a meet put on by the ace cafe and saw some of the bobbers and chops that had made it down there which set me along the lines of trying something similar, i first looked at how to modify the frame i instantly knew that i didn't want to have it running on shorter shocks and that i wanted a hardtail i looked around my area for a place that would modify my frame and couldn't find anyone that would do it they all wanted to build me a full frame and i wanted to retain some of the bikes identity this went on for abit untill i found Mr Jim Strang of www.chopperz.co.uk in scotland quite a distance away from me (im in the south east of england) but he agreed to do the frame and i posted it off to him.

Once it arrived with him it went straight onto the jig and the axle was set at the stock height so he could give it the stretch and drop that he thought would suit it best, 3" stretch 2"drop.



The back was cut off and the frame was braced in the lower part to give it the strength for the hardtail to be mounted







Once this was done Jim set out the rest of the frame rails with the axle plates and welded the frame up.



then it had fender mounts brake arm mount and the chain adjuster welded on and was taken off the jig wrapped and posed back to me.

.

once i got it back i installed new head bearings and some abused cm400 forks i had brough t fir the steering stem and top yoke as i didnt want to use the stamped cb400 yokes. and this is how she sat on the 19" front and the 18" rear cb400 wheels with my hand made rear brake arm.



Gissmo

 

[hursty]

Looking forward to updates - I was at the ace cafe yesterday (30th June) looking for insperation for my build.

 

[Gissmo50]

I kept looking at it and i wasn't happy with the rear wheel width or size i wanted it slightly wider and it was on This forum looking through other build threads i found the solution and i set about looking for a Cm400 16" rear wheel that had the ability to fit a 130 width tire and give the bike a better rear end look.



i also needed a new engine as the one i had was Fubar i sourced a good Cm400 engine hat i could put the Cb400 head on to that's being ported and polished along with a cam shaft regrind Courtesy Kent Cams and a nice set of Mikuni vm32's suggested by a dyno shop ive used and where she will be going to get tuned once built, i also installed the kicker from the cb400 motor i pulled from the engine and if i wish i have the option of installing the 6 speed box as well.



then i got a tank based on an old BSA Bantam tank except this on has twin filler necks and will eventually have twin petrol taps to supply both carbs and a set of exhaust down pipes and cocktail shaker tail pieces.

the bars are the originals and i they where OK but not perfect so they did get changed.



Christmas cam and i got the seat from my parents after i gave them the exact eBay listing and that came from Germany its a skinny style seat at 10" wide



the seat is going to be mounted on some 3.5" scissor springs (may now be 4" barrels as these are very stiff)



then on went the rear fender from http://www.7metalwest.com/ took a while to arrive from the states but very happy with the workman ship, in the photo it looks to be a bigger gap than it is.



you can also see the tank for the electric and the battery box that's not being used as its to wide and would need the chain running through it.

the head light went on in a rough position for mock up and in going to use solid arms for it when it goes together in the end. and the front mudguard is a replica for a sportster.



I replaced the handlebars and the battery box made up some rough plates to mount forward controls and got the gf to take some pics with my goofy face sitting on the bike for size.



Made a prototype for the mountings for the footrests and the controls and mounted them up its going to be made from solid bar in the end.



then started to make up control rods for the rear brake and the gear shift.



and this is where she stands just before i started to weld everything in to place. and do any little finishes before i arrange powder and paint and polishing.



So thats bee the last 6ish months of my build there are some parts i have skipped and some things that chnged that have been left out i have done a build thread already here http://honda-superdream.proboards.com/thread/3723/superdream-bobber?page=1
if you really want to see everything that's happened.

If there is enough interest here i will keep both build threads up to date, let me know what you guys think, this is my first bike build and i have tried to listen to everybody that's given advice to me.

Gissmo

 

[Gissmo50]

Have all but the tank welded up now it all needs dressing up and blending in to go yet, over 150 views and only one reply either this bike has offended everyone or its another cb400n and everyone is sick of them......

Gissmo

 

[Maritime]

Good job tying the hard tail into the stamped steel of the fugly CM/CB frame. Looks pretty nice with the tank hiding the stamped steel portion.

 

[Gissmo50]

Re: Cb400n hardtail build from the uk.

Been on holiday for a week now ands having major withdrawal from the bike and still have a week left then hopefully I can get up to the bike and prep the tank for welding.

 

[notlob]

its looking great Gismo. Keep the thread going cant wait to see it in paint. The bob & chop and Specials sections are not as well populated as the caferacer section.

 

[Gissmo50]

Thanks notlob, even if one guy takes an interest in the bike I will keep on posting up on this thread. she's a labour of love and the top coats of paint are already picked and brought once the welding is done and the rear light an number plate mounts are in I can start getting powder and paint on the frame and tins then move my attention across to the engine or visa versa high lift cam and a mild head job should let her breath easier and make it easier for the dyno guys to tune her on the vm32's. A good few months in her yet should be finished the end of the year failing that ready or early next season.

and who knows maybe one day she will make it into BOTM.

Gissmo

 

[Gissmo50]

got a little bit done today mostly getting the battery tray to fit up with the rear brake linkage, and given me a position for the pegs that i find comfortable and workable



Ignor the large plates and muliple holes and bar these are just prototypes to let me get the pegs into position they have way to much flew in them but they have served the purpose i needed now i need foot peg brackets mark 2

The brake linkage goes from the foot rest as you can see in the first photo to a jack shaft next to the battery box. this has the return spring on it and hopefully where im going to mount a brake light switch.



this then goes to the rear of the bike in the normal way using the stock brake arm once i manage to remove the flex from the prg mounts then it will work very nicely

.

last thing i managed to pick up a lucas headlight shell with no rim or head light for £5 at the auto jumble in romney a few weeks back so i threw it on and i this it fits the style alot better than the stock honda one.



its abit rusty but should shotblast and paint up in the candy red i have very nicely.

Gissmo

 

[Gissmo50]

Wow reviving my own thread, so I didn't touch her in 2 years fell out of love and ran out of money. Stated again this weekend and moved a lot closer. Pics to follow if there's still interest.

Kyran

 

[Tune-A-Fish]

Sweet little DeadTail mang.

The one thing that always stands out about the little twinstar motor is those fins... I wonder if you were to leave the forward to aft fins and smooth off the side fins, kinda give it a shovel look on the side?

I dig it.

 

[Maritime]

Still interest and to add to what Tune said, you can hit the fins with a belt sander to give them a nice flat surface then you can mask them with tape and a razor blade and paint the fins, pull the tape and polish the edges for a really nice black and polish look.

Cheers

 

[Gissmo50]

Cheers guys at the moment im on a tight deadline to make the brighton burn up run in september so the main focus is to get everything done to make it a rider and then finish off any left over aesthetic jobs, my plan was to black out the engine and polish the fins to start with but im using a different tank thats got a lovely patina and thats taking me towards bare metal and maybe some black once ive got the rest sorted i can always drop the motor and paint it if i think it will fit in with the rest of the bike.

 

[Gissmo50]

small update from some work we managed to get done. we had planned to try and get everything done in a day, a bit ambitious maybe but we felt good about what needed doing, Finish off the frame welding/tidying, make weld mounts and new petrol tap bungs into the tank and make some gusset plates to hide the large gaps front and back along the backbone, modify the rib in the rear fender to allow the brake light to sit in it and weld some small plates underneath to allow cables to run without fear of being ripped out by the rear tire, fabricate and fit the forward controls using my prototypes as a template/ guide. we had an early start on it and got the frame knocked out in afew hours but the tank had i bent over a barrel and spanked its an old BSA Bantam tank and thin in places so the welding had to be done very slowly and built up. but we finished the day with the frame done and the front mounts and petrol tap bungs in place and the rear mounts made and just needing welding.







i managed to find a while back some 60s john tickle headlight ears in 33mm and they look much better than the universal onse that didnt fit at all also a lucas haedlight shell at an auto jumble which suits the bike much better.



all in all it was a good day and i have another book in the workshop on the 15th may and we arnt leaving untill the other jobs are done and the build phase is finished.

Thanks Kyran

 

[Gissmo50]

this is how she sits on her on two wheels after all the welding was finished bar the foot controls









she is now back in my garage waiting to be finished off befor powder and paint

Kyran

 

[Ross.]

Now that is cool. Didn't know that an N could look so much better.

Did you use a frame jig when you welded the hardtail on?

 

[Gissmo50]

The frame wasn't done by me i sent it off to a guy in Scotland called Jim Strang of chopperzuk who has dont and does many of this type of frame he designed and did the frame job on his jig. reinforced the original parts and game it a 3 inch stretch and a 2 inch drop on the rear axle. thanks for the compliments on her its been a 5 year build so far.

 

[Gissmo50]

Not a lot to report back on got her back together at home and fitted a new chain and solid mounted the exhausts to the frame and head. and took some better photos on my dslr, have a new headlight glass and some bolts for chain adjusting now and the correct petrol cap for the tank after buying 2 in the wrong size.

 

[Gissmo50]

Not been Around for a while but been slowly getting through this build life moving and jobs all keep getting in the way of pushing for the finish but her is how my little cb400n sits at the moment

https://ibb.co/1GHsyYT
https://ibb.co/FHrjZPr
https://ibb.co/mFX7qzp
https://ibb.co/2kj96wk

Cheers Kyran

 

[pidjones]

Coming together nicely. Life happens and gets in the way of motorcycles sometimes. This build illustrates that you don't have to replace Comstars with spokes to look right.