1.21GW
New Member
This is my first build and first motorcycle. Complete noob, so feel free to mock. DTT has been a great resource so far, so thanks to all who have and continue to share knowledge.
Quick bg for those that care: Been wanting a bike and, separately, to start fixing old vehicles (e.g. was looking at 70s fiat spiders last summer) for years but never had time/money/space. Now I have time/money---I'm making do with lack of space. Anyway, was looking to buy a used bike when in my searches I saw a few pics of cafe racers and they were just what I was looking for, plus the older bikes are simpler so I figured I'd have an easier time working on it.
The bike: bought a cb400tii for $600. I realize now it probably was worth $400 max. Oh well, part of the learning process. It ran without problems which was unique among the variety of other 70s hondas advertised on CL. I got tired of looking for the right bike and frankly, many of the more cafe-apt bikes (cb350s, 550s, etc.) seemed overpriced. People bought a cafe seat and a new light and wanted $2000. Result of the cafe craze maybe.
Here is as-purchased:
My workspace (the sidewalk):
Current status:
Frankly, I'm starting to like the cb400t tank. It can look good if done right (Black Motor Covenant's "A-Bomb" opened my eyes). Clearly, my work so far has been all cosmetic. More substantial things are to be tackled in upcoming weeks: rebuild carbs, new suspension, rearsets, etc. I have some questions coming, but for now wanted to just set up the build post and introduce myself.
Quick bg for those that care: Been wanting a bike and, separately, to start fixing old vehicles (e.g. was looking at 70s fiat spiders last summer) for years but never had time/money/space. Now I have time/money---I'm making do with lack of space. Anyway, was looking to buy a used bike when in my searches I saw a few pics of cafe racers and they were just what I was looking for, plus the older bikes are simpler so I figured I'd have an easier time working on it.
The bike: bought a cb400tii for $600. I realize now it probably was worth $400 max. Oh well, part of the learning process. It ran without problems which was unique among the variety of other 70s hondas advertised on CL. I got tired of looking for the right bike and frankly, many of the more cafe-apt bikes (cb350s, 550s, etc.) seemed overpriced. People bought a cafe seat and a new light and wanted $2000. Result of the cafe craze maybe.
Here is as-purchased:
My workspace (the sidewalk):
Current status:
Frankly, I'm starting to like the cb400t tank. It can look good if done right (Black Motor Covenant's "A-Bomb" opened my eyes). Clearly, my work so far has been all cosmetic. More substantial things are to be tackled in upcoming weeks: rebuild carbs, new suspension, rearsets, etc. I have some questions coming, but for now wanted to just set up the build post and introduce myself.