Powder coat or polish CB450 Build!
- Thread starter Zonda
- Start date
Hey thanks Joe, know it well ;D
started on the cables today, fitted the choke kits
used a CB160 throttle cable as the choke cable, i could have sweated in new ball ends but in the end decided that the cable worked and couldn't come out so just filled them down
in all that part was very straight forward and easy ;D ;D as for fitting
the left hand cable went right through the engine breather, problem, had a look at re-drilling the hole and filling the old one, but that would look so so so removed the tube and made a new one with a bit of a bend in it,
just a tip for young players, if you heat steel to cherry "don't" cool it with water, let it air cool, or you will change the temper of the steel and it will
become brittle, same with welding
All done, not perfect as the tube was difficult to bend to a tight radii but it'll suffice till later, the cable is against the rubber so shouldn't chafe and is only bent a little : :
Rod from OZ 8)
started on the cables today, fitted the choke kits
used a CB160 throttle cable as the choke cable, i could have sweated in new ball ends but in the end decided that the cable worked and couldn't come out so just filled them down
in all that part was very straight forward and easy ;D ;D as for fitting
the left hand cable went right through the engine breather, problem, had a look at re-drilling the hole and filling the old one, but that would look so so
so removed the tube and made a new one with a bit of a bend in it,
just a tip for young players, if you heat steel to cherry "don't" cool it with water, let it air cool, or you will change the temper of the steel and it will
become brittle, same with welding
All done, not perfect as the tube was difficult to bend to a tight radii
but it'll suffice till later, the cable is against the rubber so shouldn't chafe and is only bent a little : :
Rod from OZ 8)
Tim said:
Thanks Tim ;D the reason is that the original choke mechanism fouled the cam covers and on the left carb the choke is on the inside and hard to reach
I could have spaced the carbs out from the head but that would have looked average this has cost around $40 and looks factory and does the job 8)Rod from OZ 8)
I like the idea of these choke cables, my CL450 just has the little lever on the one carb that has the thin metal flimsy part that reaches over to the other carb and gets all messed up in my fuel lines. Where will this cable end up and is there a factory location on the carb that it just screws into?
Muddy4DSM said:
Muddy these are 34mm Mikuni's and the CL450 had Keihin's there is nowhere that i know of on your carb that you can use a choke cable instead of the factory system. The cables on mine are routed to the handle bar and i have yet to make a decision on the final fitment.
Rod from OZ 8)
Ok i brought two sets of header pipes off evilbay and well, I'm a little disappointed, why you'll see
looks ok'ish, but, ok it looks like crap : well i had not intended to use them that way my thoughts were to cut the second bend off and slip on a muffler....
BUT if i adjust the angle to look better, well the pipe will direct the muffler straight into the frame
So pipe one so so
then there is pipe 2 that i hoped would go under the engine and be more useful, HA not so, they made it to go OUTSIDE the engine covers, great look once again looks like crap and directs any muffler straight into the foot pegs and the kick-start
So what have i learned, nothing really as i can't resist a bargain and for $60 i'll mod them and use them on future projects ;D ;D
Rod from OZ 8)
looks ok'ish, but, ok it looks like crap :
well i had not intended to use them that way my thoughts were to cut the second bend off and slip on a muffler....
BUT if i adjust the angle to look better, well the pipe will direct the muffler straight into the frame
So pipe one so so
then there is pipe 2 that i hoped would go under the engine and be more useful, HA not so, they made it to go OUTSIDE the engine covers, great look
once again looks like crap and directs any muffler straight into the foot pegs and the kick-start
So what have i learned, nothing really as i can't resist a bargain and for $60 i'll mod them and use them on future projects ;D ;D
Rod from OZ 8)
Too bad on the pipes.
I don't know without having them and the bike in front of me,but is it possible to...
1. take the first set of pipes if they are identical/symmetrical
2. cut them off somewhere around the 1st or second "S" bend or so
3. swap the pieces you cut off from side to side(may have to shorten or lengthen straight sections as needed)
4. crisscross them between the frame,behind your air filter,under the top frame rail and have them exit high pipe style out the sides behind you. Although it would look cool,I doubt you have enough room under the seat for the pipes to exit there and with any kind of mufflers no way there would be enough room.
To make them equal height on both side you would have to either
A. flatten the top of the bottom tube and flatten bottom of the top tube where they cross each other or...
B. make a "X" pipe out of them and then they would both be equal height. "x" pipe is easy to make out of two of the curved pieces laid flat,equalizing hole(if you want one) cut where they meet butt up and them they are welded together. You've seen them for cars/trucks I'm sure. Only bad part about welding the pipes are you may not be able to get the pipes on/off depending
on if they can be wrangled on/off with the engine and other components in place. Otherwise you have to make fittings(YUCK!),so they can be taken apart in pieces in order to get them on/off. That's one reason I hate most stock exhaust as lots of fittings are UGLY!
C. You may not even have to "X" or crisscross by just making the bends curve in,almost touch each other and then go curve back out the same side their head pipe is on. This would eliminate the need for any ugly fittings and would still "LOOK" like the pipes crisscross even though they don't.
There are several ways to run exhaust pipes around,some as you found out just won't work with your bike/set-up as they come,but I think you could still make that first set work with some revisions. You would have cuts,welds etc.,but if you don't want to re-chrome,paint etc. you could cover those areas or the whole pipes with exhaust wrap. No one would be the wiser.
For enough clearance,room you may have to lose your nifty breather/catch can though depending whether you can route the pipes above it and or behind the filters. ;D
There is also nothing with running one pipe around the engine and through the frame to the other side as long as both side have equal length. Maybe even same side CL style,but that's done quite a bit,still it looks good that way.
Your second set of pipes would be easy to fix.,but wouldn't look nearly as cool or as unique. Just cut them at the front vertical,weld in another piece to the desired length to clear you controls/pegs etc.(set rear angle before welding as it would now be adjustable to a certain degree,where before you got what you got as the pipe came). Cover welds/extension pipe with wrap. On low pipes,don't forget to allow for the downward shifter and rear brake pedal movement/clearance.
I don't know without having them and the bike in front of me,but is it possible to...
1. take the first set of pipes if they are identical/symmetrical
2. cut them off somewhere around the 1st or second "S" bend or so
3. swap the pieces you cut off from side to side(may have to shorten or lengthen straight sections as needed)
4. crisscross them between the frame,behind your air filter,under the top frame rail and have them exit high pipe style out the sides behind you. Although it would look cool,I doubt you have enough room under the seat for the pipes to exit there and with any kind of mufflers no way there would be enough room.
To make them equal height on both side you would have to either
A. flatten the top of the bottom tube and flatten bottom of the top tube where they cross each other or...
B. make a "X" pipe out of them and then they would both be equal height. "x" pipe is easy to make out of two of the curved pieces laid flat,equalizing hole(if you want one) cut where they meet butt up and them they are welded together. You've seen them for cars/trucks I'm sure. Only bad part about welding the pipes are you may not be able to get the pipes on/off depending
on if they can be wrangled on/off with the engine and other components in place. Otherwise you have to make fittings(YUCK!),so they can be taken apart in pieces in order to get them on/off. That's one reason I hate most stock exhaust as lots of fittings are UGLY!
C. You may not even have to "X" or crisscross by just making the bends curve in,almost touch each other and then go curve back out the same side their head pipe is on. This would eliminate the need for any ugly fittings and would still "LOOK" like the pipes crisscross even though they don't.
There are several ways to run exhaust pipes around,some as you found out just won't work with your bike/set-up as they come,but I think you could still make that first set work with some revisions. You would have cuts,welds etc.,but if you don't want to re-chrome,paint etc. you could cover those areas or the whole pipes with exhaust wrap. No one would be the wiser.
For enough clearance,room you may have to lose your nifty breather/catch can though depending whether you can route the pipes above it and or behind the filters. ;D
There is also nothing with running one pipe around the engine and through the frame to the other side as long as both side have equal length. Maybe even same side CL style,but that's done quite a bit,still it looks good that way.
Your second set of pipes would be easy to fix.,but wouldn't look nearly as cool or as unique. Just cut them at the front vertical,weld in another piece to the desired length to clear you controls/pegs etc.(set rear angle before welding as it would now be adjustable to a certain degree,where before you got what you got as the pipe came). Cover welds/extension pipe with wrap. On low pipes,don't forget to allow for the downward shifter and rear brake pedal movement/clearance.
Coolatula mate ;D had a great think about the pipes and as I'm aiming for the factory look : have come up with two variation on the same theme. Jay hey thanks for the vote it's hard getting a look in with all the great bikes being built here, and as Sep 1 is getting close and i want my scoot in the book i'm going like mad, the attention to detail is what make a cool scoot, a hot scoot 8)
This one follows the line of the road/frame
This one follows the line of the carbs/intake
What do you think???
Rod from OZ 8)
have come up with two variation on the same theme. Jay hey thanks for the vote it's hard getting a look in with all the great bikes being built here, and as Sep 1 is getting close and i want my scoot in the book i'm going like mad, the attention to detail is what make a cool scoot, a hot scoot 8)This one follows the line of the road/frame
This one follows the line of the carbs/intake
What do you think???
Rod from OZ 8)
boomshakalaka
Over 1,000 Posts
Ive always been a fan of upswept exhaust, however since the exhaust already is running above the covers I think the horizontal mock up is more dynamic and more fun for the eye.
Flugtechnik
My bike is not transportation, it is a respite
I like the second. ;D
valvesprung
Over 1,000 Posts
Definitely the first...
Swagger
Putting boot to ass since 1967!
I have to go with the upswept highpipes, emotes a bit of Brandshatch that does!
As well, it visually ties in the pipes with the carbs as you said, since the road is essentially horizontal and there's the imaginary line from the bottom of the tank and seat, along with the more or less level focal points of both wheel centers, it screams for a little accent.......upswept pipes!
Remember, everytime someone puts ugly pipes on a bike a hot 20-something virgin go-go dancer becomes a nun.
As well, it visually ties in the pipes with the carbs as you said, since the road is essentially horizontal and there's the imaginary line from the bottom of the tank and seat, along with the more or less level focal points of both wheel centers, it screams for a little accent.......upswept pipes!
Remember, everytime someone puts ugly pipes on a bike a hot 20-something virgin go-go dancer becomes a nun.
Well what can i say but thanks for the feedback and the encouragement. I think i'll go for the flat style : why? well Red Molly is my all time favorite scoot built on the board, if i could have one scoot she would be it. As the style is so timeless and so right for the era, byrdman has captured the cafe feal and simplicity perfectly ;D ;D
Rod from OZ 8)
why? well Red Molly is my all time favorite scoot built on the board, if i could have one scoot she would be it. As the style is so timeless and so right for the era, byrdman has captured the cafe feal and simplicity perfectly ;D ;D
Rod from OZ 8)
boomshakalaka
Over 1,000 Posts
very nice, cant go wrong following that build.
I think when the pipes go over the cases and are upswept they dont intersect the wheel at the right point. If they go under the cases then are upswept they cut across the wheel, but the other way they just barely cover part of the tire and it makes that area look jumbled or busy. Conversely when the pipes go over the cases then flatten out it cuts across the wheel at a perfect point making that area look clean and well thought out. So ya, thats my 2 cents
I think when the pipes go over the cases and are upswept they dont intersect the wheel at the right point. If they go under the cases then are upswept they cut across the wheel, but the other way they just barely cover part of the tire and it makes that area look jumbled or busy. Conversely when the pipes go over the cases then flatten out it cuts across the wheel at a perfect point making that area look clean and well thought out. So ya, thats my 2 cents
