CB450 motor advice

[eyhonda]

I may be able to pick up a cb450 motor cheap. It's seized. I was thinking just to pick it up and rebuild it for experience and maybe make a little extra cash. Anyone with experience know what year motors are good, which are bad? Is it a good motor to rebuild, meaning easy to find parts and to build it? Are they hard to work on? I have to yet find out what year it is. I thought I saw somewhere that some are 4 speeds and some are 5 speeds. Some are 2 valve heads and some are 3 valve heads. I read somewhere that the valve springs are torsion bars? Anyway, just looking for some buying advice on a cb450 motor. If I really like it, maybe I'll build a bike around it.

 

[Flugtechnik]

I think the 450 motor is pretty cool and was very advanced when it was released. It has torsion bar valve springs which are much easier to remove and install than standard springs. They all have 2 valves per cylinder. Around '68 I think they switched from 4 speed to 5 speed. The 5 speed is recommended. At some point (I don't know when) they also improved the oil pump. A lot of parts are available from people parting them out on eBay, but stock pistons and cam followers seem hard to come by. Probably the hardest part to find is the cam followers. They tend to wear out and NOS ones are as rare as unicorns. Usually you have to find a used set that aren't that bad or get some worn ones resurfaced.

There are performance parts available for these. I don't have the links handy right now.

There are now a couple of electronic ignitions for it. A Pamco unit. I think there is a Dyna unit. And there is a new one from Charlie's that I think uses Dyna pickups.

If you want to do it just for fun that sounds like a plan. I don't think you would make any money from it but you may break even.

One of best resources for technical stuff on these is over at www.hondatwins.net Lots of good info and knowledgeable people.

My engine:

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[eyhonda]

Ahhh, I was too late! The motor was sold! If that's your motor, it looks great! It even looks nice without a bike around it. Thanks for the info though!

 

[Flugtechnik]

Awe, sucks. And thanks. It took a lot of work.

In case anyone reads this in the future I forgot to mention that the CL450 motors are supposed to be the same as the CB450 motors but with a little different gearing for more low end power.

I really noticed this when riding with CCRider from Asheville to The Dragon and we never seemed to shift at the same point. Mine is a CL450 and his is a CB450.