Hoosier Daddy
Earache my eye...
Hey Dean... I sent you a PM back on the 19th with shipping charges on the parts you need.
Hope you aren't waiting on me.
Hope you aren't waiting on me.
CL450 Complete Rebuild to Cafe Racer
- Thread starter DHolbrook
- Start date
More on the seat saga....
I spent a couple days playing seamstress. Fabric is an outdoor pleather, foam is the snap together grids you can find for your garage floor. Sewing is my handiwork. Thin and comfortable - so far. Maybe a bit of fine tuning still. My staple gun wouldn't pierce the fiberglass seat pan, so it is only glued for now, gotta strengthen that somehow...
I spent a couple days playing seamstress. Fabric is an outdoor pleather, foam is the snap together grids you can find for your garage floor. Sewing is my handiwork. Thin and comfortable - so far. Maybe a bit of fine tuning still. My staple gun wouldn't pierce the fiberglass seat pan, so it is only glued for now, gotta strengthen that somehow...
Attachments
OK, I've been working all summer and here are progress pics.
I had the hardest time fitting a cb style exhaust on my cl. I ended up having to replace all the foot controls and center stand bolt with the cb style to allow room for an exhaust down there. My exhaust is pretty straight through, but there is a 45 degree bend, and a homemade baffle. I used a screen-wrapped around the baffle to help with back pressure too. We'll see...
No rides yet. Currently waiting on larger jets and clutch adjustments and a dragging front brake. But the electrical is all finished!
Learn as I go... built by me all in my garage like a true cafe racer!
I had the hardest time fitting a cb style exhaust on my cl. I ended up having to replace all the foot controls and center stand bolt with the cb style to allow room for an exhaust down there. My exhaust is pretty straight through, but there is a 45 degree bend, and a homemade baffle. I used a screen-wrapped around the baffle to help with back pressure too. We'll see...
No rides yet. Currently waiting on larger jets and clutch adjustments and a dragging front brake. But the electrical is all finished!
Learn as I go... built by me all in my garage like a true cafe racer!
Attachments
rockcitycafe
I make things.
how'd you determine such a large offset on the front yoke?
It was a pain to find out the hard way that cb and cl 450's have a different yokes. The top yoke is from Dime City and it is the standard offset for a cb450, which is the same offset for my Yamaha XS650 front end. Maybe the offset just looks larger because the tank is so skinny! I like the look of the offset too because I increased my headlight to a 7in, which I think looks cooler/more proportioned.
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eyhonda
Coast to Coast
I'm a little late to answer this but the bearing retainer ring was held in by dimples set into the OD near the threads. Probably where the hub busted out. Anyway, you drill the dimples out when removing. Then, after installing, put new dimples with a sharp nail set to keep it set.
Oh Ok. All I know now is that the right combo for me is xs650 forks with hub, cb450 lower with stem, and cb 450 top from DCC. My Cl450 unit was narrower by like 10mm, and nowhere could I find a cool triple top its size. I didn't determine any of it, but I like the xs front setup with the cb450 triple top from Dime City... if that makes sense.
eyhonda
Coast to Coast
Looks good so far! Have you considered flipping around the forks so that the brake caliper is on the left side, facing the rear? The weight is better located behind the forks like most modern bikes. Consider spacers that may offset the wheel incorrectly or speedo drives that will spin the wrong direction. If the spacers are interchangeable left to right and you are not using a speedo cable drive, it should be OK. Also, consider any fender mounting that will face backwards.
A fender should be here Tuesday then I'll black it out and mount it up. That should be it for the build aside from tuning! I even made a license place bracket today and borrowed my mirrors off my Ducati so I can pass DMV inspection.
Tank is a Binelli/Mohave 260. I see them a lot now but they are a great size and shape for little cafe type bikes.
Tank is a Binelli/Mohave 260. I see them a lot now but they are a great size and shape for little cafe type bikes.
eyhonda
Coast to Coast
One thing I noticed but I forgot to mention, is now the tire is rotating backwards. Check the direction on the tire sidewall to be sure. Otherwise, you have to flip the wheel or remount the tire. Looking at the tread pattern, it seems to be the same direction as in the bike off in the background.
Flugtechnik
My bike is not transportation, it is a respite
Looking nice so far man. Do you know if they had to do anything to the cam followers to harden them after they were built up and reground?
eyhonda
Hehe the tire was backwards before, so since the fork flip now it's forward facing
Since you mentioned it, I can't remember why I had assembled the wheel/forks my way the first time... but at least now it is correct.
Flugtechnik
I don't understand hardening, but the shop resurfacing the followers took forever for my work (about a month). When I would call them they told me they were "on it" but that it took time to do. He explained they would build up the face a little bit, then powder it with something then they had to let it cool, then repeat the next day. Cams are all they do so I trusted them! I'd do it again too.
BTW I have UNI's on it now and it really smoothed out my power curve issues I had. I still have some issues, but I'll play with the timing to see if I can get lower rev power back, or I'll just forget about it as the cost of doing business with a short exhaust.
Hehe the tire was backwards before, so since the fork flip now it's forward facing
Since you mentioned it, I can't remember why I had assembled the wheel/forks my way the first time... but at least now it is correct.Flugtechnik
I don't understand hardening, but the shop resurfacing the followers took forever for my work (about a month). When I would call them they told me they were "on it" but that it took time to do. He explained they would build up the face a little bit, then powder it with something then they had to let it cool, then repeat the next day. Cams are all they do so I trusted them! I'd do it again too.
BTW I have UNI's on it now and it really smoothed out my power curve issues I had. I still have some issues, but I'll play with the timing to see if I can get lower rev power back, or I'll just forget about it as the cost of doing business with a short exhaust.
