All those nice bent tubes: and they used to wonder why 70s Japanese bikes handled better with a Spondon or such frame!
Ok thats great - do you want anything for the bushes - (i think this build is going to be expensive) and some parts hard to find...any consumables would be nice (like the bushes) - do you want me to pm you my address, let me know what the carriage is and ill paypal it over...thanks very much.
While i totally see where your coming from this one is just going to be really built for longevity...performance is not on the cards...!
cant lay my hands on the speedo just yet - pic attached Bronze bushes are a tenner - yeah PM address if you want them when I find the Speedo
Clock doesn’t look right for a 400-4. They had the idiot lights between the clocks. Looks more like CB 250 G5? https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Honda-CB...493157?hash=item2ae53b44e5:g:RgMAAOSwiOxcDv-L The glass and casings are probably the same though, so could be useful for rebuild?
Cheers - ill pm you...anything ive got for spares is great....those bushes will be good as mine are ok but 40years old or so, so a new set will be, well, just better! Thanks very much!
Can't believe how quick it's moving on, I've been doing my TZ race bike for 16 years and only managed to get the exhausts repaired and the frame coated along with a couple of sundry little bits and pieces.
Looking at the steering stem brings back nightmares I had when I got my 400/4 frame stove enamelled red.. For some reason, I didn’t remove the steering yokes before I got it coated and asked the coating people to remove it. When I got it back, they had indeed removed top and bottom yokes but then proceeded to stove enamel the whole bloody stem, bearings and cups and all! I spent hours scraping it all off so I could fit the new bearings I had already bought. Bastard of a job.
Red frame made me think of the Yoshi Honda 460/4 Harrier. Not sure why as apparently they had black frames?
This is slow...for me...chrome plating is going to be a long time...theyre shut down til end april then its 2 months after that... Will try to start getting bits back on the frame and make a start on the wheels this weekend...
Ill be using stainless where i can. I cant see the point in plated stuff...plated was only used as it was cheap...Stainless is far superior, for areas that show the bolts i may even use ti - not because of weight saving but just because its easy to clean and stays nice and bright...Its as heavy as an anville and doesnt go very fast...just trying to make it durable...
If going for the full factory fresh rebuild, you need to add the yellow paint dots on bolt heads. The yellow paint is to signify that a critical area related bolt or nut has been torqued. Its a quality control tool. Typically you see it at swingarm, steering head, axle, and brake points. Other than that it it’s just pedantry!
Oh..."the yellow dots" nope - not that anal. Ive got the manual and stuff that needs to be torqued will be but most ill be doing by just plain old feel...
Back in the 1980's I had a Honda 550 Four K4 and had to replace the cam chain, I did the whole rebuild in the hall of our rented flat in Crystal Palace. My initial problem was getting the cylinder head off, I had crappy tools and rounded off one of the head nuts. Eventually with a huge amount of swearing I was able to use a chisel and screwdriver poked through the fins to knock the nut round. After this I used a split cam chain (I know, I know) and the rebuilt went really well until I realised I put part of the tensioner in back to front and had to remove the head all over again. I was never able to get it running really well after this and P/Xed it for a Honda 750 Four F1. I sort of wish I'd kept it as I ran it for years, including several trips to the Bol D'or. My best friend Steve (who sadly died 2 years ago) owned the one with the half fairing and mine was the one behind. Good luck with the restoration, it's making me very nostalgic and inspiring me to try and find a similar project.
