Topic: I believe the CB450 is the most impressive bike ever made.

[Stev-o]

650 yam are not as knobbly as a 450
 Btw, i found a guy an XS 650 end of last sept.. 200 bux.. It will be a tracker.. Nearing. Completion... Soon.. 16 k into it already...

What do you mean by "knobbly", Frank?

$16K......holy crap!   Why??

[754]

I mean the top end is bristling with covers and bumps in places most bikes dont have places. Sort of. Exotic or semi exotic.. The XS 650. Sorta looks whitebread..not as cool as an older Triumph...IMO..

[fendersrule]

Where's fenders today?   Went home w/tail between legs??

When my CB450 gets restored, I will race anyone's restored CB750 SOHC. No mods. Not because I have something to prove, but I really want to know how fast the CB450 really is for short distances. I can probably race against my own CB750, but the engine wasn't rebuilt or anything (seems to run pretty strong still). Probably should look for tracks around the Boise area.

The frame should get back next week for the CB450. Should be freshly blasted and powder coated.

Then it's on to raking out $3,000 for new tires, brakes, paintjob (I'll do bodywork myself just like I did with the CB750), Hagon shocks, fluids, new seat cover, someone to PLEASE restore my tachometer/speedometer (new face plates), and pay for my pops for the engine rebuild.

I'll have a brand new bike when it's all said in done.

You guys have seen the quality of my work with my CB750.....

45 horsepower at 430 pounds....

Did I tell you I may have another CB450 too.

They are getting very hard to find. But so are SOHC CB750s.

[kghost]

Where's fenders today?   Went home w/tail between legs??

45 horsepower at 430 pounds....

Did I tell you I may have another CB450 too.

Can we race with me on my 250?

300 lbs and 60 hp.........seems fair since you get a 200 cc advantage.....

[fendersrule]

And how would it be fair being that you modified the bike?

[grcamna2]

I'm hoping you guys spend a lot of time on your clutch set-up...;fenders,are you & kghost gonna be racing  ? I look forward to hear about it.

[grcamna2]

OK I am biased. I learned on my dad's 65 Black Bomber than traded it for a 1970 Candy Gold with disc brake model, price out the door, $870. I have to say the Bomber with drums front and back and 4 speed tranny was not the best bike out there. Dad used to to take a smoke break every 20 miles and push his fillings back in. That thing vibrated like a bastard! He also nearly ripped his nads off on the steering dampener knob when a prat gave him a brake test one day. 18 year old kid pulled away from a light and then slammed on the brakes. All witnessed by a cop, who asked the kid why he did it and was told "I just wanted to see if he could stop in time." I now have a rather tired 73 in the shed awaiting a resto of some type. I love the looks of the engine and can't decide which way to go with it. Just missed out on a set of pipes locally on craigslist for $150. Damn!

W/ a lot of Fine Tuning the CB450 doesn't vibrate all that much.

[kghost]

And how would it be fair being that you modified the bike?

No mate that's from the factory.......it's a two stroke tho

[754]

If you beat him with the 2stroke, there is an 80 hp 250 here you can run against..

[kghost]

If you beat him with the 2stroke, there is an 80 hp 250 here you can run against..

I'd love to. Just to say hi to ya and visit BC again. Plus I have a couple buddies out at the airport in kelowna

[fendersrule]

Gramna2 is right.

Even with my very tired cb450 with a tiny highway sprocket , I had very smooth rides on it. They shouldn't be vibrating all that much.

My 3,000 mile cb125s though does vibrate more than both of these bikes, but is still comfortable.

[754]

You wouldnt recognize thr airport now..

[kghost]

You wouldnt recognize thr airport now..

Probably not.

Half our maintenance staff here in Oz are ex kelowna flight craft guys

[fendersrule]

Got my CB450 frame back.

[Stev-o]

Looks great, you satisfied?

[fendersrule]

Love it. The guy is strictly a blaster/powder coater. Works out of his house. He's probably not even 30. Loves what he does.

My good buddy set up his blasting cabinet. All of the other parts on going over to his house, and I'm going to be blasting the crap out of them...

Sort of in a money bind, so I may be doing some of the "no-cost' restoration stuff now, even though it should come later on...such as doing bodywork on the covers and tank. Not much body work is needed....the bike was in great shape.

I think my pops will start on the engine in a couple weeks.

[fendersrule]

Haven't heard any new info on the CB450 that I'll be picking up. Other than it probably has very low miles, under original bike cover.

The lady is supposed to be sending me some pictures of it before I go see it in a couple weeks.

Probably will get it for around $500, depending on the shape.

[kghost]

Frame looks really Good bro

[grcamna2]

Got my CB450 frame back.

Excellent work ! 

[maduncle]

Not much to offer on CB450/750 comparisons apart from I owned a tired 1977 CB750F2 and loved it, and now I own a CB450K0 I rebuilt from scratch and I love it.

There is a fair bit of handlebar vibration at high speed, and the original carbs suck (or don't when they should) so they will go soon. I don't mind the 4 speed box, I have changed the sprockets to give me a little more go, but I swear you could fit another two gears between the stock 1st and 2nd.

I have had it on a race track and I love the firm steering, I am not a skilled rider so I have not really track tested it yet - but I will over time.

Now I have a Black Bomber, I would love to build a later model with a ton of race gear from Hansen and Cappelini, I have the original Cycle World magazine with first review of Bob Hansen on a CB450 race bike - very cool stuff.
 

[grcamna2]

Maduncle,
      Is it possible to swap the 5 speed trans. into your cases ? or do you want to keep it Original ?

[maduncle]

Maduncle,
      Is it possible to swap the 5 speed trans. into your cases ? or do you want to keep it Original ?

Not sure - given that the gear change shaft hołe in a 5 speed sprocket cover is in a different location to the hole position in a 4 speed cover - maybe not. I do want to keep this bike as is - and maybe build another with a 5 speed (or 6 speed Hansen kit) box.

[fendersrule]

Don't the later model CB450s have a 5 speed?

I really can't remember how many gears my '72 had. Only put about 300 miles on it.

[maduncle]

Don't the later model CB450s have a 5 speed?

I really can't remember how many gears my '72 had. Only put about 300 miles on it.

As far as I know, the CB450K0 was the only 4 speed model, all subsequent models were 5 speed (and had better carbs, and had a different electric starter).

I mention Team Hansen as I think I saw a special 6 speed conversation kit on their website. They have some real nice CB450 performance parts.

[tbpmusic]

So far, the only replies are from people that have not been on a CB450!!! 

I know  bit about 450's.
45 hp is way too optimistic - 32 to 35 is more realistic for a stocker.
Freaked out Hansen bikes may produce 50 or so.
That said, a good strong 450 won't embarrass itself in a showdown.......

bill