Author Topic: 1971 Honda CB450- Saved From An Untimely Demise - Rebuild  (Read 6945 times)

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Offline Luckystrike

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1971 Honda CB450- Saved From An Untimely Demise - Rebuild
« on: June 12, 2013, 10:56:41 AM »
I came across an awesome find. There is a couple I graduated college with. One night we were sitting on the patio of their apartment and I had noticed that they had an old Honda sitting in the corner. I was just getting into bikes then and wanted to buy it from them (Brooke and Justin). The story was, that Justin's father picked it up at an estate sale and couldn't get it running and sent Justin out with it to the trash. Brooke saw him wheeling this gorgeous thing out to the trash and stopped him. She had fallen in love with the blue tank and wanted to fix it. She really didn't know what it was, but she really liked it. It sat on their porch for 4 years under a tarp. So when I asked her about it a year ago, she gave me the "From my cold dead hands" speech and I dropped it. :)

For the past two weeks I had been looking for a small twin to work on while I'm at home during the week( I work on the 500f on the weekends since it's in the shop 60 miles away). I scoured craigs for one and most were sold or were already restored. I was driving through town 5 days ago and gave Justin a call. I asked if they still had the Honda and what it was exactly. He didn't know for sure but told me to go visit his wife who was bar tending down town. So I stopped and had a drink. After I gained the liquid courage I needed I asked her about the bike again. I was worried she would throw an empty glass at me. After some moments of almost tears, she said "Ok, she's yours."

"How much?" I asked.
"No, it's YOURS, I got it for free and you will get it for free."

Later that night I was driving home with a 1974 CB450 in the bed of my truck. This dusty beauty is now sitting in my garage.It's funny how life works out, huh?

From face value, there are things that need to be addressed. The bike is dirty as hell and needs a good cleaning. The fork tubes need to be rebuilt,front brake needs to be disengaged. Engine needs a new gasket set. A good once over, pretty much.   

I got to tinkering on it last night. The battery is dead so I had to use some cables from my truck. The engine turned over fine with a kick. I put the tank back on, checked the oil, added oil and turned the key. All lights lit up and worked. Even the horn worked. :)  I heard the starter crank to life and the engine briefly clunked once or twice. Then, the starter began to spin freely, no longer engaging the engine. The kick lever stuck downward and would no longer kick through. I'm afraid one of two things has occurred, or both.. The starter clutch has slipped and the engine has locked up. I've read a bit on how to fix it. I'm just hoping it's the starter clutch.

This bike will definitely have to go through an overhaul, I know. I'm almost done with the 500 rebuild so my attention can be focused on this one. Of course, a twin is a different animal all together, so it will take me some time to figure it out and its many differences.

The engine seemed stuck, so I took the generator cover off and began to turn the engine. It will turn one full revolution and stop dead and won't go any further. When it bottoms out I can use the kick lever to spin it back around and then it bottoms out again. Pretty much what I'm saying, is that it won't spin all the way around. It seems like it gets stuck. Now, this may be a twin thing that I'm not aware of. I just thought it would turn all the way through. Thoughts?

Anyway, here she is. I'm open to all suggestions.








There's some form of life in this old girl.
« Last Edit: September 18, 2013, 11:38:22 AM by Luckystrike »

Offline Bankerdanny

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Re: 1974 Honda CB450- Saved From An Untimely Demise - Rebuild
« Reply #1 on: June 12, 2013, 12:39:53 PM »
The 450 used CV carbs?
"The problem with quotes on the Internet is that you never know if they're true" - Abraham Lincoln

Current: '76 CB750F. Previous:  '75 CB550F, 2007 Yamaha Vino 125 Scooter, '75 Harley FXE Superglide, '77 GL1000, '77 CB550k, '68 Suzuki K10 80, '68 Yamaha YR2, '69 BMW R69S, '71 Honda SL175, '02 Royal Enfield Bullet 500, '89 Yamaha FJ1200

Offline kghost

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Re: 1974 Honda CB450- Saved From An Untimely Demise - Rebuild
« Reply #2 on: June 12, 2013, 02:31:01 PM »
Stuck valve
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Offline MoMo

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Re: 1974 Honda CB450- Saved From An Untimely Demise - Rebuild
« Reply #3 on: June 12, 2013, 02:43:50 PM »
Are you sure the oil level is right and that it is not full of gas/oil?  It could be the starter clutch.  Will the motor spin freely with the plugs removed??  450 dohc were great bikes, either in stock form or cafe...Larry

Offline Luckystrike

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Re: 1974 Honda CB450- Saved From An Untimely Demise - Rebuild
« Reply #4 on: June 12, 2013, 04:05:15 PM »
Yeah, all levels were good. It could very well be a stuck valve.

Offline grcamna2

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Re: 1974 Honda CB450- Saved From An Untimely Demise - Rebuild
« Reply #5 on: June 12, 2013, 04:06:32 PM »
That's a very worthwhile restoration project;do you have the service manual ?
75' CB400F/'bunch o' parts' & 81' CB125S modded to a 'CB200S'
  I love the small ones too !
Do your BEST...nobody can take that away from you.

Offline Luckystrike

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Re: 1974 Honda CB450- Saved From An Untimely Demise - Rebuild
« Reply #6 on: June 12, 2013, 05:34:31 PM »
Thank you, they threw a Clymer in with it. :)

Offline tomkimberly

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Re: 1974 Honda CB450- Saved From An Untimely Demise - Rebuild
« Reply #7 on: June 12, 2013, 06:58:59 PM »
Did you remove the plugs and try to spin the engine over?

Tom

Offline kghost

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Re: 1974 Honda CB450- Saved From An Untimely Demise - Rebuild
« Reply #8 on: June 12, 2013, 08:08:48 PM »
Remove the covers and make sure they are all going up and down. (Valves)
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Offline grcamna2

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Re: 1974 Honda CB450- Saved From An Untimely Demise - Rebuild
« Reply #9 on: June 13, 2013, 03:01:04 PM »
Remove the covers and make sure they are all going up and down. (Valves)

+1
75' CB400F/'bunch o' parts' & 81' CB125S modded to a 'CB200S'
  I love the small ones too !
Do your BEST...nobody can take that away from you.

Offline hoodellyhoo

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Re: 1974 Honda CB450- Saved From An Untimely Demise - Rebuild
« Reply #10 on: June 13, 2013, 06:57:51 PM »
I'm no expert but it looks like a 70 or 71 not a 74 (small fork ear reflectors, small tail light, seat pattern, gas tank stripe, etc.)
1972 CB350F (Back from the Dead!)- http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=20822.0
1965? S65 - Coming Eventually!
1972 CB750K2 (father-son project)
1976 CB750K6- (sold) http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=96859.0
1976 CB750K6 (sold)- http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=62569.0

Offline Luckystrike

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Re: 1971 Honda CB450- Saved From An Untimely Demise - Rebuild
« Reply #11 on: June 14, 2013, 07:40:28 AM »
You're right sir. I took my friend's word for it and didn't look. Thanks for catching something I should have caught in the first place.

Offline 72 yellow

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Re: 1971 Honda CB450- Saved From An Untimely Demise - Rebuild
« Reply #12 on: June 14, 2013, 04:56:03 PM »
I had a 70 CB450.  Bought it new at Anderson's in Pontiac, MI. $1102.00 out the door.  Really liked it.  Had no trouble keeping up with my riding buddies 650 BSA'S and Triumph's.  ;D

Offline jackseattle

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Re: 1971 Honda CB450- Saved From An Untimely Demise - Rebuild
« Reply #13 on: June 15, 2013, 08:14:37 AM »
Nice find and worth saving.  I picked up a 71 this spring as well.  Rebuilt the front caliper, fixed the tranny (the 450 2nd gear problem), got a rebuilt stator (original one wasn't charging), and added a new regulator/rectifier for an AGM battery.  You have a great project, have fun
1976 400F
1971 450

fendersrule

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Re: 1971 Honda CB450- Saved From An Untimely Demise - Rebuild
« Reply #14 on: June 15, 2013, 10:02:25 PM »
You'll be very proud when your done. Missing mine.

Do we have any CB450 experts on this forum? There's a good bunch of guys on the hondatwins forum, but that forum is really inactive, at least my restoration thread is.

You should document and confirm your work as much as you can with a cb450 guru. They are not simple motors.

Offline kghost

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Re: 1971 Honda CB450- Saved From An Untimely Demise - Rebuild
« Reply #15 on: June 15, 2013, 10:16:01 PM »
You'll be very proud when your done. Missing mine.

You should document and confirm your work as much as you can with a cb450 guru. They are not simple motors.

Welcome to the world of CV carbs lol
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Offline tbpmusic

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Re: 1974 Honda CB450- Saved From An Untimely Demise - Rebuild
« Reply #16 on: June 25, 2013, 12:02:35 PM »
I'm no expert but it looks like a 70 or 71 not a 74 (small fork ear reflectors, small tail light, seat pattern, gas tank stripe, etc.)

If it's still original, it's a K3 or K4, depends on the air cover emblems and paint color and instruments (too hard to tell that from the photos).
Painted fork ears, no trim on the bottom of the tank, small taillight, rear-hinged seat, disk brake.
« Last Edit: June 25, 2013, 12:09:07 PM by tbpmusic »
"If you can't fix it with a hammer, then it's an electrical problem"

Bill Lane
 '71 CB450 Mutant/ '75 CB200/ '81 CM200/ '71 C70M