LONG overdue update!
I apologize I haven't done too much since the last update. I think Bill has done a better job than me. we boxed up the engine cases in ATL and shipped them to me in SAV. they were supposed to arrive today but no one was home to sign, and they did not leave it. I need to figure out how to get the package now....difficult when I work so many hours as do my roomates. here are a few pictures from Bill's bench as we were taking the tranny out
Plan is to soda blast/clean and paint the cases when it arrives, then ship back.
I put in another big order last night to finish up some hardware and things. pretty much crossed out this list
I also ordered SS brake lines, new seat cover, tank badges, side cover badges, and a sealed AGM scorpion battery just like the ones in my 750s.
Finally got a chance to get some of the pieces together.
things went pretty smoothly so far. only had to take the forks off after I forgot to put the chrome rings or boots on first, ha! stretching the centerstand spring and brake pedal spring were fun too
that's my brother Conor, and it's nice to have a helping hand right here in the house. Good motivation to get it finished.
Now I also picked up another cb450. I was wondering where the HELL was this bike 5 months ago?
1970 cb450, all there, motor free, feels like good compression, carbs not even stuck shut. amber colored oil in the engine too! was literally found in an old shed so it's fairly preserved. dirty as hell but soda blasting and a good washing took care of that! it has some large ape bars on it so the wiring was hacked a bit. with a battery I get power to the neutral light but not the headlight and I am assuming not the coils either. I just checked it real quick. Haven't really messed with it much.
what's crazy is this was originally candy blue-green under the terrible flat black rattle paint. AND the biggest thing I noticed is the seat! its exactly like the one in the picture I posted. this leads me to believe my dad's bike was a 1970, not a 1971. small hairs sure, but I bought a seat cover like the one HE had, not one like on the 71. that will be recovered and should be the icing on the cake.
anyway the plan for this bike is to make a scrambler out of it. a practical one, not a cafe scrambler or whatever the posers are making these days. I want to find/make some high pipes, hand brush guards, raise rear and front suspension an inch, dual sport tires, trim the seat height, MX handlebars, cb750 fork ears and headlight, make headlight/tailight/turn signal grate brush guards as well. nothing too fancy or expensive. no cutting either! I am not looking to restore or spend crazy amounts of money, I just want to get it on the road....and off the road. not planning on trail riding but I want to get my feet wet with a familiar bike, and without the anguish of the super tall modern dual sport bikes
