Topic: 1974 CB/CL450 TRACKER/CAFE/STRIPCLUB RACER BUILD - * UPDATED 9/11/14 *

[Meet The Twins]

Awwww Bill, I was having such a good day. Guess I have to go home and actually try to test fit the pipes. I assumed they would fit. While Im stuck in work, does anyone know if Proteal has the 450CL model that is compatable with my 500T? Thanks!

That sucks

[ProTeal55]

Word on the street is that ProTeal55 bought ANOTHER Honda to mess with. 

[bgfootball67]

OK, I will bite what did you pick up.....

Met some of your Ton-Up pals at the races yesterday.  I was wearing my ton-up pirate t-shirt from Carpy and he was asking me where it was from as we walked by their pit garage....  Good people....

[Meet The Twins]

What kind of bike did you pick up? Pics!

[chrisf]

Ya the TonUp guys are a good bunch of guys, thus me being a member of the club.
They can de.f be counted on when in a pinch, have wicked events, etc. I def. see myself being a member for a long lone time..

Yeah, i agree. i met up with them once and they are a cool group.

PrpTeal:  Did you ever get your oil-side case back from the fabricators? Last I heard, it was getting some -AN bungs welded in so you can run an oil cooler.

--Chris

[bill440cars]

Awwww Bill, I was having such a good day. Guess I have to go home and actually try to test fit the pipes. I assumed they would fit. While Im stuck in work, does anyone know if Proteal has the 450CL model that is compatable with my 500T? Thanks!

That sucks

          As far as fitting the motor, that's no problem. I don't know if there's any difference on the frame to mount the other end of the pipes though. However, I do have a CB500T frame and both CB & CL450s and can check the frame design in that area. I don't figure that you should have a real problem.

                                   Later on, Bill      

           

[bill440cars]

As usual Bill u are a wealth of good info...

          Thanks Teal, I just try to help out where ever I can, if I happen to know info that I can offer to help someone out.

                                 Later on, Bill

[ProTeal55]

I went in 1/2 with my buddy Danny on a 1974 Honda CB360 we are gonna turn into a wicked little cafe bike to flip/sell.. This one def. wont get the attention/effort the CB450 got, but will still come out to be a nifty little scoot that some emo/hipster kid will love (hopefully). I will post some pics of it soon once we start tearing into it...

If anyone wants me to build it a certain way for them shoot me an email...

Ya the TonUp guys are a good bunch of guys, thus me being a member of the club.
They can de.f be counted on when in a pinch, have wicked events, etc. I def. see myself being a member for a long lone time..

Yeah, i agree. i met up with them once and they are a cool group.

PrpTeal:  Did you ever get your oil-side case back from the fabricators? Last I heard, it was getting some -AN bungs welded in so you can run an oil cooler.

I have the new case, just never got around to getting it to Hansen Honda to have them AN Bung it. With the purchase of the new Ducati, new job, and picking up the new CB Project I havent had time to crap let alone do anything else. the CB450 might (and I stress might) be up for sale to make room for a new project for myself, so I might not sink anymore cash into it..

[ProTeal55]

* CB450 UPDATE AS OF 8/15/07 *

It has been awhile since I did an update on the CB450 project so here goes...
The bike is NOT for sale anymore. As usual I didn't think about the big picture when I put the bike up for sale, and after much thought (and beers) the other night I realized I want to keep and continue to build the bike.

Plans call for the majority of the bike to be torn down this coming fall/winter. Not that the bike is a pile now, but it has a unfinished/rat bike look going for it now that I do not like. If I wanted to build a "rat" bike I would have. Now (in my eyes) I have a bike that has wicked potential, yet is unfinished... After seeing some of the bikes at Rockerbox I def. wanna up the fit/finish on the little CB450...

Things scheduled to go down:
1. EXHAUST
The exhaust is going to be changed up for next season on the 450 project. Not that the system on the bike now doesn't get mad attention and thumbs up, but it has that unfinished look going for it which I am not a fan of. The new exhaust is gonna be a pro job (calling in some favours from some chassis shop buddies), and most likely ceramic coated silver (and then polished). This will make the bike look so much better than the ratty exhaust wrap job it wears now.
2. PAINT
The bike is finally going to get a pro paintjob sometime over the winter/before it hits the street again.
It is cool and allthat the paint on the tank now is original, but for the clean/nice look I am going after just doesn't work. I will prob. do some version of British racing green with the original decals and stripes, or maybe something alittle more custom (not sure yet). I do know that the headlite bucket, tank and seat will all be painted to match in whatever color I pick/choose...The possibility of a number plaque is def. in the idea mill as well. I want this little bike to look like a racebike I am driving on the street as much as possible (without going the fairing route)..
3.WHEELS
The wheels on the bike are going to be changed. At the least I am gonna swap out the cruddy stock wheels which I sanded to dull them down with nice new chrome units. This in itself will make the bike look so much better, along with the new paintjob it will be getting. I might keep the sizes that are on their now, I might do a 21'' in the front and move the 19'' to the rear, etc..I thought about black wheels but I wanna stay with chrome on this ride (will do black hubs though)..
4. MISC
Overall I am gonna cleanup the bike as much as I can to give it a better overall effect when people see it. I want people to walk away raving about the overall fit/finish on the bike, and attention to detail.

Stay tuned...

[KB02]

Man, Joe. 21 pages of post, already a trophy for it, and you're still not done?

...Granted... there are still tones of things that I would like to do to my bike, too... They're never "DONE," are they?   

[ProTeal55]

Man, Joe. 21 pages of post, already a trophy for it, and you're still not done?

...Granted... there are still tones of things that I would like to do to my bike, too... They're never "DONE," are they?  

Crazy eh ? 
Don't get me wrong, the bike is done, but I just wanna clean it up alittle (and get some more trophies with it..)

[physician]

it already look awesome, it even made me look around for a small 2 cylinder ...lol
it should look even better with your improvements. i'm not to shure about the 21-19 combo on a bike so small, but it can bring a board track look to it, which is a trend in the chopper scene.. so trophys can come with it! maybe some handle bars in that look can be good...

keep up the good work!

[ProTeal55]

I am kinda going for the tracker look, thus the want for big wheels.
I might just clean the bike up on a minimal level and leave it alone, as my 55
needs some much needed money dumped into it. I have been bike crazy this year, and only drove my car a handful of times.

We shall see how & where the CB450 project goes come spring 2008...

[olds-cool]

I just read through all of 21 pages worth of a great build up.  I look forward to seeing where this goes in the future.  You've given me some inspiration in doing up my 500/4.  You sir have made an awesome bike!  One opinion based question though...With the amount of fabbing you had to do with the GSXR rearsets, would you use the same ones again on another build or would you look into something different?  I'm looking for something to stick in the pass peg holes.

[ProTeal55]

You sir have made an awesome bike! 

Thank you sir !
The CB450 came out as a great finished product.
I am still on the fence on what exactly I am gonna do with it (if anything) over the winter.
I def. need to replace/remake the battery tray (which will happen soon), but besides that I might just leave it the way it is and ride/enjoy it.. I have this issue of not learving things alone (like my CB750). Sometimes I overbuild projects and then they look horribile (in my eyes).... ... .. .

One opinion based question though...With the amount of fabbing you had to do with the GSXR rearsets, would you use the same ones again on another build or would you look into something different?  I'm looking for something to stick in the pass peg holes.

Fitting the GSXR rearsets wasn't all that hard, but we did have allot of little "learning" issues as we went along with the build. If I were to build another bike that needed rearsets, I would prob. shell out the cash and buy a set that someone sold as a "kit", just to save on the little headaches and time wasted. As I get older I realize that sometimes it is just better to spend the cash up front then deal with the time/effort to create something..

[ProTeal55]

* CB/CL450 UPDATE as of 9/15/07 *

-BATTERY TRAY Version 2.0
A new battery tray was started last night and is about a 1/2 hour away from being completed. The first/original one that was made ended up cracking under the weight of the battery and doing a number to my fiberglass seat. The seat is fixable (alittle bondo goes along way ), so no worries their. The new and improved battery tray is being made outta heavy gauge steel, and actually being welded to the frame of the bike (the 1st one was bolted) for a more secure fit. All we need to do is some minor trimming and re-wiring of the rear of the bike and it is done (pics to come)...

- WINTER PLANS
I have decided to basically keep the bike the way it is, and not do any drastic changes. Looking back on my CB750 project I think I took it alittle too far, and should of left it simple instead of trying to change everything over and over again.. If anything the CB450 will get some new chrome (maybe black) wheels over the winter to replace the pitted ones on their now, maybe some "racing numbers" on the sides of the seat, and other little things I have in mind.

As usual, whatever I do will be fully documented on here and the other sites I am a member of.

[ProTeal55]

CB/CL 450 UPDATE AS OF 10/3/2007

Status report:
1. Battery Tray
The battery tray version 2.0 is complete (pics to come)..
This time we made it outta some thicker gauge metal (rather than Home Depot diamond plate), and we welded it to the frame rather than bolting it. Basically now this tray is part of the bike, rather than something being "attached" to the bike. Pics to come soon (I promise). This is the way we should of built it the first time around, but I never had the intention of keeping the bike after it was finished being built. Now it is a non issue...
2. Front Brake Issues
The front brake has been a pain in my ass since the day I got this bike up and running.
From a leaky seal making me loose my brakes on Lake Shore Drive in the rain, to it sticking and warping a rotor, etc.. I finally gave up and had the bike dropped off at a local shop in the city that specializes in older/vintage bikes. Not that I cant fix it, but with work being crazy and me being fustrated I just dont feel like dealing with it. The owner of the shop (Chad) is a great guy, and is gonna re-build the ENTIRE front brake so I don't have any issues going forward. I should have the bike back soon (about a week), and then I plan to ride the hell outta it for the remainder of the season..
3. Clean up
Once the bike gets back in my hands it is going to come back to the burbs for a complete cleanup. Everything from a good wash, to things getting re-painted/re-scotch brited, and so on will take place. The post office (where the bike stays) is a dusty place, so the bike def. is in need of a good wash. I am also gonna remove the tank and have my bodyshop bud take the buffer to it to see how shiny we can get that 30+ year old paint. Besides that I just want to give the little bike some attention before I have to store it away for the long Chicago winter...

Stay tuned...

[ProTeal55]

* CB450 UPDATE AS OF 10/9/07 *

Finally I got a chance to get some pics of the re-made/Version 2.0 battery tray on the CB450 (Pardon the overspray on the battery - no one see's it anyways )--->

This time the battery tray was welded to the frame (rather than bolted), and the metal we used was pretty heavy duty (where before it was made outta Home Depot diamond plate). So now this tray is a integral part of the frame/bike, and is built to last..

Started to mess alittle with the carbs to get the bike tuned in alittle more, but besides that the bike is done, and ready for it's long Chicago winter nap. I am sure I will find something else to change/better/mess with, so stay tuned !

Oh, and besure to befriend Half Fast Chicago for all you Myspace users -->

HTTP://WWW.MYSPACE.COM/HALFFASTCHICAGO

[Knuckle Buster]

This was my 1974 CL 450
http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x11/drakelanders/1974honda450CLleft.jpg[/img]]
http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x11/drakelanders/1974hondaCL450engine.jpg[/img]]
http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x11/drakelanders/1974CL450tank.jpg[/img]]

[ProTeal55]

I would cafe the hell outta that thing if I got my hands on it...

[Roach Carver]

was yours, or is yours? that thing is beautiful. the only thing I would do to that is clean it and put gas in it.

[bill440cars]

       Knucklebuster,
 
                That is One Fine Looking CL450 you have there. It would be a sin to do anything but polish, put gas in, and RIDE that baby! I mean, if folks cafe'd, bobbed or did whatever else to ever bike,  soon there would be no evidence of the great bikes that we all SEEM to admire. If a bike was in pretty sad shape and/or missing some prime parts, go for it. But, one like your beauty deserves to be JUST ridden. Myself, I've got some 450s that are in line to be worked on. Mainly a 74' CB450 to be basically restored, a 74' CL450 to be done the same and then there's another 450 that'll be getting "The Treatment" because it's not in as good  shape. Thanks for posting your CL for us to see an awesome looking Stocker and to reimburse the fact that some folks keep em' like they were intended. Don't get me wrong, I like the modified as much as the next guy, but I also respect the "Original Look" too! 

                                  Later on, Bill

[ProTeal55]

To each their own, But I would still cafe the hell outta that scoot ! 

[Knuckle Buster]

Thanks guys, glad you liked it.
It was too nice for me to do anything to it so I sold it to a collector/museum in San Fran.
there is so may roaches out there that I try to leave the nice ones alone. Plus they bring the bigger money when for sale.

[Terry in Australia]

That was a beautiful CL450 Knuckles, you made the right decision to leave it alone, too many beauties like that are turned into roaches by a plethora of well meaning, but poorly skilled "builders" out there. Cheers, Terry.