Topic: Tom's 400/4 Refurb begins.......

[supersport_CB400F]

Dave, Have you not got your wheels back from Tommy yet ?

Sam.

Sam, he’s not got my wheels yet, I’ve got his number and I’m going to call him after Crimbo, I’ve been looking for another project and tweaking my 400 in my spare time….not enough hours in the day fella, bring on spring it’s bleedin cold in that garage 

[malcolmgb]

Dave what happened to that garage you had with a fancy fireplace and carpets

[supersport_CB400F]

Dave what happened to that garage you had with a fancy fireplace and carpets

Mal, bring those tropical day’s back ………now I know why I moved the bike inside, I cant believe I’m spending time out in the bloody garage freezing my nuts off! It’s criminal while I have a living room with an open fire, it’s probably the petrol thing and open fires and all that health and safety is paramount stuff I learn in work.

[mcpuffett]

hi dave, at least you have a garage    ,    mick.

[supersport_CB400F]

hi dave, at least you have a garage    ,    mick.

Mick, now I feel bad with my complaints about how cold it is in my garage with the boiler on the garage wall that’s heating the house whist I fiddle with my bike, I should be happy, but I can’t just now knowing some bugger is suffering in the cold with no roof or shelter from the elements, dam life's a #$%* Mick! I ‘m almost in tears and I would never pull anybody leg honest! 

[MadDogMcq]

If you Have a boiler in the garage, why not get a plumber to tap into it and have a radiator in there. Mmmmmmmm, warm as toast and no need to ever return to the lounge, the wife and reality-tv. 

[ttr400]

Won a NOS varnish blue fuel tank on ebay from a seller in France, I paid $348.00 including shipping to South Africa. I just hope it makes it in one peice.
You know when you start looking for NOS parts it's getting harder to find them as a lot are discontinued. so when I see a part I need and can't get I snap it up. I am building a 350 four race motor for a customer and do you think I could find oe pistons and rings of any size.. nope, nada......I eventually found some in Jhb that a dealer had stashed away, all the searching I did worldwide and they were 20 clicks up the road!!

Kevin

[supersport_CB400F]

Won a NOS varnish blue fuel tank on ebay from a seller in France, I paid $348.00 including shipping to South Africa. I just hope it makes it in one peice.
You know when you start looking for NOS parts it's getting harder to find them as a lot are discontinued. so when I see a part I need and can't get I snap it up. I am building a 350 four race motor for a customer and do you think I could find oe pistons and rings of any size.. nope, nada......I eventually found some in Jhb that a dealer had stashed away, all the searching I did worldwide and they were 20 clicks up the road!!

Kevin

That’s a good price for the tank; I paid £200 NOS less than the cost of a paint job! I picked it up in person, I didn't want it going through the post luckily the guy only lived 20 mins drive away.

Dave

[kettlesd]

Gotta say you have a point Biffta. Many times we cringe at the sight of the cost of NOS. But if you seriously take into consideration the cost of refurbishing old ones, paint, etc........

[MadDogMcq]

To bring my tank & side-panels back to original (professional paint job, decals and lacquer), it cost me close on £300.   

[supersport_CB400F]

To bring my tank & side-panels back to original (professional paint job, decals and lacquer), it cost me close on £300.   

Scary…I had a solid looking tank no rust that I could see inside slight rust underside outside blasted by Elite ready for a paint job and it was full of little holes on the underside bottom edge, they wouldn’t paint it! You should get you original tank blasted before you paint!, I’ve used a 06 tank bought 05 still in the box for less than the cost of the paint job!

[MadDogMcq]

Got my tank and side-panels back today and I just couldn't resist sitting the tank on the frame to see how it looked. Mmmmmm, lovely!!
 


Absolutely like new! Side-panels are the same.

Also got my stainless-steel-spoked wheels back too. Ordered new Honda jets from DSS.

[ktp1598]

Very nice! Almost a shame to have to take it out in the weather. 

[spitfire]

Looking good Tom,
                        God I'm jealous nowhere near that stage yet, where did you get your wheels done ?

Cheers

Den

[MadDogMcq]

Hi Den,
Don't forget though, that you've stripped your engine down and it now looks like one of the crown-jewels!!! The 400/4 engine is not being stripped, so it will not be bead blasted and won't look anywhere near as drop-dead gorgeous as yours. My work is nothing more than a "refurb" of the bike to make it presentable and usuable for the coming year. Yours (and others on this site) are truly staggering in terms of standards of workmanship, skill abd dedication to the task.

Anyway, the wheels were done through a small shop in Atherton. Took a week.

B & D Motorcycles
8 High Street
Atherton
Greater Manchester
M46 9DJ
Tel: 01942 887755

[Sam Green Racing]

They probably send them to a guy in Bolton can't remember his name but he is a top guy.

Sam.

[MadDogMcq]

D'oh! 

[spitfire]

Thanks for the kind words Tom, but it is frustratingly slow, spent yesterday refurbing the connection box on the front downtube, de rusting the rectifier, and starting to put the electrics back plate together. Plus refurbed the breather pot and put the breather tubes back together.
You probably already know but Custom Fasteners do a great line in Philips screws (M3 - M6) and flange nuts that match the original Honda ones, no sign of bolts with the "8" on though ! Mine are all going into a container and being replaced with stainless or chrome ones, one day I may get them zinc plated and re use them.

Cheers

Den

[Jugghead]

This is a great post.  Kevin I commend you on your work, Biffta too.  And Mad Dog, I just picked up a 77 550F in maroon.  It is in beautiful condition, and I got it for $400US!
This site is evolving.  When I first joined, Many people were just getting their bikes running again.  Now people are stripping them down and polishiiing the engine and stepping it up in the restoration to original.  Some members are even building their own cafes and other great bikes.
This website and forum has helped so many of us get these great bikes back on the road and looking beautiful.  there is a wealth of knowledge in these archives on everything needed from getting a basket case looking and running like new.
Thanks everyone, merry christmas

[MadDogMcq]

And a Merry Christmas to you Jugghead!

And to everyone else too!!

[supersport_CB400F]

This is a great post.  Kevin I commend you on your work, Biffta too.  And Mad Dog, I just picked up a 77 550F in maroon.  It is in beautiful condition, and I got it for $400US!
This site is evolving.  When I first joined, Many people were just getting their bikes running again.  Now people are stripping them down and polishiiing the engine and stepping it up in the restoration to original.  Some members are even building their own cafes and other great bikes.
This website and forum has helped so many of us get these great bikes back on the road and looking beautiful.  there is a wealth of knowledge in these archives on everything needed from getting a basket case looing and running like new.
Thanks everyone, merry christmas

Jugg, 400 Dollars for a mint 550!! It would cost almost that here in the UK for a mint rear mudguard for a 400F you lucky bugger!!! 
 That’s a nice looking 350F you have, I’ve never seen one except in a photo. 
Have a good crimbo….. As I’m sure we all will!! 

[Tim2005]

Tom, what did you do with the hubs when you had you wheels rebuilt- paint/polish/powder coat? I'm wondering about rebuilding some & can't decide on the best way to do the hubs.

[supersport_CB400F]

I’m in the same thoughts about my new/old spoke’d wheels, I like the alloys on my bike but the insurance company has knocked a chunk off the value of the bike because it’s not original! I thought I was a nit picker but those people are just knobs! Seems the wheels and exhaust are the key parts for a good agreed valuation and the alloys have de-valued my bike by about 1/3 and I’m going to fix that. So DiD rims re chromed is not a problem but finding Honda spokes…mmm, lets see if the knob picks up on that slight change from Honda with the new spokes. 

[MadDogMcq]

If I was doing an nut-&-bolt restoration I'd obviously want to do a tip-top job on the hubs, but since I'm merely doing a refurb, ready for the spring/summer, I decided to blast the hubs and paint them prior to having the polished stainless-steel spokes fitted. The brake-plate is going to be polished alloy finish.

Purely for practical reasons I'd prefer to have alloys like Biffta's but they do kinda take something away from the bike's originality. To be honest, I'm not even happy with the electronic ignition that's fitted to mine even though I know it makes perfect sense to have it.

Tom.

[malcolmgb]

I’m in the same thoughts about my new/old spoke’d wheels, I like the alloys on my bike but the insurance company has knocked a chunk off the value of the bike because it’s not original! I thought I was a nit picker but those people are just knobs! Seems the wheels and exhaust are the key parts for a good agreed valuation and the alloys have de-valued my bike by about 1/3 and I’m going to fix that. So DiD rims re chromed is not a problem but finding Honda spokes…mmm, lets see if the knob picks up on that slight change from Honda with the new spokes. 

hi Dave have you still got my name on those wheels when you are ready to sell ??