Topic: DSS Has a Big 400F project going on.

[vames]

I've ordered plenty of parts for my 400F over the years from David Silver Spares, and today got the letter below. Looks like they're collecting a bunch of 400Fs and restoring them all. A quick look doesn't show that they have any site or blog set up to document the project, but I'd love to follow it if they do.

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From: david.silver@davidsilverspares.co.uk [mailto:david.silver@davidsilverspares.co.uk]
Sent: Monday, December 12, 2011 6:40 AM
Subject: CB400 Four project update

Dear CB400F customer,

If you recall, last month we emailed you asking if you wanted to sell
us your bike. The response was very positive and as a result we have
bought 40 CB400F’s. The next stage
of the project is to refurbish and restore as many of them as
possible, which will be virtually all of them, some to different
standards. We have managed to obtain some good prices for bulk
re-chroming but unfortunately some of the cosmetic parts with the
bikes are either too rotten to repair or are non-standard.

Therefore, if you have any unwanted parts, especially standard cycle
parts that are either unused or used but rusty as opposed to rotten
through, I would certainly like to hear from you.

Please forward photo’s if possible, and/or a general description of
what you have, and we will offer to buy them from you and arrange
collection. For the purpose of replying to this only please respond
to:

david.silver@davidsilverspares.co.uk

Or call on 01728 833020

You can read about this project in the next edition of Practical
Sportsbike and possibly other publications later.

Thank you for your time and I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a
prosperous New Year.

Kind Regards

David Silver

Email: david.silver@davidsilverspares.co.uk | Sales hotline: 01728
833020 | fax: 01728 832197

David Silver Spares Ltd | Unit 14 Masterlord Ind. Est. | Station road
| Leiston | Suffolk | IP16 4JD



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[Deltarider]

Brits always have liked 400Fs. For many years, when glancing through their classical motorcycle mags, it struck me that there were so many articles on the 400. It's a smart bike indeed.

[faux fiddy]

Sort of like what nissan did with 240z a few years back?

http://www.theautochannel.com/publications/magazines/sci/aug-sept-97/waywewere.frame

[lone*X]

I wonder what DSS plans to do with 40 restored 400F's?  Too many for museum purposes or advertising.  Due to the popularity, an effort to corner the market on restored sales?  Could bump the going rate significantly for 400's in the UK.

[jessezm]

Yeah I got that email, too!  Very interesting.  I wonder if that means parts will be scarce as they buy them all up?

[Tim2005]

It is really curious, however I don't doubt Dave's business acumen at all. Well over 10 years ago he showed me (I live 40 minutes away from his HQ) a couple of 750s he had just imported from the US to restore - that was the first time I'd heard of "sandcasts",  and since then he's been into early CBXs, Phil Reads and those tiny 1960s racer types, all of which have since done very well. As with everything the trick is to buy when the market is low... though no doubt he saw that 400 make $17000 on ebay last month too.

[seanbarney41]

...I don't really watch ebay much, but it seems to me there is a glut of 400 parts recently, all kinda over-priced...

[Ernest T]

That could run up the prices or use up a lot of spares.

[lone*X]

From the DSS Facebook page at:     http://www.facebook.com/pages/David-Silver-Spares-Ltd/169686893064653?sk=wall

"Many CB400F owners have shown concern that we may be buying all these
CB400F's to turn them into used spares. I have seen this in Forums and
DSS and I have been asked the question many times. This is absolutely not
the case. This project is to restore/refurbish on a commercial scale as many
bikes as possible, many of which have not been run in years and are
languishing in the backs of garages. By using economy of scale, we have
negotiated rechroming pricing not usually available for one of projects,
as well as any other outside work needed. The result will be around 30
pristine CB400F's, many of which may well have finished up being scrapped. A statement from the MD "No complete CB400F will be harmed during this process.It is our intent to increase their population, and improve their ability to survive.Only complete basket cases will be used for parts to refurbish others".

And:   "Come over to our facebook page and look at some of the new pics just posted of the CBF400s."

[Tim2005]

And:   "Come over to our facebook page and look at some of the new pics just posted of the CBF400s."

Cheers for that - though can you find the photos on there? I can't, but  admittedly my facebook skills are quite appalling so the pics are probably obvious...

[jessezm]

I didn't see the pics, either.

*edit:  Try here: [url=http://www.facebook.com/pages/David-Silver-Spares-Ltd/169686893064653?sk=wall#!/pages/David-Silver-Spares/288952231115976?sk=photos

[CrankyOldGuy]

If you go to the DSS Facebook page ... the pictures are on the Wall.

Harry O.

Note to self ... learn to read edit to post above