Hi All, first post on here but have been visiting regularly, particularly the projects section and researching on 400/4s etc, but I have now just started restoring (restoring is perhaps a bit strong a terms as it is as much a learning exercise as it is about getting the bike ship shape again and to be fair I'm starting with a relatively decent example....
Anyway, I have started a thread on Bike Chat Forum in the UK but I figured I would document it here too as it is apparent there is no better place to come for knowledge and insight into these bikes. Ill start by pretty much copying and pasting my first two posts from BCF but from then Ill update each thread as they come, it cant hurt to have more help etc can it.
Here goes...
This thread will hopefully be the story of the restoration of my Honda 400/4.
I dint really know where to start but I guess the reason I am doing this in the first place is because I have always been interested in all things mechanical and enjoyed tinkering on previous bikes but I have never had the guts / knowledge to just get stuck in and strip an engine/frame down and really get my hands dirty.
I am basically a complete novice when it comes to things like this so you may have to bear with me a little, i could be asking a lot of very simple/obvious questions! I have done top end rebuilds on air cooled 125s in the past and taken engines in and out of my CB500 race bike, but the thought of going inside an engine, and doing a proper build had previously filled me with fear!
I bought the 400/4 because it was the first bike I ever sat on and have always wanted one. I have had bigger and faster road bikes, but i didn't want anything too fast as I get my speed fixes on the track and personally prefer to ride something you have to work at a little bit to go fast on the road. I had been looking for a while and good examples go for £2,000 up to £3,500 plus for an immaculate one. I wanted something I could ride for the summer and then rebuild over the winter. Eventually this one came up for £1800 on eBay with a decent enough looking history and condition. The previous owner said there was a rattle, which he suspected to be cam chain. I have done my research and this was a common problem with these bikes so it didn't put me off so I offered £1250 and he accepted. Sorted!
I collected the bike and the general condition was pretty good, no nasty surprises and the expensive things, downpipes, tank, mudguards etc all look in decent conditions with no major signs of corrosion etc. The engine had the rattle but again i had done my research and looks at the various ways of adjusting the cam chain as the adjusters can seize and wear apparently. I wasn't entirely surprised when all the stated methods didn't work, so have come to the conclusion that the adjuster has seized or the chain itself has become so slack that it has worn away at the pivot of the horseshoe adjuster (apologies, not sure of the right term but I'm sure some of you will know what I mean) preventing it moving freely.
Therefore, I have come to the conclusion to do the rebuild now and just get stuck in, the only way to get over my fear of engine internals i figured was to stop worrying about it and just go for it, I figured there is masses of info on these bikes on line and hopefully you knowledgable/kind/good good looking folks will offer some words of wisdom/encouragement/condolences etc to see me through, and hopefully keeping this record will give me some motivation to see it through to the end.
I realise threads like this are less interesting without pics so have taken pics of progress up until now.
Oh yes...I suppose the I should say what I am equally trying to achieve. because of the cam chain issue i want to replace the cam chain and adjusters etc. You can get split chains but I want to do it properly and fit a genuine closed chain and also to get to the 'horseshoe' adjuster I will need to split the cases and find out what a bottom end looks like! While I am doing all this I'd like to clean the engine up and get it sparkling again and when and if this is complete do the frame. Originally I wanted to ride the bike in the summer so I might just do the engine and ride the bike this summer and do the frame and bodywork etc over winter. This might change later on depending on how well its all going.
Right, onto the bit we all love, the pics.....
This is what I bought for my £1,250....Engine and luggage rack were the first things to go, I ha vent weighed them yet but the power/weight ratio must of dramatically improved since!
