1974 CB450 - maintenance, repair, and upgrade log

I rode the 450 to school/work this morning. It's a short ride and the speeds are mostly 40 or below. At a certain point I started hearing a ghost like whine from the front — whining sounds are my among my least favorite from motorcycles! I think Casper the Ghost got inside my speedometer, so likely it needs oil! I was happy it was coming from the gauge and I think I'll disconnect it for the ride home.

12oz Chris had pointed out that my gauges are likely borrowed from a CB500T, so I might keep an eye out for a proper gauge set to swap in.
 
stl360+450 said:
I rode the 450 to school/work this morning. It's a short ride and the speeds are mostly 40 or below. At a certain point I started hearing a ghost like whine from the front — whining sounds are my among my least favorite from motorcycles! I think Casper the Ghost got inside my speedometer, so likely it needs oil! I was happy it was coming from the gauge and I think I'll disconnect it for the ride home.

12oz Chris had pointed out that my gauges are likely borrowed from a CB500T, so I might keep an eye out for a proper gauge set to swap in.
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Check the cable if you haven't lubed it recently.
 
I disconnected the speedometer before coming home, got four free miles on the motor. The whining sound was gone, but I will investigate lubing both the cable and gauge.
 
I brought the gauge in the house after work and scrounged up an old speedo cable in the basement. I put a few drops of a light oil in the cable insert on the gauge and spun it with a cordless drill after installing the cable. It howled initially and then settled down. I then connected a corded drill and got the needle up to 30-40 mph. Added far less than a mile of the four I owe back to the clock. It seemed to move smoothly and silently, so I'll lube the actual speedo cable tomorrow and reinstall.
 
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I rode the bike again today. The speedometer howling kind of came and went at times, so the lubrication has not provided a long term fix.

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I decided to order a used gauge set on eBay that comes from a 1974 CB450, which will replace the 500T gauges that I received with the bike in 2011. The mileage on the set I ordered is about 10,000 ahead of the one I have been using.
 
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I used a slightly heavier oil,actually motor oil, and made sure it got into the boundary between the central part that spins and the outer housing of the fitting on the back of the speedo, and then let the speedo sit, face down, for a day of so. Gravity is against you on this part, because the oil will tend to slip out again when things are installed, so give it a chance to get in pretty far.
 
stl360+450 said:
The mileage on the set I ordered is about 10,000 ahead of the one I have been using.
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Is this not something you can just manually turn back the miles until it is accurate to your bike? Put a drill or something on the input end (on the front wheel) and just go reverse instead of forward?

Not something at all I have tested, but my speedo is broken in some way, and I have considered buying a new one, but would need to do something similar, or deal with the extra mileage stated.
 
cellomaster said:
Is this not something you can just manually turn back the miles until it is accurate to your bike? Put a drill or something on the input end (on the front wheel) and just go reverse instead of forward?

Not something at all I have tested, but my speedo is broken in some way, and I have considered buying a new one, but would need to do something similar, or deal with the extra mileage stated.
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At the equivalent of 60 mph in drill speed, it would take 10,000 minutes to get there in reverse. o_O
 
I'm not even sure they can be rolled backwards from a mechanical standpoint, but Tom's point is valid regardless.

I decided to splurge. The set of gauges will give me the appropriate hardware, since the 500T gauges are larger. I then ordered a nicer used speedometer that actually shows lower mileage than my current clock. Hoping they all work nicely.

@cellomaster: I may end up with an extra 450 speedometer once all is said and done. Will need to make sure everything works before letting the extra go.

wentwest said:
I used a slightly heavier oil,actually motor oil, and made sure it got into the boundary between the central part that spins and the outer housing of the fitting on the back of the speedo, and then let the speedo sit, face down, for a day of so. Gravity is against you on this part, because the oil will tend to slip out again when things are installed, so give it a chance to get in pretty far.
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Thanks, Bob. I only let mine sit face down for a few hours and used a light oil, so I could try again. I have a little less incentive now that I've ordered correct K7 gauges, but it would be nice to make the gauge functional as a backup or to pass along to someone else.
 
I am apologizing in advance for airing this here in your thread, but since this vendor‘s name came up I feel compelled to share this experience. Please take it for the story it is and don’t let it derail this thread.

Whatever you do, don’t bring up issues or complaints about an order to Mach IV Motors on eBay if you want to buy from them again.

Sometime back around 2017 I bought a handful of small parts from them hoping to have them combined for one shipping charge in a single package. The parts got simply dumped into a large bubble mailer, no individual wrapping or bagging, just loose parts in a mailer, screws and everything. On top of that, partly by my own ignorance I admit, I inadvertently paid shipping on each individual item instead of one reduced shipping fee. The careless packaging along with the price paid for shipping was ridiculous.
After receiving the parts and feeling dissatisfied I contacted them through eBay to correct the shipping charges and also comment on the less than desirable packaging. Communication was cordial enough to correct the shipping charges, yet there was no response that I remember as to the sloppy packaging. It was only later, maybe a month or two, when I tried to bid on another one of their items that I realized my interactions with them had resulted in me being “banned” from bidding on or buying any further items from them. Subsequent messages sent to them through eBay over several different years asking why I was prohibited from their listings never received a reply or explanation. They simply blacklisted me. A ban that lasts to this very day (I just attempted and I still can’t bid on their stuff). In the end I gave up trying to get it corrected. I consider it their loss in the end because I certainly have spent a SH*T-ton of $$$ on quality vintage Honda parts through other EBay vendors over the last 9 years!
 
12ozPBR said:
Whatever you do, don’t bring up issues or complaints about an order to Mach IV Motors on eBay if you want to buy from them again.
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I can see how your experience would be frustrating. I believe sellers should automatically combine shipping without even being asked whenever it makes sense to do so. I've had at least one purchase where I had to request that the seller fix this.

I don't know why they would want to ban someone who just made a purchase, but I guess some people have short fuses.
 
It has been a bit of a learning experience getting parts together to swap out my CB500T gauges. The end result will involve an aftermarket top bridge from a parts supplier in southern Texas, a gauge set and rings from a 1974 CB360, and an NOS meter plate found for $30 on eBay. I was astonished by the fact that the CB450K6, CB450K7, CB360, and CB500T all use different meter plates, but happy to learn that the gauges and rings from the CB360 work with the CB450K7.
  • The four different meter plates.

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  • The different meter rings for the CB450K6 and CB360/CB450K7.

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  • The faces of the gauges for the CB450K6, CB360/CB450K7, and CB500T.

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  • The back of gauges for the CB450K6 and CB360/CB450K7.

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  • The CB360 gauges arrives with all of the wiring snipped clean — a shame since the rubber grommets were in good shape.

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  • I ordered lighting from Sparck Moto for the gauges and will reuse the center indicator box that came with my bike.

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I'm waiting on the top bridge now to finish the job and get this bike back into circulation.
 
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That's pretty interesting - I'm actually a little surprised that the 360 and K7 have so much overlap but they completely ditched that idea for the 500T. Sure seems like it would have made more sense to just use the same sets, but I guess that's why I'm not an engineer.

On the bright side. Those aftermarket bridges you speak of seem to carry some pretty good reviews - every frog has its princess or something like that...
 
EzPete said:
On the bright side. Those aftermarket bridges you speak of seem to carry some pretty good reviews - every frog has its princess or something like that...
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Yeah, they found a nugget there, I'll give them that.

I wish I'd thought of reducing their search footprint sooner, but they're doing just fine with their ever-growing band of lemmings, err, followers.
 
EzPete said:
I'm actually a little surprised that the 360 and K7 have so much overlap but they completely ditched that idea for the 500T.
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I should add that there is at least one difference between the 360 and 450K7 speedometers — I believe the 450K7 gauges have markings up to 120, while the 360 had markings only to 110. I will learn to live with that limitation.

What's important to me is that they use the same rings and the angle of the cable mounts are the same.

EzPete said:
Those aftermarket bridges you speak of seem to carry some pretty good reviews
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I already have one on my CB360 after soft asphalt toppled it over from the center stand on a triple digit summer evening. It didn't help that the asphalt had only recently been filled in a hole after a utility company came through. I have been very happy with the top bridge.
 
I suspect that if you ever found yourself in a situation where the markings between 110 and 120 mattered, there'd be more pressing concerns than the speedo markings.

I hear you on the soft asphalt thing - it caught me by surprise when I moved to Texas and everyone who rode carried a crushed beer can or side stand disc to keep the bike from sinking.
 
EzPete said:
I hear you on the soft asphalt thing - it caught me by surprise when I moved to Texas and everyone who rode carried a crushed beer can or side stand disc to keep the bike from sinking.
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The worst part was watching it happen from inside the restaurant. Started slowly, but not slow enough to do anything about it.
 
stl360+450 said:
It has been a bit of a learning experience getting parts together to swap out my CB500T gauges. The end result will involve an aftermarket top bridge from a parts supplier in southern Texas.
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Not trying to throw you a curveball, but if you want an original 450 top bridge I can make one available to you for much less $$$ than the texas version. I get that those repops are supposedly of higher quality so no pressure at all, simply an offer. Send me a PM if you want to discuss it.
 
12ozPBR said:
Not trying to throw you a curveball, but if you want an original 450 top bridge I can make one available to you for much less $$$ than the texas version. I get that those repops are supposedly of higher quality so no pressure at all, simply an offer. Send me a PM if you want to discuss it.
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Thank you, Chris, that is a generous offer I will only pass up because the other part is already halfway here.

I had looked at CMSNL and they had none at the time, but the theoretical list price was even higher than I expected at over $700. I say this because I think yours should be worth a lot more than the one on its way to me now.

I also looked at what was available on eBay and the combination of condition, price, and greater susceptibility to cracking steered me to the aftermarket option.
 
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For no good reason, I spent an hour refurbishing a couple of the clipped gauge light sets this afternoon. I was hoping to be able to solder in new wires to the socket, but the sockets use special crimped connections, so I opted to solder new wires on the ends of the old ones.

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Here are the two refurbished sets along with one of the new Sparck Moto pieces.

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And a close-up of the sockets and grommets. I put small shrink tubing over each joint in the green and brown wires and then a larger piece over the pair that is snug on the grommet as well.

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Nice solution ! What you could try the next time is to use a non-coated pushpin. You just solder the wires to the pin, and use shrink tube to cover the soldered connection. It works like a charm. I use those little fellows also in ignition switches (repairs).

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jensen said:
What you could try the next time is to use a non-coated pushpin. You just solder the wires to the pin, and use shrink tube to cover the soldered connection.
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I feel like I must have seen that in one of your threads, but it didn't occur to me in the moment. Thanks for the reminder, Jensen, this will definitely increase the chance that I remember next time!
 
I think an every other year lubing of all cables is sufficient. That’s what I do and the outer sleeve cracks before the cable itself fails.

I had a clutch cable end (at the handlebar) break off but that barrel end is now greased lots and not washed, just wiped…
 
The NASA (Houston) top bridge has arrived. I'm looking forward to installing it and getting this machine back on the road.

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stl360+450 said:
The NASA (Houston) top bridge has arrived. I'm looking forward to installing it and getting this machine back on the road.

MNtrufM.jpg


5d2Vw4R.jpg
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I used one on my build and like it very much. I did not like the supplied hardware, (looked cheap IMO) so used the the original hardware with the exception of the trimmed washers that prevented over tightening of the original top bridge.
 
RobMan said:
I used one on my build and like it very much. I did not like the supplied hardware, (looked cheap IMO) so used the the original hardware with the exception of the trimmed washers that prevented over tightening of the original top bridge.
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Did you use the supplied dampers? I've replaced mine, but they're probably more than 10 years old at this point. Just not sure I want to use non-OEM dampers.
 
Yes I did use the ones that came in the kit as mine were the originals and were shot. So far they seemed to have worked well but I have only put almost 400 miles on them.
 
I finally finished dealing with the gauge overhaul, which prompted a lot of other small changes, including a new top bridge, gauge bracket, gauge bezels, gauge lighting, gauge cushions, and, of course, the replacement gauges.
  • I assume this is taught on Day 1 in a shop — protect the tank while working on the bars or anything in the vicinity. I got lazy with this a few weeks ago and dropped a socket that skipped off the tank and created a BB-sized ding in the paint. I addressed the blemish with an all-in-one touch up pen (color + clear).

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  • The aftermarket top bridge came with aftermarket handlebar cushions. They are sized well and made for a snug fit. I don't like the bars to have much movement, so I usually add a washer on the bottom side to stiffen things up — I actually used two on each side (top+bottom) with the old cushions, which I purchased probably around 10-12 years ago.

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  • The gauges came from a CB360 and both needles were sluggish upon arrival. I tried lubing them through the cable spindle, but it didn't make much difference so I opened both gauges to clean out old grease and put a light oil on the needle shafts. The tachometer is still moving a little slow, but will show the correct speed after a slight delay. I may need to open that one again, but hope it will improve with use.

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  • Finally, in keeping track of my mileage on the Jays100 oil pump, I installed it with roughly 12,138 on the old odometer, which was removed with 13,281 miles showing. This means I have about 1143 miles on the pump so far with no issues whatsoever. The replacement odometer takes over at 15,770 miles.
 
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June is the registration month for motorcycles in Missouri and my even-year bikes are due for their biennial safety inspection. It is perfect timing for the 450 after dealing with the fuel dump into the sump earlier this year and the gauge refresh more recently because it gave me a good excuse for the 15-mile round trip to the shop for the inspection.

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I was checking all the lights and the horn yesterday and was not getting good cooperation from the horn. I then recalled finding a copper loop under one of the handlebar risers that had no wire attached and a lightbulb moment ensued. I added a ground wire there this morning and the horn works really well now. This is good because the inspector (who knows me at least as a familiar face at their shop) was joking that he needed to get his quota of failures for the week as we walked out to look at my bike.

It was a pleasant ride. I enjoyed reading about @Othen's ride earlier today on his CB360T and the mention of A and B roads. I guess we have different terminology in the US, but as I was dodging steel plates, potholes, and recessed manhole covers, I couldn't help but think the roads in my area are D and F type.

The gauges were working really well, too, which was a relief. I had spent multiple hours opening them up for cleaning and multiple dollars acquiring them!
 
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Glad to hear the inspection went well and at least you had good ride potholes permitting. Reading this makes me appreciate where I live and the multiple 2 lane roads with lots of nice sweeping curves. Just gotta watch out for low speed farm tractors towing large sharp pointy equipment. 🚜
 
stl360+450 said:
I'm glad you didn't finish that with "Don't ask me how I know." It would be fun to take this bike to a place like that on a day when the tractors are all in the barn.
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You really should take one of your bikes to the Carolinas for a vacation, the quantity of marvelous riding roads is never-ending. Just watch any of my ride videos over the last 7 or 8 years, not to mention gorgeous scenic places like Caesar's Head, Paris Mountain, Lake Lure and so many others all within a 50 miles radius.
 
ancientdad said:
You really should take one of your bikes to the Carolinas for a vacation, the quantity of marvelous riding roads is never-ending. Just watch any of my ride videos over the last 7 or 8 years, not to mention gorgeous scenic places like Caesar's Head, Paris Mountain, Lake Lure and so many others all within a 50 miles radius.
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I've seen a few of those videos and they do make that part of the country seem great for riding. My dream ride is probably less exciting to many riders, but I would like to circumnavigate Lake Michigan on one of my vintage bikes. It's about 1100 miles, mostly rural, and I think it would be a lot of fun.
 
stl360+450 said:
I'm glad you didn't finish that with "Don't ask me how I know." It would be fun to take this bike to a place like that on a day when the tractors are all in the barn.
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Actually doesn't happen that often but coming up behind something like this at speed and with oncoming traffic will get your attention.

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RobMan said:
Actually doesn't happen that often but coming up behind something like this at speed and with oncoming traffic will get your attention.
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Yeah it would! We get our share of tractors around here but rarely with farm implements that size attached. Usually those double-wide mowing decks but the modern versions of those are equipped with hydraulics that lift both sides vertical so they can drive on pavement and not exceed the lane width.
 
Congratulations on passing the inspection! That's one thing we DON'T have to deal with in California. Once it's registered there are no inspections of motorcycles, ever. Old, new, it doesn't matter. If a bike is ever totaled you do need a safety inspection to get it re-registered with a salvage title, but that's it. Cars and trucks get an emissions test every 2 years, not for motorcycles.

Our roads are generally not in great shape.
 
wentwest said:
Congratulations on passing the inspection! That's one thing we DON'T have to deal with in California.
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Thanks, Bob. It's really not a big deal for this bike given that I've been riding and maintaining it for about fifteen years now, but I will say the one successful salvage title inspection I had to do for my CB350 felt much more worthy of celebration!

I like the shop where I take the bikes for the inspections because they do take it seriously and help keep bikes with faults off the road. This inspector had me start the bike for all the lights and the horn, but also had me turn the bars side to side to make sure the throttle cable wasn't binding or anything like that. They even crouch down to look at the front caliper and check for all of the cotter pins in the brake linkages.

If I'm doing my job they will never find anything because I'll have already checked at home.
 
wentwest said:
Congratulations on passing the inspection! That's one thing we DON'T have to deal with in California. Once it's registered there are no inspections of motorcycles, ever. Old, new, it doesn't matter. If a bike is ever totaled you do need a safety inspection to get it re-registered with a salvage title, but that's it. Cars and trucks get an emissions test every 2 years, not for motorcycles.

Our roads are generally not in great shape.
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Florida gave up vehicle inspections decades ago, and the motorcycle inspection was a joke to begin with. It was conducted at a facility designed for cars, with a drive-on machine to test braking force at the individual wheels. More than a few times during inspections of my bikes, I offered to go onto the machine to test my bike's brakes but they wouldn't let me due to safety regulations (but they'd let elderly people who weren't good drivers driver their cars up onto the device that looked like an old-school drive-on single post lift, it's a wonder no one ever drove off the end of it). So the brake "test" for bikes was.... (wait for it).... you holding the front or rear brake and the examiner tried to pull the bike forward. :ROFLMAO:

And the device to check headlight aim was designed to roll in front of a car at rest to check that headlights are aimed where they should be, but a bike's suspension directly affects the vertical display angle of the headlight so using the same car-oriented device to check them meant if you just pushed forward on the bike while holding the front brake it changed everything. And the emissions test probe was too large for almost every bike that went here.
 
In my area it's a little more involved. Any motorcycle that has not been registered for over 12 months needs an inspection. The guide for the inspection is 55 pages long and is very thorough. If they find corrosion on the battery terminals it's a warning and you have 48 hours to fix it. Mirrors must have at least 12 sq in in area. The tolerance of where the headlight should be pointing is 2" to 4" from an X Y axis that is 25' away. Plus all the regular safety stuff.

Took me a while to go through all of the points before the inspection, but I passed it on the first go.

One good thing is that they don't plaster the inspection sticker on the front fork.
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Last week when I went for the state inspection, I had just charged the Protek AGM YB12A-A battery. It was showing only about 9.5 Volts after sitting most of the winter/spring, so I didn't think too much of it needing to be recharged.

The ride last week was 15 miles and there were no issues. This morning I started the bike up to go for a ride and it started okay, then began sputtering irregularly after half a block. Turning the key off/on, I could no longer see the neutral indicator light, and back in the garage I found only 9.8 Volts across the battery terminals. Fuses were good.

I'm now charging the battery again to reevaluate. One weird thing is that I bought this battery on eBay back in 2021 along with two more in 2024, one for my CB350 and the other for my CB360. Today, I cannot find any sign of those batteries on eBay and the seller lists only 23 items (none of them batteries) in their entire eBay store.

I am hopeful that this is all a battery issue, but we'll see as I get further into it.
 
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