Eyeing a ‘72 CL450 on Kijiji

jesterxfan

New Member
Joined
Sep 7, 2024
Total Posts
7
Total likes
7
Location
Calgary
New forum member here. Recently posted a new member post and now I’m looking for everyone’s opinion of this 1972 CL450 Scrambler.

Original price was $2700 Canadian ($1755 USD) now at $2200 CAD ($1430 USD).

Here’s the verbiage from the listing:

Vintage Honda Motorcycle
I've had it in storage for last three years
Need to make room for new purchase
Carbs cleaned, oil changed, and bike started for first time
Installed new Dunlop K70 Tires $300.00
Installed new Battery $90.00
Asking $2700.00 OBO

New tires and battery are nice additions. I don’t see any red flags from the photos. Appears to be all original.

Looking forward to your thoughts and any recommendations you have when communicating / inquiring with the seller.
 
Overall the words sound good. I'd assume by the way it was said that the owner cleaned the carbs and changed the oil recently specifically to get it running to sell, but the phrasing could be ambiguous and he might mean that was done when he got it running previously, you know how convoluted English can be these days. You can post the link to the ad, we can see Kijiji here in the US, then we could also look at any pictures to help you see potentially important things you might not be aware of or notice.
 
Kijiji Ad

I agree about the uncertainty of when the bike was running. That will definitely be one of my questions regarding the bike.
 
jesterxfan said:
Kijiji Ad

I agree about the uncertainty of when the bike was running. That will definitely be one of my questions regarding the bike.
Click to expand...
Bent brake pedal (obviously down on the right side previously with some force), wrong kickstart lever (looks like CB360) though it seems usable, black cables (should have gray) and the clutch cable is routed incorrectly at the engine, outside the left carb, doesn't appear to have a left plug wire, nothing is visibly attached to what seems to be a plug cap, aftermarket clamps on the carbs, headlight case has been painted seemingly flat black (or horribly faded) and the headlight rim latch tab is broken like they always are, entire front end looks a bit twisted and the gauges are badly nicked up/crooked, and it seems to have a CB450 front fender on it with the braces removed (note the front brake cable routed through the welded loop for the hydraulic front brake hose for the CB disc brake).

Overall it's mostly complete, but based on what we can see, I wonder how the engine runs and if it was ever given proper warmup time when cold, or are the cam followers trashed because they didn't.
 
I had looked at this add before I bought my CL450. This bike is in pretty rough shape overall, and trust me when you see it in real life it will be much worse. Photos trend to glamourize the item. I looked a little harder and found a bike in original but much better overal condition, needs a few minor parts like clutch cable and front tire, parts easily obtainable, and that does not need restoring. To buy a decent CL450 you will have to travel a good distance, I drove 9 hours one way. Wait a while and search all of Canada and USA, you will find a bike. I saw a couple of nice CL450 in the Colorado area, thats near Calgary.
 
Last edited:
I figured more than my eyes had been up and down this ad. I appreciate everyone’s two cents on this bike. I’ll keep looking for now. Let me know if anyone comes across a better find in the Calgary area.
 
jesterxfan said:
I figured more than my eyes had been up and down this ad. I appreciate everyone’s two cents on this bike. I’ll keep looking for now. Let me know if anyone comes across a better find in the Calgary area.
Click to expand...
Did you call on the one in Golden Colorado? Looks good.
 
Since I bought this bike, I can tell you that it's pretty rough. It has been crashed a few times, only starts with the kick (missing starter chain), stalls without full choke, and will need an inspection before it can be registered. I took it for a short rip and it seems to have plenty of power, noticeably more torque than a new Royal Enfield scrambler I test rode recently. All the gears work, and it stops when it's told.

I want this motorcyle to go for short rips near my acreage. I live in an area with few paved roads, so wanted something I could get dusty while poking along the back roads.
 
I know this is an old thread.Still looking? Have back issues and have my 1971 cb450 on the road but it doesn't do it for me. Drop me a line I am in winnipeg.
 
jesterxfan said:
Let me know if anyone comes across a better find in the Calgary area.
Click to expand...
dave1971 said:
I know this is an old thread.Still looking? Have back issues and have my 1971 cb450 on the road but it doesn't do it for me. Drop me a line I am in winnipeg.
Click to expand...
Sorry to hear, and it's a nice offer but the OP hasn't been here since October of 2024. Hopefully quoting his post will get a response from him.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom