CB450K3-Rob
Member
OK, guys. This is the start of my CB450 build thread. I’m planning on some customization – not a restoration. We’re at t=0, and I’ll document here as I go along (but expect a lengthy process - I'm not in a hurry, and have too much to learn).
I found this bike near me with a clean title and went for it. I wanted a project to work on, but I’m new to these classic Hondas. I chose a twin since carb syncing has got to be easier than with 4! I wanted something that needed motor work (fun & save $), has a clean title, and wasn’t too pristine (since I’d feel too guilty about cutting up a nice copy). I’m also fond of gold on my motorcycles, which influenced the purchase in a completely inappropriate, illogical manner. I'll have to work on that.
Side note: I feel extremely lucky! ...to have chosen the twin while also finding this forum (which happened after the purchase). I’ve just started digging into the threads and have found so much info that I need to digest. Wow!
Anyway, the bike I bought (once
) looked like this: (pretty nice, huh?)
But … I bought it like this:

The owner had run it lean and ruined a piston:

It’s nice, but still has a lot of work to do.




It came with 2 extra engines:

The engine is now in the shop being disassembled, cleaned, and inspected. I wanted someone that knew what they were doing so I could quickly find out what needs attention, and get some good tips for improvements.

I’ll follow-up next with my vision for the bike. Looking forward to this journey & learning from you guys.
Cheers!
I found this bike near me with a clean title and went for it. I wanted a project to work on, but I’m new to these classic Hondas. I chose a twin since carb syncing has got to be easier than with 4! I wanted something that needed motor work (fun & save $), has a clean title, and wasn’t too pristine (since I’d feel too guilty about cutting up a nice copy). I’m also fond of gold on my motorcycles, which influenced the purchase in a completely inappropriate, illogical manner. I'll have to work on that.
Side note: I feel extremely lucky! ...to have chosen the twin while also finding this forum (which happened after the purchase). I’ve just started digging into the threads and have found so much info that I need to digest. Wow!
Anyway, the bike I bought (once
But … I bought it like this:

The owner had run it lean and ruined a piston:

It’s nice, but still has a lot of work to do.




It came with 2 extra engines:

The engine is now in the shop being disassembled, cleaned, and inspected. I wanted someone that knew what they were doing so I could quickly find out what needs attention, and get some good tips for improvements.

I’ll follow-up next with my vision for the bike. Looking forward to this journey & learning from you guys.
Cheers!





