Best guess is the machinist took .060" off the piston edges so compression loss will be negligible. File this issue under Oops and forget about it.
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The "Not a Project" CB450DX (project log + pics)
- Thread starter CB450DX
- Start date
CB450DX
Veteran Member
Gave up on this.
Read in multiple places people just dismissing it as snake oil or whatever. And I do agree that early oil changes can probably accomplish the same thing.
All the last 4 or 5 (I don't even know anymore) oil changes were done super early, between 800~1500km so I think the engine probably does not need a flush. Especially since I changed it from mineral to brazilian semi synthetic (motul 5000+ locally produced with recycled oil) and now motul 5100 (imported) semi syntetic. Just going to put new Motul 5100 15w50 on it and that is it.
Just bought the motul Clean & Boost for the gas as well. I already run premium 103 octane so it should be fun (I run 103 mostly because it has a smidge less ethanol on it, but I did run it on E30 just fine).
Last edited:
CB450DX
Veteran Member
I would worry about it, but I already hit 160+kph (100 mph) multiple times before even finding out with absolutely no issues so it's clearly fine and happy hehe. Love to hear the exhaust crackling after I park the bike.
Back in the day, a few techs I worked with used a pint of ATF in the engine oil a day before an oil change (car engines though). Just read some posts at Bob is the oil guy and apparently there are better products to use for it these days, though even those products might be problematic for a wet clutch...
CB450DX
Veteran Member
There was a period of time when I was still early researching and learning about oils that I fell hard into the liqui-moly additives and teflon and ptfe and whatnot rabbit-hole. Seemed like a good idea.
Well, it was a terrible idea for multiple reasons, one of which is the fact that Liqui-Moly has no official representation over here it seems (or its a weak one) so their stuff is RIDICULOUSLY expensive.
More than double the price of Motul 300v for an additive, and triple the price for a freaking oil - 300v is my gold standard of oil ever since I saw a guy blow a hole into a CRF300F bottom end running over a crashed bike on a motocross course and not only still do multiple laps with basically no oil, but he won the race and the championship, and, as is tradition, he revved the hell out of the bike until it died - Terrible to watch, but the fact that he had to rev it for quite a long time is more reason for me to like that oil. One day the CB shall drink (or burn) such expensive liquor.
Back then I believe the Motor Oil Geek channel had just put out a video on oil additives, and then another video about how how engines have all these things that are hydraulically actuated and the additives/etc really did not help with the concentration of smudge in these things, some in fact made it worse [plus a lot of interesting info about how early oil changes at the start of an engine's life are even more important nowadays].
It also reminded me of the Honda VTEC guys talking about how some engines that were only run on low RPM and would not use VTEC would get stuck VTEC valves that could be sometimes fixed by the good ol' italian tune up of just revving the hell out of an engine for a bit to get the valves unstuck. There's some videos of people just revving some terrible sounding honda engines and then out of a sudden the terrible sounds stop and the engine just runs absurdly nice.
Never looked back on oil additives since, even if my bike has zero hydraulics
It's funny because over here brands like STP/Bardahl still have a huge following for their additives, mostly older people who have been using them for decades.
Well, I put the "boost and clean" additive in the tank. Smelled like kerosene pretty much. Ingredients say "light solvents and selected additives" so pretty much what I expected.
Did not notice a thing riding, but let's see on the next few cold starts. The bike has started needing quite a few seconds spinning to wake up. Once it wakes up it wakes up exactly as usual though, so I'm not too worried.
Well, it was a terrible idea for multiple reasons, one of which is the fact that Liqui-Moly has no official representation over here it seems (or its a weak one) so their stuff is RIDICULOUSLY expensive.
More than double the price of Motul 300v for an additive, and triple the price for a freaking oil - 300v is my gold standard of oil ever since I saw a guy blow a hole into a CRF300F bottom end running over a crashed bike on a motocross course and not only still do multiple laps with basically no oil, but he won the race and the championship, and, as is tradition, he revved the hell out of the bike until it died - Terrible to watch, but the fact that he had to rev it for quite a long time is more reason for me to like that oil. One day the CB shall drink (or burn) such expensive liquor.
Back then I believe the Motor Oil Geek channel had just put out a video on oil additives, and then another video about how how engines have all these things that are hydraulically actuated and the additives/etc really did not help with the concentration of smudge in these things, some in fact made it worse [plus a lot of interesting info about how early oil changes at the start of an engine's life are even more important nowadays].
It also reminded me of the Honda VTEC guys talking about how some engines that were only run on low RPM and would not use VTEC would get stuck VTEC valves that could be sometimes fixed by the good ol' italian tune up of just revving the hell out of an engine for a bit to get the valves unstuck. There's some videos of people just revving some terrible sounding honda engines and then out of a sudden the terrible sounds stop and the engine just runs absurdly nice.
Never looked back on oil additives since, even if my bike has zero hydraulics
It's funny because over here brands like STP/Bardahl still have a huge following for their additives, mostly older people who have been using them for decades.
Well, I put the "boost and clean" additive in the tank. Smelled like kerosene pretty much. Ingredients say "light solvents and selected additives" so pretty much what I expected.
Did not notice a thing riding, but let's see on the next few cold starts. The bike has started needing quite a few seconds spinning to wake up. Once it wakes up it wakes up exactly as usual though, so I'm not too worried.
CB450DX
Veteran Member
Well, I noticed absolutely nothing from the gas additive.
I also learned I was simply not giving the bike enough choke on the colder days, never really needed to on the last few months and got used to it, I guess. Now that I'm giving here more than 1/2 choke she's starting pretty easy on the cold.
I changed the oil and filter as well, for the first time after more than 2000kms.
It was also the first oil change with the magnet on the tip of the oil drain screw.
And the screw had some stuff in it. Thankfully nothing big and not much, just veeeeeeery fine particles which created that black sludge on paper, I cleaned it and dried it with great attention and did not see anything golden or shiny thankfully.
It was the first time the bike had a magner over there and who knows how long has it been since someone looked at the bottom end, so I'm fine with it.
There was also the run-in period with all new pistons and rings, valves, cam chain, tensioners and whatnot. I'm pretty sure this was just some sludge that was hanging around on the bottom.
All in all, the drain screw with the magnet tip was a great success for me, since at the very least, that sludge won't be inside of the engine anymore.
I also decided to clean my air filter, so I removed the one I was using from the bike and put in the thinner foam filter I had bought new some years ago (1/2 the thickness of the OEM one), put some Motul 710 2t oil on it, and then I also decided to remove the "air deflector" or whatever, Number 8:
Honestly, I just wanted to see if there'd be more intake sounds but no. Nothing changed. I knew I'd be fine even if there was more air going into it because, going from the carbon on the piston, it's running pretty rich. But literally no changes at all.
I did run the bike for ~200m without the filters and also without the air box cap, but that was years ago before I fixed the carburetors and it ran terrible, backfired like crazy so I put it back and never tested it again. The intake sound was pretty rough and nice to my ears though.
Ehh, whatever, as soon as I get some time to clean the larger foam filter I'll put it all back together like Honda intended.
After all of that stuff, I also put in Iridium spark plugs on her. DPR8EIX-9.
Did not notice any change, maybe it's starting easier but honestly I think it's down to me figuring out the choke like I said before.
I also noticed my little yellow positioning light (low beam/low light?) (which is an LED) always stopped working after a while.
Opened the front headlight, noticed the harness for it had a split very close to the socket, pretty terrible stuff.
Remembered I had a new light harness for the Intruder 125...
Stripped the harness for the intruder 125, put in some bullet connectors, crimped'em, put some heat shrink, connected, and it was perfect, Now she has a new harness and one less split. Pretty proud of myself.
...and it still stops working after a while, pretty sure it's the LED itself. Thankfully, I have dozens of them. Still haven't got around to opening the headlight again though.
I have also spent hours watching Professor Herbert (Brazilian 450 SOHC expert) perfectly put together a 450 bottom end while explaining it and I finally understood how the balancer chain (and its tensioner and eccentric axle + spring) work.
So I finally built the courage and stretched mine. Upon opening, I saw it was on the very beginning of adjustment, so I just released the nut, hit on it very lightly a few times to shake things around and re-tightened it. I don't think it moved so I think it was fine from the start.
I don't even know if it worked, it's 9 PM and I didn't start the bike. Hopefully will learn tomorrow.
I also learned I was simply not giving the bike enough choke on the colder days, never really needed to on the last few months and got used to it, I guess. Now that I'm giving here more than 1/2 choke she's starting pretty easy on the cold.
I changed the oil and filter as well, for the first time after more than 2000kms.
It was also the first oil change with the magnet on the tip of the oil drain screw.
And the screw had some stuff in it. Thankfully nothing big and not much, just veeeeeeery fine particles which created that black sludge on paper, I cleaned it and dried it with great attention and did not see anything golden or shiny thankfully.
It was the first time the bike had a magner over there and who knows how long has it been since someone looked at the bottom end, so I'm fine with it.
There was also the run-in period with all new pistons and rings, valves, cam chain, tensioners and whatnot. I'm pretty sure this was just some sludge that was hanging around on the bottom.
All in all, the drain screw with the magnet tip was a great success for me, since at the very least, that sludge won't be inside of the engine anymore.
I also decided to clean my air filter, so I removed the one I was using from the bike and put in the thinner foam filter I had bought new some years ago (1/2 the thickness of the OEM one), put some Motul 710 2t oil on it, and then I also decided to remove the "air deflector" or whatever, Number 8:
Honestly, I just wanted to see if there'd be more intake sounds but no. Nothing changed. I knew I'd be fine even if there was more air going into it because, going from the carbon on the piston, it's running pretty rich. But literally no changes at all.
I did run the bike for ~200m without the filters and also without the air box cap, but that was years ago before I fixed the carburetors and it ran terrible, backfired like crazy so I put it back and never tested it again. The intake sound was pretty rough and nice to my ears though.
Ehh, whatever, as soon as I get some time to clean the larger foam filter I'll put it all back together like Honda intended.
After all of that stuff, I also put in Iridium spark plugs on her. DPR8EIX-9.
Did not notice any change, maybe it's starting easier but honestly I think it's down to me figuring out the choke like I said before.
I also noticed my little yellow positioning light (low beam/low light?) (which is an LED) always stopped working after a while.
Opened the front headlight, noticed the harness for it had a split very close to the socket, pretty terrible stuff.
Remembered I had a new light harness for the Intruder 125...
Stripped the harness for the intruder 125, put in some bullet connectors, crimped'em, put some heat shrink, connected, and it was perfect, Now she has a new harness and one less split. Pretty proud of myself.
...and it still stops working after a while, pretty sure it's the LED itself. Thankfully, I have dozens of them. Still haven't got around to opening the headlight again though.
I have also spent hours watching Professor Herbert (Brazilian 450 SOHC expert) perfectly put together a 450 bottom end while explaining it and I finally understood how the balancer chain (and its tensioner and eccentric axle + spring) work.
So I finally built the courage and stretched mine. Upon opening, I saw it was on the very beginning of adjustment, so I just released the nut, hit on it very lightly a few times to shake things around and re-tightened it. I don't think it moved so I think it was fine from the start.
I don't even know if it worked, it's 9 PM and I didn't start the bike. Hopefully will learn tomorrow.