My 79' Honda CB400T Bobber Project
 

Hi there everyone, I just met up with Weldangrind to pick up a carb for my X31, he suggested I post up any projects I have (china or not) since lots of the guys on here crave this kind fo thing, so here you go, for your viewing pleasure.

A few pictures of my bike and how it evolved into what it is today!

The Motivation:
http://img822.imageshack.us/img822/1...chopper.th.jpg

I bought the bike and started looking for pictures, I found some cafe pics, but it wasn't what I wanted from this bike, then I saw this picture, and I made up my mind.

What I started with:
http://img828.imageshack.us/img828/6...01stock.th.jpghttp://img593.imageshack.us/img593/5...02stock.th.jpg

Ugly rusty and hardly running, this is how my journey began.

Step 1 - Exhaust:
http://img837.imageshack.us/img837/9...exhaust.th.jpghttp://img62.imageshack.us/img62/895...exhaust.th.jpg
[youtube]ZZCMdQiOX_4[/youtube]

Fabbed up some custom 2 into 1 exhaust to replace the rusted swiss cheese that the bike had when I got it.

Step 2 - Hardtail:
http://img442.imageshack.us/img442/9...illinks.th.jpghttp://img820.imageshack.us/img820/1...stalled.th.jpghttp://img839.imageshack.us/img839/1...stalled.th.jpg

Made some hardtail struts out of steel tubing, crushed the ends in a vice and drilled holes, then paint, easy peasy.

Step 3 - Paint:
http://img585.imageshack.us/img585/7...painted.th.jpghttp://img717.imageshack.us/img717/5...tickers.th.jpghttp://img338.imageshack.us/img338/6...newmirr.th.jpg

Scraped off the stock stickers and used some filler to smooth it out, painted the tank and sides with krylon flat black, amazing stuff.

Step 4 - Bobber Seat & rear fender paint:
http://img39.imageshack.us/img39/835...rpainte.th.jpghttp://img337.imageshack.us/img337/3...rpainte.th.jpg

Easy install for the seat, bolted on the springs and made a custom steel front mount that bolted into the gas tank bolt.

Step 5 - Chopped rear end off:
http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/6...chopped.th.jpghttp://img96.imageshack.us/img96/182...chopped.th.jpg

I decided to go all the way and chop the rear end off, I wanted to be more unique and do a hybrid rat/chop instead.

Step 6 - 450 Engine swap:
http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/3...awkswap.th.jpghttp://img38.imageshack.us/img38/686...debysid.th.jpg

After hearing so many things about the 450 engines and their improved highway capability. I caved and bought a 450 for 300 bucks, I must admit the black block looks very nice in the frame.

How she sits after the swap:
http://img192.imageshack.us/img192/1...ineisin.th.jpghttp://img832.imageshack.us/img832/6...ineisin.th.jpg

New exhaust:
http://img193.imageshack.us/img193/6...xhaustp.th.jpghttp://img43.imageshack.us/img43/444...xhaustp.th.jpg

I finally got around to painting up the headers and fabbing up a nice stright 2" pipe with slant cut tip, looks pretty good I think.

Custom cluster Panel:
http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/846...cluster.th.jpg

Just a little something I whipped up, I didnt want the big ugly stock cluster sitting up there, so I made this up with some waterproof LED's and a hole for the ignition switch, I since mounted it on the bike and it looks great!

This is what I'm sitting on today, just jetted to 80/140, running great with pods! Had a heck of a time pulling out the airbox in the dark last night. haha.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hth5j...2&feature=plcp

Sweet! I had a cm400c that I kick myself everyday for getting rid of.

Your bike turned out great!

Great post and well presented pictures!

Are you on the Honda Twins forum? Great info there too. :wink:

Pretty radical transformation! Sounds healthy too! :) I gotta ask though, why Harley decals on the side covers?

Thanks!

Yeah I'm on there, I've learend all I can from that forum though, i think. There isn't much about the cb/cm series 400/450 sohc engines that I dont already know now, lol.

It took some work, but i got it done in the end! Thanks for the kind comments.

If you look closely it actually says "Honda Davidson" I made the decal myself with photoshop and then took it over to my friend that has a decal cutter.

Lol, okay, makes more sense now :). I hadn't blown the pics up so didn't notice the Honda Davidson. I had a Honda CB450 twin when I first started riding on the street, that bike never let me down once, it was a great machine.

I saw the bike today, and it's coming along nicely. I really like the instrument pod and the two into one exhaust. Nice guy, too. :)

My first motorcycle was a 1979, Honda, Hawk II. I guess that's the same bike as the CB400T; it sure looks the same. ;) I got very nostalgic looking at your photos. You did a great job! Thanks for sharing your work with us. :D

Spud :)

A friend of mine had a cm400t. Sounded nice and was pretty quick. His exhaust too was shot.

We picked up another one that had been through a hurricane in Daytona. Got it to run too. Carbs were full of sand.

They are indeed the exact same bke. the CB was the more sporting of the 400's and was known as the hawk. The CM was known to be unstable at high speed, and they were more of a cruiser style bike. But utilized the same engine and drive system, ignition, intake, exhaust, ect.

They are hard to get running with the vacuum slide carbs, I fought with them for months trying to get the jets right with no air box. But finally i realized they needed more vacuum to life the slides. So i cut some aluminum from some pop cans and put them inside the pod filters, blocking off about half the surface area inside. thus increasing vacuum to the carbs and making the slides work!

a simple fix really, but sometimes these solutions escape people.

this 450 motor is supposed to make 47hp in stock form, with my intake and exhaust, it should be around 50 or so. not bad for a 370 pound bike.

Here is a more recent video, Just finished up the wiring on the Custom LED cluster I made from 1/16" aluminum sheet and a dremel. Guest starring my Daughter Leslie.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TPY0...1&feature=plcp

Leslie is beautiful, even if she is a bit camera shy. ;) She hopped when you started the engine! :lol:

You did a super job with your LED panel, Azriel. Thanks for posting the nice video. :D

Spud :)

Thanks! Shes my little princess. She's already learning lefty loosey, with any luck I'll have her doing the wrenching for me.

You're doing a great job, Dad. :) You have to start them young. ;)

Spud :lol:

Mine are learning too. They use the cordless impact.