Honda CB450 Restoration
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Honda CB450 Restoration |
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When I began restoring my 1971 CB450 the VJMC web site was picked up in my searches for parts.
My brother and then me have owned the bike for 20 years. It was in pretty bad shape and sat for 8 years before I tackled it's re-birth. We had no snow to speak of here last winter so my sledding was very limited. I needed a project so I pulled the bike out of storage. I photographed every stage of the restore. I stripped the frame and motor completely and took an inventory of what I needed. I replaced pistons, cams, rockers and seals, hand polished all metal (including about 500 nuts and bolts). With the help of folks all around the US I picked up most parts through eBay. I replaced the parts with original Honda equipment. I even got a few small things from Honda still.
I've put 1000 miles on it this month and it is a joy to ride. I had the fenders and headers triple chromed. Originally the front tree bearings were shot, the front rim was bent, the exhaust was shot, the left cylinder had 50 pounds compression, the swing arm bushings were toast etc, etc. When we rode the bike for years we complained it was a real pig and handled like a bathtub. Now, with the replaced parts everywhere it is a totally different machine. It loves high revs and turns a lot of heads up here.
It is staying in my family but does anyone have any idea what it might be worth? You can contact me at droughn@magma.ca Below you can see some photos of the restoration in progress.
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