[hbergsholm]

Hello again. It has been a while since I posted some pictures of my scrambler build: https://www.hondatwins.net/forums/1-project-logs/33464-honda-450-scrambler-edition-2-a.html
I thought I was finished whith that build, but there where some details that I wanted to sort out. And I found some more details, and some more....
After new tank, lights, seat, carbs, instruments, side covers, chain tensioner and so, the bike have a more solid -70 look that I was aiming for.
Most of the parts is custom made by me, and I am going to post pictures and text of major components, that may be helpful for others.

Hallvard, Norway

 

[ancientdad]

The bike looks great, really nice work... if only the pictures were right-side up. Excellent job, and very creative - a good mix of retro Honda and modern

 

[hbergsholm]

Working on the picture stuff, hate computers...

Okey, my wife sortet out the picture stuff....

 

[hbergsholm]

Side covers are from a Honda CL350. These do fit the bike very good, but had to be cut and modified to work with the CB450 frame. I used parts from the original side covers in the upper fastening to the frame, and a strong magnet to secure it on the low side. The screws have no function, other than look nice. Emblems is my own design, I used this company https://www.letteringonthecheap.com/, there the customer can design decals, and get them printed.

 

[hbergsholm]

I have used carburetors from a 1999 suzuki GS500. These are modern CV carbs, and Suzuki have used the on a lot of bikes for many years. They are easy to adjust, parts are not a problem, and the engine respond really good. One throttle vaier, synchronization ports on top, choke cabel. They will, however, not fit these bike without some modifications. For my setup, I used short intake rubber from Dime City Cycles, and Cappellini valve cover. This because the fuel line that goes between the carbs, will otherwise not pass center frame tube. The Suzuki engine is also more narrow, so the whole carb kit had to be widening, including brakets, throttle stem and so on....
The top of the carburetor have changed color from black to light gold, the same color as in the side cover lettering. Have a little more fine tuning, but getting there.

 

[Lefty]

Looks great! The font reallyfits the bike good.

 

[cb360j]

This is awesome. Expert level

 

[83XLX]

Really nice! Everything comes together very well. Looks like a case of CL/SL350 envy, though...lol.

 

[ancientdad]

I have used carburetors from a 1999 suzuki GS500. These are modern CV carbs, and Suzuki have used the on a lot of bikes for many years. They are easy to adjust, parts are not a problem, and the engine respond really good. One throttle vaier, synchronization ports on top, choke cabel. They will, however, not fit these bike without some modifications. For my setup, I used short intake rubber from Dime City Cycles, and Cappellini valve cover. This because the fuel line that goes between the carbs, will otherwise not pass center frame tube. The Suzuki engine is also more narrow, so the whole carb kit had to be widening, including brakets, throttle stem and so on....
The top of the carburetor have changed color from black to light gold, the same color as in the side cover lettering. Have a little more fine tuning, but getting there.

I was going to ask you about the carbs. Nice job adapting them, and I did notice the thin valve covers to make room for the carbs. Great engineering on what you've done to the bike, it all fits as if it was intended to... very nice work. And thanks for correcting the pictures, it makes appreciating the bike even better. I rotated 2 of them from the first group of pics that give good side views of it.

 

[hbergsholm]

Thank for kind reply here on this forum, and ancietdad/ Tom, thanks for fixing the pictures. I have no idea why they came up-side-down, only when I used my wifes apple laptop, pictures could be added the right way. On the other side, my colleges call me "caveman" when it comes to computers.....

 

[hbergsholm]

Using rear shocks from a Triumph Thruxton, and a modified swing arm from a Honda XL350, the chain was hanging when the bike was parked, adjusted with me on the bike. Not really a problem, just did not look nice parked. The solution was using the center stand function on the frame, making a chain tensioner. I used some parts from a Yamaha XT500 (early one), and some pieces from the local hardware store. The big bracket to the left come from a CB450 ignition switch, this is modified to have a side stand switch from a XT500. This because I have added the function in the speedometer, I will add some pictures and word about that later. I refuse to have a hidden micro switch on this bike, its not in its "spirit"

 

[ancientdad]

I also meant to say that I appreciate your use of OEM-style JIS screws in the engine... I like it for period-correctness and a proper look. Ingenious about the rear chain tensioner, I saw the close proximity of the chain to the swingarm and wondered how you dealt with it but it wasn't easily visible in the other pics. As for the pictures' orientation, this might help

https://www.hondatwins.net/forums/25-website-issues/120382-pictures-post-upside-down.html#post1008568

 

[hbergsholm]

View attachment 273660 View attachment 273662 The rear fender comes from a Yamaha DT175, a beautiful 2 stroke bike which a friend of mine owned several years ago. The tail light bracket is from a Yamaha DT250, and has been cut into parts and re welded to work with the fender. Tail light is NOS Yamaha DT. The small red reflectors below the tail light was not easy to find, there was some NOS on Ebay, but really expensive. But since these are made by Stanley, I found that similar NOS reflectors from the rear shocks on a Kawasaki H1, was matching and way cheaper. It do not show on the pictures very well, but the small rivets on the fender, under the tail light bracket, are modified footstep axels. This since I earlier used a Honda XL350 tail light bracket, with other hole pattern. Since the Honda SL350 front fender have rivets, I thought this would be a detail I could use on the rear fender to hide some unwanted holes. The turn signal brackets and bar over fender is made in house, using parts from a luggage rack of a Honda CT70

 

[Chippe]

Wow, a beautiful bike for the beautfiul roads and nature in Norway. Great build!

 

[VincentG]

What an incredibly detailed resto-mod, your engineering and adapting of all of the various parts from the different bikes is just awesome, WOW. And best of all is that you shared it with such beautifully composed pics, as many here say "if you dont post pics it never happened" well this bike is really "happening" lol. Thank you for sharing, huge pat on the back.

 

[83XLX]

Man, that is a clean custom and the attention to detail is fantastic. That's a bike I'd like to see in person!

 

[ancientdad]

^^^agree completely - all nicely done. the fact that pretty much everything looks as if it belongs that way and came that way from the factory is the key to it all IMO. Bit of a plane ride to see it, unfortunately...

 

[83XLX]

^^^agree completely - all nicely done. the fact that pretty much everything looks as if it belongs that way and came that way from the factory is the key to it all IMO. Bit of a plane ride to see it, unfortunately...

Tom, yours was another one I wanted to see in person, and that wish came true at Barber last October when you dropped by our vintage club meet and greet. Great times!

View attachment 273674

 

[hbergsholm]

Thanks again for nice words, but lets continue with the instruments. Some of the nicest instruments Honda have ever made came from a Honda CB750 K0. At least, that is my opinion. The green numbers was only for a short periode, before changed to white. But the 750 instruments is to big for my bike, and way to expansive. By using instruments from a Kawasaki KZ400, I had gauges with size and style that fit my bike. These gauges was changed this way to try to achieve the visual of the CB750 instrument:
-The inner casing that transer light and assist seal gasket for glass was removed
-The other casing was "opened" up, grinding away a couple of mm of inner diameter, so more of the gauge faces would been exposed. This also lifted the glass higher, which made quite a difference.
-The inner part of the other casing was painted flat white, to achieve more light from instrument bulbs during night
-The glass was glued in place with clear silicone. The same silicone was also used to glue tue upper and lower gauge together.
-https://www.cb750faces.com/cb750faces.nl/ do make replica faces for the 750 K0 instrument. I challenged them to make a set custom for me, based on my design but with same colors and type numbers and letters as the K0. They made a beautiful job, expansive, but still well worth it.
-To honor the CL heritage, I have the indicator lights in the tachometer. These are from Honda, only with a layer of transparent black to fade them in
-Just because I wanted, I also used a red indicator on the speedometer (from the KZ stop light indicator), that lights up if I forget the side stand down while ignition is on
- The Kawasaki tachometer does not show the same value as the CB tachometer, about 2000 rpm off. Really happy I remember to check that detail with a battery drill. So, off to my "treasure room" to dig into the big box of tachometers. Honda XL350, about 1977, also had Nippon Seiki mechanism, similar with the KZ400, but only about 100 rpm off comparing with the original tachometer. Case solved....
-Purchased a NOS speedometer from a KZ400, so all numbers on trip is nice and not sun faded.
-The lower end of the gauges are powded coated flat black, as the headlight bracket
-I used the original KZ400 gauge bracket, modified to fit the Triumph tripple three, I also narrowed 1.5 cm to get the gauges closer together

 

[VincentG]

Wow! again, stunning pics. The tu-tone matt/gloss looks great as does the white chapter ring. Your work is exceptional all the way around and thank you for sharing.