Dug These Out of the Dust & Debris, Finally

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I’ve been putting a decent amount of time and effort into getting my garage and projects into some kind of order. Saturday I finally dug the last 2 bikes out of the garage. First I had to put the 1971 Husqvarna CR400 back into race ready trim, since I had succeeded in making it run again last week.

Here is is as last seen after the Red Bull Catalina Grand Prix in 2010 (I will be back to race the 2012 edition in December)

I did lousy at the Catalina race, but at least I can say I was there when… Next out the door was my 1970 Honda CL450 scrambler. Its not quite stock anymore.

Its got the front end from a Honda SL350, with the CL450 external springs adapted. The rear shocks are off a CB650 (I think) which raise the tail an equal amount as the front, give me better ground clearance, and keep the geometry correct. It also wears a genuine Honda CB450D scrambler skidplate.  This bike has seen competition at several Lake Elsinore Grand Prix starting in 1999.

 

I had just put new pistons and rings in an overbored cylinder with a ported head before the last GP race. Something went wrong during the race though, and I started only running on 1 cylinder. It came back and got parked and sat until the moisture made the motor stuck. That’s why its on the back burner, with some PB Blaster in the bores.

 

And finally the current project, my old reliable battle ax of a SOHC Honda CB750 four.  About all that is left of the bike I traded a CL450 for in 1994 is the frame and a few bits. I rode it to L.A. from Boston, by way of New Orleans, then worked as a motorcycle rider in L.A. for years on it. The motor in it is the 3rd or 4th and ran fine when I stopped riding it, but had bad valve seals leading it to burn oil. Most likely this was cause by me riding it as a commuter for 2 years and never changing the oil.

 

It features a 1982 CB900F 39mm front fork with twin 2 piston brakes and a Comstar wheel, 1977 CB750F exhaust header and gas tank and matching CB900F rear shocks. Unfortunately the tank is now full of rust.  Its a lot of work, but by the end of the year It ought to be a dandy looking “cafe racer”, only mine is going to have the go to match the show.