Reviving An One-Time Neglected Half-Dozen Speed Classic 421 6Sp Proj
At Benjie’s Cafe Racer, they honey working on bikes -- both modern & old!
However, sometime bikes that stimulate got been neglected & stimulate got stopped running volition e'er stimulate got a exceptional house both inward our hearts every bit good every bit our garage. We discovery an insurmountable joy inward taking a bike that has long since past times its final mile & reviving it to a version of itself that leaves its master copy life roosted inward dust. When a customer approached us to construct a custom sometime schoolhouse trend cafe racer out of a 1976 CB400F, nosotros were eager to stimulate got the projection fifty-fifty earlier seeing the donor bike.
When nosotros received the dried-up, neglected CB400F, it had a long front end halt from the ‘80s, chunky bubblegum grips, & antiquated gilt xvi magazine wheels amongst dry, cracked tires. The motor had burnt release pistons, the loosely hanging timing chain had worn-out guides, & the stock carburetors were heavily oxidized inside. To endure honest, the alone affair the donor bike actually had going for when nosotros commencement got it was that it was a 6-speed -- a rarity for bikes from the ‘70s/’80s.
Immediately afterwards receiving the donor, nosotros stripped it downward to its bare bones rolling chassis. Since the customer requested an sometime schoolhouse style, nosotros kept the stock frame, but changed the halt frame to an upwards swept frame loop. As amongst whatsoever of our vintage cafe racer builds, nosotros started our pattern procedure amongst the gas tank -- guided past times the philosophy that the gas tank volition dictate the mental attitude of the remainder of the construct & the bike itself.
Our vision was to practise a tank that was handmade amongst large curves -- similar something you’d meet dorsum inward the ‘60s -- hence nosotros made ours out of aluminum amongst a polished goal & amongst extra width to adapt the broad opinion of an in-line iv motor. We also elevated the tank higher than nosotros normally would inward allusion to the pattern of sometime ‘60s race bikes. Continuing the retro design, nosotros went amongst a Monza gas cap & made a stainless steel tank strap amongst an exposed air vent.
The spot was side past times side & was made amongst an aluminum tail, derivative inward trend of the gas tank. We dropped the sides of the tank to render the lay out plate look, & nosotros exposed the tail frame for additional item -- showing the uncomplicated modification added to the frame. We topped the spot off amongst dark suede cowhide leather upholstery amongst silver/gray stitching to tighten upwards the variety of the seat.
After the tank & spot had been made, nosotros decided to lower the front end halt past times an inch & a half, leveling the opinion of the bike. We scrapped the disc brakes that came amongst the bike & installed a reproduction iv leading brake drum amongst side air vents on a shouldered aluminum wheel. From stainless steel, nosotros made fork shrouds amongst headlight ears & blended the depression bar clip ons to level the pattern into seemingly i piece. We shaved & cleaned the upper tree, making certain to take whatsoever inessential tabs. The front end fender was made out of aluminum amongst stainless steel brackets, & to top off the front end halt amongst peak nostalgia, nosotros made an aluminum euro-style headlight bucket amongst a to a greater extent than modernized custom estimate from speedhut.com.
At BCR, nosotros believe the exhaust should endure designed inward a way that speaks inward conjunction amongst the spot & the gas tank. This normally agency edifice exhausts specifically for their respective projects, & this projection was no different. For this bike, nosotros made our exhaust out of stainless steel amongst a iv into two into 1 setup. We hammered the torso of the muffler to stimulate got a curved, tapered variety -- complementary to the variety of the tank & seat.
For this construct (like many earlier it), nosotros wanted to brand every bit many of the parts every bit nosotros could. The handlebar switch boxes & bring upwards sets were made in-house out of stainless steel amongst aluminum knurled pegs & lever ends. Then, cone LED tail lights were paw hammered -- also out of stainless steel. The plow signal lights (front & rear) were housed inward a combination of stainless & aluminum, much similar the stainless steel electronic ignition points encompass amongst an exposed pump rotor.
The engine of the bike was shot when it arrived. The engine instance had completely oxidized, & nigh of the internals were worn out, hence nosotros took the motor apart for a consummate rebuild. Since the the stock pistons were burnt & loose, nosotros had the cylinders bored for bigger 54.5mm pistons -- increasing the motor displacement to 466cc. We hence replaced the sometime mechanical points amongst to a greater extent than reliable electronic magnetic alternative upwards ignition points.
We at Benjie’s Cafe Racer are large fans of anything classic & sometime schoolhouse -- non simply inward appearance, but also inward the audio & the visceral feeling yous teach when yous ride one. They may lack the bells & whistles of modern bikes that come upwards amongst riding aids (that are by in addition to large non bad inward regards to safety), but they come upwards roaring out of the gate amongst soul. We jumped every bit chop-chop every bit nosotros could at the chance to breathe novel life into a long defunct 1976 Honda CB400F. Most mightiness endure deterred past times a non-operational donor bike, but nosotros welcomed the extra move amongst opened upwards arms, & nosotros are all pleased amongst how it turned out.
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