1978 Honda cb400 cafe racer ideas?
So I purchased my first street bike and I want to give it a cafe racer look. I'm thinking of switching to pod filters and scrapping the airbox, but what else can I do to give it that British cafe look? Besides the tank, seat, and rear sets. Would I lower the front end? Or do i need to overhaul the frame and customize it? I'm also trying to keep it relatively simple as it is a starter bike. Any tips would be greatly appreciated. Also is there any good part stores online that specialize in this field?
Thank you in advance
-best regards, Sam
Update:Also, it is not a super sport it is the cb400T with dual exhaust. Secondly, I'm not planning on having a fairing, and after review I'm probably going to keep the air box and getting a normal filter. Lastly, I have a year to work on it before I want to be riding. Hope that helps your answers. Thanks again
Comments
Keep it stock for a thousand miles and then think about a 3/4- large solo seat, straight handle bars but not dropped.. The old Brookland silencers and megaphone lighter, shorter mufflers were another cafe racer look. Consider the slightly later 'short' mufflers from a Honda 360 or 400- about as quiet but 2/3s the length of the older end in back of tire design. My CM400 is 3 years newer model and the stock short muffler ends about axle level, slight up sweep. 360 Dual sport had short but workable mufflers also- and they can be separately installed on low pipes- these are Honda stock items and available used market cheap. Small fairings or small windshields are handy for long rides and were another feature of clubman and cafe racers- remember at the time these were daily use work bikes with a bit of tuning for speed and cornering- the Avon triangle cross section tires were preferred over the flat section Dunlops for cornering, the mufflers were a bit higher and shorter for cornering clearance around berms. Short seat with light rack and the tank bags were often seen, the larger tanks from the police or touring models also- this gave useful range to a usable bike, image wasn't the big issue. The racing bobbers with small tanks, cut off fenders don't make a good usable street bike and the cafe Racer as I understood it in 1970s was as a usable street racer- and lots of them show up at vintage rallies after 500 mile trips or longer with that kind of equipment. You have to think about the term Cafe racer and the time frame, location- English working man rider that was going for some F1 racing look on a usable street cycle.
Cb400 Cafe Racer
If it's the Honda 400/4 you're talking about you need only the following:
Sexy four into one exhaust
Drop bars and rear set pegs if you really must
Piggy back shocks
Giuliani 2-4 seat
Leave the air box alone you will gain sfa by removing it. Spend your money replacing all the worn out parts.
Bear in mind this is a 35 year old classic icon and go easy on the old girl. Don't make any mods which can't be reversed and keep any stock parts.
It depends...
Do you want to ride or wrench?
Hondas are known to be touchy when modifying/removing the air box. Be prepared to do lots of plug chops and jet swapping.
Basically, I'd get the bike running and tuned up to perfection, then go about making it handle and look the way you want.
It can get expensive quick if you start trying to make it look like a classic Triton/Goldstar/etc.
Is it a supersport by any chance? There's an interesting article in issue 387 (April 2012) of the UK edition of Classic Bike magazine.
Hello
If you want the true cafe racer look you will need to fit clip on handle bars as you are laid over the tank they are fitted each side the top of the forks. What sort of fairing are you thinking of or are you not.
Andy C
Keep it standard, ride it for several hundred miles at least, then you know what it can feel like before you start chopping bits off.
You should be able to leave the frame as it is, but you might need to consider refreshing the suspension (and probably the brakes).
I would get rid of it and get a newer bike. Why would you want an unreliable bike that will leave you stranded and keep breaking down?