Soon To Be New Rider/CB-1 Owner Saying Hello.

[Jeroban]

Hi guys,

Before I get into the history of the bike I'll shed a little information about myself. I am 20 years old and live in Pennsylvania (US). I have wanted a bike that would be practical for my size and weight (6'3", 220lbs) and would be good for me to learn on and I have been lucky to find a 1989 CB-1 400 from a friend who I was a couple of grades above me in high school. I have sat on the bike (with the center stand up and down) to test its comfort and I like it a lot. The main reason I will be purchasing this bike because it will definitely be a project and will get me familiar with the mechanics of motorcycles. Let me give you a run down of what I am getting into. The bike has 18300 miles on it  and has been dropped on the right side by the current owners friend (It was either the bike or him). From what the current owner has told me he and the owner before him have kept it in good condition up until it was dropped but allow me to get into the major work that needs to be done to make this bike legal and safe:

The gauge assembly on it is shot because of the accident so I will have to replace that and find out the legalities involving the odometer.
The ignition cylinder and key are shot as well as the key for the gas tank (2 different keys both destroyed in the accident).
The front rim and tire do look like they have encountered some damage and will most likely need to be replace as well as the fender.
The plastic cover on what I believe is the stator (not sure) cylinder was cracked and there are minor nicks on the end of the cylinder but nothing serious.
The right clip-on and all the parts on it are fouled up do to the accident so this will also need to be replaced.
And lastly the headlights/turnsignals were torn from their brackets and will need to be replaced (This may or may not have affected the forks).

The good news is that it will be coming with the official Owner's and Service manuals.

There is also some Aesthetic damage including the paint on the tank marks on the exhaust and small rips in the seat. I do have a couple of friends who are experienced with Honda's (CB-Rs) and they will gladly teach/help me in getting this bike into running condition but I was wondering if you guys could give me some tips as to where I could find some of the above parts (eBay of course but if anyone on these boards had what I'm looking for or can offer stocked alternatives it would be helpful). I will post pictures of my soon to be Work In Progress within the week if I can get my hands on a digital camera in this thread.

I will read through the older topics to see if they can enlighten this newbie but any advice or tips will be appreciated.

Thanks

 

[clarkdw]

Hi and welcome

A few comments and suggestions.

The gauge assembly is going to be difficult to find and expensive. Try all the forums and keep an eye on ebay, especially in the U.K. If you find the right bike wrecker he will send all the parts in one package and save some shipping. It is not that bad a cost. Same for the ign, helmet/seat and tank locks.

The plastic stator cover is merely cosmetic and not even needed but on the other hand they are available new for about $30 from the Honda dealer.

The clip-on is almost always available on ebay for quite reasonable or there are many other bikes that could be substituted if you get a pair of 41mm clip-ons, some higher, some lower.Take your choice.

The switches from a cbr600 and probably others will work. Check back thru the threads. The master cylinder needs to be the same bore or the brakes won't work properly. Again check the old threads here and http://hondacb1.proboards7.com/


The turn signals are available cheaply from ebay as are the stems to mount them. Don't look for old stems, they go hard as nails after 18yrs and break easily. New ones are about $8 and are quite soft and springy compared to originals. They will save damage if the bike is ever dropped.

The headlight is most likely common to a number of other bikes in the Honda line up. A read of the archives should help there too. Another alternative is to mount streetfighter type dual aftermarkets but don't count on much in the way of illumination. The original headlight is very good.

Good luck with the restoration and keep us informed of your progress.

[bbanna]

Nice to have you on board. Always good to see people choose the CB-1. Of all the bikes I have owned, it is my favorite. OK, the NC30 was equally my favorite.

If you are not in a hurry, I may be able to help you out with some of the bits you are looking for and if you want to upgrade, I can help out also. I am in the process of rebuilding my bike so I have some parts you may want or need.

I am currently in the mode of obtaining the replacement parts. Once I get those parts, I can release the old parts for sale. Some of those parts I will be releasing is a complete CBR600F3 front end with wheel. A complete rear swing arm with CBR929 shock and F3 rear wheel.

I should be able to list everything in about a month. Waiting on parts from England and Japan to arrive.

Brian

[Rusty]

Welcome here What part of Pa. you in? I'm in the south west corner. On the Mon River. Black and gold you know. If you're not too far away, I could give you a hand.