Manual of Man

Project Honda CB450 Cafe Racer: Neck and Balls

Sahil — Wed, 01 May 2013 13:52:13 +0000

Haven’t updated in quite some time as the build ground to a halt while trying to replace the old loose ball bearing setup in the steering stem with a tapered bearing kit from All Balls. You can find the 22-2011 kit (cheaper than what I paid on eBay) at Amazon here. This kit will [...]

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Project Honda CB450 Cafe Racer: Stripping/Paint Frame & Air Needle Scaler Review

Sahil — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 20:18:56 +0000

This post is both a continuation of my build journal and a review for the Harbor Freight Mini Air Needle Scaler. I started stripping my my frame by using some aerosol aircraft stripper. Because I had to do this part in the garage or risk killing myself, my girlfriend, and my dog with the fumes, [...]

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Project Honda CB450: Frame Stripping Methods

Sahil — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 12:10:21 +0000

I began the mundane and tedious task of stripping down the steel frame to repaint it black. As Lady Luck left me for another man a long time ago, aircraft stripper alone doesn’t work very well breaking down the paint that was laid on this frame. I still don’t know when this was [...]

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Project Honda CB450 Cafe Racer: Lower Triple and Tarozzi Mounts Painted

Sahil — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 12:39:41 +0000

Since I painted my new top triple tree in black acrylic enamel, I pulled the lower triple clamp and stripped it down using my Dremel and a 120-grit flap disk attachment. I messed with the aluminum oxide bit and a sanding barrel for about 5 minutes until I saw it was eating through the metal [...]

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Project Honda CB450 Cafe Racer: Dremel For Cleaning Frame Welds

Sahil — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 14:19:55 +0000

Anyone who has worked on one of these old Japanese bikes knows that the welds on them looks more like snot rockets than a flat roll of dimes. Most people take the route of using an angle grinder with a 120 grit flap disk for taking down these welds and smoothing out the frame. [...]

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Project Honda CB450: Wiring Tips and A Better Wiring Diagram.

Sahil — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 13:45:07 +0000

Some thoughts/tips on the wiring work: The old plastic protector for the main harness loom is a bitch to get off, and mine was dried out it was cracking as I cut it. I replaced it with heat-rated braided sleeving and bundled the loom together intermittently with bands of shrink tubing. Buy the crimper made [...]

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Project Honda CB450: New Top Triple and Engine Removed

Sahil — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 12:52:43 +0000

Some updates: Got the new billet machined triple from DCC….It’s a beaut: I painted it semi-gloss black with some Dupli-Color Acrylic Enamel, it looks great. Just make sure you read the direction when using this. You’ve got a 20 minute re-coat window, if you miss that, you’ve got to wait a full 7 days for [...]

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Project Honda CB 450: More Mice

Sahil — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 22:03:47 +0000

This update was supposed to be made awhile ago. I’ve stripped the bike down to get the motor out. Carbs, exhaust, seat, and wiring harness are off. As I got the shift lever/front chain cover off, I found another surprise left for me by the 450′s previous occupants. See here for previously found treasures. I’m [...]

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Review: Hardcore Hatchet by Hardcore Hammers

Sahil — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 16:56:38 +0000

I had debated posting this article on Stormcrow Group rather than here, because it’s arguable whether a hatchet is outdoor gear or a tool. But because of how this hatchet is made, what I’ve used it for so far, and its company, I decided to post it here. It is truly an excellent tool [...]

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Wheelers & Dealers: Lowside Syndicate

Sahil — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 15:22:43 +0000

I first came across Lowside Syndicate early in my build this year when I was fervently scouring the internet for design inspiration. In those days, I was starting anew on the builder scene, so to speak, after fixing up my first bike, 76 Honda CB 750, while home from college for the summer in [...]

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