I've alway's liked the Honda 450. I bought a '68 toaster tank 450 from a friend a couple of months ago. The motor gets worse the deeper I go. He didn't know the history and it is a mystery. I just liked the drums and the tank so I had to have it. Today I brought home a nice '73 450 that I really like too. It's fairly low miles and complete. Good base. I'm thinking of merging my favorite parts of each and having a sporty, comfortable, and good looking bike with a lot of spare parts. These things aren't just falling out of trees anymore as I've learned while searching for parts. Later on I might take the leftovers and build a cafe bike with a honking motor. Here's the '68 as it was when I brought it home. Troutrider
Here's the new 450 I brought home today. I'm thinking the taillight, front drum-wheel, toaster tank, front fender, and a few odd bits from the '68 will be in phase 1 of the transformation. Along with the usual stuff to get a bike running after snoozing for several years. Can't wait to break out the steel wool and see what lies underneath the crust. Troutrider
Wow, that thing looks like it's already been restored! Nice! Looking at a local one, 1970 model. A bit rough to say the least.
Hey troutrider, it looks like your 1968 K1 has a K2 side cover. "Air cleaner covers were changed on the CB450K2, with a new shape and a new cast metal emblem reading 450 DOHC".. Here's a 1968 CB450K1
1. you have good taste. 2. yes and no. the 70's Honda's continue to amaze me with their presence for lack of a better word. with the H1's H2's Z series, Yamaha 350 and 400 two strokes, etc. growing up in the 70's Honda's from my crews perspective got no respect. of course not having a Honda dealer in town and a big presence from the other 3 helped, but Honda's were geek bikes to us. I just LOVE the 500/550 4's. 450's like yours. and on and on and on. they just look good. they don't need help like a 650 Yamaha, or maybe the street tracked 650's look so good everyone mods them. which is fine. but the 70's Honda's kick butt. buy everyone you can 20 years from now you'll say I should have bought more. and people haven't even caught on to the late 70's F bikes yet...
Funny, I bought a trailerload of 750F and 900F from a friend. About $5k in NOS parts in plastic, 2 complete sets of perfect bodywork, lots of custom motor parts, etc. I learned then never to buy a bike that was torn apart by someone else. I struggled with it for 2 years and finally sold the whole mess. My '68 was thrown together by a local salvage yard that has been gone for decades. Nothing matched, including motor and motor parts. Side covers were off who knows what. Lots of good parts. The '74 is complete and original. It's going to be fun to combine the 2 and have the best of both worlds. I am NOT going to turn it into a cafe bike, not that there's anything wrong with that. Just a few things to make it more to my liking and a little more sporty and comfortable. I am really liking the color. Getting some ideas in my head...... Troutrider
Took this one apart in a tiny shed with a walmart tool set and some hammers. Bought everything I needed off eBay cheap. Very first bike, and was a classic
I'm sure he's talking about the 750 and 900 F's. First one I ever saw was bought by a friend of mine. If he rode more than 10 minutes he would forget to put his foot down when he stopped. I got tired of helping him pick it up and he realized that riding wasn't in his best interest. Sold it within a month. Probably saved his life. Freddie Spencer rode a 900F to a Championship or two. Might have been the first AMA Superbike Championship. Silver w/ blue stripes. Pretty bike. Troutrider
