New 400F Member in The Colonies

[Brian G]

Good Day, Everyone -

As I've already had assistance from a forum member (Thanks, Peter!) and from the 'Search' function in advising me on a frame-off rebuild of a '75 400F for my long-suffering wife, I thought it fitting that I introduce myself prior to asking a bunch more questions!

I live on the East Coast of Canada, where SOHC 4s of any size are relatively rare. There's a 550 in my garage as well which is often ridden by my wife; however, even after lowering the triple tree on the forktubes, fitting shorter shocks and shaving some foam from the seat, The Dear Little Thing still finds the 550 a bit of a handful. She had a chance to ride a beautiful CB400F owned by Lynn and Joel Samick of Retro-Tours a couple of years ago and fell in love with it. I've always thought they were little jewels, so when a barn-find presented itself last year, I grabbed it while I could - as I say, they're scarce as hens' teeth around here.





It had been ridden hard, put away wet and stored in an outdoor shed for about 5 years.

Taking everything apart was the easy bit -



and I've now started putting her back together. And there are so many questions...





Anyways, I'm pleased to meet you all and will pop over to the 350/400 board now in search of wiring guidance 

Best Regards,
Brian

[Nurse Julie]

Welcome to the forum Brian. Great to have a 400/4 owner from another country on here. Good luck with your rebuild.

[kevski]

Welcome to the forum, and does that rocket 3 have ray gun exhaust's?

[Chris400F]

Welcome Brian, from yet another 400/4 owner!
Plenty of help and advice available on here so fire away.
If it's guidance on routing of wiring you are after there are useful diagrams in both the CB350/400 Shop Manual and the CB400 Setup Manual, both available in Ashimoto's Dropbox aty http://www.sohc.co.uk/index.php/topic,8884.0.html.

[K2-K6]

Welcome to the forum Brian, I too was looking at what I thought was a Rocket 3. One of the most evocative BSAs I think and used to watch John Cooper race on his works triple many years ago.

[Brian G]

Welcome to the forum, and does that rocket 3 have ray gun exhaust's?

Hi Kevski & K2-K6 -

Yes, the R3 has raygun exhausts. The bike is all stock except for a Tri-Spark electronic ignition. She thinks she's the Queen of the Garage and is certainly the most temperamental of the residents. It's interesting, sometimes, to compare the philosophies of England and Japan when it came to building motorcycles 

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Regards,

[kevski]

Welcome to the forum, and does that rocket 3 have ray gun exhaust's?

Hi Kevski & K2-K6 -

Yes, the R3 has raygun exhausts. The bike is all stock except for a Tri-Spark electronic ignition. She thinks she's the Queen of the Garage and is certainly the most temperamental of the residents. It's interesting, sometimes, to compare the philosophies of England and Japan when it came to building motorcycles 

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Regards,

Always liked the look of them and the sound, looks like a nice K3 i used to have a 500K3, with regards to the UK bike industry bad management and a reluctance to update coupled alongside of a nobody can build better than us attitude killed our bike and car industries.

[Johnwebley]

welcome Brian,

 a nice collection of bikes there,I loved the early Raygun 750's,as racers they sounded  wonderful,especially being in front of a MV 3 !!!


 this forum is a happy friendly place,wicked humour as well,,
but gragually being taken over by masses of 400-4 's !!!

[mike the bike]

Doing a great job there Brian, bringing back a 400 four from the brink.   I think there should be a bike version of Wheeler Dealers.  Dunno if you watch that in Canada though

Ed,  Ed,  I just got me a 400 four.!!!

[Brian G]

Thank you for the warm welcome! Plus the advice and encouragement from which I've already benefitted in the few days since I signed up.

I loved the early Raygun 750's,as racers they sounded  wonderful,especially being in front of a MV 3 !!!

One of the things, along with the history and cachet,  I love most about the Old Dear - that exhaust note will rip the yellow line right off the asphalt  (especially compared with the 'potato-potato' sound of most of the bikes in this area. It's also fun at the coffee shop on a sunny Sunday afternoon explaining that the gears are changed from the right-hand side and that lump of metal on the front wheel is a twin-leading shoe drum brake! I've had people (usually younger) ask if it's Japanese (despite the Union Jack on the rear mudguard, the 'Made in England' inscription on the licence plate frame and the wee spot of oil under the engine ) and whether or not the engine is a diesel. 

but gragually being taken over by masses of 400-4 's !!!

I've been a member of SOHC4.net for years and they were - and continue to be - of immense help with the 550. My understanding - which has recently been confirmed correct - is that the 400/4 was better suited to the tight turns and short straights on narrow two-lane roads in the U.K. and Europe than to the boulevards and arrow-straight dual-carriageways of North America and that consequently, my entreaties for help with the rebuild might reach a wider audience here. I'm looking forward to being a part of the community.

I think there should be a bike version of Wheeler Dealers.  Dunno if you watch that in Canada though

An excellent idea, Mike - maybe they can get James May to host it! We don't get Wheeler Dealers in Canada but I watched it while working in the North Sea.

See you on the boards 
Regards,

[Laverda Dave]

Welcome Brian. I joined the forum about 12 months ago and found everyone on here to be free with advice and help, a great bunch.
I love the BSA, a great bike, great colour and styling. I have a Laverda Jota, the exhaust sound of an air cooled triple is addictive! A good book to read is 'Whatever happened to the British motorcycle industry ' by the late, great Bert Hopwood. Its a book that tells warts and all why the British industry failed. Christmas present idea maybe?

[MCTID]

Brian G......welcome to the Forum.....I'm sure you'll enjoy the bottomless pot of wisdom, bountiful banter and oodles of good humour. I had to laugh about the 'Union Jack' comment because I lived in Canada for a couple of years in the 70's and got fed up with always being asked 'What part of Scotland are you from'.....so I sewed a Union jack on the sleeve of my jacket, and I used to just thrust it in the direction of the enquirer.

It didn't stop them asking the same question though !

I never got to Prince Edward Island as I lived in Toronto, but I did visit Edward Island, Ontario - a brilliant place for biking and camping on my Suzuki GT500. Happy daze.

[K2-K6]

Out with the family today, so not on a bike, I allways stop into my local bike meeting place at Newlands Corner near Guildford if it's even close to my route home in the hope of seeing anything interesting out and about.

Anyway, a lovely BSA Rocket 3 pulled up, bright original (I think) lime green. Sounded really nicely put together, very sweet. He wound it up for us spectators and what a sound, lovely deep heavy base with nice ripping wail at the top end from those raygun pipes, even better as he pulled away.

Now, alot of people sit around watching telly and stuff on these sort of days, but it was worth going out to hear that. What a bike, we should have made more like that!