HAVE PEOPLE GONE MENTAL

[paul G]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/390930507587?ssPageName=STRK:MESINDXX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1436.l2649

The last one went for over £60, I picked one of these up for £17 a few months ago.
The one above actually looks like it has a dent in it mental.

[AshimotoK0]

Reckon DSS will repro them pretty soon. They are dead easy to repro, especially  the metal bit by laser cutting . Could easily do it myself if I could be bothered. It was the same with grab rails years ago until Honda reproduced them  again.

Cheers .. Ash

[Lobo]

Aye carrumba... It even looks rather "shabby"....

The awful realisation is that my SOHCs are worth far more in bits than complete.... but the thought of breaking them would be just too much to bear...

..... And luckily, I don't have to.

[bike-pusher]

Well, as the seller, I'm pleased.

I think people underestimate the desire of some people to have "original" parts.  Replicas, no matter how good, simply will not do.

EDIT:  Yes, I remember selling OE grab handles for over £100.  Those were the days....

[Clem2112]

It's the free p&p that lures them suckers in !

[paul G]

As the seller I would be delighted too.
It's only the last two that have gone for this sort of money, but as you say the desire to get hold of one, especially if you missed out on the last one.

Wish I had half a dozen.

[AshimotoK0]

Well, as the seller, I'm pleased.

I think people underestimate the desire of some people to have "original" parts.  Replicas, no matter how good, simply will not do.

EDIT:  Yes, I remember selling OE grab handles for over £100.  Those were the days....

Don't agree. I bet I could repro that clip and you wouldn't tell the difference unless you got your magnifying glass out saying it had been laser cut on the edges rather than stamped. Not doing it though ... can't be bothered as I have one on my bike anyway.

A lot of the Genuine Honda  parts are not the same as original anyway. I have a Genuine Honda  NOS CB400/4 seat and the clips on the back of the chrome studs are definitely not the same as my bike from 1975.

Problem is with people paying silly money is it hikes the price for the saner (well almost saner) ones among us. People spend twice as much on restoration as the bike is worth and then start moaning on about it, sometimes on here !

Cheers .. Ash.

[matthewmosse]

Pretty sure I threw one of them in with a job lot of engine bolts when I broke a 400/4 engine a couple of years back. Bonkers money, glory of selling on ebay when stuff goes ballistic like that but it makes me rather reluctant to part with any of my parts stash given I hope to get another 40 years out of my sohc bikes, even if it means lpg converting them or brewing up my own bio fuel if the oil runs out.

[bike-pusher]

Ash, I think Honda changed the stud fixings on the seats at some point during the production run, actually, because I have noticed it on genuine OE seats in good unrestored condition.  Honda has a habit of changing minor parts of components here and there.

And don't get me started on the sleeves on the rose joints of 400 Four gear lever assemblies....

[AshimotoK0]

Also don't think I am having a pop at you bike-pusher. You explained your reasons for selling the parts for high prices ( not start prices mind you), when you came on here and I have the same money pit as you . No not a Honda .. another daughter at Uni.. her rent alone costs me 425/month. It's just that since DSS and other people are reproducing parts I don't think the 400/4 is ever going to sky-rocket in price restored. Too many people loved them that much that they never parted with them, so whilst there are loads of frames and crankcase to be had there are always going to be loads of them about. BTW just clearing my loft and found the bill of sale for my 400/4 exhaust system direct from Honda  from '86  at 109 GBP ! Now that's one part that should be correct, in my view ..stunning profile and solid too.. despite having silver paint on collector joints as standard from Honda !

What we need to do on here is endorse suppliers of really nice repro parts. Take the CB750K0 clock covers / faces etc.  that 'Lecram' (Marcel) a member on here repro'd and sells. This is a part I NEVER  believed would be repro'd as good as the original but I bought the full kit directly, and  they are stunning quality/originality. They are so good that even the sandcastonly.com  guys can't find fault with them and that Yamiya have now chosen to  to stock instead of their own, overpriced inferior product.

Cheers ... Ash

[kent400]

I agree with Ash, bloody ridicules. Just don't leave your 400f parked out of your sight especially in Sutton! I'll watch out for anyone near my bike how has a 10mm spanner.

Easy enough to make that cable guide or come to that the other one that's little more than a piece of bent round stock chrome plated. I have no plans though.

I must have made close to a hundred 400f stand lifting handles when I saw people paying silly money for them. They weren't exactly the same as original but better than fitting a CB750f one and they were plated to a very good standard. They went all over the world.
Still have the press tool somewhere.

I have an item on ebay at the moment, left with them when the owner gave up on his project. If they reach the same as a couple of those clips I'll be happy and would judge that as reasonable.

[Bitsa (Ralph Wright - RIP)]

Would not have paid that for it after seeing some of the stuff other guys have made on this site like Rich, Pete, Ash, etc ask those guys to make em for you or am I out of line guys?
Cheers
Bitsa

[bike-pusher]

kent400 - I really don't like that Sutton inference.  I was offered a ringed 400 Four recently, very cheap, as the seller knew I was going to break it, and I pointed out, quite firmly, that I run a business and absolutely will not touch such stuff.

As for the rest, I start my items low.  And this is a limited company.  And sometimes people get a bargain - like the guy who got a genuine Honda 400 Four handlebar the other day (in very nice nick) for a tenner.  If people want to throw money around, let them.  I'd rather it went into my pocket than somebody else's.

As for repro parts - there are some that are damn good. I even think those repro rechromed rear guards are well worth the money.  The chrome isn't as good as OE Honda, but for £100, they're great.  Some repro instruments I've seen have been poor, but the pro restored ones are super.

The point is that the utter 100% originality anoraks simply will not countenance a pattern part, no matter how good it is.  And I'd never sell a repro as OE.  These guys want to know it's 100% genuine and original.  As I've said before, it's a sort of OCD behaviour, really.

[AshimotoK0]

Kent400's (PeterH)  restored gauges are superb BTW and not silly money. Problem is that there is also a guy called Peter restoring gauges and his ARE silly money.
Problem I have found with a few of those anoraks is that they don't apply the same fastidiousness to engine internals. I know people who have restored bikes with mega expensive genuine NOS cycle parts etc. and paid silly money for hard to get items. but not even touched the internals of a 20 odd plus  k mile bike that's been off the road for 25 years !

Funny story with my 400/4 I restored in '86 that was in my brother's barn for 23 years. I hunted high and low for the lift handle in the interim years but refused to pay the silly money and I was going to make one myself. When I got the bike back from storage it had the lifting handle on it.. I had forgotten I had fitted one to it!

Cheers ..... Ash

[Woodside]

Bracket would be worth a lot more if it came with instructions as to where it was supposed to be fitted.....
Sorry trigger?