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Topics - Mikep328
1
« on: February 04, 2024, 11:56:34 AM »
My wife and I are thinking of joining some friends who are doing a two-week tour of France/Italy in May on motorcycles. They will be hiring motos in Italy. We would be riding ours from the UK. My wife would be on her Honda NC750 and though I have a current litre-bike available, I am thinking of riding the 400. It is now my favorite motorbike to ride for the type of riding we enjoy...day rides on twisty back roads. But that's quite different from touring with the necessary "luggage" for several weeks of riding. I'm also wondering if the hi-revving little four would lose some of its appeal in such use, becoming "buzzy" and annoying rather than fun. Anybody done this sort of thing on the 400? Back in the day I rode my Honda CL350 across most of the USA but I was in my early 20s then and luggage/comfort were of minimal concern! But I don't even know who that guy was! 
2
« on: December 02, 2023, 12:21:58 PM »
Actually I haven't really come to terms. The inner Luddite is often dominant.. One of my several projects when I am reunited with my CB400 four in April is to remove the E-ignition the bike came to me with (appears to be the unit DSS sells) and install an original ND points plate and ND advance unit I just acquired. Yeah, I know...removing the E-ignition sounds crazy! But heck, it's no crazier than when I removed all the hex-head screws that a previous owner had installed on the engine and replaced them with OEM JIS screws!  Q: Are you replacing the EI because it's causing a problem? A: NOPE, works perfectly/bike runs great. Q: WTF? A: I like like seeing the mechanical-ness of the points opening/closing. Q: But you can't see them under normal conditions, can you? A: No. Q: WTF? A: Some of us are weird! Don't know why. I don't have any more time to discuss this, I'm going to go relax/listen to a tape on my RT707. 
3
« on: November 25, 2023, 12:45:49 PM »
Hi all! I am in the US for the next few months and want to buy a new wiring harness to install when we go back to the UK in April. I see harnesses that are listed as "aftermarket" harnesses with the prices varying from as low as around 70 USD to 125 USD. They look exactly the same to me. A few of the listings state that their harness is made in Taiwan, others don't mention the origin at all. Does anyone know if there is really any difference in the various harnesses or is it the same harness from Taiwan that everyone is selling at different prices? They all claim to "exactly" match the OEM harness as far as wire color and connectors. I don't have a problem spending more for better quality but I don't want to spend more to get the same thing!
4
« on: October 29, 2023, 08:31:13 AM »
Is there any difference between the mechanicals/frame/etc between the two bikes? IOW, can the tank/sidecovers/exhaust be swapped to turn the bike into either one appearance-wise?
5
« on: October 12, 2023, 01:35:42 PM »
Sorry to ask that question but my storage garage, where the bike stays, is a mile away and I'm hoping to get an answer without having to walk over there.  So the outer diameter of the carb where the air filter rubber attaches is...  I'm thinking of velocity stacks, despite all the evidence suggesting it's a bad idea. If someone already knows of a specific stack that fits I'd appreciate the info.
6
« on: October 10, 2023, 09:00:27 AM »
Very annoying! Went to change the oil yesterday for the first time on my watch. Drain plug was very tight - couldn't budge it with a 17mm 3/8" drive socket/ratchet but I finally got it off with a 17mm 1/2" drive. The filter bolt was partially seized to the filter "case" and had been buggered/rounded so no wrench would fit. It was also extremely tight and very difficult to remove. After removing it, I 'adjusted' the hex head with some file work to take an 11mm socket/wrench. Then, in proceeding with the change, found that the washer that goes between the spring and the filter was missing. I thought maybe it had stuck to the filter or maybe fell on the floor when I disassembled everything but that was not the case, in fact, I could see the imprint of the spring itself in the rubber on the filter. So that was the end of the oil change procedure until I get a washer. I went to the local hardware store but nothing of that size available so I ordered that and a couple of other small parts from DS, including a new filter bolt, which I decided was better than my 'adjusted' filter bolt. I wanted to order a genuine part with the original 12mm hex but they were out of stock so I ordered the (much cheaper) aftermarket with the 17mm hex. Can't really think why a 17mm hex is needed on a fitting that only needs to be tight enough to compress an O ring... TBH, I wonder about the relief valve on the aftermarket bolt vs the original but since it's just a spring and a plunger, I assume it's perfectly OK. Any conflicting views re that? If so, I'll just put my (now) 11mm bolt back in! The good news is that the old oil looked new and the old filter did not have any scary-looking deposits. I was pleased to see that since the engine had been rebuilt by a shop (previous owner) last year. OTOH, the absence of that filter washer and the buggered hex head on the bolt is somewhat disquieting. I would have thought that a shop doing the engine work would have ensured the washer was present and that a new filter bolt was installed... 
7
« on: September 28, 2023, 10:12:43 PM »
Those rubber parts on my 400 are quite hard, more like plastic than rubber. Is that normal? The airbox is a DS replacement from 2018, I don't know about the age of the manifold/carb rubbers. The clamps, which appear to be original, have to be closed to the maximum to apply decent pressure and even then the airbox rubbers can slide on the carbs if pushed/pulled in/out.
I see that the manifold to carb rubbers are available at DS but I don't see the airbox/carb rubbers available. Is there a source for them other than DS?
8
« on: September 23, 2023, 06:32:15 AM »
Having managed to get the front brake working well thanks to advice here, my original concern that I might need to install a Brembo or other replacement master cylinder to get good brakes is no longer relevant.
My goal with this bike is to have it as original-looking as possible. For example, I recently purchased new shocks that match the originals, replacing the Hagons that were on the bike. The Hagons worked perfectly well but were not all-chrome as were the originals.
SO...I'm trying to determine what was the correct master cylinder cap for a 1976 UK CB400. I haven't been able to find a definitive period ad/brochure, etc to clarify that. Below are the two examples (from DS). Can anyone tell me which cap would have been on a new, UK 1976 model? I have seen a German ad from '76 and it has the "WARNING" cap but I can't find anything to definitely show if the UK model had that or the other cap.
I can't find a reference to "J1703" brake fluid earlier than 2001 which would indicate that that cap would not have been on a 1976 motorcycle but I want to verify that.
9
« on: September 12, 2023, 10:22:13 AM »
I see that new faces are available for the clocks and I see that some folks here have sent the clocks out for refurb. Has anyone here purchased the faces and installed them "at home?" I assume the big issue is the chrome ring - specifically removing it without damaging it so badly that it looks bad/can't be recrimped in place.
I don't have a conceptual problem with sending them out to a pro but I don't like to see the bike out of service for an extended period and I prefer doing all work myself if possible.
The clocks work perfectly and look OK but the faded red on the tach bothers me! My goal with this bike, in addition to it being my daily rider is to have it look as original as possible but not "brand new." Basically I want it to look like it might have with normal riding maybe 12-18 months after original purchase.
10
« on: September 11, 2023, 06:16:38 AM »
11
« on: September 08, 2023, 06:18:04 AM »
I want to verify that the correct tappet clearance is, indeed, .005mm/.002" as shown in the shop manual. I have never seen a tappet clearance that small and want to verify folks experienced with these engines that it is not a typo! Re gauge- synching the carbs: Page 6 of the shop manual states that to adjust synchronization, first turn the throttle stop screw so that the clearance between the throttle lever and stay is 56mm. Is that normally done or is sync more often performed at idle or some other specific RPM? The bike is running great overall and idles nicely at 1200 RPM but there is some roughness at constant slight throttle opening, as in slow town traffic where the throttle is at maybe 1500-1800 in low gear. This was very apparent/annoying in Bristol yesterday.  It also still does not take opening the throttle quickly as well as I think it should. I figure the mixture screws need more attention and/or my bench sync was not as good as I thought it was.
12
« on: September 06, 2023, 12:07:47 PM »
Today, when replacing the shocks, I found that on my bike, the right shock upper mount had a washer on the inside (between the shock and fender area); the left side had a rubber Oring (?) on the inside. I assumed the washer was correct and the Oring was not but per the Honda parts book, there is no washer (or Oring) shown on the inside that I can see. Is it correct that there is no washer between the shock and fender on the upper mount or did I miss it in the parts diagram?
To try to be clear, the upper right assembly was, from inside - out: Washer, Shock absorber, washer, nut. The left was: Oring, shock absorber, washer, nut.
13
« on: September 06, 2023, 08:17:29 AM »
OK...so is there any functional or 'quality' difference between the two? If this forum didn't exist, I would probably buy the "genuine" filter because it 'sounds better' but if there is no actual difference, I don't see the point in spending more money for the same thing.
14
« on: September 01, 2023, 10:35:17 PM »
I know that a stencil is available to paint the "Honda" logo on the rear of the 400 seat. Is there an OEM seat cover available - or complete OEM seat, for that matter - that has the logo?
15
« on: September 01, 2023, 03:29:17 PM »
We fly from Bristol to the IOM every year for the Manx GP for 10 days and hire motos on the IOM. For next year planning, I'm thinking about taking our own bikes, my '76 CB400 and a current Kawasaki Z900RS, on the Liverpool-IOM Ferry but carrying them in a van. What would be a good hire van choice to carry those two bikes and one passenger?
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