Honda-SOHC

My mate Graham Curtis has restored about 3 Parakeet Yellow 400/4s . One was a magazine resto project for Classic Motorcycle Mechanics in 1994 . So I asked him about paint and he said he had it mixed a shade  brighter yellow  than the original as he preferred it . I did the same with 'Honda Scarlet' for my 1960s bikes as the original looked slightly too orangey to me. Attached is the magazine cover and a shot  with Dinah May sitting on it as she was a model employed by Honda in the late 1970's to promote the new bikes including the 400F2.


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Below for Johnny

Johnny ... is this the green you are looking for on this original 500 panel? I think it is 'Freedom Green Metallic' ref.  'TE' but someone like Trigger/Julie/Bryan with probably be able to confirm.

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Y31 is just a Honda reference code not a paint code as such.

Isn't there a paint supplier (not painter) near you Dave that does have a spectrophotometer?

The place I go to in Hull will supply paint he has formulated from spectrophotometer readings for no extra cost.
He did that for me on some paint I got to match 'Honda Gentle Maroon Metallic' for my mate Jim using a NOS side-panel.

Peter Horton is your man. Kent400 on here.
Wondering too if it's the correct speedo for the bike though.
I think there is slight adjustment on the hairspring but a delicate job.

Mo ... I wonder if it's anything to do with the battery. Those later 5-speed epoxy coated stators are pretty reliable and you said you thought that the stator magnets still have a lot of magnetic strength, so I would imagine you should be generating a decent amount of power/

If your meter has a 10 Amp DC range it may be worth connecting it in series between the battery positive terminal and the wires that connect to the battery as in this Honda diagram attached. IMPORTANT THOUGH !!! Don't use the electric starter ... only use kick-start. Measure the current with just the yellow wire connected from the alternator and then with both yellow and white connected. Report back with your findings at tickover and 3k RPM.

If your meter does have the 10A DC range you need to connect the red probe to the high current socket on the meter. Send me details of your meter and I can suss it out if you are uncertain.
UPDATE ! You meter does indeed have a 10A DC range as I just checked it out in one of the pictures in an earlier posts and there is a 10A red socket to be used in conjunction with the normal black negative socket.

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Thanks chaps.

Can I take you up on your kind offer please Dean. I will PM details.

I never thought of it at the time - afterwards I did wonder if a couple of really close fitting bolts with a thick washers  could be inserted on each side then give them a good thump with a lump hammer. The bolt might stop the tube from distorting alternate on each side in the hope of breaking the rust layer after thorough soaking in penetrating oil. Even better if the tube was threaded to take the bolts?

I  tried everything Ted and even hack-sawing like many recommend on here but I found that the pivot tube was severely  corroded to the centre stand  (all UK bikes, so used in all kinds of weather unlike USA bikes). I did about five of my centre stands and also my friends CB250K4 early last year  by drilling out and success on every one. The good thing is that the original pivot tube was hollow so the drill centres pretty good.

I need to check the exact  size of the drill I used though .. from memory it was just slightly smaller than the pivot tube OD.

Agree with Bryan .. if original Keihin brass-ware then re-use if possible.
Also check your carb rubber diaphragms for splits.
Also check the little rubber bung that blocks one of the ports ... they sometimes go really hard.