CB400 Wheel rims - What did Honda Use?

[Bloggs]

Does anyone know if Honda always used DID wheel rims or did they mix with Takasago?

The front wheel on my bike is a Takasago but may well be a rebuild as at some time the bike did have a accident in the past, as witnessed by other damage / replacement items used.

Michael

[Nurse Julie]

DID is the standard wheel, they never came from the factory with Takasago fitted.

[Athame57]

Does anyone know if Honda always used DID wheel rims or did they mix with Takasago?

The front wheel on my bike is a Takasago but may well be a rebuild as at some time the bike did have a accident in the past, as witnessed by other damage / replacement items used.

Michael

A bit unrelated really, but back in the 1980s I was a dispatch rider on a hand to mouth lifestyle (until I got better at the job) I bought a Kawasaki Z400J second hand and it was clearly another dispatch bike. Alas I bought it of someone I knew from the 59 club, but not well enough to know he was quietly a dodgy buyer/seller type. I never could get the fork seals to last and something was amiss. I bottomed out the suspension in a square pot hole coming off the A23 in a bend at about 70mph, causing a triangular ding in the wheel rim that caused an immediate Tank slapper  that just about spat me off at around 60mph. I didn't do myself or the bike much harm, we both ended up on grass.  But when I got a Z400J wheel and handlebars from a breaker the wheel wouldn't fit to the forks. Eventually it was discovered I had a front end from a Z500J hooked up to my bike. The grey tank didn't match the grey panels either. It was obviously a  victim of a previous big front ender and got fixed as a Frankenbike. I never spoke to HIM again.

[Bryanj]

I think Silver used to sell the Takasago as a cheaper decent alternative to did

[AshimotoK0]

I agree with Julie but some early smaller bikes came with KAGA rims ...for example the CD175 sloper and I have never seen a DID rim on that model. Early Takasago rims are stamped with a date code so that will give you an idea. A nightmare for rivet counting Z1 etc restorers. Honda also used  Araya rims  on some smaller bikes along with DID (CB175 etc).
In the 1980s I used Takasago rims on my 400F which I replaced a couple of years ago with non-scripted DID and sold the wheels with those Takasago rims on ..so there is a least one 400F out there with them on.

[ComfySofa]

Took a rusty set of DiD's off of mine...it was cheaper (when i was renovating ) to buy a set of alloy Rims and stainless spokes. At the time rechroming the original rims cost twice as much as the alloy rims and spokes...

[Laverda Dave]

I was quoted £300 EACH two weeks ago to rechrome two wheel rims for a 400/4. I've bought two new ones from DSS although they are not the original Japan DID but are made in Taiwan.