Hello from Falmouth - Cornwall..

[George Lefeurve]

Thank you for your welcomes Eldrick and Andy.. much appreciated.

I'll be sure to keep an eye open for your red 1975 Honda CB400f if I'm down your way Eldrick..

[Sifu]

Welcome

[Ken4004]

Welcome George , I am a relatively new member and I have been given lots of advice and all my questions have been answered by the more experienced members, I am sure you will gets lots of support from this group and good luck with your motor cycle .

[Murf]

Welcome George,
it’s a great forum lots of info and help plus amazingly friendly, I’m  sure you will enjoy.

[George Lefeurve]

Again.. thanks all for the warm welcome.

I've got the bike back home now after a long pick up journey. As always you can never take everything in when buying a bike, especially after you've been driving for seven hours towing a trailer. There's definitely stuff to sort out.. carbs are flooding for a start. Looks like an oil leak on the LH side of the cylinder head and another in the oil pump / gear shift area. Chain and sprockets are shot. Have managed to sort the ignition switch out though as that was playing up.

Overall though the bike is pretty tidy as is, but with some TLC and plenty of elbow grease I'm sure she'll be a head turner come springtime next year..

All the best.. George..

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

Be good to see your work as a resto project with photos of your progress.

[George Lefeurve]

Be good to see your work as a resto project with photos of your progress.

Will definitely keep the forum posted Ted. Off to France for a couple of months, so work is not going to start until the New Year.

Here's a shot of the bike safely back home in Cornwall to give people a taster..  haha

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[Orcade-Ian]

I'm a bit late to the party but welcome George - from t'other end of these Isles!
That's a lovely looking bike to start with - all of the bits you mention will be fairly easy to sort (except perhaps the carbs). I have 350, 400 and 550 fours and I wish Honda had left a bit more room to get the carbs in and out!  Hope yours are a bit easier.  I think Nurse Julie has all of the oil pump seals - worth asking her.  I imagine BryanJ will know the inns and outs of the 650 motor - it's a bit rarer on this forum.

Ian

[Laverda Dave]

That's a good looking bike you have there. Although an old engine design I think it works really well in the frame and the comstar wheels really suit it. Happy fettling 👍

[George Lefeurve]

Thank you both.. Ian and Dave..

I'm keeping my fingers crossed I don't come across too many nasties that haven't shown themselves so far. The carbs are the unknown at the moment. They'll have to come out, and yes its a tight job apparently. I've ordered a carb rebuild kit from Japan at a very keen price, so if there are no cracked castings I should be able to sort them. There's not much on setting up procedures to be had, although I have managed to get hold of a Haynes service manual for the Honda CB650 Fours.

Apparently the carbs fitted to this bike.. Keihin 50B's, are unique to this bike and a rarity, so I'm really hoping nothing is broken. As I mentioned above, cracked castings, where previous owners have over tightened the float drain screws in their tapered seats. Two carbs are leaking past those screws at the moment with a head of fuel in the tank. Still.. I'll no doubt overcome.. whatever the problem.

All the best.. George.. 

[Laverda Dave]

George, a tip and as has been discused many times on here regarding carb rebuild kits, if you can, keep the original brasswear and refit after cleaning and measuring (no wear steps on the needle and no ridges on the fuel inlet valve (use a strong magnifying glass to check)). I clean brass jets etc in clock cleaning fluid for a few minutes to soften up any crud followed by a rinse and a cycle in the ultrasonic cleaner using specific carb cleaning fluid available from Allendale and distilled water.
The brassware often supplied in carb rebuild kits can be a bit hit and miss. If your jets have a makers stamp on them and are in good condition after a clean I would reuse them.

[Johnny4428]

Hi George and welcome to the forum, bit late to the table here too but had to spend a bit of time soaking up some late sunshine in the Algarve!😜 That is a pretty tidy looking bike with reasonable looking chrome. Would imagine the 650 pretty much is a bored out 550 but not familiar at all with it.
Good luck and looking forward to updates on your project.

[George Lefeurve]

George, a tip and as has been discused many times on here regarding carb rebuild kits, if you can, keep the original brasswear and refit after cleaning and measuring (no wear steps on the needle and no ridges on the fuel inlet valve (use a strong magnifying glass to check)). I clean brass jets etc in clock cleaning fluid for a few minutes to soften up any crud followed by a rinse and a cycle in the ultrasonic cleaner using specific carb cleaning fluid available from Allendale and distilled water.
The brassware often supplied in carb rebuild kits can be a bit hit and miss. If your jets have a makers stamp on them and are in good condition after a clean I would reuse them.

Thanks for that tip Dave, I'll bear it in mind when I get to strip the carbs..

Hi George and welcome to the forum, bit late to the table here too but had to spend a bit of time soaking up some late sunshine in the Algarve!😜 That is a pretty tidy looking bike with reasonable looking chrome. Would imagine the 650 pretty much is a bored out 550 but not familiar at all with it.
Good luck and looking forward to updates on your project.

Thanks Johnny.. Ah the Algarve.. I know it well.. 
As for the 650 motor, I'm an ex Kwacker guy so I've a lot to learn, familiarise myself with Honda wise. It is a SOHC though, hence my joining the forum..