The moment of truth...

[Bodd]

Nice one Drew, the bike is a credit to you, have fun and keep it shiny side up.

[Lobo]

Beautiful... Honda just got everything so right on this bike.
Well done Drew.

Everytime I walk upto mine it's like being back in 1978, having just collected it from the showroom.

What a bloody dinosaur...

Simon

[Drew400]

Hi all,

Thanks again for your kind words.... nearly in tears here!

Sadly, I never owned a SOHC in 70's/80's, but I admired plenty of them. Not least my mate's brown 550K that accompanied me and my Suzuki T500 to Land's End & J'OG. He got a lot more miles from his fuel than I did!

Anyhow, made up for that now and 'made up' too. Bike's starting its (long, dry) retirement before I do.

Next step MOT and then the open road..... (and maybe another project)

Cheers, D. (stands for Dinosaur)

[ka-ja]

Hi Drew,
              Your grin can only get bigger-well done!---Ken

[andut]

Well done Drew !

The bike looks and sounds great definitely a source of inspiration for me !

Andy

[Drew400]

Thanks chaps.

Will get the insurance sorted soon!

Cheers, D.

[Lynx]

Congratulation Drew! Another classic Honda saved from the scrappy and an excellent bit of video too .

[JamesH]

Personally I think they're  beautifully balanced looking bike (from the RHS at least - what's not to love about the swooping headers?). And that's coming from a die-hard lover of the 750's...

Drew - you've done an amazing job on your restoration and should be rightly proud. Well done mate.

Go on then OddJob surprise us - what's your mysterious favourite?

[Lobo]

Sorry OddJob... very remiss of me (!)... now amended to...

"Pesonally, I reckon Honda just about got everything so right on this bike."

I'll choose my words more carefully in future!

Simon

[Drew400]

Thanks for the comments and compliments, chaps.

I have no expertise to discuss tensioner engineering, but I do agree with the general style comment that 4 into anything else usually looks better than 4 into 1 (sorry 750F fans). However, even though the the 400 design was apparently a correction for an engineering problem (apocryphal story perhaps?), the bike has subsequently acquired iconic status as a result. The beauty of the header pipes has defied the aging process of all other aspects of the bike and many other bikes too.

As mentioned it's my first SOHC, despite being a fan for a long time. Maybe one day I'll get a 4 into 4.

In the meantime, I did have a C50. Fond memories of arriving for my first date with my now Mrs. after the Yamaha XS1100 she was expecting (to impress her dad) rolled off the stand with a rear puncture. No chance of pulling it back up to effect a repair; especially with by best clothes & smelly on under my bike gear and after a bath too! Yup, the C50, ultra-reliabe, albeit after getting used to the front suspension-induced sea sickness!

Puncture was a good excuse to go back for a 2nd date on the following day on a pretty impressive big bike!

Cheers,

D.

[kettle738]

That bike looks an absolute peach.....unfortunately I'm at the beginning with a rusty wreck.......but I'm already thinking about the finishing line.

What I would like to know though is.......what tyres do you have on your bike?

That front ribbed looks just right....along with the rest of it.

Mick.............kettle738

[Woodside]

I have a greeves scottish trial bike....now that suspension rocks...lwhen you use the front brake the suspension lifts?
Bike looks great by the way

[Johnwebley]

great resto on the 400,back in the mid 70's,I had a choice,
a new 400.or an as new s/h 500,off a close mate,
I decided on the 500,and still have it,

going on to the forks on C50,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorcycle_fork

are they modified Earls forks ??

[philward]

Drew
Only just spotted thread - really nice job. I remember that feeling and smile when 750 started after rebuild - wish I'd have recorded it for posterity like you.
Well done!
Phil

[Drew400]

Hi all, your appreciation is much appreciated. As are the various threads this thread seems to be spawning.

First proper ride is still over a week away, assuming she passes the MOT... looking forward to that!

Cheers,

D.