Honda-SOHC
General => New Member Introductions => Topic started by: Mr-Gear on June 12, 2014, 05:16:55 PM
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Good Afternoon Gents,
My Names Ryan, 22, Hampshire, Currently riding a Varadero 125 '04 (Couple of scuffs up the side ;) from my first year on two wheels and 10k miles so far) and in the process of upgrading to a CB400F (Once I replace the clutch and it gets through the MOT) Not sure of the Model but it has the footrests on the frame and not the swing arm so I believe it's one of the later ones. Sounds Lovely, that's all that matters. I'll have a look at uploading pictures later of both bikes.
_I'm a COMPLETE beginner with regards to mechanics and electrical_
Glad to see such huge support for these motors which will in no doubt be of great help in the near future! Looking forward to it.
(Hopefully) To a long and great future of riding, Cheers.
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Welcome Ryan, glad to see some young blood interested in these old bikes, plenty of 400 four owners on here to give you any advice you need, cheers, Mick
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Plus 1 with Mick
Welcome
Cheers
Bitsa
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Hi and welcome to the site, and another 400/4 in tow------ken but I am not sure about the gentlemen bit, sounds a bit ambitious to me!
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Welcome
These old boys come in handy.
Theirs no diagnostic ports on these old girls you have to dig in and get dirty. ;)
Mick
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Welcome mate
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This is interesting as my son is 23 and I have a yellow one of these myself. No CBT yet for him though....
Very easy to work on. Sounds like you have an F2 like me (also available in Candy Antares Red). Please post pics
Welcome and enjoy.
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welcome ,and thanks for the compliment !!!!
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Wow check out the responses! Thanks for the warm welcome guys!
I've tried attaching some photos, Might be over the file size limit. she fired up on all four once i drained the old fuel out and ran some new stuff through, a new battery and an oil change! I've changed the coils over to some new ones as the old HT leads looked a bit old. just waiting for a new clutch kit to come from good old David silver as the clutch has well and truly seized on this one!
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Welcome Ryan. Just watch out for the French git Bitsa. Enjoy.
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Hi Ryan and welcome, the bike looks great enjoy the forums
pete
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Welcome from me too. This forum is a great place to visit for UK guys. The American site is great too but you get that 'personal touch on here'.
Nice bike ... I got my first 400/4 when I was 22 !!
Like the title Ryan ;D: Reminds me of an old boss I had, way back, who looked like Boycie from "Old Fools and Horses". His Draconian memos to everyone used to always start "Gentleman" ... then something like ... "Do as I say or else you will be replaced"
Cheers ... Ash
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@ash: Sounds like a top bloke haha!
I'm gonna be using this beaut as my commuter to work (a car isn't particularly practicle considering my working hours and dreaded traffic around here), I'm buying the bike to ride and love with the good times aswell as the bad. not it's re-sell value!
Roughly 40 odd miles a day, maybe a bit more (Not motorway) not much starting and stopping, backroads/country, is there much I should be aware of or at least bear in mind with this particular bike? Or any decent practical modifications? Plenty of moaning around the internet about them being fragile, tbh I tend to try and take things with a pinch of salt as no matter what you get, someone, somewhere will be able to find any reason that something is rubbish haha.
Below is my current bike! I love the Vara, Very nice and comfortable bike but it's a bit under-powered and I feel it is probably a bit stressed doing between 8 - 10k rpm everyday. Never missed a beat though! Even back during those horrible winter months leading up to and just after christmas just gone. Those were some morbid commutes!
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Varadero's are good old work horses I borrowed one for a few days when they first come out 2 up it did 80mph
But theirs nothing wrong with an up grade. :D
Mick
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Hello and welcome Ryan, sounds like you're getting to grips with the 400 already so should be good fun looking after it.
Tips should always begin with oil condition on these (guess that goes for most motors) but really is the basis of long service and reliability.
Have fun, where abouts in hampshire are you?
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Whoops Ryan bleary eyed and didn't read the post correctly, thought you were going to use 400/4 to commute !!! ::) ::) anyway here was the answer:
ChrisR, who is a member here, commutes every day from Retford to Sheffield one of his bikes a 400/4 I think. He used it even during the bad snow a couple of years back, when car drivers stayed at home! 400/4 bikes were used by dispatch riders in London, pre CX500 so sounds like a really good idea to use as a commuter. I would think that with regular oil changes, camchain adjustment and front caliper maintenance everything would work out fine. I commuted to work on 400/4's from 1978 to around 1984 until some low-life stole my 'Parakeet' Yellow one.
Cheers ... AshD
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Hello Ryan and welcome to the forum ;) cheers Mick.
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@k2-k6: I typically change the oil in my 125 every 1500mi (Halfords Semi Synth ;)) and I'm from fareham
@Ash: Sorry to hear about your yellow number! Shame we can't just have nice things without having to worry about that sort of crap! but what you said about "ChrisR" gives me confidence!
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CX500, CX500 the worst bike in the world ;) Was my bread and butter for years, must of built over 2,000 of those engines. Nothing wrong with the engines but, people forgot to change the oil or they had a weeping mechanical seal and blocked the drain hole which caused the water to be pushed in to the oil.
The London work horse from 1978 upto 1995 and still see a couple knocking about.
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OK I will stick an oar in and say I used to do the camchain mod INSIDE the Honda spec time!!!
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Silvers just got in their repro cam chain guide for CX500 which is NLA from, Honda, I gather.
Anyone remember when they road tested the CX when it first came available to the press and the big ends went, due to not running in properly and tight shell /journal clearances.
I like that Cafe CX500 that 'Doc' or whatever he's called does in the US.
Cheers ... AshD
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What was the book time??? Always easier when the crash bars were fitted.
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I like that Cafe CX500 that 'Doc' or whatever he's called does in the US.
Cheers ... AshD
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Wow - who'd have thought a maggot could look that good :P