CM400A Project

so whats the best way to turn this lever into polished aluminum. Dremel? what tip? im installing new a chrome master cylnder on the other side so want something semi-matching.

 

finally greased up the speedo cable proper today, 1st try failed, read 80 or 0. reinstalled the link and works fine now. no jittering.
My headlight options are as follows: The black plastic case (7" wide) is cracked so left turn signal droops. The LED light i bought will not fit the stock rim without deforming it more. so that option is stock light with a small dent or nada. I have the new black plastic repl. base.
The chrome dish/housing i just got has a 8" width so i would need to not only heat up my side support and bend it out, but also pray that the wiring fits through the small lower hole (the black one has 2 holes for all the wires). Otherwise i'd need to dremel or drill out the metal to fit the harnesses, havent tried it yet.



nice ride though today, got it up to 65

 

Cool.... My first learner bike was a 1980 Honda CM400T in green.

You should go thru the carbs. Your petcock being left open should not allow the fuel tank to empty. The floats in the carbs are hanging open.

Take your time, completely go thru the entire bike from road to handlebar and tire to tire.

Check the ignition system, fuel system, transmission, chain, BRAKES, TIRES.

Get a full coverage helmet along with the armored gear.

For your sake, don't go cheap on the tires. STRONGLY, suggest a set of Michelin Commanders. The tires are not odd size, they are old. There are metric size tires that will fit. A word of caution from my experience. Any motorcycle tire more than 5 years old needs to be replaced, regardless of remaining tread.


Please do not hang a bunch of gee gaas on it. You have a beautiful bike that is very close to original. These are becoming very, very scarce. Keep it OEM. Its worth more.

 

got the luggage rack LED lights installed, now if I put a bag on top you still see brakes.

 

Well, the chrome dome that i ordered has smaller turn signal threads than the stock ones so my only option is to replace the black housing and keep the stock headlight, which I did tonight.

 

added LSK fuel gauge. looking for a center bracket for it eventually.

 

first ride today with my phone mounted and charging. my speedo is a good 8mph fast, not surprisingly. rode for 2 hours.

 

new chrome master cyl..

 

New Halogen headlight. it has a parking light but i didnt hook it up yet, gonna get a yellow led for it first.
also installed St2 turn signal canceler.
also moved my LSK fuel gauge to the center using a galvanized bracket.

 

added windscreen..

 

continuing with the upgrades. Halogen bulb out, LED in. Changed thee wimpy yellow parking led (from superbright) to a brighter one. Both LED's are Auxito brand.

 

another original classic falls to the wayside........

Ride safe. Use all the protective gear. Urge to spend time taking a motorcycle safety course.

 

1. I keep all the original parts. Mods and upgrades are for safety and convenience. I'd rather drivers see me than be in the hospital but, "hey, i kept the bike original".
2. I took the CHP course last month, top of the class.

 

She's a clean old girl! I second on keeping it as original as possible or at least keeping all the oem parts you take off of her, value is just going up on these old bikes and you have a nice clean example of the CM.
Go through your carbs meticulously and soak the hard parts in carb dip, when tuning them take your time and due diligence. Often times you think it's running great only to be surprised how much better its purring after a proper tune up. I would go through the brakes and of course new tires for certain, I love the Avon RoadRiders.
I have the father of your bike, a 75' Honda 400 SuperSport with a bit of period correct road race parts and upgrades but was also sure to keep all original parts carefully wrapped and stored....even have the original tires bagged in warm storage. It all brings money when you decide to sell it someday.
Congrats on the bike and enjoy the head turns when your on the road!

 

added a tach to the right side .need to get the speedo fixed.

 

Good news, the "new" speedo off a 81 CM400E works great, i'll just subract 22k from the numbers. mine is still being refurbished.
newbie lesson, never use T power taps on wires that move, it comes loose and cuts the wire. Rewired and re-arraigned the accessories. Phone to right, TPMS to left, 12v USB above bar. Moved choke cable around the parking brake cable, it was pressing on it.

 

update.. added some chrome trim to the tank, not sure if I like it or not yet. Original speedo is back on, refurbed for $340. Next would be a replacement decal for right side.

 

O man taking me back, my first bike was a 1981 CM400A

 

if you're fuel petcock was flooding the engine, the problem could be your carburetor float. even if you forget the petcock open, the float should rise and stop the flow of fuel.

 

new tires over the weekend