So Much For Waiting...
 

I'm travelling for work this week, and to keep myself out of trouble (or so I thought) I was sitting in the hotel looking over Craigslist last night. As luck would have it, I came across what I think is going to turn out to be an amazing deal.
http://www.chinariders.net/attachmen...1&d=1538957517
http://www.chinariders.net/attachmen...1&d=1538957517
http://www.chinariders.net/attachmen...1&d=1538957517
Like the ad says, it's a total basket case. The guy told me that it was given to him about a year ago, and that it sat outside for about 25 years before that. He's asking $100 because he bought a gasket set and a shop manual for it, and just wants to get that money back out of it. The fact that it comes with a whole extra engine and a set of carbs is a huge bonus. Even if I just clean it up, put it back together enough to be a roller, and try to sell it again, I'm sure I can at least double my money. I'm flying back to Phoenix on Wednesday, and I'm taking the rest of the day off to go pick it up and at least start looking at what I've gotten myself into. I'll keep you guys posted.

Yeah, reading CL on the road can be expensive. Seen the pics of my garage? On the other hand, I'd be all over that twin cam like a cheap suit.

Great find. Looking forward to your future updates on it.

Thanks, Cheesy, Essayons. I thought the same thing, for $100, it'd be really hard to go wrong. Even if things go completely pear shaped for me, I have no doubt I'll be able to get my money back out of it. Hell, that extra engine may even find its way into the Hawk if something goes BANG inside the stock mill. The fact that it's the larger CL450 was what really sewed it up for me. I don't think I would be this excited about a 350. The 450's are just so much more capable. Doing a little bit of research, it seems like the stock units off the showroom floor were going right out and hitting 104-106mph. That's pretty impressive for the time. As for the way things are now, I'm tying myself up in knots trying to zoom in on the pictures and see what I want to try to get done first. Looking at it, I think that getting the front wheel back on and turning it into a roller is going to be step one. From there I'll probably start going through the engine(s) and make sure there aren't any gremlins with tiny metal hammers turned loose inside there. From there, carbs and ignition to check that things go boom when they're supposed to, and don't go boom when they're not supposed to. I seriously can't wait to get back to Phoenix and go pick this thing up.

CL 450s are very hard to find. The smaller displacement CLs are far more plentiful. Well done.

Thanks, Bender. I'm thinking more and more that I'm going to come through this deal as good as can be. When the guy said that he had someone coming to look at it, I just knew I had missed out on this deal. Then he called me up and asked if I still wanted it. I don't know if the guy turned it down not knowing what it was, or if he just never showed, but regardless the gentleman is holding it for me, and I'm just as happy as can be. I'll probably spend at least a few hours this weekend going through the parts and trying like hell to get that front wheel put back on. Making it a roller is priority number one. After that, I can tinker with it at my leisure.

What Have I Gotten Myself Into
 

http://chinariders.net/attachment.ph...1&d=1539228056
http://chinariders.net/attachment.ph...1&d=1539228056
http://chinariders.net/attachment.ph...1&d=1539228056
http://chinariders.net/attachment.ph...1&d=1539228081
http://chinariders.net/attachment.ph...1&d=1539228081

Well, I went and picked up the bike today. It's so much worse than I thought. So, so, so very much worse... :wtf: The front fork rods are bent over like spaghetti, one of the engines is completely torn apart, the other doesn't even have a head with it. The timing chain on both of the engines has been broken apart and looks like it was left on the bottom of a five gallon bucket full of water... The wiring harness is a complete write off, all the insulation on all the wires is cracked and brittle and it disintegrates as soon as you touch it. The front wheel is seized on the axle. Now for the good news. The engine that looks most complete in the pictures was actually seized up. A couple minutes with a wooden dowel, a hammer, and a can of PB Blaster and a can of AeroKroil and I was able to get it freed up. The ring are still stuck, but I figure if I can get the engine back together, I can run it for a bit and maybe the rings will free up. Time will tell on that. In any event, looks like I've got a project for at least the next winter, maybe the next decade of winters... :ohno:

Don’t look at it as project. Look at it as a challenge. Or a money pit.:)

the 450 motor was the first DOHC production motor
made in japan..

Very rare bike...be a cool bike to own....


..

Pete, I didn't know that it was the first DOHC production engine, but I did know that the CL450's are very rare and desirable. The CL350's are much more common and easy to come by. The bonus to working on a 45 year old bike is that there aren't any computers or electronics that are hard to find or have to be programmed. I have four carbs that came with the bike, and they all look like they're in pretty good shape, just dusty and dirty. All the floats are intact and don't show any evidence of corrosion or failure. The first thing I really want to do is get the front tire and lower half of the shocks torn apart. Get everything cleaned up, and see what I need to do to get the rods replaced and get the front tire back on the bike. From there, not sure where I'll go next.

I do not know what your goal would be with this bike ,but if you are not thinking it’s something you wish to ride and keep ,you would probably be better off financially to sell it or part it out now ,or at least before you spend any money or time on it .

Bruces, it’s absolutely something I’ll be holding onto. I genuinely have no idea how long it will take me to get it knocked back together and back on the road, but it’s a long term project that I’ve been after for a while. This fits the bill perfectly. Not so overwhelming that I’m likely to lose interest, and not so large that I can’t continue to work in my garage. Getting the motor freed up yesterday is a shot in the arm in a big way. Definitely something I’m likely to follow through on. Thanks for the advice, though. I certainly understand not wanting to see someone get a bunch of money tied up in a never ending problem.

Sweet find, I really like the old Honda's. What year is she? Do you plan on restoring her back into a scrambler or going the café racer route?

Thanks, Andy. She's a 1973 CL450 K5. I'm going to keep it as close to stock as possible. Most of the upgrades are going to revolve around making the bike more reliable. Digital regulator/rectifier combo, etc. The big thing that's not likely to stay "period correct" is the seat. I have two seat pans, but they're both really trashed. It would be cost prohibitive to try to find someone that could reupholster them with the right design and material.

Nice, sometimes I wish my CJ was a CL instead. The CJ was only made for two years. Did you get the exhaust with it and is it in a usable/repairable condition? I imagine an original exhaust for her would be hard to find and expensive.