Author Topic: Barn find '74 Honda DOHC CB 450__NGC  (Read 3396 times)

Offline radguzzi

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Barn find '74 Honda DOHC CB 450__NGC
« on: August 22, 2020, 07:43:55 AM »

A friend called me a couple of days ago and asked if I had any interest in a barn find '74 DOHC Honda 450... Absolutely, I'll be right over.
13, 412 miles (maybe) according to the odometer at least, last registered in 2002. 

All there, plenty of patina and red chrome but I have a thing for vertical twins, well, Any twins especially of the early 70's persuasion.  🙂

Those bars though.  I have a hard time believing that, even as a US variant that the 450 would have come so equipped. The switch gear is wired though the bars so who the Hell would go to that extreme...? They will go.

After her first bath in eighteen years...  Cleans up well and highlights the issues.  All good.  The 70's chrome on the Hondas was real solid so I am hoping that the fenders will clean up ok.




The version of bars that this one will receive...  an interweb lifted photo.  Not too far off from mine if you squint enough...lol  :grin:




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Offline LowRyter

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Re: Barn find '74 Honda DOHC CB 450__NGC
« Reply #1 on: August 22, 2020, 08:05:07 AM »
 :thumb:
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Offline Lannis

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Re: Barn find '74 Honda DOHC CB 450__NGC
« Reply #2 on: August 22, 2020, 09:13:05 AM »
The 450 DOHC Hondas were the Promised Land for us guys riding 250s and 350s at the time.

They were the ones that had dethroned the British 650 (Triumph, BSA, Norton) twins at the dragstrip or on Main Street, and they were the Big Bikes of the time (Harleys being a different world).

They never came with ape-hangers, though, so a change to proper bars would be good!

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Offline Stevex

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Re: Barn find '74 Honda DOHC CB 450__NGC
« Reply #3 on: August 22, 2020, 09:30:27 AM »
My first 'big' bike was the 500 Twin. Had a great time on it until I traded for my first Guzzi, a V50II.

Online Kiwi_Roy

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Re: Barn find '74 Honda DOHC CB 450__NGC
« Reply #4 on: August 22, 2020, 09:47:43 AM »
What a beauty  :thumb: :thumb:
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Offline BillinPA

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Re: Barn find '74 Honda DOHC CB 450__NGC
« Reply #5 on: August 22, 2020, 10:22:21 AM »
I had a 1974 CB450 when I was 19. Fresh outta boot camp, i bought it decent bike rode for a year and upgraded severely. Mine had bars like the second picture,  I agree the apes gotta go!!

Cool bike Rob

Offline cookiemech

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Re: Barn find '74 Honda DOHC CB 450__NGC
« Reply #6 on: August 22, 2020, 11:24:26 AM »
Very, very nice! My first bike was a beautiful cherry red 1971 CB450, bought in 1979. An article I read in Motorcyclist claimed that Honda really stepped up their game for 1974 on the CB450 and "dialed out" some of the vibration, so the '74s should be the best of that line (as it is the last year of production).

Hope you have a lot of fun with it.

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Re: Barn find '74 Honda DOHC CB 450__NGC
« Reply #7 on: August 22, 2020, 11:26:13 AM »
 Every 450 Honda I have ever ridden buzzed like a giant marital aid and handled like a pig on roller skates . Sorry .

 Dusty

Offline bodine99

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Re: Barn find '74 Honda DOHC CB 450__NGC
« Reply #8 on: August 22, 2020, 01:17:58 PM »
SWEET!! :thumb: Superbike bars, bar end mirrors, new sneakers, elbow grease and ride it as is!!

Offline Testarossa

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Re: Barn find '74 Honda DOHC CB 450__NGC
« Reply #9 on: August 22, 2020, 01:27:41 PM »
Torsion bar valve springs. Awesome bike in the day. I got to ride one for a few days in '72. Great fun. Pretty sure it was the first production dohc from Japan. Who else did that that -- Agusta?
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Offline Guzzi Gal

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Re: Barn find '74 Honda DOHC CB 450__NGC
« Reply #10 on: August 22, 2020, 01:38:00 PM »
 :drool:  :thumb:
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Re: Barn find '74 Honda DOHC CB 450__NGC
« Reply #11 on: August 22, 2020, 01:47:17 PM »
When I was in the Army a fellow soldier bought a used one, I don't remember what year it was. It broke a torsion bar, we replaced it on my kitchen floor. Shortly thereafter we took a three week leave and toured the whole Northwest. It was a fabulous ride that I will never forget. I worried about the torsion bar for a couple of days but the bike was flawless the whole trip.
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Re: Barn find '74 Honda DOHC CB 450__NGC
« Reply #12 on: August 22, 2020, 02:12:30 PM »
The 450 DOHC Hondas were the Promised Land for us guys riding 250s and 350s at the time.

They were the ones that had dethroned the British 650 (Triumph, BSA, Norton) twins at the dragstrip or on Main Street, and they were the Big Bikes of the time (Harleys being a different world).

They never came with ape-hangers, though, so a change to proper bars would be good!

Lannis
  Not in my world did any of those Japanese paint mixers pass my Triumph 650 paint mixer... :grin:

Offline john fish

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Re: Barn find '74 Honda DOHC CB 450__NGC
« Reply #13 on: August 22, 2020, 02:27:56 PM »
A friend of mine has one for sale.  Lovely little bike for back road exploring.  Fun, doesn't handle terribly well, and vibrates like



I like 'em.
He lost the run of himself.

Offline cookiemech

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Re: Barn find '74 Honda DOHC CB 450__NGC
« Reply #14 on: August 22, 2020, 02:37:15 PM »
Well, yes, mine vibrated a lot, but being my first bike, I didn't know any better (then I graduated to Meriden Triumphs, so not much changed).

And on the CB450 I experienced the only tank slapper of my 41 years on motorcycles. With less than a year of motorcycle riding under my belt, I amazingly did the right thing and didn't crash. No knowledge of crappy shocks, head bearing adjustment, or anything like that at the time . . .

But it was really pretty in cherry red and chrome!

Offline jumpmaster

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Re: Barn find '74 Honda DOHC CB 450__NGC
« Reply #15 on: August 22, 2020, 02:43:29 PM »
Every 450 Honda I have ever ridden buzzed like a giant marital aid and handled like a pig on roller skates . Sorry .

 Dusty

I had one my last year of college and first year of work - commuted about 35 miles each way, some of it on interstate but mostly more local roads.  My vibration reference point was a previously owned Honda CB305 Supersport that consistently put my right arm and right leg asleep when cruising at 60 mph for more than 20 minutes, but I don't remember noticing any objectionable vibration from the CB450 at highway speeds.
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Offline Daleroso

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Re: Barn find '74 Honda DOHC CB 450__NGC
« Reply #16 on: August 22, 2020, 03:12:01 PM »
Toured all over the south with a small suitcase secured with a piece of clothes line whacked off of Mom's outside dryer. Large garbage bags for raingear & newspapers for insolatiion.
Never noticed any vibration. 2nd bike after my 1st, a Zundapp.

Offline Lannis

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Re: Barn find '74 Honda DOHC CB 450__NGC
« Reply #17 on: August 22, 2020, 06:08:25 PM »
  Not in my world did any of those Japanese paint mixers pass my Triumph 650 paint mixer... :grin:

I'll betcha none of the Honda pilots had breathed on their Hondas like I suspect you breathed on your Triumph ... or else they didn't believe in their 11,000 RPM redline ... !

Lannis
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Offline jumpmaster

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Re: Barn find '74 Honda DOHC CB 450__NGC
« Reply #18 on: August 22, 2020, 06:34:20 PM »
I'll betcha none of the Honda pilots had breathed on their Hondas like I suspect you breathed on your Triumph ... or else they didn't believe in their 11,000 RPM redline ... !

Lannis

If I recall correctly, road tests from at least a couple of the motorcycle magazines of the day (1973, 74) stated that the stock CB450 kept up with or even beat the STOCK Triumph acceleration figures up to at least 50-60 mph.  Above that, the Triumphs ruled the roost.  I don't remember, but I suspect that the Triumphs also handled better at most or all speeds, but they also cost significantly more and demanded more owner maintenance attention (again, if I remember correctly).
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Online jrt

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Re: Barn find '74 Honda DOHC CB 450__NGC
« Reply #19 on: August 22, 2020, 06:39:48 PM »
Every 450 Honda I have ever ridden buzzed like a giant marital aid and handled like a pig on roller skates . Sorry .

 Dusty
My CB350 buzzed like a marital aid and handled like a greased pig on skates.  It caught on fire once when I was riding it (no big deal).  But I loved it.  I was 18 and it was the best thing going for me at the time.
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Re: Barn find '74 Honda DOHC CB 450__NGC
« Reply #20 on: August 22, 2020, 06:51:16 PM »
My CB350 buzzed like a marital aid and handled like a greased pig on skates.  It caught on fire once when I was riding it (no big deal).  But I loved it.  I was 18 and it was the best thing going for me at the time.

  :laugh: I started street bike riding on a really ratty FrankenTriumph 500 . Some of it dated from 1939 , some of it from 1949 , and some from various other years . Rigid frame , girder forks , brakes that didn't , it was glorious  :grin:

 Dusty

Offline wirespokes

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Re: Barn find '74 Honda DOHC CB 450__NGC
« Reply #21 on: August 22, 2020, 06:57:41 PM »
I had a couple of the early 450s in the early to mid 70s. I thought they were pretty cool until the ride to southern Oregon - probably 300 miles. This was back in the days of the 75 mph speed limit. I found out 50mph was my limit it shook so bad. The 500 Triumph was much much smoother that I'd ridden to Seattle a few years before - a 180 mile trip in a couple hours. Funny how it is when there's a girl at the end of the run.

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Re: Barn find '74 Honda DOHC CB 450__NGC
« Reply #22 on: August 22, 2020, 07:17:52 PM »
I'll betcha none of the Honda pilots had breathed on their Hondas like I suspect you breathed on your Triumph ... or else they didn't believe in their 11,000 RPM redline ... !

Lannis

 Yes, no rules on the street..I was a drag racer not afraid to dump the clutch 6000 rpm, spin the tire for 25 feet, no wheelie, no bog.....but if you look back at period road tests you'll see a 650 Triumph and 450 Honda with similar  1/4 mile times but the Triumph trap speed and top speed were higher. The Brit bikes also have a lot more torque ....They are really different than the Honda 450 ...

  I like the first year version...It has classic Japanese styling....

      http://www.livablelandscape.org/CYCLES/450K0detail.htm
« Last Edit: August 22, 2020, 08:28:03 PM by Rough Edge racing »

Offline Scout63

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Re: Barn find '74 Honda DOHC CB 450__NGC
« Reply #23 on: August 22, 2020, 09:23:55 PM »
Yes, no rules on the street..I was a drag racer not afraid to dump the clutch 6000 rpm, spin the tire for 25 feet, no wheelie, no bog.....but if you look back at period road tests you'll see a 650 Triumph and 450 Honda with similar  1/4 mile times but the Triumph trap speed and top speed were higher. The Brit bikes also have a lot more torque ....They are really different than the Honda 450 ...

  I like the first year version...It has classic Japanese styling....

      http://www.livablelandscape.org/CYCLES/450K0detail.htm

Very pretty Honda.  I’ve always liked the way they look but have never owned one.  Please post your impressions when you’ve ridden it a bit.
Ben Zehnder - Orleans, MA USA

Online moto

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Re: Barn find '74 Honda DOHC CB 450__NGC
« Reply #24 on: August 22, 2020, 10:39:08 PM »
In 1971 I bought a used CL450 and rode it out to start grad school in upstate New York, 2100 miles away. It did the trip okay, but later had a cam lobe fail (a common problem, I was told). After a year suffering the comparatively rainy climate (compared to SE Idaho), I sold it and gave up motorcycling for a year. I don't remember any feelings of seller's remorse at all. A bland ride over all.

I do remember having fun jumping it up the sides and out of a large gravel pit to the alarm of riders of actual dirt bikes, but it wasn't really well suited for that, and almost any bike would have done it better.

Moto

P.S. Having said all that, the bike you found is a very nice looking one. I hope you enjoy it very much.

M.
« Last Edit: August 22, 2020, 10:41:04 PM by moto »
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Re: Barn find '74 Honda DOHC CB 450__NGC
« Reply #25 on: August 23, 2020, 06:25:06 AM »
 I see the OP has an eclectic collection of bikes and 450 will fit right in...they have unusual torsion valve springs rather than coils. The noted valve gear manufacturer  Kibblewhite offers a coil spring conversion kit, probably for vintage racing..

Offline guzziart

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Re: Barn find '74 Honda DOHC CB 450__NGC
« Reply #26 on: August 23, 2020, 08:29:26 AM »
Nice barn find!

I had a '74 CB450 in the mid '70's.  Then again in the early 2002 I acquired a barn find one and had it until 2012 when I regretfully got rid of it, due to a lack of garage space, for another new bike.

Good luck & enjoy your new toy!
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Offline Sasquatch Jim

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Re: Barn find '74 Honda DOHC CB 450__NGC
« Reply #27 on: August 23, 2020, 11:49:31 AM »
I bought a new CB 450 in 71.  It ran like a raped ape and could easily show 12,000 RPM.    Top speed was indicated on the speedo as
110 MPH, but Jap speedos often lied in those days.  It was the easiest bike I have ever adjusted the valve clearance on.
 
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Offline radguzzi

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Re: Barn find '74 Honda DOHC CB 450__NGC
« Reply #28 on: August 23, 2020, 06:14:20 PM »
SWEET!! :thumb: Superbike bars, bar end mirrors, new sneakers, elbow grease and ride it as is!!

Exactly the plan...  I hooked the battery charger to the dead battery, checked the lights and all that, everything works.  Next step is to pull the plugs, lightly oil the cylinders and kick it through a bit.  I have high hopes for it being a decent runner after some start up maintenance. 
More later.

I see the OP has an eclectic collection of bikes and 450 will fit right in...they have unusual torsion valve springs rather than coils. The noted valve gear manufacturer  Kibblewhite offers a coil spring conversion kit, probably for vintage racing..


Good to know although I certainly will not be racing this one.  I'll pop the tops open for an inspection to check the valve springs.

 
Very pretty Honda.  I’ve always liked the way they look but have never owned one.  Please post your impressions when you’ve ridden it a bit.

Will do, I am fairly excited about the little guy.

Best,
Rob




Current:
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A VeeDub and an MGB...

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Offline chuck peterson

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Re: Barn find '74 Honda DOHC CB 450__NGC
« Reply #29 on: August 24, 2020, 07:13:10 AM »
There is definitely some Amerakin usa Easy Rider thing for those high bars. It was almost the first thing everyone did

They keep showing up on barn finds from the era

Most likely from having to ride interstate for days on end :shocked:







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