Hi all - I'm new here, and I'm looking for some advice on breathing a bit of new life back into my trusty old CB400SF.

I've run her into the ground over the last few years, having my mechanic do minor repair work where needed, and I now have a bit of free time meaning I can start doing some upgrade work.

The engine is in great shape, but the electrical system seems like the major issue - previous owners have added/removed things in the past, and I always seem to have issues with headlights/turn signals/brake lights etc, so I'm thinking at some point I'll need to fully rewire her.

I have no idea about it's history - I've had her about 3 years and prior to that - who knows what she went through, but I've not had any major issues to date.

I'm based in Hong Kong, and this bike is pretty common here, so getting parts shouldn't be an issue.

A lot of cosmetic work is needed, cleaning out rust spots, a deep clean etc. I'll probably swap out the bars and controls at a later date as well.

I figure that my first job is to clean her up and see where there might be any real rust that would need to be addressed, and then start trying to tackle individual projects week by week.

How would people suggest going about a gradual upgrade on their Monday - Friday commuter?

Essentially, I want to get her into a place where I can stay on top of regular servicing, and not be fire-fighting problems as and when they come up.

Any tips/advice would be appreciated, along with any "must do" projects that I should put on my to-do list? Or a plan of action of what order I can go about troubleshooting/working out what needs to be done that would make some sense!

Cheers

It depends whether you want to try to do a "rolling restoration" ie keep the bike on the road while you do it, or take it off the road and do the whole lot.

The first can be tricky as you struggle to get the thing mobile again for the next day's commute / whatever, while the second always turns out to be far more involved than you expect. Every bit you take off just exposes another can of worms.....

It sounds as though a new wiring harness, if you can get one. would be a good start.

iansoady wrote:It depends whether you want to try to do a "rolling restoration" ie keep the bike on the road while you do it, or take it off the road and do the whole lot.

The first can be tricky as you struggle to get the thing mobile again for the next day's commute / whatever, while the second always turns out to be far more involved than you expect. Every bit you take off just exposes another can of worms.....

It sounds as though a new wiring harness, if you can get one. would be a good start.

Thanks for the reply - A rolling restoration will be my plan of attack here - I think it's just a matter of breaking things down into "weekend-able" projects..

Last night I started brainstorming my ideas of what I think needs to be done.. Could be a life-long project at this rate!

If obtaining parts isn't an issue then it sounds like a case of collecting some spares and renovating them to your required standards before spending some weekend time fitting them. I usually start with wheels, a spare pair is not too big for storing and they can be painted at home if you have the skills and a suitable space. When fitted they make a massive difference to the look of a bike. New tyres always feel good too. Brake calipers can be done in a similar fashion, almost completing the bottom of the bike...

bludclot wrote:If obtaining parts isn't an issue then it sounds like a case of collecting some spares and renovating them to your required standards before spending some weekend time fitting them. I usually start with wheels, a spare pair is not too big for storing and they can be painted at home if you have the skills and a suitable space. When fitted they make a massive difference to the look of a bike. New tyres always feel good too. Brake calipers can be done in a similar fashion, almost completing the bottom of the bike...

Thanks for this. Wheels definitely need a bit of attention - they're currently gold (under the grub) and the paints flaking off - need a clean-up and repaint (along with replacement bearings) - Getting a spare set and renovating them makes more sense than trying to get the existing set done and reinstalled over a weekend

Are you gonna keep it standard? If not have you thought of hydrographics for the wheels?

Dnt want to be a bearer of bad news but rolling restoration is time consuming and you could have breakdowns ask me I know if I were you take some time off and do it all at once get some help from friends and family... If you have a family member that stays at home all day put him or her on the task like I did while you at work then u can do a little bit everyday after work... My helper was a bit mechanical savvy so I didn't have to direct him much on what to do...

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Only thing left for me to do is to send the bike away for a fresh coat of paint and detailing

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Thanks for the posts guys.

UPDATE:

I have no idea how to add pictures so bear with me for a while!

I've spent the last couple of weeks doing a few bits and pieces - mostly cosmetic at the moment.. First off was a thorough cleaning and working out what I wanted to do.

I took off the front forks and gave them a quick paint job and put gaiters on, followed by the same paint job on the rear shocks.

Plans are slowly taking shape, will be getting in some new handlebars, clean up the controls & tree with some new mini dials, followed by a new headlight.

Will be sending her in to my mechanic at some point to fix an oil leak, probably next week (I don't have the time or space to be pulling the engine out and doing this myself).