My new project!

[Gillbot]

'86 Rebel 450

Runs, rides but needs TLC.

 

[olds]

Cool, is that for your wife?

 

[Gillbot]

Sooner or later yes, but until I get my man card, it's mine.

 

[manimal]

nice little bike!


that seat looks so tiny its like a thong version of a seat. I think I could fit my nuts and a little cheek on that.

 

[Gillbot]

Yeah, I'm looking into whether or not a 250 seat will work on it. I can't find a 450 seat anywhere. Though, the seat isn't too bad, but for my big ass I have to ride single cheek at a time with it.

 

[olds]

Wonder if the 250 seat fits?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/251570734192?lpid=82

 

[BUTCH1]

Cool, is that for your wife?

That would be a fine DD bike for to and from work deal as long as it does not include crowded highways as a old 450 would struggle to keep up. Not everyone worries about "how cool am I" when considering transportation needs..

 

[olds]

That would be a fine DD bike for to and from work deal as long as it does not include crowded highways as a old 450 would struggle to keep up. Not everyone worries about "how cool am I" when considering transportation needs..

OK. But what does that have to do with anything?

 

[Gillbot]

Wonder if the 250 seat fits?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/251570734192?lpid=82

Some say it does, some say it doesn't. I'm not willing to gamble to find out. I had that very seat in my watch list, but after you add in the brackets and hardware, it's cheaper to buy a complete set for around $70 or so.

That would be a fine DD bike for to and from work deal as long as it does not include crowded highways as a old 450 would struggle to keep up. Not everyone worries about "how cool am I" when considering transportation needs..

That's my thought. I don't care if people call it a chick bike. For what I paid, I'll rock it all day long. And fwiw, most say the 250 struggles to keep up at highway speeds but the 450 does much better.

 

[Gillbot]

Why yes, it does work!

I know it isn't perfect, but man what a difference! Got the idea from here: Chrome Polishing, Mythbusters Style

 

[olds]

Nice!

 

[Garay002]

Awesome!

 

[FuzzyDunlop]

Actually a neat looking bike.
Very cute.

 

[Gillbot]

I'm gonna keep cleaning it up and making it my own. Hell, I may even spring for paint so the fenders and tank match!

 

[BUTCH1]

OK. But what does that have to do with anything?

I mistakenly thought you were harping on OP because it's only a 450, my bad.

 

[Gillbot]

I mistakenly thought you were harping on OP because it's only a 450, my bad.

No, he was. He forgot how much I cared though. :wub:

 

[deerslayer]

I never knew they made the Rebel in a 450. Congrats! I'm sure you will enjoy it.

 

[radtechtips]

And now.... make it into a cafe racer

 

[MongGrel]

Looks good here, beats the hell out of a Vespa or something like that.



I've never had one myself, looks like something I'd look for if I were to start out.

 

[Gillbot]

I never knew they made the Rebel in a 450. Congrats! I'm sure you will enjoy it.

Only made it for 2 years, 86 & 87. Rumors are they were sued by Harley over it so they quit making it.

And now.... make it into a cafe racer []http://pictures.topspeed.com/IMG/crop/201104/honda-cb450-cafe-rac-4_600x0w.jpg[/IMG]

Not my thing really. Plus that's a 250, you can tell by the single front frame down tube.

 

[Zenmervolt]

'86 Rebel 450

Runs, rides but needs TLC.

Nice! I started out on an '82 Nighthawk 450. Same basic engine, though I think the Rebel got more restrictive carbs. By '86 the bugs were worked out pretty well too. The '82 models ran too lean from the factory, even for that time period, but the later models can still benefit from going up one size on the main jets.

I strongly recommend http://www.hondatwins.net/ as a resource for those bikes.

ZV

 

[BUTCH1]

And now.... make it into a cafe racer

No front fender means water will sling everywhere plus I don't like the tank design or the handlebars.

 

[manimal]

Ya clip ons and clubmans wouldn't fit that bike or make it bearable to ride. I put a set of renthal motor cross bars on my old cruiser years ago and it lowered the bars enough that I didn't feel like I was getting pulled off the bike at speed.
A set of superbike bars would look good and ride nice without making you look like a douche on a bobber. I hate bobber bars

 

[Gillbot]

Nice! I started out on an '82 Nighthawk 450. Same basic engine, though I think the Rebel got more restrictive carbs. By '86 the bugs were worked out pretty well too. The '82 models ran too lean from the factory, even for that time period, but the later models can still benefit from going up one size on the main jets.

I strongly recommend http://www.hondatwins.net/ as a resource for those bikes.

ZV

One of the tells when looking into buying these is for bluing on the pipes.

 

[Zenmervolt]

One of the tells when looking into buying these is for bluing on the pipes.

I've yet to see one without some amount of bluing. The bikes ran rather lean from the factory back then even when adjusted "perfectly." At least, the CB (Nighthawk) models of the 450 did. The CB models had carbs with slow, main, and secondary jets, and the main jets seemed to be a little undersized.

Looking at the Rebel's carb diagrams though, it appears that it used only two jets, a slow jet and a combined main/secondary jet along with slightly lower compression. They may not have had the same "intentionally lean" issues that the Nighthawk models did.

ZV