Alright, so I’m gonna walk you through this whole thing. Picked up this 1980 Honda CM400A a while back – total barn find. Thing was rough, I mean REALLY rough. But I saw potential, you know?
First thing I did was just strip it down. Everything came off. Tank, seat, wheels, you name it. Wanted a clean slate to see what I was really working with. Found a lot of rust, some dodgy wiring, and an engine that clearly hadn’t been started in ages. Awesome.
Engine time. I pulled that sucker out. Took it apart piece by piece. Cleaned everything. Replaced the rings, gaskets, and all the usual suspects. Honed the cylinders. Basically gave it a full rebuild. This was probably the most time-consuming part, but hey, gotta have a solid engine, right?
While the engine was out, I tackled the frame. Wire brushed all the rust off. Welded up a few small cracks I found. Then prepped it and gave it a fresh coat of paint. Went with a classic black – can’t go wrong with that.
Next up was the electrical. Oh man, this was a mess. Wires all frayed, connections corroded. I basically ripped out the entire harness and started from scratch. New wires, new connectors, new everything. Pain in the butt, but worth it for reliability.
Then came the fun part: putting it all back together. Engine went back in the frame. New tires on the wheels. Rebuilt the forks. New shocks in the rear. Slowly but surely, it started to look like a motorcycle again.
The tank needed some serious work. It was rusty inside and out. I used a rust remover to clean out the inside. Then patched up some dents, bondo’d it, sanded it smooth, and gave it a custom paint job. Went with a retro-inspired design – something a little different.
Seat was completely shot, so I had a local upholstery shop make me a new one. Simple, clean, and comfortable. Exactly what I wanted.
Finally, it was time for the moment of truth. Filled it with gas, crossed my fingers, and hit the starter. It cranked for a bit, then sputtered, then ROARED TO LIFE! Man, that was a good feeling. Tuned the carbs, adjusted the timing, and took it for a spin. Ran like a champ!
Still got a few minor things to tweak, but overall, I’m super happy with how it turned out. From a rusty old pile of junk to a sweet little vintage ride. That’s what it’s all about, right?
- Stripped the bike down to the frame.
- Rebuilt the engine from the ground up.
- Rewired the entire electrical system.
- Repainted the frame and tank.
- Reupholstered the seat.
It was a long process, but totally worth it. Learned a ton along the way. Now I got a classic Honda that’s ready for the road. What’s next? Who knows! But I’m always up for a new project.
