16 years abandoned 1980honda cm400E is back to life(NEWPICS!
Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2007 6:42 pm
My mother purchased a 1980 honda cm400E new in 1980. She chose this bike because she said it was the only one in the honda show room with spoke wheels and she felt it was the most comfortable. She is a small women and needed a low, small, lightweight bike.
A few years later my parents divorced and she was forced to sell the bike to my grandfather who only had it 2 years until he died around 1984. His last wish was for my mother to have the bike back.
In the mid 80's we fell on hard times and this bike was the only means of transportation for my mother and I. I clearly remember my mother riding me on the back of this bike when I was 9 years old. My mothers health turned poor and she was to weak to hold the bike up.
She then gave the bike to my brother around 1987 and he gave it back to her 2 years later in 89.
The bike then sat for 16 years in my mothers shed, never moved or started, just buried under 16 years worth of junk. The shed had a dirt floor and whenever it rained the floor would get damp which caused the bike to rust to hell.
Summer of 2005 I dug the bike out, changed oil and gas, hooked it up to a charger and she fired up. We where all stunned that this bike would still run after all those years. I made my mind up at that moment that I would restore this bike and have it as my first motorcycle and the bike I would learn to ride on.
Through ebay, my father and a friend I met online (Thanks John!) I was able to restore this bike to its original condition with all OEM honda parts which includes a NOS gastank, NOS tailight bracket, entire exhaust, front and rear spoke wheels, shocks, left and right engine side covers, forkcovers, chain guard, front/rear sprockets, mirrors, NOS handgrips etc etc. I also repainted the entire frame along with the footpegs, fork bridge/handlebar mounts and so on. I still need to replace my left side cover and either find NOS side cover decals or have someone make me decals identical to the original . I still have a few small items to replace like some old rusted bolts,hoses and need to get my break pedal on yet. I will be spending the winter months finishing up on some more polishing and cleaning the engine.
Right before spring I will take it for inspection and a carb sync and hopefully she will be back on the road for the first time since 1989.
My mother was 32 years old when she purchased this bike as her first bike, I am her daughter and I am now 32 years old and this is my first bike as well.
first dug out of garage in 2005
first coat of primer
just installed new exhaust
what it looks like today..ALmost done!
[/img]
Justine
A few years later my parents divorced and she was forced to sell the bike to my grandfather who only had it 2 years until he died around 1984. His last wish was for my mother to have the bike back.
In the mid 80's we fell on hard times and this bike was the only means of transportation for my mother and I. I clearly remember my mother riding me on the back of this bike when I was 9 years old. My mothers health turned poor and she was to weak to hold the bike up.
She then gave the bike to my brother around 1987 and he gave it back to her 2 years later in 89.
The bike then sat for 16 years in my mothers shed, never moved or started, just buried under 16 years worth of junk. The shed had a dirt floor and whenever it rained the floor would get damp which caused the bike to rust to hell.
Summer of 2005 I dug the bike out, changed oil and gas, hooked it up to a charger and she fired up. We where all stunned that this bike would still run after all those years. I made my mind up at that moment that I would restore this bike and have it as my first motorcycle and the bike I would learn to ride on.
Through ebay, my father and a friend I met online (Thanks John!) I was able to restore this bike to its original condition with all OEM honda parts which includes a NOS gastank, NOS tailight bracket, entire exhaust, front and rear spoke wheels, shocks, left and right engine side covers, forkcovers, chain guard, front/rear sprockets, mirrors, NOS handgrips etc etc. I also repainted the entire frame along with the footpegs, fork bridge/handlebar mounts and so on. I still need to replace my left side cover and either find NOS side cover decals or have someone make me decals identical to the original . I still have a few small items to replace like some old rusted bolts,hoses and need to get my break pedal on yet. I will be spending the winter months finishing up on some more polishing and cleaning the engine.
Right before spring I will take it for inspection and a carb sync and hopefully she will be back on the road for the first time since 1989.
My mother was 32 years old when she purchased this bike as her first bike, I am her daughter and I am now 32 years old and this is my first bike as well.
first dug out of garage in 2005
first coat of primer
just installed new exhaust
what it looks like today..ALmost done!
[/img]Justine
