1988 cb450dx Brat bike project

[PhilG]

Hi folks, it's been a long time since I've posted anything on this site, but popped in to do some research on bodyshops and decided to post up the current project in here.

It's a 1988 cb450dx that's been off the road a good few years.
I bought it in london as an unfinished project from a member of a well known motorcycle club!

This is how it started in his ownership;

Now, he was going for the cafe racer look, and got this far:

But that wasn't my style. So I started tinkering with in in my flat in London. That was a total failure, I had no tools, and no garage! So I shipped it back to Ireland and went to work on it.

Brat style is the goal.

As I have about 500 pics of this thing, I'll just post a selection.
Here's a snip of some of the work so far...

Chopped rear end off, and made my own.
Full rewire.
Custom electronics/battery tray
Led lights with rear lights integrated to frame.
Brake calipers rebuilt with braided lines
Engine vapour blasted and rebuilt
Carbs rebuilt
Forks rebuilt
Aftermarket rear shocks
Custom exhaust
Custom seat (retrimmed by Hasson upholstery in dungiven)
Tank respray in honda championship white.
Digital dash
All new controls
New chains and sprockets

Basically I think I've changed everything. Next up is custom pegs and tidy up the headlight area. Then try a MOT!

 

[PhilG]

 

[steenson]

class! what did you black up the engine with?

 

[EF Ian]

Very nice, great job you did with this, pretty much how I'd have done it and so much better than whatever way the previous owner was taking it.

 

[Dave..]

Looks good, I don`t understand why the seats are brown?
Original Cafe racers had black seats like this,.

 

[Apis]

Looks good, I don`t understand why the seats are brown?
Original Cafe racers had black seats like this,.View attachment 307553

That's a cafe racer in the photo, but he's doing a brat, which explains the difference style.

 

[Dave..]

That's a cafe racer in the photo, but he's doing a brat, which explains the difference style.

I have never heard of a Brat. I still don`t get the brown seat. The bike looks great apart from the seat.

 

[Apis]

I have never heard of a Brat. I still don`t get the brown seat. The bike looks great apart from the seat.

Brat is like a japanese answer to the american flat tracker; those flat-bar bikes that race on dirt with no front brake. And a flat seat, not necessarily brown, often black.

To me, the brown seat is a bit of a hipster/beard/barbershop thing but I wouldn't be known for my knowledge of fashion, so I could be wrong.

 

[Dave..]

Brat is like a japanese answer to the american flat tracker; those flat-bar bikes that race on dirt with no front brake. And a flat seat, not necessarily brown, often black.

To me, the brown seat is a bit of a hipster/beard/barbershop thing but I wouldn't be known for my knowledge of fashion, so I could be wrong.

I thought the same about the hipster thing.

 

[EF Ian]

I like the brown seat, as I am sure Phil does, which is likely why he went with it.

 

[Dave..]

I like the brown seat, as I am sure Phil does, which is likely why he went with it.

It would be boring if we all liked the same thing.

 

[EF Ian]

It would be boring if we all liked the same thing.

Yeah, which is why its good to accept people choosing to go a different way than you. (I don't mean you specifically, just generally.)