This week our man Scott Redmond is in the market for some new suspenders (for his CBR400RR project bike, that is…)
With the countdown to my impending house move getting in the way of my project plans, I realised that nothing would be happening to my old Honda CBR400RR until I had unpacked my tools and rehomed my 27 year old motorcycle in its new garage. This didn’t stop me wanting to get on with things though. With the freshly cleaned carbs and my Newark bargains safely packed up, my executive decision to not strip the Honda down further proved to be a good call. The temptation to rip a project bike down into a zillion bits can, at times, be an overwhelming instinct that you’d do well to fight. This is my winter project, something I’ve had to remind myself of at times.
Having now moved into my new garage (that came with a house attached), I feel I can now really get stuck into resurrecting the sad looking Honda. My empty garage didn’t take too long to fill up and, after unpacking my tools, it felt like home.
I have been making enquiries about finding a local powder coater. There’s no end of firms that advertise in various motorcycle mags, but I like the idea of finding a company nearby. This way I can simply drop my pile of parts off and collect them once they’ve waved their magic wand. I’ve had a few leads from friends which are always a good starting point, but until I can write up a definitive list of parts that require tarting up, there’s not too much point in asking for a quote. This is still the highest job on my to-do list.
My daily trawl of eBay hasn’t thrown up any parts that I require. The bodywork, or lack of it, is still my biggest problem. I have had a bit of a result regarding the rear shock though. The one fitted to my bike is totally shot. There’s nothing going on in the suspension department at all, it’s very rusty and probably devoid of any oil inside. With any other used NC29 item likely to be in a similar state, this seemingly leaves only one credible option and that’s to buy new. This isn’t something that I’m keen to entertain. With new aftermarket shocks retailing at anything from £300 upwards, it’s a matter that requires some research. The internet once again delivered me an answer to my shock horrors, namely that shock absorbers from certain CBR600 models can apparently be retro fitted with ease. Ten minutes later online and I had located a used shock that was less than half the age of my NC29 item. If my homework is correct, this 2004 CBR600F4i shock will save me a fortune. It has set me back £19.99 and although I’m not a gambler, I’m pretty confident that this is a punt I can afford to take. The seller even confirmed it came from an immaculate low mileage bike that had been written off after an accident. It’s now taken its place in the plastic tub along with the auto jumble purchases and parts I’ve already unbolted from the CBR. It looks like I’m going to need to find myself a few more big plastic crates and finally start to dismantle the bike!
What we’ve learnt
- An empty garage is a beautiful sight.
- If you know that you’ll be needing to move your project, avoiding taking too many parts off is a good idea.
- Researching interchangeable parts could save you a small fortune.
