HONDA CL450 K4

I am offering a 1971 Honda CL 450 K4 for sale. It is a sound and well sorted bike. ready to ride. Significantly it is the last year before emission plumbing robbed the bike of it’s satisfying exhaust note and grunt off the line and up through the gears. This bike is tight as a drum over the uneven back roads where I live and tracks straight on the occasional run down the bypass. Overview: I am familiar with CL450s. having owned one in college and Law School. This is the last year before emission regulations robbed the bike of its grunt and pleasing exhaust note. This CL sounds terrific. It pulls like a steer. It shifts up and down through the gears the way it should. It’s ready to be put into service as a daily rider or weekender. Mechanically. after I freshened it up. this bike is what I would consider excellent condition for its age. Honda engines properly maintained will last much longer than the 15000 miles on this bike. The clutch performs as it should. brakes are sound. turn signals. horn. hi/low beam operated. There are no leaks anywhere. That said. if you are looking for a show bike. this CL is not for you. I included a photograph of the right turn signal stalk showing considerable pitting. This is by far the worst spot on the bright work. Also included is a photo of the rear fencer showing very minor pitting above the taillight bracket. The photo of the speedo shows minor pitting on the keeper through which the cables run. The cases and fins are clean as far as no nicks. gouges. scrapes. no broken fins. If I were keeping the CL. I would Soda Blast the cases. fins. and wheel hubs. and polish the engine components. polish fork lowers. I'm now in my second career. I farm for a living and am a fanatic about maintenance. I know my way around machinery. This includes motorcycles. I have been riding Triumphs. Nortons. Guzzis. Ducatis. Bultacos. Rickmans. Maicos since I was 18. I’m 65 now. I still ride a vintage Beemer. a fairly new GS. a 44 year old triumph. So I believe I’m qualified to offer an opinion about his Bike’s condition. I bought this CL because it had been in heated storage for 10 years. the oil was clean. the tank had been drained and carbs run dry and the cosmetics weren’t awful. I popped in a battery. added fresh fuel. it started right up. I mean RIGHT up. The engine didn’t smoke. it pulled like a freight train. I thought it would be a good candidate for a mechanical freshening. I have kept the bike covered and in my heated garage for the last three winters. The 38 miles showing on the trip odometer were put there by me last week. I thought that was the minimum to be sure everything worked as it should and there were no remaining issues. Mechanical work performed ($1. 00. 00 parts. 15 hours labor) Gas tank sealed. 2. Replace gas tank cap gasket 3. Rebuild both carbs (new gaskets. new floats. etc. ) 4. Rebuild petcock fuel valves 5. Replace front and rear tires (New Duro JF302B vintage look. 3. 25 x 19 front. 3. 50 x 18 rear. two new inner tubes); 38 miles on them 6. New handlebar grips 7. New front drive chain sprocket 8. New drive chain – O-Ring. 9. New points. plugs. plug wires 10. New front fork seals 11. New steering head bearings using tapered roller bearing set. 12. Replace all cables with period correct grey cables not cheap black reproductions 13. Adjust valves. cam chain adjustment 14. Replace stator cover screws 1 . New Lithium Battery Reason for Selling: I bought this CL in 2012 specifically to refurbish mechanically and sell to a good friend for his 50th birthday. I live in South East Pennsylvania in horse country. My friend thought he wanted a bike for short hops on back roads between barns and the occasional run to Maryland to an equine center. For that. this was the perfect bike. I decided not to sell him the bike after realizing that his mechanical aptitude was nil. his skill in a car not all that reassuring either. I reasoned he had no business on a bike. His wife wholeheartedly agreed with that assessment. I didn’t offer the bike for sale right away because I enjoyed looking at it and taking it out for a run on the nearby back roads. I am not out to make money on this bike. After all. had I sold it to my friend (at a discount) I would have lost money. My goal is to recoup some. hopefully all of my outlay but that is not a priority. My priority is to sell this bike so it can be used and enjoyed rather than sit in my garage. I also just had a total hip replacement so won’t be riding at all for a couple of months. Included in Sale: Original owners manual. faded but not torn and complete Extra Key Haynes Manual. dog eared but serviceable General Terms and Conditions of Sale The winning bidder shall pay a deposit of $500. 00 within 24 hours of Auction end. Balance to be paid within three business days. Payment may be made in cash. wire transfer or certified check. If by check. the bike will not be released until it clears. I will accept paypal but there will be a surcharge for whatever paypal charges me. Shipping is the responsibility of buyer. I will cooperate with pickup. The bike is for sale locally and I reserve the right to end the auction at any time. If you are a serious bidder and want additional information. photographs. please let me know. I’m not terribly mobile right now with my new hip but should be able to take some detail photographs. I’d be happy to send a video of a cold start or the bike idling. It does both very very well.