• Welcome to the Two Wheeled Texans community! Feel free to hang out and lurk as long as you like. However, we would like to encourage you to register so that you can join the community and use the numerous features on the site. After registering, don't forget to post up an introduction!

Who knows about a CM400?

Joined
Nov 17, 2004
Messages
10,430
Reaction score
7
Location
Flower Mound
So I've had this itch for a little while about finding some little old Honda twin for a cafe project, and this guy in Lewisville has a 1981 CM400C for sale. About all I know about them is that the C & T models came with a tach, and that the following year was when they bored it out to a 450.

Anybody have any experience with them?
 
I have had one and my best attempts to kill it failed.

tucked in good and throttle cables streched they will just squieeze 100mph.

mine was a 1980 T model I think, it was the plain jane no tach wire wheel drum brake model that was actualy the faster one as there was no disc drag and it was lighter, my neighbor had a 78 hawk 2 and mine was quicker and even with drum brake up front it stopped just as well.

they handled very well for the vintage and can show their tail lights to much larger faster bikes in tight twisties, I ground down my pegs riding like the dumb kid I was.

for a 400 twin Honda for some reason went with a CDI ignition system instead of a battery powered. the up side is you can start one with a dead battery as the ignition relies on a charge coil instead of battery voltage.
the draw back is that charge coil is integral with the charging system stator and the charge coils are known to fail requiring the whole thing be changed.

it is not a big weak spot but it is known to fail. I never had a problem but my neighbor had to replace his twice in a year.
 
I had a 1980 T model that my dad got for me new from "Carl Pierce Honda" in Lake Jackson in 82. I put a lot of miles on it, riding in to high school, then Jr. College and finally to work. I remember still riding it as late as 87 or so. I had to get the carbs cleaned once and I'm pretty sure that was all except regular maintenance and tires. It's been a long time, but I wanna say I had over 80K on it when I let my neighbor have it. It was a good bike.
 
I have two 1980 cm200ts and am restoring them. I have had no problems buying oil seals, gaskets, points and other parts from Honda. Tires are available at several online stores.

The difficulty I have had is buying the luggage rack and panniers. About a month ago I bought a $100 rack off eBay that did not fit. Other than a tank bag, you best be a good welder and fab the luggage parts yourself.

No Honda dealer will work on it.
 
Start low. Offer him a couple hundred bucks. You'll probably offend him, but he'll get over it when you're leaving with the bike.
 
That bike should go for $800 easy but who knows. If you are willing to lose it to another buyer and/or he really needs the money $300 would be a great price I'd fork over any day. I have a Cm400C that I'm fixing up. Only paid $100 but the tank was so rusted it was trash, no side panels(the right could cost $100), no title, not running. Personally for $500 I would rather of had that one.
 
That bike should go for $800 easy but who knows. If you are willing to lose it to another buyer and/or he really needs the money $300 would be a great price I'd fork over any day. I have a Cm400C that I'm fixing up. Only paid $100 but the tank was so rusted it was trash, no side panels(the right could cost $100), no title, not running. Personally for $500 I would rather of had that one.

This is what I am thinking. Some one dead set on that particular model and year $800 or more. People who just like a good deal and are willing to fix one, $500 max. You have to remember that less than 10 year old KLRs and XR650s (bikes I do want) are around $2000. How much can a 27 year old non-classic be worth? The market has really fallen in all categories (new, used, classics) due to the economy. Only parts remain at record highs.

The CM200 I am riding was $100 with title but disassembled. I have about $350 in it total and it runs perfect albeit a little rusty. Someone on this forum offered me a free parts bike but was too far away at the time (now he is not on the forum).
 
I think $800 is too high. You can find decent 79-82 CB750's for that price.
 
Depends on how long you want to wait to find it. On first look the only thing wrong is a crappy paint job. Pull the tanks, panels, and fender, get them sprayed, put a new bar on it and you'll have a great around town bike and the perfect starter bike for someone just getting in to motorcycles. You can always find one cheaper, but a good runner with clean paper is worth a some money no matter what year or model it is.
 
Reminds me, the guy says "make an offer" but I don't know where to start.

http://dallas.craigslist.org/ndf/mcy/1429033769.html

Start low ($200 is a good starting point), and let him bring you up. You might offend him, but you'll never see him again and if he wants to sell it, he'll get over it. Sellers that say "make offer" don't have a clue (that's why they say it), which I've found is usually a good thing, especially if you go into it educated about the item for sale. I low-ball everyone, and find that about 70% of the time, I'm pleasantly surprised... not sure why it still surprises me :scratch: :lol2: Desperation is usually buried in their chest somewhere, you just have to tap it...
 
I had a 1981 CB400T "Hawk" as my first bike, purchased brand new for $995. Yeah, I'm that old. The CB and CM have a lot in common, but the CB might be a better starting point for a cafe conversion. The trailing "C" in the CM400C is for custom - Honda's term for a quasi cruiser styled motorcycle. You'll get spoked wheels, drum brakes, etc. The CB was styled to fit in the supersport line, the CB750SS and CB900SS of the time. It has the comstar mag wheels, front disk brake, etc. Better starting point IMHO, but perhaps harder to find than the CM.

Performance-wise the 400 made about 30HP. About the same get-up-and-go as a contemporary ninja 250. Freeway speeds are no problem, but not a lot of passing power above that speed. It'll get to the ton if you lay on the tank and wait long enough.

http://www.motorera.com/honda/h0400/hawk400/hawk400.htm
 
It'll get to the ton if you lay on the tank and wait long enough.

:rofl:


Went by to look at it this afternoon... good news, it fires right up, the forks look ok, and the front brake seems alright.

I'm not too put off by the oddball rattlecan paintjob, though there is a little bondo work on the side of the tank. The tires are, well, "tired" but also not a surprise.

There's a little oil leak somewhere under the right side of the motor, but with the rain & such, I didn't get a chance to really see if it's just a gasket somewhere, or a crack, or what, but my money is on a gasket, based on the condition of the rest of the bike.

Pulled the seat and the rear subframe wasn't what I expected it to be... odd shaped stamped & welded box section rather than tubular like the rest of the frame. Looks like it would probably force more fabrication than I'd planned for a cafe set up. At this point I'm just trying to mentally walk through what all I'd be planning to change if this was my starting platform.

He mentioned that he'd paid $650 for it, and I thought it didn't sound unreasonable. Apparently when he started looking at other expenses after he bought it, like insurance, and getting it registered in TX (has a NY title now) his student budget kept him from going any further, so I'd be looking at being handed the previous previous owner's title documents, but at least the NY registration tag is an '09, so he hasn't had it too long.

So for now, I'm going to do some more homework for a few days, and see where it goes.
 
If you get it, you can have my CM450C 82 for free. I have the one SL350 was talking about. It was given to me (no title of course), but it is too incomplete to consider bringing back to life.
 
Dont pay over 500! If your going to bob it or some other changes you will spend a few more hundred to make it like you want then you may have a grand invested in a bike you cant sell later for half that.

Like said above, in this economy be patient you should have that bike for 500 max.
 
Pulled the seat and the rear subframe wasn't what I expected it to be... odd shaped stamped & welded box section rather than tubular like the rest of the frame. Looks like it would probably force more fabrication than I'd planned for a cafe set up.

Go over to the project section of the Single Overhead Cam 4 forum, there are quite a few 400/2's that were sprinkled with cafe dust and they are some nice looking scooters. Besides, the point behind the cafe is to make it your own, anyone can order complete kits from people like Benjy.

Now get after it and don't forget the project thread.
 
Go over to the project section of the Single Overhead Cam 4 forum, there are quite a few 400/2's that were sprinkled with cafe dust and they are some nice looking scooters. Besides, the point behind the cafe is to make it your own, anyone can order complete kits from people like Benjy.

Now get after it and don't forget the project thread.


I've been eyeballing at least the tail section bodywork from BCR for a convenient way to come up with a clean back end and maybe even space to relocate a battery, but since the rear shocks on so many of the candidate bikes mount to that subframe, I'm just a little concerned about my own ability to fabricate what will ultimately be a critical structural component.
 
Back
Top