faffi Posted November 19, 2017 Share Posted November 19, 2017 With a front wheel barely turning and always pointing between a little to a lot to the left, hauling it between the house and shed was a chore. Turning meant lifting. Repeatedly. But with the help of the kid we got it inside eventually. I took a closer look to determine the damage in detail. This is the list so far: - Seat torn - Ductail smashed - Rear fender broken off - Rear LHS indicator missing - Muffler properly scraped - Gear shifter broken - Foot peg peg feeler broken off - Handlebar bent - LHS heated grip destroyed - Clutch lever holder broken - Clutch lever scraped - Heated grip control unit damaged - Instrument pod scraped, but functional - Mirror attachment broken off brake master cylinder - Radiator badly bent, but surprisingly not leaking - Front fender broken in half, rear half missing - Top yoke bent in several directions - Bottom yoke bent in several directions - Front wheel axle bent inside - Both fork legs bent - Front brake discs bent - LHS fork stopper broken off - Fuel tank dented and scraped What I was most curious about was the state of the frame - would it still be straight? Well, it does appear to be. No cracks in the paint, ball bearings and their races like new, aiming + using a leveler indicate the neck is still pointing in the correct direction. Still, it could be a tiny bit off since my way of measuring is rather crude compared to the precise instruments used by experts. However, considering that this is not a race bike, I think it would be safe to fit a new front end to it, even if it should be ever so slightly twisted. After all, many bikes are made with front and rear wheels offset. Due to the damage done to the wheel axle and brake discs, I do not feel comfortable using the front wheel again, though, even if it appear to be undamaged. Having a front wheel collapsing doesn't seem too tempting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shinyribs Posted November 20, 2017 Share Posted November 20, 2017 Man, that's painful too look at! God call on the front wheel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
faffi Posted November 20, 2017 Author Share Posted November 20, 2017 For once the bike got smashed instead of my body. I'm good with that 😄 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pattonme Posted November 22, 2017 Share Posted November 22, 2017 the wheel might not be all that bad. Put a dial indicator on it and see how far out it is. There are wheel-straightening guys that do amazing work. I guess it's time to graft on a GSXR upside-down front-end on that puppy. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
faffi Posted November 22, 2017 Author Share Posted November 22, 2017 Yes, I will check the wheel carefully. I have scored a complete front end off a 15k mile GSF600 Bandit - forks, triple trees, wheel and complete brakes. At USD410 with freight, I suppose those living outside high-cost Norway will faint, but it's a decent price. If I had bought this from a breaker, I would have had to pay more than double. I also have an idea of how to build a new seat in a more brat/scrambler/classic style. At first, looking at the stock seat line, I feared that would be next to impossible, but it turns out it will only be challenging It is vital not to alter the subframe, however, as this will make the bike not road-worthy should it be inspected. Other than that I will try to make it look good without spending a lot of money. Depending on what buyer I am lucky enough to run into, the bike should fetch anything between 1500 and 3000 USD once finished. I will at least get more out of it than I put into it, while also enjoying the build and hopefully learn quite a bit in the process. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunblock Posted November 22, 2017 Share Posted November 22, 2017 What happened?? The CB400SF was my first bike. I loved that thing even though it was a clunker. They were very popular in Greece even though they were never officially imported. Why not keep it? How many bikes have you got? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
faffi Posted November 22, 2017 Author Share Posted November 22, 2017 I have 4 bikes and a shed only 4x3 meter. But the main reason I will not keep it is because I do not enjoy riding four cylinder bikes in general, and little screaming ones in particular. What happened was that I managed to turn on an oil slick I didn't see due to a low sun. Both the bike and I hit the ground and then a banking rather harshly, but for once the bike got off worse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunblock Posted November 22, 2017 Share Posted November 22, 2017 4 bikes?! Niceeeee.... Ah.. the screaming. Nostalgia hits me hard right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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