450 misc. questions and manual

[mmwood_1]

Hey ho, I just picked up my 450 on thursday! It's not all I was led to believe, in that it's a bit rougher than I'd expected. Mostly cosmetic, and that can be handled with a lot of time and care. Engine's a little rough in the 25-35mph range.
-The chrome chain guard is broken off and missing. Anybody have a line on one of those?
-The battery cover has no strap or clip and just swivels out and down. Nothing to hold it in place. Can anyone tell me what is supposed to be there, and does anyone have an extra? Or are they available by order? And was there a chrome cover over the plastic or anything better than that?
-The tank's been repainted, but not very well. I'll probably do a new paint job at some point. My '86 250 Limited Edition, which I just sold, had really nice decals. Know what the original 450 had?
-The turn signals are all broken at the black plastic section. Seems to be a weak point. Any suggestions for replacement, like all metal ones?
- And of course, a service manual, either Clymer's or mechanic's manual for the 450. Anyone have a line on either of these items?
-There are several small (1/8" ) holes in the bottom side of both exhaust pipes. Can these be readily repaired?

That's today's wish list. Depending on costs, I may have to do this a little at a time. Cash has never come to me readily or in quantity.
Thanks for any pointers.
mark

[ddouble]

I'm really not familiar with the 450 so most of this is beyond me.
That said, the small holes in the exhaust are for water to drain from. They help keep your pipes from rusting.
I'm sure some of the 450 Guru's will be along directly.
Congrats on the new bike.

Dan

[GearJammer]

Congrats, Mark!

Sounds like you've got the battery cover liner, but no chrome cover that also swivels up over the liner & then is held in place by one small bolt at the top. Please keep in mind that Jack can probably hook ya up with most, if not all of this stuff: www.rebelcatalog.com

Unless someone has a more immediate source for decals & turn signals, eBay is always a good place to look. If you don't mind straying from original, a lot of folks have installed alternate style turn signals. Hopefully, someone here can offer you some input & leads on a few possibles.

The Clymer's & the Honda Service Manual are both good to have & both can be found on eBay, usually at cheaper prices than found locally & dang sure cheaper than from the stealership.

I may be able to help you with the chainguard. I don't run chainguards on my chops & am sure I can live without the one on this '86 450 Rebel. Will PM you about that......

Edit: After reading Snorey's post, just wanted to clarify that I'm no guru, either, far from it :wink: With the exception of Jack, the only gurus I know of live in Indja.......LMAO!

[Snorebaby]

Yep ddouble, your right -- Here is a 450 owner (but not a guru by any means :) ).

To get to your questions mmwood_1:

"Engine's a little rough in the 25-35mph range."

Sounds like a dirty carb...I suggest installing an inline filter if it doesn't have one. Might be able to put some carb cleaner in the tank. Also drain the bowls a couple of times after taking the bowl off the petcock and cleaning it. With a bike this old the tank is bound to be dirty and "leaching" into the carb.

"-The chrome chain guard is broken off and missing. Anybody have a line on one of those?"

You can probably find one on ebay or check www.crotchrocket.com or maybe www.rebelcatalog.com

"-The battery cover has no strap or clip and just swivels out and down. Nothing to hold it in place. Can anyone tell me what is supposed to be there, and does anyone have an extra? Or are they available by order? And was there a chrome cover over the plastic or anything better than that?"

Again Ebay and check the above links....there is supposed to be a chrome cover with a Rebel 450 sticker on it.

"-The tank's been repainted, but not very well. I'll probably do a new paint job at some point. My '86 250 Limited Edition, which I just sold, had really nice decals. Know what the original 450 had?"

The '86 450's had only the honda wing...the 87's had an outline of the side of the tank and the word REBEL on each side. Check the links above.

"-The turn signals are all broken at the black plastic section. Seems to be a weak point. Any suggestions for replacement, like all metal ones?"

The black stems should be a hard rubber. You should be able to pick these up fairly easily. Are all the signals "broke" or just the rear? The rear ones are usually the ones that take the abuse. Are the fronts still mounted to the handlebars? These are a little harder to come by. I have not seen any all metal ones.

"- And of course, a service manual, either Clymer's or mechanic's manual for the 450. Anyone have a line on either of these items?"

I recommend both as Clymers has errors in it. Ebay for the Clymers and www.helminc.com for the mechanics manual. I got lucky and found both on ebay.

Hope this helps!! Don't be too disappointed with it right now...once cleaned up and painted you will fall in love with it LOL!!

[glw]

The rear blck stems are available. JC Whitney, Bike Bandit, Dennis Kirk, etc. But call Jack first.
The front stems are very hard to find.

[uneasyrider]

No guru here either but congrats on scoring the 450, it is one of the best bikes IMHO(which I value very highly) ever built and I have had many over the years. I suggest you give Jack a call on Tues.(not open on Mon.) he will be able to supply EVERYTHING you need or want to get your bike in like new condition, he rides a 450 himself and does his best to have a handle on anything might need.
BTW email me if you need a closeup picture of anything.
millsala@webtv.net

Howard

[jkersh]

I dont know much about the 450 but this guy akes custom decals of anything you want. I have heard that he is really good. tony@decaldriven.com
http://www.decaldriven.com/

[mmwood_1]

Thanks one and all who have thus far repied. Information is most helpful. I'll be checking e-bay and also Jack's catalog of items. I figured I could go to a dealer, but thought maybe some of you had better options.
I have to admit, I was a little disappointed when I first saw the bike, as I had been spoiled by my 250, which was pristine and very sharp looking. The roughness of this one is mostly cosmetic, and I am up to that task, no problem. Any mechanical work will be all new to me. What auto mechanics I've learned has been from being too poor to pay someone else to do it. With a manual and my toolbox at hand, I just get to it. Soon, now...
Thanks.
mark