tandpr

My wife and I ride all over on our 1600 NOmad. She now wants to learn to ride so I got her a 450 Rebel. I was a bit nervous about such a small bike, but she is not a very big girl. I see from wandering the forum a bit that they are aparently very capable little bikes.

I would be interested in an engine guard and exhaust if anyone had a deal on used or a spot to find new.

Anything a person needs to do to a 86 450 with 18000 miiles on it? Just curious if there were any glitches or somethin I should know about.

Thanks in advance.

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JunkyardDog

Congratulations on the 450 Rebel, but be aware that they are very rare bikes, only made for 2 years, and parts can be almost impossible to find. I have ridden the 1500 Nomad. Nice bike. But the 450 Rebel is not small by any means. I'm 51, have owned 45 bikes of all sizes and types, and ridden several others. One of my current bikes is an '04 Rebel 250. I am 6' 200 pounds, and ride it everywhere, including the interstates. It is a very capable bike. I used to own a '66 Triumph Bonneville, and when that bike was new, it was considered a very large bike. While I have owned them, nobody really needs a 1500-1600cc or larger bike. A 750 will handle anything you throw at it, and my largest bike at the moment happens to be a Kawasaki Vulcan 750. I bought it new in '02, and so far have put 45,000 miles on it, riding it all over the country. So don't worry about the 450 being small, in fact, if your wife is small, I'd worry about it being too big.


As far as maintenance, typical stuff. Change the oil and filter, air filter, spark plugs, adjust the valves, check the tires, check the battery, check, lube, and adjust the chain if necessary. If it has been sitting for a long time, you may need to remove, disassemble, and clean the carbs. These are pretty simple bikes. They are very well made and reliable, but nothing lasts forever, and many of them are beginning to need replacement parts, which are few and far between. Jerry.

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flitecontrol

Welcome. I see you found the 450 engine guard for sale here. The exhaust is harder to find, but you can check ebay as some show up periodically.

Regarding the bike, if it has been unused for a while, you might need to clean the carbs or at least add some Sea Foam to fresh gas for several tankfuls. Any rust in the tank? If so, it will need cleaning. Adding an inline fuel filter is a good idea. Check the manufacture date on the tires; make sure they aren't too old. About four years max is my rule of thumb. Be glad that they are tubeless, spoked, rims. Clean and lube the chain as needed, and make sure all the lights and switches operate normally. IIRC, the 450 has a weak stock headlight. Might want to upgrade to HID (http://www.alpha-bid.com/product196.html ) or a new bucket with H4 halogen bulb. Other than that, change the oil and filter (some NAPA stores carry them) and ride.

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I'm keepin' all the left over parts. I'm gonna use 'em to build another bike!

2001 Rebel 250, 1989 Vulcan 750
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JunkyardDog

Oh yeah that is one really cool thing about the Rebel 450. Tubeless tires on wire spoked wheels. Only Japanese bike ever made that way, though very common for BMW. I will use tires up to 10 years old, unless they show visible damage, severe cracking, or the tread is worn out. That doesn't mean I would take off on a several hundred mile trip on such tires, there is a good chance you would be left stranded. But I wouldn't have a problem riding locally. Many tires can last a LONG time without developing cracks if they are always kept out of the sun. Here (AZ) brand new tires, both car and bike, will develop cracks in less than 2 years if left out on the sun. I just use my best judgement, based on my 33 years experience as an auto mechanic, when it comes to tires. IMO, people throw away a lot of perfectly good stuff based on "what if". One thing I don't skimp on is oil changes. For my Rebel 250, it's every 1000-1200 miles, without fail. I try to get as close to 1000 as possible. Jerry.

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Buickguy

Welcome to the forum. The 450 is a great bike and I have to agree that it is no ways a small bike. Low seat height but not small. Extremely capable. Junkyard Dog has pointed out all you need to be concerned with about parts and rarity.

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1987 CMX250C Rebel

2002 FSC600 SilverWing

1983 Yamaha Midnight Virago XV920MK

Put your bike's year and size in your signature.
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igjosh

Congrats on the new bike.

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my rebel 85
http://www.hondarebelforum.com/pictu...&pictureid=461