Hang on a minute....that's not a CB400F!

 No, it isn't.  This is a beautifully restored C110 (with a little Robin Redbreast on the handlebars).  I am sharing this with you for a very important reason.

This bike is owned by a customer of DSS, Paul Duley.  This bike started off looking like this:

Paul bought this bike last year as a non-runner.  He has completely stripped it and rebuilt it (engine included).  I am sure you'll agree that he has done an absolutely fantastic job.

Paul contacted us recently and shared the story of the restoration and the reasons behind it, which I will share with you now.

Paul's father is suffering from advanced prostate cancer.  Support and awareness of prostate cancer has been gaining momentum over the last couple of years, starting with the broadcast of the Sledgehammer fund featuring Bill Bailey, followed by John Culshaw.  Most of us are more aware of the illness now, with the Blue Man badges having been in the M&S shops for several years.  In fact Blue Man Group promote the Blue Man badges at their concerts, helping raise funds for Prostate Cancer UK.

Most people who have experienced first hand a loved one suffering from any type of serious illness such as cancer will tell you that they feel compelled to give something back to a system that is so supportive and full of wonderful people; to thank nursing staff.   Paul's most valuable source of help and advice has been Prostate Cancer UK.  He wanted to give something back and help raise awareness, and funds, for them.  Paul considered a number of ways to raise awareness and funds before settling on a challenging project. 

50 years ago his father, and 5 friends, entered the 1964 ACU National Road Rally on a fleet of C110s.  They wanted the challenge of doing the event (600 miles in 24 hours) on a bike of smaller capacity than their British bikes.  They were very successful, being the 2nd placed team and with most team members achieving Gold awards. 

Paul's fund-raising venture involved finding a Honda C110 to restore and having done this he intends to repeat his father's achievement.  I'll let you read his story in his own words here but please, if you can, support his fundraising in any way you can by donating or simply share his story.

Paul's Blog

Paul's Fund-raising Page

Anything you can do, I can do......just as good!

Classic Bike Magazine have supported DSS's CB400F restoration project from the start. 

Their issue in February 2012 heralded the purchase of 50 CB400Fs from up and down the country (the final figure was far more than this).  You can read the article here. 

MCN had already run a small article themselves in January 2012 - read it here.

The restoration project evoked further media interest when the dry humoured presenter of Top Gear, James May, purchased one of the restored Cb400Fs.  He arrived in Suffolk with a photographer and journalist from the Classic Bike magazine and they then ran a very large article on "Why I had to buy a 400 Four" - you can read that article here.

James May collects his bike from David Silver Spares in Leiston

So, here comes Classic Bike Magazine again.   They are going to run a 6-8 month series on restoring their own CB400F, featuring the Parakeet Yellow bike below as the background to their project.  Their final bike may be slightly customized. There will be loads of useful tips on engine rebuilds etc so well worth following. 

I am looking forward to following the project with great excitement and I have today emailed the journalist who will be writing the articles to ask him to let me know how the project will be run and whether it will be just in the magazine or online too.  I'll let you know when I know.

Another one flies the nest

It's always sad when something you have loved and nurtured flies the nest - all those wonderful memories when your little beauty came home bruised and battered and you fixed them up as good as new is enough to bring a tear to your eye.....................................well, that's not how the mechanics feel at DSS! 

It is a wonderful feeling to see something that came in bruised and battered leave the workshop as a truly magnificent piece of art.  Our mechanics stand very proud with chests puffed out as they say goodbye to another successful restoration and they walk back into the workshop to start a new one.  They are the Nanny McPhees for needy CB400Fs (but without the mole).

  

This is the latest CB400F to leave the DSS warehouse.  This beautiful parakeet yellow with pinstripes went to a customer in Dartmoor in Devon.  This was one of the Parakeet Yellow bikes that DSS has acquired during the restoration project (pic below).  I could probably tell you where the above bike originated but haven't got any documents handy.

David delivered the bike himself and too the opportunity to have a couple of days away with the wife and daughter (being spotted at South Mimms service station by a customer). 

The bike was restored by our trusted mechanic Steve Last in his workshop.  The bike was bought by a customer in his mid-70's who used to work at Lloyds of London.  I don't imagine it will be ridden a lot, he bought it to replace his very heavy 1959 BMW when he goes out on club outings.  Once a biker always a biker - you just have to ride a more suitable bike as your body ages.

The customer saw another yellow CB400F ready to go out when he visited the DSS offices to place his order some months ago.  His instruction to David: "I want it to look like that one".  On delivering it David says that the customer's instant reaction was "yes, it's at least as good as the last one I saw".

1959 BMW

Of course it wasn't just simply a couple of days away, he also took the opportunity to collect a virtually brand new ST70 from near Southampton.  This will be added as a museum piece (another huge project that David is now working on).

Virtually Helpful

So I joined the Single Over-Head Cam 4 Forum today.  I recognise some of the names on there from the DSS page.  I also recognise some of the bikes from previous Blog entries (hi Jamie Fitzharris).

It's great to go to a place where so many people have one thing in common, their love for a particular item/topic/place, etc.  It's easy to understand why people congregate to share their passion (except caravaners - who really understands the Caravan Club?).

Joining a group gives you a source of help and advice and an opportunity for friendship.  Lots of groups on Facebook offer the chance of riders meeting up for a day out on the open road.  Granted, you never know who you're going to meet up with.  That guy who constantly offers you invaluable advice could just be an annoying geek who has nothing else to share with you but, who knows, there may just be some good friends to make.

All I have to do now is find a group where I can learn how to change the time on my cooker and share stories of the lost hours over a glass of virtual wine.

Pillions with a spring in their step

The top CB400F was restored by our builder, Charlie Ridgeon.  He rode it up recently.  The engine has been stove enamelled and virtually all of our pattern parts have been used on this bike.  It is outstanding.

The bottom CB400F was restored by us, engine rebuilt and new primary/cam chains fitted.

Both of these are 76/77 models.  How do we tell?  Well, we can see that the pillion footrests have moved from the swinging arm to new brackets on the frame.  This meant that the passengers didn't look like they were going faster than the rider.  Their legs must have been like jelly by the time they got off the bike.

You will see that the Varnish Blue CB400F in the last post was an earlier model with the foot rests on the swinging arm.

I have to say I think I prefer the swinging arm model.  The pillion gets a more exciting ride than just sitting there.

New Zealand in April?

This is the latest CB400F to leave the DSS warehouse.  Lovingly restored it looks and sounds great.  Although I'm not so sure it's the perfect time on year for to buy a bike in New Zealand.  Their sunny days have drawn to a close and they are just entering into the long horrible winter that now seems a distant memory to us here in England.

What is your favourite stock colour?  The colours to choose from: Ruby Red, Varnish Blue, Parakeet Yellow tanks with black side panels or Candy Antares Red with pinstripes.

Is it important to stick with stock colours?  I mean Spiderman did don a black suit at times and nothing happened.  I have seen a few black CB400Fs and they look great.  We saw a white one in the last Blog entry owned by George Acolina which looks fantastic.  How about a tangerine orange?

Is the colour important?  Very!  Does it have to be stock to be perfect?  Technically, yes but who cares?

Dreams Can Come True

George Acolina shared with me his story of owning his first 400F.  What a great story.

"This bike, along with Karim's yellow 400, were the last batch sold in Gibralter in 78.  The white one was burgundy.  I bought in 79 and paid £825 for it because the owner (a guy in his sixty's) wanted what he had paid for it new £850.  It had 2000km and was in very good condition and such was the demand for these bikes then that everybody wanted one! 

Had a crash racing a Mazda rx7 that spun in front of me and a spinning car stops quicker than a bike, smashed the front end and i landed on my feet after flying over the bonnet unhurt but with my pride and joy with bent forks and dented tank.  I felt that to repair as soon as possible.  

I bought a CB250 front end, painted the tank in white and a week later was on the road again. In 1980 went to Greece from Gibvia Morocco the frontier was closed between Spain and Gib so we had to go to Morocco and from there to spain!!!  This road trip we did with three four fours as we used to call them, two friends and me we crossed Spain, France and Italy and then disaster; one of my friends 400 was smoking like a two stroke.  This was in the middle of August and in Italy everything closes in that month.  I remember they were playing the World Cup and Naples seemed like a ghost town.  We had stripped the engine in the camping site; the rings had broken scratching the cylinders we were looking for spare parts but every dealer in Italy seemed closed.  We found a place that had a smashed up 350 four and bought the top end with no new gasgets.  We repaired the engine in two days and soon it was running again but still smoking my friend threw in the towel and returned in train back home only to find out that after running for a couple of days the smoke disappeared.  It was the oil in the exhaust.  Me and other friend Eddie finished our plans and went up to Greece and came back home safe and sound.

I had the white bike til 1982 when i sold it and bought a Ducati Pantha 600 from UK and Eddie bought a BMW RS600 but that's another story. 

After I sold the bike it was smashed up completely in an accident and I always remembered that four four.  Years later I found a side panel off the white bike in the police compound and have kept it for years thinking maybe one day I could have one again.  Last year I threw it away thinking I'd never have one these bikes again - until i found out about you people, and it all came back.  I wanted one again.  The red bike I was looking in Facebook opened a page of cars and bikes for sale and there was my baby.  I called the guy and he had bought it in UK and brought it over registering it in Gibraltar.  The next day I tested and bought it.  It belonged to a lady for the past 28 years and now it belongs to me! So sometimes if you wish enough your Dreams Come true?"