HONDACB400F
Subscribe and save:www.Real-Classic.co.uk/subs AUGUST 2019 I37Bantam lastedamonth ,that’sall.Itw as slow
at55mphand Iwantedtogoquicker.Hence
Ienteredinto the dodgyworldofselling and
buying motorcycles at 16,goingto adealer
in Ketteringto trade the Bantamfora1964
RoyalEnfield Super 5.
Whatadog thatturne dout to be.Itw as
abitsa withaknackeredgearbox.I’dnever
hear doftradingstandards or‘fitfor purpose’
which it clearlywasn’t,but had nocomeback
with the dealer.
So it spentalot of timeat Grey sof
Thra pston, beingrepaired with an engine
overhaul.Wheneventually itwassortedout
I’djust beengivensome money so,with abit
offinance, Ipart-exchanged itforanew,blue
CommandoFastback from Glanfield Baldet in
Northampton.Imust have liked the Norton
becauseIdid over 80,000 miles beforeitwas
finall ysold in 2015.Imiss theCommando
after44years of pleasure(mostly), but itwas
gettingalittl eheavy formeand needed a
good swingtofire it up.Itw as also getting
tired and needed someattentiontoits
electricals,etc.
Back in the 1970s theyears rolled by with
the Norton. Iwas amember of theCorbyand
Kettering motorcycle club and enjoyedgoing
to watchbike racing,withPeter Williams
on the JohnPlayer Norton asmy hero. We
enjoyedfour greatholidays tothe IoMTT
race sonthe Norton, too.
Years raisin gafamily passed beforeI
purchased theContinentalGT. As amember
of theRoyalEnfield Owners’Club Ihad The
Gun magazine,where Isaw an adfora1965
250ccContinentalforsaleat£550. It ran
Honda’sdevelopmentdrawingsoftheCB 400 F.Intterestinghowseveralversionssharemanysimilaritieeeswithtoday’sfashionablecustomclassics...Asever,the heart of the machine is its engine.Inthiscase it’s an air-cooledsohc fourTThhelleffttsiiddeofftthhebbiikkeiiswhhere tthhegearllever lliives. AAllso the choke, andmuch else in the useful department