Instruments
Teardown
Not for the faint of heart... This takes some time and effort, but can be done. Once the instruments are removed fron the chrome cups and cusions that they sit in, disassembly is a simple matter of loosening the chrome ring that holds them. Jim Brokaw explains this:
Use a small flat screwdriver, insert it and pry up. Takes about 200 pries to get the band opened up. When you are finished with the instruments, use pliers to recrimp the band to hold the halves together. Pad the pliers jaw so the top of the band doesn't get marred. When you put the instruments back into the little cups that hold them the bottom of the band doesn't show, so they look untouched.Take your time here. Make sure that you pry the back side of the band, not the side that you can see looking at the face of the instrument. You will then have a speedometer and tachometer fully opened up. Well, not so much so on the Speedo because it has the reset arm and little rubber boot. I simply masked everything very carefully, putting the speedo inside of two plastic baggies and was able to paint the outside of the case without removing the reset arm. The rubber booty on mine had long ago dry rotted away. I didn't mess with repainting the dial, though I know of some who have gone to that extent. It's up to you. I then cleaned and conditioned the rubber and carefully cleaned the glass inside and out. I then put some tape around the instrument so that when I was putting the ring back on, it didn't scratch the paint. I then, carefully went around the instrument with some vice grips to tighten the ring back around the flange. Make sure that you put something to protect the ring from the vice grips, else it
I ordered new mounting cups and instrument cusions for mine. Worth the few dollars to David Silver Spares. Probably replace the bulbs while you've got them apart. Much easier then trying to get the little rubber mount that the bulb sits in pulled out. Here's what mine looked like once back together.
Here is the rubber boot that holds the light bulb.
Things to Know...
Problems I've Had in the Past
Controls
Teardown
Hmmm... Not much to really tear down. The brakes will be covered with the brake systems. The clutch, I guess here is as good a place as any... Mnie is set up, as it should be, so that it doesn't slip until the lever is pulled in about 1/2 inch, and is fully open (not dragging) with the clutch at least 1/2 inch from the handle bar. I like mine so that my clutch actuation is closer to the lever being released. I can't tell you a whole lot about the clutch on a stock 400, as mine has a CB750 clutch in it, or so it appears. I love it, it's beefy and performs really well. I can't tell you how to do it, as it wasn't my doing, but it seems as if the parts pretty much drop into place.
I also replaced the handgrips with NOS ones from Honda, as well as the plastic insert for the throttle. Pretty easy, no headaches here.
Bits and Pieces