Honda CB 450 DX 447

So you want to stay on two wheels reliably and cheaply and can't find a CX500? Then the CB450 DX-K built by our Brazillian chums has got to be on your list.Now I know you need this review because there's just not enough stuff on the internet about the last Superdream. It was over-priced when Honda launched it in '89, bringing it straight in from Brazil where they made them in a purpose-built jungle factory. Honda understandably replaced in '92 with the technically superior learner favourite the CB500 which, let's be honest actually does everything most of us need.I'd got kinda disillusioned with biking if I'm honest. I've been at it off and on for nearly 30 years and am starting to find myself more likely to be reading Classic Motorcycle Mechanics than Bike.I've tried the Harley thing and while I admit the attention and noise has some appeal, with the exception of the easy-to-maintain Sportster, it's all ridiculously expensive. After much debate last year I decided to try a big scooter. Bought one, tried it, bored, hate the image (but liked the weather protection).And six months later flogged the fat Burgman AN400 for £1,900 having picked it up from a dealer for £2,000. so everyone's a winner.What next? Well it's Credit Crunch time and with £1,900 burning a hole in my pocket I decided to buy cheap...very cheap.And there on eBay I somehow found myself with top bid on a 1989 Honda CB450 DX. Proper size bike, twin, proven lump.... come on, worth a punt surely?120 miles away the nice seller - who claimed it was bought to keep salt off his Harley and he hadn't ridden it - was actually something of an expert on them and had two more....as well as a lock up with around 30 bikes in various states of repair.But I liked him and though the bike, with a set of loud home-welded exhausts, could technically be described as a dog, it did have a full MoT.So he agreed to knock 25 quid off my 350 quid bit and I was heading for home. With Green Flag recovery in my pocket (47 quid bargain) I felt pretty confident we'd make it home.I found myself aboard a very loud (made my old Sportster look civilised) and pretty tall (tiptoes even though I'm 5ft 10in possibly made worse by the oversize front Avon tyre) machine.It has the heaviest throttle I have ever used and the front twin discs at least allowed me to understand what 'wooden' means. My puny grip is insufficient to pull the lever the required quarter of an inch. Hmm, that'll need work.To make matters more interesting the left foot rest is bent forward meaning there was little space to fit my size eights under the lever. Madness but somehow I'm transported back to 1978 and my first forays onto the road on mates' machines.Mildenhall to Kent is easy A11, M11,M25, M20. So no changing gear required.My mate, driving MY car is following and we are both pissing ourselves laughing at the way locals turned their heads as I clumsily blatted down the road (and these folk are used to the roar of Uncle Sam's war planes jetting in and out). There is no delicacy in the throttle.Back home: she has a small weep from the tacho drive but nothing else. She's straight, a little surface rust, tank is ding free and the swingarm is solid (apparently a bit of a spot worth checking like the CX) and there is a huge part of me that wants to restore this rough old dog to her former glory.But I know the right thing is to sort the pipes, twist grip, front brakes and replace the back tyre with something from at least the 1980s and just ride it into the ground.Stuff I've learned so far that you need to know:Front tyre pressure 30 back 33psi.A new Motad 2 into 1 costs between 140 and 190 quid - thanks Buster's in Swansea for the cheap option though I'm still waiting for delivery,Cables do need oiling something I've never bothered with seriously, and hopefully that'll sort the twistgrip.Webmoto will do you all the service parts.What more could you want?The rest I'll let you know.Anyone who reads this and has any suggestions, help advice, then add it, there is not enough on the web.Oh yeah, couldn't stop myself getting a pair of new chrome unnamed shocks, 30 quid.... and some flatter bars.This will cost me more I know it.And remember what they used to say: "You meet the nicest people on a Honda."