The Sandcast after The Sandcast... A myth?? No, just a reality!!

[4pots1969]

Here are some numbers of engine Sandcast only listed in France after the official period Sandcast E-1007414 and baptized on this forum "French Sandcasts" They are in series 1014000 and 1017000...
All the engines Sandcast listed below has the clutch covers  of the engines Diecast after E-1007414 with 10 holes but with only 9 holes, this anomaly is visible on the last two photos.
The explanation in that is I consider simple, they did not have a cluth cover with 9 holes in the stock...
The demand was very important and they opted for this fast solution because it was necessary to produce and to sell.

This Sandcasts 14000/17000 has were sold in France approximately for the period of March has April 1970.
A photo is joined for every number of engine...



E-1014138/VIN-1014046 ?? (Very strong suspicions that the 1st engine of origin was an engine Sandcast..)
E-1014143/VIN-1014060
E-1014149/VIN-1014014
E-1014170/VIN-1017109 (no matching numbers)
E-1015552
E-1016804
E-1017116/VIN-1016877
E-1017118/VIN-1041129 (no matching numbers)
E-1017135/  no frame
E-1017144/VIN-1003541 (no matching numbers)
E-1017164/VIN-1015880   
E-1017180/VIN-   ??
E-1017193/VIN-1016884
E-1017196/VIN-1016877
E-1017199/VIN-1016882
E-1017417/VIN-1017272

 
 

[Steve Swan]

VERY, VERY, VERY COOL !!!!  MERCI !  THANKS FOR SHARING THESE !  Are these vins the total known to exist ?

[4pots1969]

Yes, All this is very real and on their wheels has the exception of Sandcast E-1017135.
I added the numbers VIN.

[cb7504]

 If possible it would be very nice to see any available pictures to go with the vin/serial numbers of these "French" sand cast bikes. 

[hondasan]

From the way the numbers are grouped, there appears to be two "batches" of these later sandcasts. temporary problems with supply of die cast cases I wonder?

Cheers - Chris R.

[kmb69]

Obviously, we will never know for sure but I would guess these were on the shelf, unnumbered, when the die cast cases became available and were pushed aside. Another possibility would be they were rejected for some reason, sent back to be fixed, and were used when they came back from the foundry or machine shop.

[kp]

A thought is maybe they were actually spare parts cases set aside for the replacement parts stock and when the diecasts became the normal supply for replacement cases (which the evidence suggests is what actually occurred) then these were slotted back into the production environment rather than trashed. At VIN17XXX demand would have been at a high and Honda management made a decision to use what they had.
Obviously we will probably never know so anything we write here is speculation.
One thing is for sure and that is these sandcast engine cases exist and were produced by Honda. I did read some BS comment somewhere that the French Sandcasts are fakes or don't count or whatever which I reject totally. They do exist and we have to accept that fact in this group. To think otherwise is just burying ones head in the "SAND"   

[4pots1969]

Yes, we can suppose two where three possibilities, but how to explain this cover clutch which I am going to call "9/10" which has my opinion does not make very serious for the look...  We do not have handlebars anymore from now on, but do not be worried because we are going to put a broom!!
Only for it, one can exclude returns of workshop.
It is very difficult to have informations on these Sandcasts.
I think sincerely that there were some also in other countries, but regrettably they were not listed..
Here is a photo of Sandcast E-1014149 and if you look in detail, she also has this famous cover "9/10".
She has her front fender mud before with double cuts and his exhaust muffler " HM CB750 " gets the same music which bewitched that the "HM300"...
And the best it is because she traveled only 2300 kms or approximately 200 miles for you because she was stored and almost forgotten during 40 long years...

[4pots1969]

Here is the second photo

[Steve Swan]

agreed.  the clutch cover is on of the coolest parts on the bike.  sort of a "pre-production" die cast part.

[kmb69]

Wow! I saw one of those on eBay a while back and did not buy it because I thought it was a fake. My BAD.

[kp]

Over the years I've see a few of these for sale. One was in the UK and I was a bidder but got tossed at the end. I agree it was a piss poor effort by Honda as far as finish goes. I would have thought they could have tidied that part up much better. I suppose cost considerations came int play. There are other examples of less than ideal fixes by the big motorcycle factory over the years

[Steve Swan]

14149 is a beautiful machine.  all original ? 

[4pots1969]

Yes, she is completely of origin, except tires and the paint which was redone, and she is only 200 miles..
It is I which is made photos because it is Sandcast of a friend.

Gerard

[4pots1969]

Another French Sandcasts E-1017196 here are the pictures..

The list goes slowly but surely!!

E-1014138/VIN-1014046 ?? (Very strong suspicions that the 1st engine of origin was an sandcast..)
E-1014143/VIN-1014060
E-1014149/VIN-1014014
E-1014170/VIN-1017109 (no matching numbers)
E-1017118/VIN-1041129 (no matching numbers)
E-1017135/  no frame
E-1017196/VIN-1016877
E-1017199/VIN-1016882
E-1017417/VIN-1017272