'72 CB350 - Some Assembly Required

[.RJ]

So after selling my restored/cafe racer'ed CB750 about 4 years ago, I've been loosely on the lookout for another CB350 - I owned two of them back when we had the motorcycle factory garage in Falls church, along with 3 CB400's, 2 CB750's and various others - not all at the same time mind, but they passed through. Problem is the cafe racer craze had shot prices through the roof, I gave up when I couldnt buy a non-running motorcycle for under $2000. So I wait.

This came up for sale on RRAX for a very fair price, and the seller was awesome to make the sale easy - I booked a van transport on uship to get the bike here from PA, and it was so nice, cheaper than renting a van and burning a day going to get it. The bike also came with some new parts that will make the bike nicer to live with like new roundslide carbs and electronic ignition. The bike is partially disassembled, with most everything it needs to go back together coming with the bike in 2 giant bins.

First goal is to get the bike running and riding again. I'll be going through everything and making sure that its safe & reliable, I know that I'll need new cables, the inside of the tank stripped, and I need to make sure things like the swingarm bushing, head bearings, tires, and so on are in good shape.

Down the line, I have grand plans of stripping it and rebuilding it like I did my last CB750 -



More photos here - <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.photodromo.com/Galleries/Motorsports/CB750ForSale/">http://www.photodromo.com/Galleries/Mot ... 50ForSale/</a><!-- m -->

I've had this page bookmarked for years, as inspiration for another CB350 project - <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://niskygarage.logical.net/CB350/week19.html">http://niskygarage.logical.net/CB350/week19.html</a><!-- m -->





And, a guy in Richmond started his own business fabricating & selling parts for old motorcycles to allow them to use more modern parts like forks, shocks, lights, etc - <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="https://cognitomoto.com/">https://cognitomoto.com/</a><!-- m --> - I will be buying some stuff from him I'm sure.

And, this guy makes and sells a lot of CB350 engine performance parts - <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://thrhonda.com/THR/CB350_K4.html">http://thrhonda.com/THR/CB350_K4.html</a><!-- m -->

My long term plan will be to strip it completely, and rebuild with modern forks, aluminum rims (still lace up of course), new shocks, cleaner electronics routing (no gauge cluster), new paint on frame and other bits. I'll probably tear the engine down and rebuild it as well for a little more scoot. But that's getting way ahead of myself, since I dont even have a garage right now (although, a walk out basement will serve in a pinch). For now I'll just reassemble and ride, and put some money away on the side to buy all the parts I'll need.

On to the photos. Reassembly starts in a few weeks.

[Goodspeed]

I am very excite for this to realize its final form, and every stage in between. I love the idea of going the restomod route with this and I feel like there are so many details to geek out over with these types of builds, and so many little bespoke parts to ogle and appreciate. Mmmmmm yes.

[SlimKlim]

I'm so into this. Cafe racers make me harder than chinese algebra. hock:

[CaptainHenreh]

Neat!

Why a 350 though? Why not the 4-400?

[.RJ]

Well, if you think finding a cheap 350 twin is hard, then you're better off walking out onto your deck and pissing into the wind than finding a cheap 400. They're all gone. I'm pretty sure that I pulled last cheap one out of some guy's ex-wife's shed at 10pm at night about 8 years ago.

The 350 twin is also smaller and simpler.

Now, if you had asked why not a 450 twin with the cool torsion bar valve springs, then I've got no answer for you other than this one was available at the right price from a solid seller.

[davej]

The bike looks great as it sits, but yeah, put me in the cafe fanboi boat, can't wait to see this thread build out.
My first scooter was an 83 CB1000, damnit, I need a bike again.

[EclipseTurbno93]

You're living my dream, will be joining you soonish though hopefully...

[CaptainHenreh]

I don't SEE the scrambler pipes but they must be somewhere...

[.RJ]

I don't SEE the scrambler pipes but they must be somewhere...

Hmmm. Possibru idea.

[CaptainHenreh]

I don't SEE the scrambler pipes but they must be somewhere...

Hmmm. Possibru idea.

[JPolen01]

I would burn my leg on that no less than every time I rode it

[.RJ]

It builds character

[ScottyB]

i like that those slots on the heat shield will leave the little grill marks on your calf, just like a steak

[.RJ]

I got some time today to look over the bike and the parts and make a list of what's there and what's not. I ordered a few things, including a full set of cables and few odds & ends that are missing. Opened up the new, larger carb to check the jet sizes and they look like they're going to work.

I think things look good to start the reassembler. The fuel tank though... has what looks like the remnants of a failed tank lining in it. I did some research in how to remove it, and strip the rust and I have a plan.

[Tyler.M]

Pretty! I have a '74 360 that I'm tinkering on here and there. I'm excited to see what this ends up turning into.

[.RJ]

As I started today



The red tank looks ok on the outside... but on the inside, the flaking liner & rust



I grabbed another tank over the weekend, its a little rougher on the outside but clean on the inside



I got all the cables (I think 6 of them) off the bike and in the bin, and the clip-on bars that came with the bike mounted up



And hung the left side exhaust pipe on the bike, it was missing some small pieces before.

As I left it:



Tomorrow I'd like to get all of my cables run and figure out what to do with my handlebar controls - either re-use the ones that came with the bike, or newer Honda units that are smaller & cleaner, or just ditch them all together and DGAF about horns and turn signals.  Likely the first option because its free.

I'm not sold on these clip-ons, though, I may see if I can find a flatter version of the factory bar, although that looks like a riser bar and it looks un-balanced with the stock gauge cans.

This thing really needs a good deep clean & power wash, its filthy everywhere.  Its requiring a lot of restraint on my part not to strip this thing down to the frame and scrub/paint/polish/plate everything back to new condition.  I'll do that when I tear it down for the modern forks, paint, engine rebuild, etc.

[.RJ]

I forgot to post a photo of the salvage yard where I picked up the tank...



I have no idea how this guy knows where everything is.  His head must be like the matrix.

Funny story - I called him about a CB750 engine when I was building the last bike, as the one that came home with me was in pieces and there's just too many of them out there for cheap to reassemble the one I had.  I go up there with Ginger to pick it up, and the guy fusses around for a few minutes, then calls us into the depths of the pit, and wheels around a rolling chassis, and proceeds to just sawzall the frame in 4 spots and the engine literally drops out.  Then does the same with any cables attached to the motor still.  I guess it was nice having the motor on its own little skid, but I was like what in the fucking fuck.  He said the frame was bent.  But still.

[.RJ]

The clip-ons are not going to work for this thing, at least while its stock-ish, so I ordered a low rise bar to go on the bike.

Cognito moto had a good selection of bars, and naturally I spent some time looking through their front end conversions.  I'm teetering on the edge of a slippery slope.

[Tyler.M]

edit: Maybe I should read your original post, eh? Sorry about that.

[.RJ]

Cognito moto sells the parts.

Classified moto are the guys that are doing the cool custom builds.

The junkyard is baltimore cycle salvage... been there forever.

I found a guy down near orange that cleans out tanks, I'm going to give him a ring this week, just to see what he says.