|
 I have this 71 CB350 donor bike that hasn't run in 20 years or so. It's been in a shed and squirrels have gotten into it. I want to do a cafe type setup for as cheap as possible. I don't have working wiring, carbs, ignition, cables, lights, etc. I'm thinking of running Mikuni VM30-80 carbs on it, possibly GSXR fork swap. I'm expecting this to take a while and I haven't made any major decisions or purchases so I'm starting a project thread. I don't know what I'm doing but lord willing I'm hoping to get this thing rolling by July. Dolphin fucked around with this message at 23:58 on May 17, 2020 |
#
?
Apr 30, 2020 02:01
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 29, 2024 14:56 |
|
|
And by rolling I mean engine started and turning the rear wheel.
|
|
#
?
Apr 30, 2020 02:15
|
|
|
YESSSSSS. I keep thinking I'm going to take a crack at a project like this but between the decision paralysis and living in a state where getting a title off a bill of sale is borderline impossible, I'm just going to live through this instead.
|
|
#
?
May 1, 2020 03:27
|
|
|
TheNothingNew posted:YESSSSSS. go through the state of vermont "why yes I do keep it garaged there for vacations." https://www.motorcyclezombies.com/register-title-motorcycle/register-old-motorcycle-vermont/ http://www.chinonthetank.com/2016/03/how-to-get-a-motorcycle-title/ https://dmv.vermont.gov/tax-title/vehicle-title
|
|
#
?
May 1, 2020 15:15
|
|
|
TheNothingNew posted:YESSSSSS.
|
|
#
?
May 1, 2020 21:44
|
|
|
Niiice, I can't wait to see this progress.
|
|
#
?
May 6, 2020 16:09
|
|
|
I had a CL450 for a bit. Fun bike but trapped in title hell so I sold it
|
|
#
?
May 6, 2020 18:13
|
|
|
Hell yeah another project thread! e: not sure if you knew this already but 4into1.com seems like a really good place for old honda parts, here is their section for the 71 cl350: https://4into1.com/honda-cl350k3-scrambler-350-1971/ e2: do you have the exhaust? mewse fucked around with this message at 15:10 on May 12, 2020 |
|
#
?
May 12, 2020 14:59
|
|
|
I owned a 75 CB360 in similar condition I bought for $100. You've got your work cut out for you here, but it's not impossible. These things are dead simple, just very old. Also I think that's a CB350 not a CL, the CL was the scrambler and had a different looking tank and the high mount exhaust. The thing you probably have to worry about the least is the motor. Unless it's frozen solid it'll most likely run. How well it runs is going to be the harder part. That electrical system looks like it's in rough shape and that's going to be your nemesis. Grounds, grounds, grounds. Replace the points with e-ignition. If you don't need turn signals by law eliminate all of that. The charging systems on these are extremely primitive but there are newer aftermarket stators and reg/recs. I would imagine that with the popularity of CB's that there are full brand new wiring harnesses available. You're going to want to put most of your money towards parts that make your life less of a living hell and make troubleshooting easier in the future. I can't emphasize that enough. To that end, if you're looking at a GSXR front end you're probably going to be out at least $500 and that front end is really overkill for a bike with a wet noodle frame. Also this will require a rear wheel swap if you want the wheels to match. Keep it as a roller, go through the motor and carbs, get it running, then make some decisions. e: apologies for sounding like a bossy rear end in a top hat, I'm guilty of not taking my own advice and it always ends up in project creep. Gorson fucked around with this message at 21:41 on May 12, 2020 |
|
#
?
May 12, 2020 21:33
|
|
|
Gorson posted:Also I think that's a CB350 not a CL, the CL was the scrambler and had a different looking tank and the high mount exhaust.
|
|
#
?
May 14, 2020 02:14
|
|
|
mewse posted:Hell yeah another project thread! And to those doubting it's a CL350 here's the pipes  And here's the vin:  oh So yeah, CB350 with CL350 pipes. e: That site is a goldmine, thank you very much for posting it. Dolphin fucked around with this message at 18:08 on May 17, 2020 |
|
#
?
May 17, 2020 17:50
|
|
|
Gorson posted:I owned a 75 CB360 in similar condition I bought for $100. You've got your work cut out for you here, but it's not impossible. These things are dead simple, just very old. Also I think that's a CB350 not a CL, the CL was the scrambler and had a different looking tank and the high mount exhaust. The motor turns over easily and sounds like it has compression but I haven't checked yet, I'll be doing that later today if I can figure out where I stuck my compression tester. The wiring is definitely a rat's nest, P/O said he tried to get it running for months and he could never get a spark out of it so he kept dicking around with the wiring and now I doubt there's a single unmolested circuit on the bike. I have a cousin that does automotive electronics for a living who offered to help wire the thing so when I get to that I'll have him over. I don't really have a list of priorities but in terms of compression/fuel/spark I need to tackle fuel first since the carbs are gone. I've heard a lot of people put Mikuni 30mm on these bikes but word is they're harder to tune and that they're overkill for these bikes. I've read that Mikuni 28mm's are easier to find on the cheap and easier to tune. If anyone can speak to that I'm all ears. I'm definitly paying out for one of the aftermarket electronic ignitions. Rectifier/regulator ditto. Starter will definitely need an overhaul, but I'll settle on kicking it over for the time being, maybe permanently and shave off the 10 pounds the starter occupies. e: I found a harness replacement. I'm not sure if this is the only option but this one looks drat near identical to the OEM harness and it's cheaper than I expected. Also comes with the regulator/rectifier so it'll knock that out too. ($140)  Electronic ignition is just as expensive as I expected. ($230) 
Dolphin fucked around with this message at 20:50 on May 17, 2020 |
|
#
?
May 17, 2020 18:05
|
|
|
I found my compression tester and kicked the hell out of the kickstarter. Left:110 Right:110 That's cold obviously so the actual number is probably a bit higher, and the thing hasn't been ran in so many years I don't know how meaningful those numbers are anyway. Should be enough to get it firing at least I'm assuming.
|
|
#
?
May 17, 2020 19:34
|
|
|
Dolphin posted:e: That site is a goldmine, thank you very much for posting it. I learned about that site from classic octane on youtube, he does cafe projects usually on CB550 and CB750, but his informational videos would probably help you out a lot. I do think you should skip right to electronic ignition rather than trying to get the points figured out, it's a shame your wiring harness has been butchered already.
|
|
#
?
May 17, 2020 20:07
|
|
|
I also have a 71 CL350 and you have a mix of parts from different models. That's a CB front end (the CL forks have gaiters) and tank (CL didn't have the chrome trim piece on the bottom, and also had a bat wing sort of paint job and was a somewhat more round shape). Actually the more I look at it you also have CB rear wheel (smaller sprocket) and rear suspension (those slider things on the top, CLs didn't have those) and oh I just read your later post where you say it's actually a CB and you just have the CL pipes. Yeah, that sounds right. I think you should definitely replace the points with electronic ignition for reliability. Like, points can work just fine, but to me it's kind of like brake speed-bleeders in that if you replace it once up front you'll never have to mess with it again and that's worth it. (Or deal with stuff like your bike dying because you rode through a rainstorm and the lovely tin cover over the points leaked and let water in and shorted them out). I have a PAMCO ignition that was definitely less than $230 but I don't know if they make it any more. It keeps the original advancer and only replaces the point mechanism and it works great. Also, these old bikes had a really lovely 25-watt incandescent (not even halogen) headlamp and it wasn't intended to run all the time like on a modern bike, so when (not if) you upgrade the headlamp, make sure it's a <25 watt LED unit and/or upgrade the alternator as well. The starter on mine squealed when I first got it so I took it off and put in a rubber freeze plug (lol) and it's worked perfectly fine as a kicker only ever since. It's frustrating while you're working out the tuning and it's stalling all the time, but once you're past that point there's no problem. I will echo Gorson and say don't bother trying to put a GSXR front end on it unless you're really fascinated by the look. The rear suspension is like a pogo stick and the frame is steel bicycle tubing and it's just not gonna gain you anything except better brakes. My CL can just touch 100mph indicated (so that's like, 87mph true) but that was terrifying and I am not really comfortable going more than 60 because it's just too squirrelly. Just put on some good quality tires and make sure the brakes have good shoes and see how it feels. Sagebrush fucked around with this message at 20:46 on May 17, 2020 |
|
#
?
May 17, 2020 20:42
|
|
|
Dolphin posted:Left:110
|
|
#
?
May 17, 2020 22:29
|
|
|
 Tank off.  Look, old twisty connectors for house wiring! Next I needed to get the seat off, which...  Was a problem. I don't have the key. Luckily the seat is trash and the pan is so rusted it's cracking apart so I just bent it.  This was my unholy method of getting the seat off. It destroyed the thing but that's redundant and I'm not reusing it anyway so whatever.  Seat off. If anyone wants it you can find it at a landfill in west Michigan.  The fuse is still good, so some top dollar money savings on the build there.  Here we have rectifier and starter solenoid. Both getting trashed since they're getting replaced/unnecessary. Battery box is going as well because I'm going to go with a lithium battery.  Seat, main wire harness, rectifier, regulator, starter solenoid, half of a handlebar control. Garbage garbage garbage garbage. Voltage regulator is there on the bottom of the battery box. Getting rid of the battery box also gives me an excuse to use Mikuni carbs since that port at the bottom of the battery box is necessary for Keihin CV carbs, which need equalized vacuum between the airboxes to balance the throttle. I had that problem on my other bike, if you want to read a somewhat long winded description of the performance issues that can cause you can read about it here.  This is the seat lock. I have a very strong feeling I'm going to have to drill those screws out.  And that's how the bike stands at this point in time. I mean that literally. The idiot current owner removed the footpegs and kickstand a while back for some reason so I'm leaning it up against that piece of sheathing. I'm going to get a bike floor jack from Harbor Freight to make this easier. I'm not sure if there's much else to do now but order stuff and wait. Carbs, air filters, wiring harness, regulator/rectifier, electronic ignition, ignition coils. I'm probably going to need a new petcock for the tank. Tank is also kinda rusty so tank cleaning and sealing kit is probably necessary. Rev. Dr. Moses P. Lester posted:How many kicks was that? Cause those numbers are awfully low. Throttle wide open? Dolphin fucked around with this message at 00:23 on May 18, 2020 |
|
#
?
May 17, 2020 23:53
|
|
|
Just for future reference there are only like 50 different keys (maybe less) for all these CB350s so you can just look on eBay for Honda T1927 (T is the key pattern, 1927 is the code) and you'll find one. Might be better than replacing the ignition. Also get yourself a manual impact driver, the kind you hit with a hammer. It's basically a required tool to work on old bikes with lovely screws and it will probably save you a lot of drilling.
|
|
#
?
May 18, 2020 01:40
|
|
|
Sagebrush posted:Just for future reference there are only like 50 different keys (maybe less) for all these CB350s so you can just look on eBay for Honda T1927 (T is the key pattern, 1927 is the code) and you'll find one. Might be better than replacing the ignition. They're also super easy to hotwire it's usually just red-to-black and +1M to getting a hand impact driver and appropriate JIS bits. I like what you're doing so far by attacking the absolute shittiest part of these bikes (even when new, the electrical system), and not just mocking up some clubman bars. Now would also be a great time to replace those glass fuses with blades.
|
|
#
?
May 18, 2020 14:19
|
|
|
Sagebrush posted:Also get yourself a manual impact driver, the kind you hit with a hammer. It's basically a required tool to work on old bikes with lovely screws and it will probably save you a lot of drilling.
|
|
#
?
May 18, 2020 15:55
|
|
|
Sagebrush posted:
I have one of those and it's literally never worked. How on earth could I be operating it incorrectly? Maybe all my nuts and screws were beyond hope.
|
|
#
?
May 19, 2020 20:31
|
|
|
Did you set it so that it turns left when you hit it, instead of right?
|
|
#
?
May 19, 2020 22:13
|
|
|
Sagebrush posted:Just for future reference there are only like 50 different keys (maybe less) for all these CB350s so you can just look on eBay for Honda T1927 (T is the key pattern, 1927 is the code) and you'll find one. Might be better than replacing the ignition.  Impact screwdriver did work. Coydog posted:I have one of those and it's literally never worked. How on earth could I be operating it incorrectly? Maybe all my nuts and screws were beyond hope. Dolphin fucked around with this message at 23:11 on May 20, 2020 |
|
#
?
May 20, 2020 22:46
|
|
|
Sagebrush posted:Did you set it so that it turns left when you hit it, instead of right? Dolphin posted:Thanks for that, I ordered a couple. I still have to replace the ignition but I think I can rekey one the same as the steering lock, tank and seat. Speaking of which... Yes, I have that exact one, and am doing all that, and all it does is either strip the screw head, or have zero effect.  One of these days it will pay for itself.It's me, the guy who can't work simple machines like inclined planes. Coydog fucked around with this message at 01:20 on May 21, 2020 |
|
#
?
May 20, 2020 23:45
|
|
|
The hammer impact drivers are literally the best tool I have in terms of how reliably they get me out of jams This is what happens when you live that old Japanese cheese screws life
|
|
#
?
May 21, 2020 14:30
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 29, 2024 14:56 |
|
|
If I don't care about the bolt in question and it's going in the poo poo-can anyway (JIS side cover bolts) I'll just dremel a slot into it for a big fuckoff screwdriver. It can't withstand that amount of torque. Just don't dremel through the head.
|
|
#
?
May 21, 2020 15:20
|
|